Pernell McPhee signed with the Washington Redskins on a more than affordable deal in the 2018 offseason. Here’s what he has to show to win a bigger role with the squad in 2018.
When Pernell McPhee signed with the Redskins this offseason, some were initially upset. Other key members of the pass rush had been let go and fans were displeased regarding the Redskins complacency about losing talent. Then, the details of the McPhee signing were revealed and everything seemed to get better.
McPhee signed a one-year deal with the Redskins worth just $1.8 million. That’s an absolute steal, considering the consistent production he put up with the Bears and the Ravens. In the last four seasons, McPhee has never failed to record four or more sacks, even when working as a backup. So, there’s a lot of reasons to be hopeful about his acquisition.
The newest Redskins edge rusher will have a chance to prove himself in the upcoming training camp. And with a strong performance, he should easily endear himself to the fans that were, at first, skeptical of his signing.
McPhee’s 2017 season
McPhee put together another solid season in his third year with the Chicago Bears. He played in 13 games and notched four sacks despite losing his starting job to Sam Acho. He continued to perform well as a run stopper too, totaling 21 tackles despite playing in just 36.4 percent of the snaps.
While the numbers weren’t nearly as good as his 2014 and 2015 campaigns in Baltimore and Chicago respectively, it’s clear that McPhee still has what it takes to be a solid rotational player on the edge. The Bears only released him because they were going through somewhat of a youth movement and opted to add some younger pieces.
What McPhee must show at training camp
McPhee is set to replace a player that quickly became a fan favorite last year, Junior Galette. The former Saint finally returned from consecutive Achilles tears and was able to put a lot of heat on opposing quarterbacks thanks to his plethora of pass rushing moves. McPhee is a very different player from Galette, and he’ll need to show that style can work in Washington’s defense.
Whereas Galette tends to use a combination of speed, length, and athleticism to get into the backfield, McPhee’s game is based more on strength and physicality. He’s a stout 6-foot-3, 265-pound player with above-average strength for the rush linebacker position. McPhee uses that to his advantage, and that’s why he’s such a well-rounded player.
McPhee is a do-it-all type of player who does just as well against the run as he does rushing the passer. He likes to set a physical edge, and that helps him to make stops in the run game. This type of addition should bode well for the Redskins defense.
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To inspire confidence that the Redskins made the right move by adding McPhee, he is going to have to show that he can still bully opposing offensive linemen. Frequently, he would use his strength to bull rush against top tackles when he was at his peak. As a result, he should show an affinity for collapsing the pocket from the B-gap and could work as a hybrid inside/outside defender. If he can show this above-average functional strength, there is a good chance that he could be an impact player for the Redskins.
Beyond this, McPhee has to quell concerns about his health. McPhee hasn’t played a full season since 2014 and has missed 10 combined games over the past two seasons. Given the issues that the Redskins had with injuries last season, it would be nice to see McPhee fully healthy to start training camp, as he shouldn’t suffer as much damage if he’s playing in limited snaps as a backup.
McPhee appears to be in the driver’s seat and should have a good chance to prove that he was a worthwhile investment. That said, he still will have to beat out some other players just to ensure that he can keep his role with the squad.
McPhee’s main competition
McPhee was brought to the Redskins to serve as a situational pass rusher in the mold of Galette. He’s unlikely to usurp a starting position from the indestructible Ryan Kerrigan or the hyper-athletic Preston Smith. His main goal is to stave off competition from other players.
The biggest name that the Redskins have to challenge McPhee is Ryan Anderson. The former Alabama product was a second-round pick by the Redskins in the 2017 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he served as the fourth edge option for the team and played sparingly on defense, logging just 17.6 percent of snaps on that side of the ball.
Still, Anderson is a similar type of player to McPhee. He relies on physicality and motor as opposed to speed off the edge to compete with opposing tackles. If he shows enough improvement, that could make it difficult for McPhee to earn more snaps than him, especially since the Redskins have invested more in Anderson.
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If you’re looking for a potential sleeper at the EDGE/OLB position, Alex McCalister is a guy to watch. He was a seventh-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2016 who hasn’t been able to stay healthy during his NFL career. Still, McCalister has a lanky 6-foot-6 frame and very good athleticism. Thus, there is a chance that he could emerge as a contributor, provided that he can stay healthy.
It is worth noting that McCalister is listed as a defensive end by some projected depth charts, but his frame and weight (240 pounds) makes him a better fit for the rush linebacker position in a base 3-4 defense (though he would probably play defensive end in 4-3 concepts).
The competition for McPhee essentially involves deep sleepers. It’s going to be difficult for them to both beat McPhee and knock him off the roster. That said, McPhee can’t write them off as he looks to battle for the No. 3 rush linebacker job.
2018 outlook for McPhee
It seems that McPhee is just about the perfect replacement for Galette. While he’s a different player, he brings a new type of skill set to the table. That should make the Redskins edge rush group one of the better pass rushing groups once again, but it will also make them good against the run.
Beyond that, McPhee could help to mentor the aforementioned Anderson. They are similar players and since McPhee is on a one-year deal, helping to mentor Anderson could score him some points with the coaching staff. And that could make them consider bringing him back as a mentor/depth piece, especially since Preston Smith is also a free agent. But that’s way further down the line.
For this year, McPhee should earn the No. 3 rush linebacker spot. He should be a perfect backup to Kerrigan and Smith, and he should add a lot to the pass rushing group. If he could notch four sacks for a third straight season, that would be more than enough to ensure that this move was a success for the Redskins.
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McPhee’s journey with the Redskins will start in training camp. He’ll have a great chance to prove himself, and he might be the type of player that fans embrace during the season, especially when they see the type of motor he plays with.