With one week of Redskins training camp in the books, we can start to move around our early roster predictions.
The Washington Redskins roster is fairly solid, with a new wave of rookies leading an exciting era transition, and an infusion of depth revealing itself on all levels.
In 2018, the pieces seem to be coming together. The Redskins have their quarterback, their running back, and their offensive line healing up. The defensive line is as packed with talent as its been in the last twenty years, and the team chemistry seems to be at a high point.
The Redskins have the potential to compete in 2018, but in reality, the degree of their competitiveness may come down to a select few players, and how they perform when their team needs them to contribute.
As it stands, it’s too early to point out those players. But with the first week of Redskins training camp behind us, let’s take a look at five players who deserve more attention moving forward.
No. 5 – RB Byron Marshall
For much of the offseason, the projected running back room for the Washington Redskins has looked something like this:
- Starter: Derrius Guice
- Third-down back: Chris Thompson
- Primary backup: Robert Kelley
- Secondary backup: Samaje Perine
The above prediction is the most reasonable. After all, it leaves the four running backs with the most experience on the roster. But after the first few days of training camp, it’s become clear that the running back room isn’t going to settle that way.
Instead of taking the four best running backs, the Redskins appear to be searching for a backup to both Derrius Guice and Chris Thompson. Not just any back will do. The Redskins want both a thumper and a solid receiving back to man the third and fourth spots on the depth chart. They want versatility, and a receiving back complete that careful puzzle. That receiving back could wind up being Marshall.
No, not Keith Marshall. Byron Marshall.
While the former Marshall was recently waived with an injury settlement, the latter Marshall remains on the Redskins’ roster, and is slowly becoming a favorite of Jay Gruden. His compact, stocky frame makes him an able runner, while his quickness out of the backfield makes him a dangerous receiving threat, and a capable backup to Chris Thompson. As NBC Sports’ J.P. Finlay noted more than once, Marshall got first-team snaps that normally would have gone to Chris Thompson today. Thompson wasn’t injured. Marshall has simply been better than anticipated.
Marshall is a player to watch for this reason. If players are truly battling for the backup receiving back position, then it’s clear that Byron Marshall is the current front runner. Believed by many to be a roster sleeper, Marshall could have a better chance than almost all other backs.
Other Sleepers at RB: Kapri Bibbs, Martez Carter
No. 4 – LB Josh Harvey-Clemons
The Redskins’ backup situation at linebacker has generated plenty of intrigue this offseason. Players such as Martrell Spaight and Zach Vigil have the most experience, but younger contributors like Shaun Dion Hamilton and Josh Harvey-Clemons could sneak into larger roles. Zach Brown and Mason Foster are entrenched as the starters, but behind them, the roles have not yet been determined.
As is always the case, the Redskins won’t be able to keep everyone qualified for the backup job. And so the task of separating players must be achieved throughout training camp and the early stages of preseason. It appears the Redskins have started the separation process, and Josh Harvey-Clemons is at the top.
Zach Brown suffered a minor setback at the start of training camp, and while he sat out, it was Harvey-Clemons who took his place alongside Mason Foster. While Brown has been easing himself back into the action over the last few practices, Harvey-Clemons has been getting mixed into first-team reps. And he’s played well, by most accounts. The safety convert had an interception earlier in the week, and he was also seen stepping back into deep coverage, displaying rare mobility for a linebacker.
The Redskins’ coaches like Harvey-Clemons’ length, range, and upside at the inside linebacker slot. He’s not a thumper, but he has a certain versatility that’s unique for the position. It’s worth noting that Harvey-Clemons filled in for Brown on the first-team defense earlier in the offseason as well. While some earlier roster projections may have had Harvey-Clemons on the roster bubble, he appears to be safe, in that regard. His versatility could prove to be an asset on the Redskins defense.
Other Sleepers at ILB: Shaun Dion Hamilton, Vontae Diggs
No. 3 – DT Tim Settle
With Stacy McGee likely out until preseason, at least, and with Daron Payne out for no less than a week, Redskins fifth-round pick Tim Settle will get a lot more opportunities with the first-team defensive line.
Settle, widely regarded as a draft steal, is a solid prototypical nose tackle who’s already rotated in with the first team. Now with two defensive linemen sidelined with injuries, Settle won’t be rotating. He’ll be the guy.
Tim Settle has flashed early on, and understandably so. Settle came into the draft with a known combination of size, athleticism, and strength at his disposal. He was a bit raw, and a bit inconsistent, but those are two things Jim Tomsula is good at fixing. The progress has been noticeable, and with increased reps on the first team, the hope is that iron sharpens iron, and Settle becomes a pleasant surprise on an already stacked defensive line.
Other Sleepers at DT: Phil Taylor, Ondre Pipkins
No. 2 – CB Quinton Dunbar
From an undrafted wide receiver to a starting-caliber NFL cornerback.
Quinton Dunbar‘s had quite the career path up to this point.
The former Florida Gator showed flashes of prominence last year at his new position. With little time to prepare as a starter, in relief of Bashaud Breeland and Josh Norman, Dunbar put up respectable performances in limited snaps. Most notably, he shut down Pierre Garcon in a matchup with the San Francisco 49ers. In that game, Dunbar showcased all the requisite traits needed to be a starter in the NFL, and now, in his fourth training camp with the Redskins, he plans to put that experience to use.
Dunbar’s looked good, not just because of his official digits change to No. 23 (Rest in Peace, No. 47), but because he’s… well… he’s looked really good. Dunbar’s held his own against some of the best the team has to offer, maintaining sticky coverage with his length and quickness. The team has kept him at the No. 2 cornerback spot opposite Josh Norman, while giving Fabian Moreau and Orlando Scandrick snaps in the slot.
If the starting lineup ends up consisting of Quinton Dunbar on the outside, fans shouldn’t worry. He is relatively unproven at this stage, but he has the height, speed, and physicality necessary to beat his opponent. In the hands of Torrian Gray, he should help onlookers forget about Bashaud Breeland fairly quickly.
Other Sleepers at CB: Adonis Alexander, Danny Johnson, Ranthony Texada
No. 1 – WR Josh Doctson
Almost a week after undergoing a mysterious medical check on his Achilles tendon, Josh Doctson is apparently as healthy as ever. He’s making fools of defensive backs in training camp, flashing his first-round talent on a consistent basis.
Doctson has been the subject of immense criticism from the Redskins’ fanbase. After being drafted in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft, the near 26-year old only managed to catch 37 balls in his first two seasons, with his rookie season being cut short by a recurring Achilles ailment.
Now in his third year with the Redskins, ahead of a supposed audition for a fifth-year option, Josh Doctson knows he needs to take hold of his latest opportunity, and stay healthy as well. Doctson is almost halfway through his prime. By the time he seeks out a new contract in two years, Doctson will be 27 years old. He needs to make the most of the time he has.
In training camp, that is exactly what Doctson’s been doing. The TCU product looks better than ever; his first-round athleticism was on display all last week, and in week two, the Redskins will hope to see even more. Doctson has cited confidence as a reason for his noticeable improvement, and per ESPN’s John Keim, Alex Smith has been a big help as well. Here’s what Doctson had to say on Smith:
"After every pass… he’ll come to me or he’ll come to the other receivers and he’ll talk about what he saw and what he liked about that. That’s a little different for me and I like it. Just make sure we’re on the same page and we’re flipping the page at the same time."
It seems like we’ve written about Alex Smith having excellent chemistry with all three of the Redskins’ starting receivers this offseason. But instead of comparing to the last guy, let’s just appreciate what we have. Alex Smith could have been the key to unlocking Josh Doctson’s best traits all along. It’s best to wait and see. But things are looking better and better.
Other Sleepers at WR: Robert Davis, Brian Quick, Simmie Cobbs, Cam Sims, Shay Fields
Agree or disagree with our thoughts here? Have a player that you believe in but no one else seems to share your views on? Feel free to voice your opinion in the comments section below!