Assessing Washington Redskins first-round options: CB Byron Murphy
By Ian Cummings
How Murphy fits with the Redskins
Byron Murphy’s skill set allows for him to fit a number of schemes, and the Redskins scheme is no different. Murphy has the closing speed to strengthen any zone concepts the Redskins run, but his bread and butter is man coverage, where he’s shown flashes of downright dominance.
Former Redskins safety D.J. Swearinger complained about Washington’s frequent use of man coverage in unsavory situations after the team’s loss to the Ttians. He expressed a desire for Greg Manusky to mold his scheme to his players, but with Byron Murphy, that wouldn’t necessarily be a requirement. Because Byron Murphy can do anything you ask him to.
With the Redskins, Murphy could be a starter on the outside or in the slot. He played primarily on the boundary in college, and as you saw in the last slide, he excelled there. But his quickness could be a magnificent trait for him to carry into the slot, where the NFL’s top receivers find themselves lining up more and more, in order to create separation and exploit favorable matchups.
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If they draft Murphy, the Redskins would have a bit of a logjam at cornerback, with Norman, Dunbar, Moreau, Murphy, and possibly Stroman all fighting for snaps. But Murphy could ultimately be the best of the bunch very soon out of the gate, and so keeping him off the field would be detrimental.
An unorthodox, but perhaps beneficial option? Cut Josh Norman after June 5, roll out Dunbar and Moreau on the boundaries, and put Murphy in the slot, or swap him and Moreau. An option the Redskins would be more likely to take? Keep the previous starting lineup, and rotate Murphy in as a premier reserve with versatility. Either way, Murphy would fit the Redskins well. After all, he fits the NFL well.