The Washington Redskins have some things to figure out at the inside linebacker position, but they have the pieces needed to have a solid rotation.
The Redskins were always expected to look a little different at linebacker coming into the 2019 season. After it was confirmed that Reuben Foster wouldn’t be suspended and the team moved on from Zach Brown, it seemed that the team was destined to have two new starters at linebacker.
That could certainly be the case, but it may come in a way that few fans expected.
Foster was lost for the season after suffering a freak ACL tear at the very beginning of Redskins OTAs. The potential three-down player’s loss did some damage to their young, talented front seven, but it won’t completely capsize them.
The Redskins have an intriguing, albeit unproven, group at the linebacker position. They may use a bit more of a committee approach to the position this year, but they certainly could see a couple of players emerge in bigger roles. It’s just a matter of whether or not their young playmakers are ready.
Here’s an in-depth look at the Redskins inside linebacker depth chart, starting with the two players that may start at the position.
Starters: Jon Bostic and Shaun Dion Hamilton
This may be a surprise to some considering that Bostic was signed off the street following Reuben Foster’s injury. However, he has a lot of upside and has experience as a starter. So he could emerge as the top candidate to start this year.
Bostic has been off and on NFL rosters since being drafted by the Bears, and the Redskins represent his sixth team in the past five seasons. However, in recent years, Bostic has emerged as a quality starter. In 30 games (28 starts) over the course of the past two seasons with the Colts and Steelers, Bostic has generated 103 tackles and 3.5 sacks. Those are solid numbers, and his performance on the field backed them up.
Last season with the Steelers, Bostic played fairly well against the run in a downhill role as a tackler. He’s not as good in pass coverage, but he does have the athletic ability needed to make some plays in that role. He is a slightly younger and better version of Mason Foster and after performing well in minicamp, he could have a chance to emerge as the team’s new top linebacker.
Elsewhere, Hamilton started the final four games of last season in place of Zach Brown. At the time, Brown wasn’t performing quite up to snuff in pass coverage and he saw the writing on the wall when the Redskins inserted Hamilton into the lineup. Clearly, they wanted a chance to look at the former sixth-round pick from Alabama.
Hamilton is a cerebral player whose intelligence has been praised by numerous coaches throughout his career. He has a very well-rounded skill set and the upside to be a true three-down player. He will still need to grow a bit before he reaches that point, but it certainly looks like he’ll have the first crack at the starting job this season.
If Hamilton can make the leap, expect the Redskins coaching staff to give him increased responsibilities. There’s a chance he could be the team’s top linebacker this season, and it will be interesting to see if he is ready to take on a bigger role in the defense.
Backup run stopper: Mason Foster
Last year, Foster’s returns as an every down player weren’t great. He got beaten in coverage too often, and he was a part of the reason that the ‘Skins has trouble defending against tight ends.
However, it can’t be ignored that Foster is a solid rotational backup in his primary role. A run-stopping linebacker.
I recently identified Foster as one of the Redskins’ more underappreciated players because he two-down ability is often overlooked. Here’s what I said about him at the time.
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"Foster is one of the Redskins’ better tacklers. He had 131 stops last season and he played in almost all of the defensive snaps for the team (98.2 percent). He’s an excellent two-down run stopper and can certainly be relied on in that role. Foster is also a leader for the team, and he served as their defensive captain in 2018. He is respected in the locker room, so that’s another element that he brings to the game."
I’m not here to argue that Foster should be the starter at this point. It’s clear that he shouldn’t be on the field in obvious passing situations. But, as a run-stopping backup and veteran leader, he still carries value. So, at this point in time, projecting him into that role makes quite a lot of sense.
Of course, the Redskins do have some young players that have three-down upside, and they could find themselves playing an important role this year in conjunction with Foster.
Backup coverage linebackers: Josh Harvey-Clemons and Cole Holcomb
As mentioned, the Redskins have some young talent at linebacker and the injury to Reuben Foster could open the door for one, or both, of them to earn bigger roles with the squad.
As it stands, two of the top three players on the Redskins depth chart are primarily run stoppers. That will open up opportunities for players to rotate in as coverage guys. And both Harvey-Clemons and Holcomb will have a chance to make an impact.
Harvey-Clemons comes with more NFL experience having spent the last two seasons on the Washington roster. He played just under 19 percent of the defensive snaps for the team last year, totaling 22 tackles, a sack, and three pass breakups in that action. He was solid in coverage and the college safety surely will have a chance to improve heading into his age-25 season.
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Harvey-Clemons will probably be the top coverage guy off the bench to start the season and will also play a big role on special teams. Last year, he played about 72 percent of the special teams snaps and his long, athletic frame and tackling ability make him an ideal member of kick coverage units. That will also help him to stay on the roster.
Meanwhile, Holcomb was a fifth-round pick out of North Carolina. He was one of the more athletic linebackers in the draft and clocked a 4.48 time in the 40-yard dash at his pro day. He was also very productive in college, averaging 104 tackles per year over his last three seasons at UNC.
If Holcomb can bring that same solid overall ability and athleticism to the NFL, he could become a starter. However, the late-round pick may need some time to develop before that can happen. For the time being, he projects as a high-ceiling backup who could have a chance to start when the 2020 campaign rolls around.
Roster Hopeful: BJ Blunt
Frankly, the Redskins don’t have a lot of players on their roster that play inside linebacker. The only one that I have missing the roster cut at the moment is BJ Blunt.
Blunt was a solid pickup as an undrafted free agent. The McNeese State product is only 6-feet tall and is a converted safety and has great instincts. He proved to be a great pass rusher in his final year at McNeese State, racking up nine sacks, and could prove to be a good role player at the NFL level.
Still, Blunt has some things he needs to clean up for the next level. He’s a bit on the lighter side and wasn’t always a great tackler in college. He needs to add some extra bulk to his frame and clean up his technique a bit to make him a more successful tackler — especially if he wants to be a hybrid player and play on the edge.
For that reason, I have Blunt on the outside looking in. But if he doesn’t make the roster, he should definitely have a chance to make the practice squad and develop over the course of the season.
Additionally, one could argue that Marquis Flowers should be included on this portion of the depth chart. He’s a similar player to Blunt as a hybrid edge/inside linebacker, but he would likely play a bit more on the edge thanks to his superior frame. Either way, Flowers is on the outside looking in for a spot as a hybrid linebacker.