Redskins: Analyzing the official 2019 53-man roster
By Ian Cummings
Safety (4)
Landon Collins, Montae Nicholson, Deshazor Everett, Troy Apke
All things considered, the Redskins rebounded nicely at safety, from a 2018 season that saw them cut their vocal defensive leader before the end of the season, trade a fourth-round pick for a non-athletic Ha Ha Clinton-Dix who was gone in the ensuing offseason, and place a promising fourth-round pick on the reserve list after an assault allegation.
Montae Nicholson, the aforementioned fourth-round pick, is back with the team after he had his assault charges dropped, and he seems to be rejuvenated in his new role as Landon Collins‘ partner on the back end. Collins showcased his trademark physicality and sturdiness in preseason, and Nicholson complimented him well with athleticism and range, logging a pick six in the team’s second preseason game. This safety duo has exciting potential in 2019.
That said, while the starting safety unit has high hopes, the depth is a bit concerning. Deshazor Everett is a respectable reserve at safety; now entering his fifth year with the Redskins, he’s been a fixture on special teams, and he has enough experience on defense to be a decent contributor when called upon.
Troy Apke garners less confidence; the team kept him over Jeremy Reaves because of his physical upside, which still remains untapped, in a sense. But Apke’s play was not promising in preseason. He consistently took poor angles to the ball, and finding himself in the right position to make a play proved to be challenging. Apke still needs to learn how to use his traits effectively, and it appears that another offseason of work hasn’t quite done the trick. He’s a solid special teamer, but if he sees substantial time on defense, the situation could unravel quickly.
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Most of the roster is set, but after placing Shaun Wilson and Jordan Brailford on temporary injured reserve, and after swapping Byron Marshall for Wendell Smallwood, the Redskins have two more spots to fill. They also have one more open spot on their ten-man practice squad. Who will they add to finish off the construction of their team? Here at Riggo’s Rag, we’ll keep you in the loop on those developments.