There have been many changes in Washington this offseason.
Among those changes, a new face under center, youth injected into starting spots, and of course, the departure of some household names. The new look Washington Redskins have a lot to prove in 2018 if they wish to meet the expectations of a winning season, and have a chance at the playoffs.
In order for the Redskins to achieve their goals for the upcoming season, big names will need to make big plays. On paper, Washington’s roster looks to be a net plus. Gaining experience in some places, needed youth in others, and talent all around.
Looking ahead, let’s predict the team awards for the 2018 season. The awards given will be those handed our by the NFL each year. These awards include: MVP, Offensive Rookie of the Year, Defensive Rookie of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and my own award, Fantasy Player of the Year.
Redskins Comeback Player of the Year: Montae Nicholson
Jordan Reed and Johnathan Allen could’ve easily gotten this award for what they bring to the table when healthy. Allen is a great run stuffer and will collapse the pocket to disrupt the quarterback’s timing. Jordan Reed is a game changer on offense. He can beat double teams and completely take over a game when he’s right. The issue is he’s almost never healthy. Montae Nicholson, however, has a chance to become the face of the Redskins defense.
In his rookie year, the former fourth-round pick was a promising young player in the Redskins secondary before injuries derailed his season. At 6-foot-2, Nicholson is long and rangy with great speed and open field awareness. He showed his ability to square up and make tackles in the middle of the field as well as his ball tracking ability, notably displayed via his interception against Oakland.
Alongside veteran safety D.J. Swearinger, Nicholson has the ability to thrive and become Washington’s best safety since the late Sean Taylor. The potential Nicholson possesses is through the roof and if he can stay healthy, 2018 could be the coming out part for the Michigan State product.
Redskins Offensive Player of the Year: Chris Thompson
Another candidate for Comeback Player of the Year, Chris Thompson has the ability to hit a home run every time he touches the ball.
In 2017, Thompson broke out as Washington’s top receiving option for former quarterback Kirk Cousins. Prior to his injury, Thompson was the Swiss army knife that got Jay Gruden’s offense started, and at points, he carried the unit. In ten games, Thompson rushed 64 times for just under 300 yards and two scores, averaging a team best 4.6 yards per carry. As a third down scat back, thats not too shabby.
Where Thompson truly thrived, however, was in the pass game. Placing 4th on the team in receptions, despite only playing ten full games, Thompson caught 39 balls for 510 yards, which placed him third behind only Jamison Crowder and Ryan Grant. Chris Thompson averaged over 13 yards per catch and had four scores through the air.
More from Commanders News
- What will Emmanuel Forbes bring to the Washington Commanders?
- Highlighting the best Commanders 2023 NFL Draft betting props
- 3 late Commanders rumors drawing buzz ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft
- 4 bold predictions for the Commanders 2023 NFL Draft
- Commanders News: Chase Young trade, draft day, CB riser and Sam Howell
When healthy, Thompson has proven to be Washington’s top weapon besides Jordan Reed, and new quarterback Alex Smith will utilize Thompson’s ability to the fullest extent.
Smith has a reputation of being more of a check-down passer. There’s nothing wrong with that if you have the right tools to do so, and Washington has the tools. Gruden’s offense works inside out, featuring slot star Jamison Crowder, ProBowl tight end Jordan Reed, and veteran Vernon Davis. Add the explosive Chris Thompson to that list, and Alex Smith had all the tools he needs to thrive in the nation’s capital. Look for Thompson to be even better this year with the support of the should-be-improved run game, thanks to the addition of Derrius Guice (Spoilers).
Redskins Offensive Rookie of the Year: Derrius Guice
Jay Gruden has always struggled running the ball, dating back to his offensive coordinator days with the Bengals. Part of this is systemic, but a larger factor is the lack of talent Gruden has had to work with in his time with the Redskins. Derrius Guice could be the guy to change that.
Guice entered the 2018 NFL draft as the consensus No. 2 running back. There were some, (yours truly), who considered him the top back in the class over now NFC East rival, Saquon Barkley. Guice is a complete back; his vision and balance, paired with his power and patience, allow him to be a very effective rusher between the tackles. Guice also possesses the speed and agility needed to allow him to hit a home run every time he breaks outside of the tackles.
Here’s that glorious play at a different angel. The balance through the hole gets me excited. Then he manages to gain enough power to take the safety on a little bit of a ride. I love it pic.twitter.com/HePy6zPFn2
— Nathan Britton (@NathanBritton_) March 1, 2018
Guice is a complete back, something Washington hasn’t had since the early days of Clinton Portis. He comes from one of the least productive passing offenses in college at LSU, and because of this Guice didn’t get to showcase his ability to catch out of the backfield much. Despite this, Guice has decent hands and should become one of Alex Smith’s favorite check-down targets.
Its easy to fall in love with what the rookie back brings to Washington’s offense and rightfully so. Guice has a chance to become the main building block on this squad, as Alex Smith is getting older and Jordan Reed can’t get right. There is a real chance Guice sniffs 1,000 yards this year if he can stay healthy. If that comes to fruition, Washington could find themselves in a fight for a division title late into 2018.
Redskins Defensive Rookie of the Year: Daron Payne
Selected in the first round, Daron Payne could be the answer to the nose tackle spot in Washington. Coming in at 6-foot-3 and 311 pounds, Payne is a force to be reckoned with on the interior of the defensive line. Putting up 27 reps on the bench at the combine and registering a sub 5.00 40-yard dash time, the Alabama product has the tools needed to clog the middle as well as terrorize opposing quarterbacks.
Payne joins former Alabama teammate Johnathan Allen and third-year lineman Matt Ioannidis on the starting line. Allen and Ioannidis, who are coming off injury-plagued seasons, showed incredibly well prior to injury in 2017. Adding Payne into the mix can only benefit Washington.
Having Payne’s power and strength to go along with Allen’s ability to stuff the run and Ioannidis’ pocket collapsing presence, the defensive line could become a strength for the Redskins, especially with the versatility Daron Payne possesses. With a slightly undersized frame for the nose spot, and a lack of snaps spent in base 3-4, we could see Payne being pushed outside, a position where he would thrive.
Having the ability to work offensive tackles and let the pass rushing specialists crash down with him, Payne could become a nightmare for opposing offensive lines. Its reasonable to expect that Washingtons defense, primarily against the run, will be exceptionally better this year, and Payne could very well be a key reason why.
Redskins Defensive Player of the Year: Zach Brown
Zach Brown was the focal point of Washington’s defense prior to injury in 2017. Leading the team in tackles with 127, Brown finished ninth in the NFL, missing the final three games of the year. Prior to that, in 2016, Brown finished second in the NFL with 149 tackles for the Buffalo Bills. There is no reason to think it won’t happen again. Brown has sensational speed for a linebacker, clocking a 4.4 40 time out of college. He has the ability to get through a hole faster than anyone else on the defensive side of the ball.
Taking into consideration the new additions to the defensive line, Brown should live in the backfield in 2018. In the 2017 season, any time you watched a defensive play, No. 53 was there. He was, sideline to sideline, Washington’s best defender for the year, barring his weakness in the passing game. Even with his flaws, Brown made a massive impact on every game, and should pick up right where he left off in 2018, now that he is healthy. Should he tidy up his pass defense and continue to rack up tackle totals, he could end up being the team MVP.
Redskins Fantasy Player of the Year: Jamison Crowder
Jamison Crowder is coming off a year where he was Washington’s top receiver. Leading the team in both receptions (66), and receiving yards (789), Crowder provides excellent impact as a mid-round fantasy selection.
In 2017, Crowder totaled 125 points in PPR formats and 99 points in standard leagues. Crowder makes the most of his chances when targeted with a 69 percent catch rate in 2017, his lowest of his three seasons. In 2016 he posted a 75 percent catch rate and an 80 percent catch rate in 2015, according to Pro Football Focus.
In 2017, Player Profiler charted Jamison with an average 2.07 yards of separation and an 85.0 quarterback rating when targeted, meaning, he is reliable and should become a favorite of new quarterback Alex Smith. Compounded with Gruden’s offense working inside and out, featuring Crowder and Reed, the fourth-year receiver should be considered as early as Rounds 3-4 and will provide a strong fantasy year in all formats.
Redskins Most Valuable Player: Alex Smith
Coming off a career year, Alex Smith will look to repeat his success with a new team. Smith led his Chiefs to the playoffs four of his five years under center. Now Smith takes the reins of a team in a weaker division, and with a roster ready to compete now.
Alongside Jay Gruden, who directs one of the most QB-friendly systems in football, Smith has a chance to lead this team to a division title, should Philadelphia suffer from a Super Bowl hangover of sorts. Gruden’s system worked wonders with Kirk Cousins, putting him well over 4,000 yards and two dozen touchdowns each year.
Now Alex Smith, a safer quarterback, replaces him. It could be a special year for Washington’s quarterback. With his style of play, the weapons around Smith are a perfect fit. Jamison Crowder and Jordan Reed will do most of the heavy lifting while newly-acquired wideout Paul Richardson has the speed to take the top off of the defense, similar to Tyreek Hill in Kansas City. Josh Doctson has come into his own as a decent 50-50 ball receiver with all-around upside, and if he can put it all together, he can be the best wide receiver Smith has had since Michael Crabtree in San Fransisco.
Next: A Statistical Breakdown of Smith vs. Cousins
In 2017, Smith put up career-high numbers in passing yards with 4,042 and touchdowns with 26. He also put up the second-best completion percentage of his career with 67.5 percent, all while only throwing 5 interceptions. Smith now has all the ingredients to have another career year at the age of 34, with the Redskins. Smith has every reason to thrive in Washington this season, from a great supporting cast to an offensively-gifted head coach, Smith has no reason not to run away with the team MVP.