Every year, a big deal is made about the Redskins 53-man roster, as a whole. But in reality, only 10-15 spots are up for grabs on an annual basis.
22 spots are already locked up for presumed starters, and while those starters may change, due to injuries and other factors, the top backups are also assured spots in the lead-up to preseason as well. For the Washington Redskins, depth is important now more than ever, and so depth players receive a guarantee.
The foundation of the roster is inherently large, and it leaves only the scraps for the players on the roster fringe to fight over. These fringe players have only a few weeks to make their cases to the team, before a select few are kept for the season, while the others are discarded, until injuries send other teams calling.
The competition for the Redskins roster fringe is fierce, and it spans on both sides of the football. Early on in training camp, whose stock is rising, and whose stock is falling? For these players, movement over even a short time cannot go unnoticed. Because just one slip could send them falling out of the race.
Stock Rising – Redskins WR Robert Davis
The fact that Redskins receiver Robert Davis was able to play at the start of training camp was impressive in itself; there was talk earlier in the offseason that he might be relegated to the PUP list for the start of training camp, and potentially further, closer to the regular season.
But instead, Davis came to camp healthy, and while he had a bout of the drops early, he’s started to find some consistency, and he’s letting his explosive athleticism show. He’s showing better nuance with his routes, and his acceleration and leaping ability is too much for the cornerbacks of his echelon.
With Davis high-pointing the ball and running his routes smoothly, the Redskins simply have to take notice. Athletes with 4.4 speed and 41-inch verticals are rare, but having that same athlete at 6-foot-3, 220, is almost unheard of. Davis has to maintain consistency to earn a roster spot, as the receiver position is still very cluttered, and the pecking order will fluctuate often.
That said, Davis has a culmination of traits that none of the other receivers have, and we’ve seen bright flashes of those traits in training camp so far. Eventually, the Redskins won’t be able to look away.
Stock Falling – Redskins CB Adonis Alexander
While Robert Davis has undergone a rocket-like rise, Adonis Alexander, perhaps in a coinciding move, has seen his stock plummet since the start of training camp.
The Redskins drafted Alexander in the sixth round of the 2018 supplemental draft because of Alexander’s intriguing 6-foot-3, 196-pound frame. He got the selection in part because of his connections in Washington at the time; Former Hokies secondary coach Torrian Gray was the Redskins defensive backs coach at the time, and Greg Stroman and Tim Settle gave him
Alexander played in nine games in 2018, but in 2019, his roster spot seems less secure. He came into camp as the No. 6 or No. 7 cornerback on the roster, and now, after five camp sessions, he may have dropped down another spot.
With his lacking long-speed and acceleration, Alexander needs to have adept hand placement and mental quickness, to maximize his 6-foot-3 frame. Early on, Alexander’s hands have been inconsistent, he’s been bested on routes by receivers, and his lacking speed has been exposed further, as a result. He is primarily a zone cornerback, but that’s not an excuse for him to be a liability in man coverage. Unfortunately, that’s where he’s at right now.
Perhaps a move to safety would better utilize his traits (Of course, he doesn’t display the diagnosing ability or the consistent range to be effective there, either), but the team seems content on keeping him at cornerback, and letting him succeed or fail there.
As of now, success only grows more and more distant.
Stock Rising – Redskins OT Timon Parris
Timon Parris first got a shot with the Redskins in 2018, as an undrafted free agent out of Stony Brook University. At 6-foot-6, 315, he showed good athleticism for his size on college film, and he entered the NFL with a good amount of D-2 starting experience.
Parris only appeared in one game in 2018, as an inline blocker, but his upside may have simply needed more than one season to tap into. Now, in 2019 training camp, he’s been showing more of his promise, with the team’s No. 4 tackle spot still up for grabs.
Since the start of training camp, the Redskins have signed tackles Donald Penn and Corey Robinson. Penn figures to start at left tackle while Trent Williams is out, but behind him, the pecking order is far from set. Geron Christian, Corey Robinson, Timon Parris, and Blake Hance are all in the mix, assuming Ereck Flowers is eventually moved to guard. Parris, with a good camp, could leapfrog all of them. And he’s off to a good start.
Offensive line expert Robbie Duncan name-dropped Parris as one lineman that particularly impressed him in training camp. Duncan said that Parris had a few good reps against hyper-athletic edge rusher Montez Sweat, and that if he had to make a decision now, he’d say Parris had a leg up on Geron Christian (although Christian wasn’t on the field at the time). In one-on-ones, per Duncan, Parris showed great feet and patience with his blocking around the edge.
There are a lot of names at tackle, but there isn’t a lot of resistance against a rise from Parris. Christian is a second-year player who needs to start developing. Corey Robinson is a depth tackle who was considerably bad in his last starting action. Blake Hance is an undrafted rookie. Parris has a window to answer the Redskins call for tackle depth. He just needs to keep showing this kind of development, with consistency.
Other players to watch
It’s training camp, so naturally, more players are going to have their stock rising at any given point in time. At the end of the day, not every impressive player will be kept on the roster, and some players who underwhelmed may keep their spots, due to upside. Here are a few more fringe players to watch as camp progresses, for various reasons.
Redskins CB Deion Harris: Harris, an undrafted free agent this year, has 6-foot-3 length and good movement skills for his size. He’s shown promise in press coverage, and with his athletic ability, he could continue to elevate his stock into preseason. He’s on the outside looking in, and a practice squad spot looks like a likely destination for him, but he has the traits to exceed expectations.
Redskins WRs: Between Brian Quick, Darvin Kidsy, Jehu Chesson, Steven Sims, and T.J. Rahming, the Redskins reserve receivers constitute a large group, fighting for a sliver of real estate. None of these receivers have seen their stock rise too high or fall too low yet, but look for receivers to start getting more aggressive as their time runs short. In the end, it could very well be the case that none of the names above make the active roster.
Redskins TE Donald Parham: Parham’s 6-foot-8 frame has helped him become a natural standout in camp. If the Redskins decide to keep four tight ends, due to the uncertainty surrounding the long-term statuses of Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis, then Parham should be the front runner as of now. Matt Flanagan has had issues with drops, and J.P. Holtz, while intriguing, doesn’t offer the physical upside that Parham does. Parham has caught several touchdown passes from Dwayne Haskins. If that production transfers to preseason, he could seal the deal.
Redskins RBs Shaun Wilson and Craig Reynolds: Two undrafted free agents from 2018 and 2019, respectively, Wilson and Reynolds both have enticing profiles. They both show good quickness and agility as ball carriers, and both have some return man experience. Wilson, in particular, has shown off his speed and explosiveness in training camp. Running back shelf lives are short, so it’s very possible that one of these players could send Byron Marshall out of favor as August moves along.
Redskins OL Ereck Flowers: The Redskins might simply keep Flowers because of the investment they placed on him, but Flowers has not been consistently adequate in camp. He’s had a few good reps, but too often, his poor play has placed him under scrutiny. With Penn now in tow, the Redskins may move him to guard for good, but if his showing at tackle is any indication, he might not do very well there, either.
Redskins FS Troy Apke: Apke, more likely than not, isn’t on the roster fringe. He has the type of high-end physical speed that the Redskins value, and they won’t cut the cord on the experiment after just one year. But he hasn’t been great so far. He was humiliated on one rep by Terry McLaurin early on, and his mental game hasn’t shown enough growth from last year. His primary role could again be as a gunner, and that’s not good for the team’s depth at safety.
Redskins QBs Case Keenum and Colt McCoy: Dwayne Haskins has been progressing nicely, and if he ends up being ready to start from the get-go, either Case Keenum or Colt McCoy could become expendable. On one hand, Washington has a tendency to keep only two quarterbacks in recent years. But on the other hand, that didn’t help them last year, when they sifted through four starters for the first time in franchise history. It’s just something to watch; if Haskins is ready, and if Washington wants to keep a player somewhere else, one quarterback might be heading out the door.
The roster fringe is where championships are won. Teams that have the depth to withstand injury and conflict are the ones who travel the farthest in February. The Redskins aren’t there yet, but the offseason is a valuable opportunity to let competition glean the best out of unproven players. Perhaps in time, by choosing the right people, the Redskins can succeed in this arena.