Redskins vs. Jaguars: 5 players to watch in Week 15

No. 2 – LB Shaun Dion Hamilton

All the talk for the upcoming game will center around defensive captain Mason Foster, after a supposed outburst on social media occurred, aimed at the team and the fans. Zach Brown will get plenty of scrutiny as well, after claiming that his future with the Redskins is “in the writing on the wall”, per Lake Lewis of USA Today.

But the starters shouldn’t get the attention this weekend. Instead, fans should focus on the younger players at the position. Perhaps Zach Vigil will get more opportunities. Perhaps Josh Harvey-Clemons will show off more of his length and athleticism. And perhaps Shaun Dion Hamilton will continue to flash his own starting potential.

The fact that Greg Manusky has kept Foster on the field in favor of Hamilton all this time is borderline criminal. Yes, we have no way of knowing how Hamilton will perform with substantial starting snaps, but Foster is about as low as it gets for a starting-caliber player. With just three games left, however, the Redskins will want to see more of their younger players. They may soon find out that they made the transition too late.

There are two things Hamilton has shown in his brief spells on defense this year that should comfort any onlooker. He’s shown that he has considerably more speed than Foster, and he’s shown that he’s a mentally aware player as well, one who doesn’t throw himself out of the play with a wrong decision. Hamilton could play a hand into the Redskins need at linebacker this offseason, and if he plays well enough, it could influence their entire offseason.