There’s still time for every player to make a new first impression. For the Redskins, it makes a tough job only tougher.
The cut down to the final 53 is never easy. Talented players are shown the door, and less developed projects are latched onto with the fading promise of future progression. For the Washington Redskins, and for every team, it’s a complex discussion.
Of course, not every spot is being fought for. Upwards of 40 roster spots are locked up from team to team, and each week, more and more fringe players cement their status as roster inclusions. But just as easily as one can rise, one can also fall.
With the Redskins preseason debut in the rear view mirror, it’s time to take a look at the roster bubble again, and view the stock reports of some of the top risers and fallers after Week 1. Who’s helping their case? Who needs to reset? Turn the page, and find out.
Stock Rising – Redskins WR Darvin Kidsy
Forget the fumble. It’s unfair to disregard a complete performance by a budding young player, simply because the peanut punch got the better of them on one play. Darvin Kidsy showed the most upside of all Redskins receivers on Thursday, and while it was a small sample size, there’s plenty to like.
Kidsy joined the Redskins as an undrafted free agent last offseason, and he managed to stick around on the practice squad. An elite athlete, Kidsy might have needed a year to study the nuance of his position without the pressure of performing right away.
Now, as an Unheralded Player, he appears more seasoned, and he’s tapping into more of his athletic upside. He got open early and often with his agility, torrid lateral burst, and upfield acceleration, and he quickly developed a rapport with Dwayne Haskins. He also displayed great catch-point awareness and contested catch ability on the play he fumbled the ball.
The fumble caused many to disregard his work beforehand, but Kidsy used his explosive vertical and high-pointing ability to haul in a tough pass, with two defenders closing in on him. He needs to finish that play in the grand scheme of things, but young roster hopefuls are prone to inconsistencies, as they may try to make too much happen, in hopes to strengthen their roster bids.
Kidsy flashed brightly en route to a five-catch, 86-yard performance, and if he continues on this path, he could surprise as the No. 6 receiver on the roster. The Redskins listed him as their backup slot receiver to Trey Quinn on their first depth chart, so he’s established his talent to the coaching staff. Now, he just needs to capitalize on a strong start.
Stock Falling – Redskins OL Timon Parris and Ereck Flowers
It was not a good day for the Redskins offensive line. In reality, the stock of just about every backup went down at least a bit, but some players in that group, like Geron Christian and Tony Bergstrom, aren’t likely to lose their spots.
Two players who are very expendable, however, are offensive tackle Timon Parris and offensive guard Ereck Flowers. Both players severely underwhelmed against the Browns, drawing penalties and consistent pressure from the defensive line. Parris, often lauded as an intriguing developmental tackle, was turned around far too often on the right side, and Flowers’ lack of physicality and bend again proved to be his downfall on the interior, just as it was at tackle.
Putting Flowers on the roster bubble is a judgement call by me; he was bad enough in training camp for beat reporters to consistently single him out, likening him to falling Jenga towers, and he was bad in early preseason action. The Redskins did spend $3.25 million on him, with $1.5 million slated as dead cap, but it’s quickly becoming apparent that the “first-round pick upside” might be more of a hopeful catchphrase than a physical quality present. I don’t like to throw around the words “good” and “bad” without context, but he might just be, well, bad.
Nonetheless, Flowers has that buffer, in the sense that the Redskins may want to wait longer to get more out of that investment. Parris doesn’t have that, which is why he’ll need to step it up next week. Parris showed some promise in training camp, and given the team’s lack of depth at tackle, his fate isn’t sealed yet. But he needs to show tangible development, or else the team will invest its time elsewhere.
Stock Rising – Redskins FS Jeremy Reaves
The Unheralded Players represented on Thursday night, with Jeremy Reaves and Darvin Kidsy leading the way for their squad. Kidsy flashed his talent on the offensive side of the ball, and Reaves was electric on defense.
An Unheralded Player out of South Alabama, Reaves tied for the team lead with six total tackles, five solo and one assisted, and he contributed three stops on defense, with the definition of a stop being “a tackle that constitutes a failure for the offense”, per Pro Football Focus.
In 34 coverage snaps, Reaves was only targeted twice, and he allowed one catch for eight yards. He graded out as Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded Redskins player, and he was the only Redskins player to eclipse 90.0, with a grade of 90.1.
Reaves displayed the trademark aggression, tenacity, and savvy that awarded him his NFL chance in the first place. If the 22-year old continues to be a solid asset on defense, and if he starts to make some plays on the ball, he could mount an impossible coupe, and sneak onto the roster as either the No. 4 or No. 5 safety.
Other players to watch
Redskins CB Jimmy Moreland: I feel like this needs to be said, even though it probably doesn’t. Jimmy Moreland is a roster lock. One-hundred percent.
Redskins FS Troy Apke: Troy Apke wasn’t great nor terrible against the Browns. He was solid as a tackler, but looked lost in coverage at times. Washington, in all likelihood, won’t pull the cord on his development yet, barring a massive collapse, but as long as Jeremy Reaves continues to impress, Apke should at least be looking over his shoulder.
Redskins WR Robert Davis: I’m a big fan of Robert Davis, but even I have to admit that his big touchdown grab on Thursday didn’t do much for his stock. He did a nice job finding a seam in the Browns Cover 2 defense, but ultimately, the success of the play was more attributed to clever play design, and the error of the safety, than it was to Davis’ own actions. Davis showed good awareness, and he executed to perfection, but he’ll need to succeed in other ways and show off his versatility to clinch a roster spot.
Redskins QB Case Keenum: It’s still likely that the Redskins keep three quarterbacks, but if they decided to keep two, and cut one to free up another roster space, Case Keenum would likely be the odd man out. Aside from his touchdown, he was largely average, and he didn’t show any traits to separate himself from rookie Dwayne Haskins. Haskins moved the football with more ease, and while both were mixed bags against pressure, Haskins showed more upside. Keenum made a fast break layup with his touchdown pass (He was 3 for 8 for 14 yards outside of that pass). He still needs to create for himself if he wants to earn a starting chance.
Redskins DE Ryan Bee: Bee had a nice showing in Week 1 of preseason, notching a sack. I think he needs to show a bit more utility against the run before he convinces the Redskins to use a roster spot on him, when their line is already fairly deep, but if he keeps this up over four weeks, his stock could rise. Jacob Camenker wrote more on Bee’s promising performance here.
Redskins RB Samaje Perine: A punching bag for the fan base, Samaje Perine wasn’t as bad as some have insinuated in his first preseason action. He still needs to be consistent, but he had a couple good runs in limited action, and flashed his trademark physicality. Jay Gruden has frequently talked up Perine, but as of now, his roster stock is still in limbo. A standout performance could change that, and he’ll have plenty of opportunities coming his way.
Redskins LB Josh Harvey-Clemons: Josh Harvey-Clemons isn’t on the roster bubble, but his performance in preseason deserves some recognition. It’s been postulated that Harvey-Clemons has three-down linebacker potential, with his length. He looked like he was inching toward that potential on Thursday; a sure tackler with impressive range and tenacity, Harvey-Clemons made a few key tackles, and if the starters continue to underwhelm, he could rise to the top and get his shot.
Redskins LB Shaun Dion Hamilton: On a related note, Shaun Dion Hamilton suffered an injury on Thursday night. He left the game with a chest injury in the first half and did not return. The severity of the injury has not yet been revealed, but he did return to the field to swap jerseys with former team mate Mack Wilson, for what it’s worth. All indications suggest it’s nothing serious, but the team could exercise caution with him moving forward. Cole Holcomb could get looks in Hamilton’s place along with Harvey-Clemons, as he showcased his speed on Thursday.
Redskins CB Ashton Lampkin: Ashton Lampkin is very unlikely to make the 53-man roster, but the 2017 undrafted free agent did log a Pro Football Focus grade of 80.4 in Thursday’s action, and he was relatively solid in coverage, as the ball didn’t come his way very often.
That’s the short list, but in reality, there are still 90 players on the Redskins roster, and while that’s the case, no one is worth leaving out. There’s bound to be plenty of turnover in the coming weeks. And the roster bubble is where it’ll all go down.