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Redskins: Examining what part of the preseason matters the most

By Tim Payne

LANDOVER, MD - JANUARY 10: Tackle Trent Williams #71 of the Washington Redskins covers his face with a towel against the Green Bay Packers in the fourth quarter during the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at FedExField on January 10, 2016 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - JANUARY 10: Tackle Trent Williams #71 of the Washington Redskins covers his face with a towel against the Green Bay Packers in the fourth quarter during the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at FedExField on January 10, 2016 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 17: Jay Gruden head coach of the Washington Redskins before the game against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 17, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 17: Jay Gruden head coach of the Washington Redskins before the game against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 17, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

So what does matter in the preseason?

The preseason is all about roster construction and ensuring you reach the season with the best possible chance to succeed.

Every team is a unique combination of 90 players. Add in the complexities of the coaching staff and offensive and defensive schemes, and you could forgive a coaching staff if they didn’t play any of their starters the whole preseason. In fact, that’s essentially what Sean McVay has done out in LA this year.

The Redskins have been catching a lot of flack for playing their starters so little this offseason. I would argue that, for the first time in a long while, the Redskins have had the luxury of focusing this preseason on what it should be about….roster construction and health.

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Sadly, the team got unlucky with Guice’s injury as well as the subsequent injuries to Byron Marshall, Samaje Perine, and Martez Carter. These injuries necessitated bringing in a starting caliber back like (we all hope) Adrian Peterson. This meant they had to focus on the “starting rotation” rather than their depth. In all honesty, I think the only other starting job up for grabs was slot corner, and they decisively shipped off Orlando Scandrick in favor of Fabian Moreau.

Otherwise, the Redskins basically used the preseason to get rookies some experience and finalize the last 8-10 spots on the roster. They’ve also clearly been experimenting with various personnel combinations and packages.

I am cautiously optimistic that Gruden and company have taken the right tack by prioritizing health with starters and competition among reserves. Ultimately, the results in the regular season are what matters.

Next. Redskins 53-man roster projections post-preseason Week 3. dark

My expectations for this season are that we will continue to build a solid and sustainable roster foundation and that the team will continue to be extremely competitive in almost every game.  The reality is, that’s what every franchise should be shooting for, and what every preseason should be about.

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