Riggo's Rag
FanSided

Redskins Mailbag: Cornerback battle, RB room, Payne or Vea, and more

By Jacob Camenker

CARSON, CA - DECEMBER 10: Samaje Perine #32 of the Washington Redskins takes a handoff from Kirk Cousins #8 of the Washington Redskins during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at StubHub Center on December 10, 2017 in Carson, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
CARSON, CA - DECEMBER 10: Samaje Perine #32 of the Washington Redskins takes a handoff from Kirk Cousins #8 of the Washington Redskins during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at StubHub Center on December 10, 2017 in Carson, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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CLEVELAND, OH – OCTOBER 08: Kevin Hogan #8 of the Cleveland Browns attempts to run the ball in the third quarter against the New York Jets at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 8, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH – OCTOBER 08: Kevin Hogan #8 of the Cleveland Browns attempts to run the ball in the third quarter against the New York Jets at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 8, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

Redskins quarterback room

David L: Do you think, as I hope, that they keep three quarterbacks for the 53-man roster this season?

I hate to be a dream crusher, but I just can’t see a scenario in which the Redskins keep three quarterbacks on the roster this year. Alex Smith is firmly entrenched as the starter. If there was any question about who the backup would be this season, that was wiped out when the Redskins signed Colt McCoy to a one-year extension running through 2019.

That leaves the last quarterback in the room, Kevin Hogan. Though the Redskins did trade for Hogan, they didn’t surrender a lot of value for him. They just moved down 17 spots in the sixth round, and they were still able to land a talented linebacker in Shaun Dion Hamilton. The cost of acquiring Hogan, who has upside, to serve as the third-stringer during the preseason was low, so they pulled the trigger.

So far in training camp, Hogan hasn’t looked very good. He has always had the tools needed to be successful, but to date, he has been a better scrambler than a passer in the NFL. The issues with his passing have carried over into this season, and that is going to make it very difficult for the team to keep him on board.

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Hogan is similar to Nate Sudfeld in that both are guys with a lot of upside, but they also needed some time to develop. The Redskins cut Sudfeld last offseason when their roster wasn’t as deep and when there were actual questions about who their starter would be in 2018. Given that Hogan is extremely similar to Sudfeld, I can’t see how they would justify keeping him over some of the other talented depth on their roster.

Furthermore, Hogan probably wouldn’t get a start until 2020 (barring a disaster). Ideally, the Redskins have bought themselves at least two years time with the Smith/McCoy tandem to find a QB of the future. On paper, the 2020 draft looks very strong at the quarterback position, including potential first-round options Jake Fromm and Tua Tagovailoa, so if the Redskins are looking for a successor at that time, that’s probably when they’ll pull the trigger. And I find it highly unlikely that Hogan, by that time, will have developed into a quality starter.

If the Redskins didn’t have such great depth, Hogan would get consideration. But for now, he would need a monster preseason to justify keeping him on the roster. Unless that happens, the Redskins will probably carry two quarterbacks and may stash Hogan on the practice squad if they can.

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