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Redskins 53-man roster projection 1.0: Does Trent Williams’ holdout muddy the waters at tackle?

By Jacob Camenker

PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 26: Trent Williams #71 of the Washington Redskins walks off the field at the end of the first half against the Philadelphia Eagles on December 26, 2015 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 26: Trent Williams #71 of the Washington Redskins walks off the field at the end of the first half against the Philadelphia Eagles on December 26, 2015 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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LANDOVER, MD – OCTOBER 14: Cornerback Quinton Dunbar #23 and strong safety Montae Nicholson #35 of the Washington Redskins celebrate after a play in the fourth quarter at FedExField on October 14, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – OCTOBER 14: Cornerback Quinton Dunbar #23 and strong safety Montae Nicholson #35 of the Washington Redskins celebrate after a play in the fourth quarter at FedExField on October 14, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images) /

Safeties (4)

Landon Collins, Montae Nicholson, Deshazor Everett, and Troy Apke

The safety position is one of the weakest ones on the roster for the Redskins. Outside of their big-ticket free agent acquisition, Collins, they don’t have a lot of proven options at the position.

Nicholson is a player that still has upside, and it looks like he will start next to Collins moving forward. Nicholson was really good as a rookie and it made many excited about his future. However, last year, he struggled through a sophomore slump and was eventually benched in favor of Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. Nicholson was also arrested late in the season and the Redskins suspended him for the final two games as a result.

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With Clinton-Dix gone, the 23-year-old Nicholson will get a chance to prove himself again and will probably start. He still has a ton of upside, so he could easily surprise this year. That’s what makes him one of the more underappreciated players on the Washington roster.

Beyond Nicholson’s upside, the cupboard is relatively bare for the ‘Skins. Everett is a very good backup and a special teams ace. However, if he is relied on as more than a spot starter, he can run into a bit of trouble in coverage. Meanwhile, Apke is an athletic marvel and a former fourth-round pick, but he was extremely raw coming into the league. Many viewed Apke as a late-round upside pick, so the Redskins certainly reached for him.

Still, the Redskins aren’t exactly flush with other options to replace Apke. Undrafted free agent JoJo McIntosh could make a case for the roster, but he makes more sense as a practice squad candidate. Gruden has praised Jeremy Reaves during camp, but will he have as much upside, particularly on special teams as Apke? It remains to be seen.

For the moment, this seems to be the four-man group at safety. If anything changes, it will likely be related to the status of Apke.

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