The Washington Redskins have lost Reuben Foster for the 2019 season. They are now thin at linebacker as a result, and they may have to sign some players to provide depth.
Reuben Foster reportedly tore his ACL on the third play of the Redskins OTAs. He is almost certainly out for the 2019 season and he will be visiting specialists to determine the extent of the injury in the coming days.
This is brutal news for the Redskins. Foster was expected to be a piece that would help to transform their defense and make their front seven elite. Now, they are a bit thinner at linebacker and certainly are lacking three-down players.
The ‘Skins could look for linebacker help on the free agent market, but there really isn’t a player out there that can fully replace what Foster offers. He is a true three-down linebacker who is excellent in coverage but also can tackler. This late in the offseason, those players have all been snapped up.
The Redskins will probably have to use a committee approach at the position, employing run stoppers early (like Mason Foster) and coverage players in obvious passing situations (Josh Harvey-Clemons). Obviously, that’s hard to do, because teams can break tendencies are target specific personnel, but at this point, it’s the only thing they can do.
There are a handful of solid role players that could be added to at least help fill in for Foster. And in a committee approach, they could certainly have a chance to find success. Here’s a look at five options on the free agent market that could have a shot to upgrade their linebacker depth. And please note that only one of these players could really have a chance to start.
Remember him? Zach Vigil was with the Redskins for the last two seasons, but he isn’t currently on the 90-man roster. That could change with Foster’s injury.
Vigil was added in 2017 amid a slew of injuries to the Redskins’ linebacker corps. He eventually would come in and start six of seven games he played in with 55 tackles. He was a solid run stopper and flashed some decent coverage skills as well.
Vigil showed enough to make the ‘Skins’ roster again in 2018, beating out special teams player Martrell Spaight for the final linebacker spot. Vigil appeared in 14 games, all as a backup, and logged 10 tackles on the season. He wasn’t anything more than a depth player, but he was still a strong tackler.
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Bringing back Vigil would make sense. He knows the system and did show upside as a starter. Even if his coverage skills prove to be below average, the 28-year-old can be a run stopper and provides a bit of stability in a linebacker corps. His presence would also ensure that rookie Cole Holcomb wouldn’t be rushed into action.
The reason that Vigil is low on this list is that the team didn’t see a need for him on their 90-man roster before this point. While Vigil might have some upside left, the ‘Skins weren’t overly concerned with bringing him back. That could lead them to look in another direction, as they may just view Vigil as a potential depth player.
Even if that is the case, adding Vigil to serve as the roster’s fifth or sixth linebacker could be a smart move. It will be interesting to see if the Redskins look at a guy like Vigil or try to find a solution at the position elsewhere.
Hayes Pullard has been in the league for four years. He was originally a seventh-round pick out of USC by the Cleveland Browns, but he never suited up for them. He spent the first two years of his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars before playing with the Los Angeles Chargers the past two seasons.
During his Chargers career, Pullard mostly served as a top backup. He did make 10 starts in 2017 after injuries hit the Chargers’ linebacker corps and he performed admirably. He had 72 tackles and an interception, and it looked like he could be a solid two-down role player at the next level.
However, Pullard played more as a backup last year despite faring well in the Chargers’ defense. He lacks the top-end athletic ability and speed to ever be successful in coverage, so it’s understandable why they used guys like Jatavis Brown and Denzel Perryman over him.
That said, Pullard could add depth to the ‘Skins roster and give them some help on special teams. He could provide insurance for Mason Foster and may overtake him in the pecking order if Foster’s overall athletic ability continues to erode. At the very least, adding him to compete with Foster and have a true run-stopping backup would make sense.
Pullard’s not a particularly inspiring option, but he’s still young, has a little experience, and can provide special teams value. That makes him a worthwhile addition if the ‘Skins want to just add some roster depth.
If the Redskins are looking for a player with a lot of experience, Vincent Rey could be a good fit. Rey has played in 128 career games (50 starts) over his nine-year career and was generally a solid player for the Bengals.
Rey spent each of the past nine years with the Bengals, and he was a solid tackler for them. He has 299 career tackles, but he racked up 133 of them in a single season back in 2014. He started a career-high 13 games that year and put forth his most well-rounded season.
Additionally, Rey was with the Bengals during Jay Gruden’s tenure as offensive coordinator. So, there may be a little bit of familiarity between the two parties. And with both needing help, Rey in the form of work and Gruden in the form of a linebacker, uniting the two could make sense.
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However, there are some issues with Rey’s game that could impact the ‘Skins’ interest. While Rey has generally proven to be a strong tackler and good against the run, his coverage skills have only been decent at best. And with him growing older, he’ll turn 32 in September, it’s hard to imagine that aspect of his game improving. So, he might end up being limited to more early-downs work for Washington.
The other concern with Rey is that he has spent his whole career as part of a 4-3 defense and he has mostly played the weakside linebacker position. He did play middle linebacker at times in sub packages, but he hasn’t had as much experience on the inside in recent seasons. That could stunt his development with the squad as a result.
Still, Rey can play special teams, is a good tackler, and has familiarity with Gruden. That could be enough to make him an interesting candidate to join the Redskins in the wake of Foster’s injury.
Will Compton spent the first five years of his career with the Redskins. Last offseason, he left the team as a free agent and joined the Tennessee Titans. However, he was pushed to the edge of the roster by the development of young players and found himself on the free agent market once again.
This time, there wasn’t much interest in Compton, so he has stayed available to this point. Perhaps this injury to Foster will be the catalyst to a reunion with Compton.
During his time in Washington, Compton mostly served as a starter for the ‘Skins. He wasn’t a strong tackler, but his coverage skills were pretty solid. He worked well in tandem with Mason Foster, but Compton was certainly better served as a backup. And that’s what he ended up becoming in Tennessee.
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For Washington, it would make sense to bring back Compton. They could use another player with solid coverage skills to help replace Foster. Compton could be a nice mentor for Harvey-Clemons and Holcomb and could hold the fort as the top backup until they’re ready for bigger roles.
Compton would also add another high-quality player to the Redskins’ special teams unit. That value can’t be ignored, so Compton could certainly find a way to get on the field.
If the Redskins want a potential stopgap for cheap who knows the system, Compton is the best option available. He turns 30 in September, but he could still have a could of solid years left as a backup. For that reason, a reunion could garner consideration in the coming weeks.
Of all the linebackers on the open market, Josh Bynes is the only who I would be comfortable with bringing in and competing for a starting job. Last season, Bynes played well on a woeful Cardinals team and he put forth the best season of his career.
Bynes worked well as a tackler but also held up in coverage for the Cardinals as well. He played in 11 games, all starts, and logged 75 tackles, five pass defenses, and two sacks. Pro Football Focus graded him as the 14th overall linebacker in the league and 11th-best against the run. So, it’s clear that he can be a solid starter.
Bynes did miss the final five games of last season with an injury. However, that was to his thumb, so provided that the injury isn’t too serious, he should be more than fine well before the season begins.
The other notable concern is that Bynes turns 30 in the offseason and hasn’t been consistently good during his career. That said, he could just be a late bloomer and if the Redskins want to take a chance on him with a one-year, “prove it” deal, he could be an ideal candidate to do so. At the least, he would provide a solid tackler. At the most, he could provide a well-rounded guy to fill in as a starter for a season.
If the Redskins want to add an experienced veteran with the talent needed to lock down a starting role, Bynes is the only player that should be on their radar. He may not pan out, but of the options on the market, he is the safest.