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Redskins Saturday Spotlight: Requests from the readers

By Ian Cummings

PALO ALTO, CA - AUGUST 31: Jj Arcega-Whiteside #19 of the Stanford Cardinal catches the ball for a touchdown while covered by Ron Smith #17 of the San Diego State Aztecs at Stanford Stadium on August 31, 2018 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
PALO ALTO, CA - AUGUST 31: Jj Arcega-Whiteside #19 of the Stanford Cardinal catches the ball for a touchdown while covered by Ron Smith #17 of the San Diego State Aztecs at Stanford Stadium on August 31, 2018 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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MORGANTOWN, WV – OCTOBER 06: Will Grier #7 of the West Virginia Mountaineers runs with the ball against the Kansas Jayhawks in the third quarter of the game at Mountaineer Field on October 6, 2018 in Morgantown, West Virginia. The Mountaineers won 38-22. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
MORGANTOWN, WV – OCTOBER 06: Will Grier #7 of the West Virginia Mountaineers runs with the ball against the Kansas Jayhawks in the third quarter of the game at Mountaineer Field on October 6, 2018 in Morgantown, West Virginia. The Mountaineers won 38-22. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Signal Caller Succession

The early play of Alex Smith has sent some fans into a panic. Through seven games, the veteran has eight touchdowns, two interceptions, and a lot of uninspiring game film to look back on.

Smith’s slow start has limited the Redskins, and it’s fair to wonder if he’ll continue to hold them back in the future. That said, Smith is still gaining in-game chemistry with his receivers, and he’s still working with Jay Gruden to maximize the offense. It should mesh. Should.

If it doesn’t, though, does that force Washington to kick off their succession plan a year or two early? Perhaps. @JasonAI73340983 seems to think so, as he pegged Drew Lock and Ryan Finley as potential quarterbacks for Washington to target in the first round next year.

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Personally, I don’t see either Lock or Finley as first-round players, even in a draft class where they might be pushed up by lackluster talent at the quarterback position. I would sooner pick Lock than Finley, as Lock has far more potential, from an arm talent standpoint. But both players are too inconsistent to warrant precedence over others. Lock’s game processing is still a long ways away, and his pocket presence can be a concern, while Finley simply doesn’t generate enough velocity on his throws to garner an early pick.

Big C on Disqus brought up Will Grier. Grier is another player I’d take over Ryan Finley. Grier has produced at a crazy rate at West Virginia. At this point, he has 69 touchdowns to just 22 interceptions. A seventy percent completion mark makes Grier an even more enticing option, but it will be interesting to see how he transitions from West Virginia’s offense to the NFL. He certainly has the traits to make it: Arm strength, good mobility, fearlessness. Would I pick him in Round 1? If I’m the Redskins, I might have to trade up for him. This early into Alex Smith’s tenure, I’m not sure I would pull the trigger quite yet.

A wise man once said, draft the player, not the position. The Redskins shouldn’t reach for a quarterback just because Alex Smith is off to a relatively slow start in D.C. That said, there are some options in the later rounds that show glimpses of promise.

Some believe that it’s a wasted effort to draft a potential successor at quarterback in the middle rounds. But even if that player doesn’t quite reach his potential, he can still be a stable backup for years to come. As 49ers third-string quarterback Nick Mullens taught us on Thursday, depth at quarterback is a priceless commodity.

So what are the names? A few of my personal favorites include Daniel Jones, Jordan Ta’amu, Brian Lewerke, and Brett Rypien, who @InnerSanity11 name-dropped as a potential Redskins prospect. We spotlighted Brett Rypien on the site a few weeks ago; For the in-depth breakdown on the play of Mark Rypien’s nephew, you can check this link out.

Trace McSorley was another option brought up by the readers, given to us by @asapmitt, who described McSorley as a third-round pick. I’m not there yet. Not close, actually. McSorley has a number of promising physical qualities. He’s gritty (I couldn’t help using that word), athletic, and dangerous on the ground, but he’s lacking in the passing game far more than I’d like a third-round pick to.

After losing Mike Gesicki, DaeSean Hamilton, and Saquon Barkley, McSorley’s completion percentage has dropped from 66.5 percent in 2017 to 53 percent in 2018. That’s a substantial drop, and it doesn’t serve as a positive indicator for McSorley’s individual readiness.

Yes, he’s a playmaker. He’s a versatile quarterback who can hurt defenses several ways. But is he nearly ready enough to take in the NFL and all of the mental mind-loops that happen on a given play? I say no with little hesitation. He has the arm to do it. But the processing of the game is not where it needs to be. If he’s picked up late on Day 3, I’d be content with that value.

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