After two preseason games, there seems to be more clarity coming to the Washington Redskins roster. Here’s a look at our latest 53-man roster projection including notable cuts at every position.
Trimming a 90-man roster down to 53 is no easy task. General Managers often get flak for the players they decide to part with. They’ll sometimes keep savvy veterans over proven, talented rookies. They’ll sometimes go with youth and eschew experience altogether. But one thing is certain. They do everything they can to get it right.
The Redskins are going to be faced with many decisions about their 53-man roster this season. They have more depth across the board than they’ve had in years, and it will make the cut-down process painful. A fan favorite, or a seemingly talented player, is almost certain to be released, so prepare yourself now for that moment to come.
Provided that injuries don’t take their toll once again, the Redskins should have a fairly strong final roster. They have a lot of good candidates to make the squad, and they will have a great chance to retain some talented, young players to develop on both the active roster and the practice squad. Of course, getting players through waivers isn’t always easy, so that can’t be taken for granted either.
Without further ado, here’s a look at our latest roster prediction for the full 53 on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. We’ll start with the NFL’s most important position: quarterback.
Quarterback (2)
Keeping: Alex Smith, Colt McCoy
Notable Cut: Kevin Hogan
The Redskins quarterback situation has been trending in this direction for a long time. Smith and McCoy are going to make the roster, and there were some questions about whether or not Hogan would join them. It seems that debate has been settled.
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Hogan didn’t look very good in his first preseason game. Though he was under pressure for most of the contest, he just didn’t do anything to help move the offense. Comparatively, McCoy looked excellent while working with the second string against some of the Patriots top defenders, so that gave him a stock up.
Hogan was always going to have trouble making the roster. The Redskins don’t need three quarterbacks, especially after they added depth to their squad this offseason. They got rid of Nate Sudfeld prior to last season when many assumed that he would be their third string, and that was on a thinner roster. Simply put, Hogan just doesn’t fit with this team, so he won’t make it.
Smith and McCoy are going to hold the fort for the Redskins for the next two years. Hogan may latch onto the practice squad with the Skins, but they also may just let him walk or another team could scoop him up. Either way, he’s no longer a realistic candidate for the 53-man roster.
Running Back (5)
Keeping: Samaje Perine, Rob Kelley, Chris Thompson, Kapri Bibbs, Byron Marshall
Notable Cut: Martez Carter
I decided to go with five RBs for this roster projection just because the Redskins may try to keep extra depth in wake of the injuries affecting their roster. If the Redskins want to keep five players to help alleviate the loss of Derrius Guice, it is going to take a lot for them to do that.
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Some will say that the team is so deep all across the roster, but realistically, they can’t afford to go five-deep at RB. They would have to skimp out on either a receiver, offensive lineman, or cornerback, and carry less depth at any of those positions would be far from ideal. However, as it stands, their depth is solid across the board, so carrying an extra running back to start the season wouldn’t be a bad move.
Perine and Kelley are still battling for the starting job with the squad, but my money is still on Perine to earn it if not by the preseason’s end, then very early on in the season. He just has better vision and more athleticism than Kelley, who seems to be more of a traditional between-the-tackles ground and pound guy. That’s ideal for goal-line and short yardage situations, but as a starter, that could cause him to get banged up quickly, as he was last season.
Meanwhile, the other two backs on the roster are receiving backs that will play a major role in the offense. Thompson was a dynamic playmaker last season and though he may take some time to recover from the broken leg he suffered last year against the Saints, he should still be able to make some plays for the team.
And behind him, the team seems likely to keep a receiving-based backup to help fill in if Thompson isn’t 100 percent to start the season. Marshall and Bibbs are currently fighting for that role, but Bibbs has the advantage after outperforming Marshall in preseason Week 2. Marshall probably would have made the roster if not for his recent ankle injury, so he made the cut as the 53rd man in this projection. It’s not a guarantee that the Redskins will keep five backs, but it certainly is a possibility.
Wide Receiver (6)
Keeping: Jamison Crowder, Josh Doctson, Paul Richardson, Maurice Harris, Trey Quinn, Cam Sims
Notable Cut: Brian Quick
With the injury to Robert Davis ending the second-year man’s season, there is now an opening for another receiver to make the final 53. While many are assuming that Harris, Quinn, and Quick will all make it, it’s possible that they won’t.
Quick has been sidelined with injuries for parts of training camp between flashing solid ability when on the field. However, Quick figures to be the No. 5 receiver at best. He’s 29 and would provide veteran depth, but there is a good chance that he will be beaten out by a younger receiver.
Assuming the first four players listed at this position are roster locks, Quinn and Sims will be the guys pushing Quick for a job. Quinn figures to be an inside/outside threat while Sims and his 6-foot-5 frame offer red zone ability and he was able to make a 57-yard catch in the Redskins preseason opener. He followed that up with a strong game against the Jets. The two receivers will have a very good chance to secure a roster spot over Quick.
Those final three receivers are going to be engaged in an intense battle, and for now, I have Quick coming out as the loser. That could change in the final couple of preseason games, but for now, the youth movement in Washington still holds the advantage.
Tight End (3)
Keeping: Jordan Reed, Vernon Davis, Jeremy Sprinkle
Notable Cut: N/a
The tight end position has seemingly been projected to be the same three players since the major offseason acquisitions ended. Reed, Davis, and Sprinkle will likely man the position, and there doesn’t seem to be any potential surprise candidate to make the squad. Manasseh Garner may have qualified before his torn ACL, but even that would have been a surprise.
Reed is looking healthier than he has in years during camp, and he could be ready for a bounce-back year (though that could change at any moment). Davis has chemistry with Smith from their San Francisco days, so he is a great backup. Sprinkle will serve as a blocker and potential red zone weapon, and he could eventually develop into a top backup in the mold of a taller Niles Paul.
It would frankly be shocking to see the Redskins carry any players at tight end that aren’t these three. Matt Flanagan and Garrett Hudson seem to be merely camp bodies, though either could end up on the practice squad as depth. But no matter what, expect the primary three players top the depth chart at this position.
Offensive Line (9)
Keeping: Trent Williams, Morgan Moses, Brandon Scherff, Chase Roullier, Shawn Lauvao, Ty Nsekhe, Geron Christian, Tony Bergstrom, T.J. Clemmings
Notable Cuts: Tyler Catalina, Casey Dunn, Kyle Kalis
The Redskins offensive line depth isn’t settled at the moment. While they have seven roster locks, the team just doesn’t have a lot of talent on the interior of the line.
Lauvao can get by as a starter, but relying on him and his spotty injury history is a risk. Behind him, the team doesn’t have any proven players. Guys like Bergstrom, Kalis, Catalina, and Dunn are fighting for spots. Meanwhile, third-round pick Christian isn’t ready for NFL action while reserve tackle Nsekhe seems likely to stay at the tackle spot. He could move inside if needed, but the Redskins would like to use him as a swing tackle primarily.
For these two reasons, the final couple of backups on the line continue to be unsettled. So, I’ll stick with what I have had in previous roster projections. Bergstrom will make it as a backup guard/center while Clemmings will become the team’s G/T hybrid this season. Clemmings hasn’t seen a lot of interior work, but he has the athletic ability needed to make an impact at that position. So, perhaps testing him there in the final two preseason weeks could be beneficial for the Redskins.
No matter what, this position will be the weakness for the Redskins. They just don’t have enough depth to field a very strong unit. Their starting line should still be one of the better ones in the league, but if a player goes down, the team will have to scramble to replace him.
Defensive Line (6)
Keeping: Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, Matt Ioannidis, Tim Settle, Anthony Lanier, Ziggy Hood
Notable Cut: Phil Taylor
Payne was on the field in the second week of the preseason and showed why he was a first-round pick. He and Allen wreaked havoc on the Jets early, and they should be a great tandem on the defensive front. Add in Ioannidis when he’s healthy and…look out.
Behind the projected top three, Tim Settle has settled into a role as the backup nose tackle and run stuffer. Lanier is the pass rushing specialist. And Hood is a versatile, do-it-all leader who can play a handful of snaps in conjunction with the better linemen. This unit is truly a strength, and it’s remarkable how much the group has transformed since the start of 2017.
Taylor gets the short end of the stick here, as he just doesn’t have a place as a third-string NT and DL7. He could catch on somewhere else, but the younger defensive linemen are playing well enough to push him on the roster.
It’s also worth noting that Stacy McGee will probably start the year on the PUP list, so he could return as a run stuffing specialist midway through the year. He will probably miss the first six weeks or so, but he may be a depth option upon his return.
Rush Linebackers (4)
Keeping: Ryan Kerrigan, Preston Smith, Pernell McPhee, Ryan Anderson
Notable Cuts: Vontae Diggs, Pete Robertson
There are a couple of potential surprise candidates to make the roster in Diggs and Robertson, but they aren’t going to make it over any of the top four on the Redskins depth chart.
Kerrigan and Smith are one of the better pass rushing duos in the league. McPhee profiles as a good rotational player with strength-based moves who can set the edge in run defense. Anderson is still a work in progress, but the former second-round pick has upside and could develop this year. None of those guys should be let go, and they make up a good, albeit somewhat thin, rotation.
There’s a chance that the Redskins could carry a fifth player here, but it seems more likely that they will spread that depth over other positions across the team. Diggs or Robertson (or both) could find themselves as members of the practice squad this season, so they still deserve some recognition.
Inside Linebackers (5)
Keeping: Zach Brown, Mason Foster, Shaun Dion Hamilton, Josh Harvey-Clemons, Martrell Spaight
Notable Cut: Zach Vigil
I’ve been a firm advocate of cutting Spaight for most of the offseason. However, I’m including him on this roster over Vigil for one reason. His special teams ability.
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Spaight is a great tackler and on special teams, he can be a force. In the Redskins second preseason game, he made a thunderous tackle on a kick return that drew gasps from the crowd. He’s always able to swarm to the ball, and he should be a strong run stopper. Though he’s not very good in coverage, he won’t need to play in that role, as the team has other players ahead of him at the position.
Notably, Harvey-Clemons, a converted safety, stands out as the top coverage linebacker. Hamilton was one of the better performers in the first preseason game, and he has the potential to develop into a starter down the line. He’s not consistent yet but keeping him on as the No. 4 guy makes sense.
With Spaight buried that far down, all he’ll have to do is play special teams. And that’s a win. As much as I’d love to see Vigil make the roster, I think he might end up elsewhere, as the Redskins may opt to keep the younger tackling machine for a bigger role on special teams. The race is still neck-and-neck, but Spaight is starting to pull away.
Cornerbacks (6)
Keeping: Josh Norman, Quinton Dunbar, Fabian Moreau, Adonis Alexander, Greg Stroman, Danny Johnson
Notable Cut: Ranthony Texada
Cutting Orlando Scandrick really opened up the back-end of the roster at the position a bit more. It also means that the Redskins are likely to carry three rookies as their top backups. That’s a bold move, but it could be worth it.
So far in the preseason, Stroman and Johnson have flashed when on the field. The seventh-rounder and undrafted free agent have both performed well in extensive action, and Johnson almost forced a fumble against the Jets in the second week of the preseason. It’s premature to call either a roster lock, but they both are on the inside of the bubble right now, thanks to their punt return ability.
As for Alexander, he hasn’t seen much action as he deals with an injury, but he is going to make the roster. The Redskins love his size and potential on the outside. He provides a big, tall, strong corner and that separates him from the rest of the Redskins potential backups.
Texada is a guy that seemed to be gaining momentum going into the second preseason game, but he didn’t turn that into much tangible production on the field. He’s a candidate for the practice squad, and it’s going to take a lot for him to leapfrog Stroman or Johnson in the last two weeks of the preseason.
Safety (4)
Keeping: D.J. Swearinger, Montae Nicholson, Deshazor Everett, Troy Apke
Notable Cuts: Fish Smithson, Kenny Ladler
I don’t see any real reason to change up the four safeties projected to make the roster. I still think that Everett is on the bubble, but neither Ladler or Smithson has done enough to say that they should be rostered over the veteran.
In addition to Everett’s inclusion, fourth-round pick Apke will make this squad barring an unforeseen development. Apke has flashed immense athletic upside during the preseason — he had a great pick in the second preseason game — and while he still is raw and needs to develop, Torrian Gray should have a good chance to turn him into a quality player. Gray has done a lot of good work with the other members of the Redskins secondary in recent seasons, so Apke could easily develop into a quality backup player.
The Redskins don’t have a truly game-ready No. 3 safety on their roster. That could end up coming back to bite them. For now, they will stick with Everett as their top backup and he will provide a steady presence who will provide some special teams value. If their safeties are an issue this season, expect them to invest in the position next offseason, provided that Apke and Nicholson don’t make improvements to their game.
Special Teams (3)
Keeping: Dustin Hopkins, Tress Way, Nick Sundberg
Notable Cut: N/a
After cutting free agent signee and backup punter Sam Irwin-Hill, the Redskins eliminated almost all of the special teams competition from their roster. Way is going to be handling punts. Hopkins is going to be handling kicks. And Sundberg is going to be the long snapper for yet another year. The unit was solid last year, so there’s no real reason to change.
While Hopkins needs to improve on his range, he is still accurate from inside of 50 yards, and he actually nailed a 50-plus yarder against the Patriots in the first week of the preseason. That seems to indicate that he might be improving in that category, which would be good news for the Redskins special teams unit.
Barring an injury, these guys are going to stay in their roles together for another season. The return man battles will be a bit more of a toss-up, with Crowder, Stroman, and Quinn all fighting to earn some touches on kickoff/punt detail. Right now, the former two seem to have the upper hand and should perform well this season.