Training camp is now in full swing for the Washington Redskins. Here’s a look at the roster bubble as it stands and which players are in or out.
The battle for the 53-man roster unofficially began on July 26 when the Washington Redskins reported to camp. With 90 men currently on the unit, 37 will have to be cut before Week 1 of the NFL season. Almost all of these will occur on cut day, but it’s never to early to start assessing who might be on the roster bubble.
Roster bubbles are notoriously difficult to figure out. Last season, nobody had Stefan McClure near the roster bubble, and he actually made the 53-man squad. But generally speaking, there are players whose roster spots are locked in, players who stand virtually no shot of making the team, and then, there are the 20 or so guys that are truly on the bubble.
This year, the Redskins are flush with talent (at least for the moment) so they are going to be faced with some tough decisions. In our first installment of bubble rankings, we’ll take a look at who the last five players that make the roster will be, and who the first five out will be.
Obviously, these are not set in stone. We’ll continue to update and debate about the roster bubble for the month and a half to come. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.
Last 5 in
WR Brian Quick: Though I left Quick off the roster in my latest batch of roster predictions, his performance during the first few days of training camp makes him favored to win a backup spot. Quick, a former second-round pick who re-signed with the Redskins after joining them in the 2016 offseason, should be the No. 4 or 5 receiver and will only be pushed off the roster if another young player breaks out.
CB Orlando Scandrick: There was some worry that Scandrick missed the third day of training camp with a back injury, but he was just getting a maintenance day. Scandrick might not win a starting cornerback job with the Redskins, as Fabian Moreau performed well in the slot in his stead, but he still would be a versatile backup corner that provides veteran experience. So, he is on the bubble for now, but like Quick, he will only be pushed off if a young player steps up.
DL Ziggy Hood: I think that the Redskins are going to carry seven defensive linemen this year so that they can keep Hood on the roster. Hood is a favorite of Jay Gruden and he is known as a great leader. He provides versatility to the line as well, though he isn’t a very good nose tackle, and he will be a perfect fit as a depth piece in case of injuries.
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S Deshazor Everett: Everett still has the upper hand over the younger safeties trying to make the roster. The Redskins already have two very young safeties that are virtually guaranteed to make the 53-man unit in Montae Nicholson and Troy Apke. Unless either Quin Blanding or Fish Smithson starts to make some big plays, Everett will probably be brought back as a veteran backup. His grip on a roster spot is tenuous though, as he was only an average backup in 2017.
LB Zach Vigil: Vigil is engaged in a tough battle at the inside linebacker position. The Redskins are likely to keep five there, and given Vigil’s performance at the end of last season, I think that he will ultimately edge out the competition and serve as the early-downs backup for the squad.
First 5 out
QB Kevin Hogan: After Colt McCoy inked a one-year extension to remain with the Redskins, Hogan’s future immediately became unclear. It’s possible that the team could elect to keep three quarterbacks this season, but they have a lot of quality depth at other positions, so keeping a third quarterback may not make much sense. Thus, Hogan is the 54th man right now and the Skins may try to stash him on the practice squad.
CB Joshua Holsey: I had Holsey as the odd man out in the cornerback room before he suffered a freak foot injury. He’s out indefinitely right now and given the amount of solid, young competition that the Redskins have at corner, he could be hard-pressed to make up ground. He may even move further down this list in the future if undrafted free agent Danny Johnson continues to impress as a return man/slot backup.
LB Martrell Spaight: Spaight is Vigil’s primary competition at the linebacker position. While Spaight has been a very good run stuffer during his Washington career, he has never performed well in coverage. Vigil isn’t great in that area either, but I just think that Vigil will end up winning the job. It’s really a coin-flip between the two.
NT Phil Taylor: On a team with less defensive line talent, Taylor would have a good chance to make the roster as a backup nose tackle. However, with Daron Payne and Tim Settle in the fold, Taylor isn’t necessarily needed by the Redskins. That could change if Payne’s injury turns out to be more problematic than first anticipated, but for now, Taylor appears to be playing for his next job this preseason.
WR Maurice Harris: You could make a good argument for Harris making the final roster, but he appears to be locked in a tough battle with Quick, Robert Davis, Simmie Cobbs, and Cam Sims for the final one or two spots at receiver. Considering that Harris didn’t survive final cuts last season, he appears to be on the outside looking in for the moment.