Redskins vs. Ravens: 5 players to watch in Week 4 of preseason

No. 1 – WR Brian Quick

In actuality, it is the wide receiver duo of Cam Sims and Brian Quick that will attract most of the attention on Thursday night, but Sims has had a chance to make his case for a roster spot this preseason. Quick hasn’t yet.

Lingering injuries have kept the 29-year old from competing to this point, but he recently returned to practice, and he has a lot to prove. Quick was signed on a cheap deal last offseason, and while he didn’t necessarily have high expectations, he was coming off a career year with the Rams. It was believed that he’d at least be a consistent contributor, from a depth standpoint. But the veteran wideout didn’t even reach that point.

For whatever reason, the Redskins hardly played Quick at all until the second half of the season. He had his best performance against Seattle, where he caught a clutch first-down reception on the game-winning touchdown drive. In that same game, however, Quick sustained a concussion that would end his season. He only amassed seven catches, a year after hauling in over 40.

Now, were the 2018 53-man roster to be decided today, Quick would likely be the odd man out. But luckily for him, he has one last chance to prove himself this week. He has the veteran mentality and experience. He has a track record of production. Now he needs to show he has enough left in the tank. It’ll take a big play or three to convince the Redskins to pass on Sims. But last year, Quick played well under pressure. Why should we expect anything different?

These five players bring plenty of intrigue, but in reality, all the reserves vying for roster spots in this week’s matchup against the Ravens deserve plenty of attention. As surprise additions have shown over the years, no one is ever truly out of the race until the final whistle blows.