More talent on the roster means more position battles. And for the Washington Redskins, that will make for an interesting training camp.
Going into training camp with a lot of position battles is never a good thing. Generally speaking, you want there to be a fairly solid set of established starters across your roster. If players are jockeying for depth, then so be it. But if you have questions at a critical position like quarterback, training camp can get ugly fast.
This year, the Redskins appear to be in good shape. They have added a lot of talent to compete for depth positions, but most of their starters appear to be settled. Their front-seven, receiving corps, and quarterback situation look to be set pretty much in stone. So, that will give Jay Gruden and company time to look at all the other options on the squad.
There are still some key position battles to be decided. Some of them are blatantly obvious, but others are a bit more hidden. Here are the top three position battles to watch during Redskins training camp.
3. Running back
Some people may scoff at the notion that the Redskins have any sort of competition at running back. After all, Derrius Guice is the answer at the position. He was a second-round pick and considered to be the second or third-best running back in the 2018 NFL Draft. So, why wouldn’t he be given the rock 20-plus times a game right off the bat?
Well, the answer to that is complicated. The first thing is that Guice has yet to play a down at the NFL level. That has been a criticism of the Saquon Barkley hype train in recent weeks, anointing him as the next great running back before he plays a down, but it applies to all rookies. Guice may well be ready to handle a starting role in the NFL, but he still has to prove it.
Beyond that, Jay Gruden hasn’t trusted rookies in his previous years as head coach. Matt Jones saw intermittent action during his rookie season despite looking more explosive than Alfred Morris. Granted, that was partially due to his penchant for fumbling, but Rob Kelley and Samaje Perine both took half a season or more to earn the starting job in the two years following that. And while it makes sense to give the starter a few weeks to prove themselves, waiting until midway through the season to make a switch can be inefficient.
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Still, Gruden’s track record shows that rookie backs won’t always get a full workload, even if they might deserve it. Of course, Guice is more talented than these players are on paper, but he still has to prove that he’s sure-handed enough to hold onto that starting role out of the gate and run with it.
Meanwhile, behind Guice, Perine and Chris Thompson will be battling for time. Thompson should see a lot of action on third downs. As for Perine, his role is the most undefined right now. That said, he has solid power and if he shows better playmaking ability, or at least better patience and vision, he may be able to swipe some early-season carries from Guice.
This battle is less about the long-term and more about the short-term. By the end of the year, Guice will be the starter. But at the beginning? It’s a bit unclear. That’s why this battle is a bit more important than people think because this could end up being a true back-by-committee approach to start the season.
2. Cornerback
The cornerback position has multiple spots up for grabs. While Quinton Dunbar and Orlando Scandrick seem to have the No. 2 corner and slot roles filled respectively, the slew of young talent the Redskins have at corner will certainly push them and try to earn a starting role from those veteran talents.
Notably, former third-round pick Fabian Moreau seems poised to challenge for either starting spot. This offseason, much of the Redskins fan base has been debating whether or not Moreau or Dunbar should be the starting No. 2 corner. Realistically, neither is the wrong answer.
That said, it might be nice to see Moreau push for the slot corner job. That would get him on the field, give him more experience, and it would push Scandrick to a bench role, where he would serve as quality, veteran depth (and be much less of an injury risk).
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Elsewhere in the slot, there was expected to be stiff competition for Scandrick, though that competition takes a bit of a hit with Joshua Holsey now out with a foot injury. Still, the Redskins spent a seventh-round pick on Virginia Tech’s Greg Stroman, and he will have a chance to play an inside/outside role with the team. He was very good in his final collegiate season, so he has more upside than most realize.
As for even deeper options, undrafted free agents Ranthony Texada and Danny Johnson both could have been selected in the 2018 NFL Draft. They weren’t, and they landed with the Redskins as a result. If either has a very good showing, they could push some of the other young depth, or Scandrick, off the roster entirely.
The Redskins have a good problem at cornerback. They have too much young talent. It may make this year a bit rough for the position group as players learn what their futures hold, but growing pains are part of building a team. Keep a close eye on this battle, as the winners will play key roles on the defensive side of the ball.
1. Left Guard
As long as Shawn Lauvao is listed as the starter at left guard, this is going to be a wide-open competition. While Bill Callahan seems ready to trust Lauvao, the fact is that he didn’t perform well last season and has been injury prone during his time in Washington. Those two factors will make it easy for any player with upside to overtake him.
Unfortunately, the Redskins don’t have a lot in that category. Right now, Ty Nsekhe would be the natural upgrade on the offensive line, but the Redskins seem content to keep him at tackle (which makes sense, given the injury issues they had there last year). Third-round rookie Geron Christian also appears to be locked into that position as well.
So, the rest of the notable remaining players in the interior lineman competition are as follows: Tony Bergstrom, T.J. Clemmings (who I think should move to guard), Tyler Catalina, Kyle Kalis, and undrafted free agent Casey Dunn. Of the group, Clemmings and Dunn probably have the most upside, but both have their issues. Dunn is more of a long-term project who isn’t ready to start, while Clemmings would need to learn a new position. That said, I think that Clemmings’ athletic ability could be just enough to edge out Lauvao. But again, the Redskins would have to move him to guard, and there has been no talk of that from their camp.
Until deep into the preseason, nobody is really going to know who the starter will be at guard. It’s highly likely that the starter will be the weak link on the line, but perhaps the Redskins will find a player who surprises leading up to the 2018 season.