Washington Redskins 2018 season inside linebacker grades
By Ian Cummings
The Redskins were decent in a number of areas in 2018, but it was the poor play of several position groups that held them back.
It’s been said countless times; football is a team sport. As a player, one relies on the fellow players ahead of and behind him, in order to help him maximize his role in a system, as a member of a team.
It was this team dynamic that explained the elation the Washington Redskins inside linebackers had when their team selected Daron Payne in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Defensive tackle had previously been a major problem for the burgundy and gold, and with the addition of a stalwart trench warrior, the linebackers felt they could be more aggressive.
Some things don’t always work out as planned.
While the Redskins defensive line improved as expected in 2018, the inside linebacker core regressed. Small offseason problems became big regular season problems, and the linebacker struggles generously contributed to the team’s defensive collapse halfway through the year.
After such a polarizing year, both on and off the field, let’s take a look at how the Redskins’ inside linebackers graded out in the 2018 season.