Breaking down the Redskins’ wide Receivers and tight ends for 2020

The Redskins have a lot of challengers at the wide receiver and tight end positions. Here’s a breakdown of each group ahead of the 2020 season.

At the end of the 2019 season, it was commonly assumed that the Washington Redskins were going to have to do a major rebuilding of the their pass catching core. Despite the encouraging emergence of young wide receivers Terry McLaurin and Steven Sims, Jr, there was clearly a perceived need to build up both depth and productivity on the outside, giving young quarterback Dwayne Haskins, Jr more weapons. Especially downfield weapons. And with the likely departure of the two most productive tight ends in recent years, Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis, an even more substantial overhaul at tight end seemed likely. Reed and Davis did in fact move on, as did Chris Thompson, the best receiving option out of the backfield in recent years.

The Redskins did not add any top-tier receivers through free agency. In truth, there were very few top-tier options available, and after failing to sign their one major target, Dallas’ Amari Cooper, they opted to look for bargains, some of whom have reasonably high ceilings. The Redskins added one tight end prior to the free agent window, then signed one WR and two TEs early in free agency. In the 2020 draft, they selected one pure WR and one hybrid RB/WR. They did not select a TE. They would  add two WRs and one TE after the draft.

The Redskins are currently left with 13 WRs and seven TEs on the roster, and neither area rates very highly. But there are some potential gems to be uncovered. Perhaps best of all, those TEs have an average age under 25, while the 13 WRs average under 24. There is plenty of youth and physical talent to go around. There is just very little in the way of proven NFL production.

As such, one of the most important components of the 2020 receiving core comes on the sidelines. Ron Rivera brought in two new coaches to handle the receivers and the tight ends, and there will be a lot of pressure on them to identify the best players in the crowd, and then get them ready to perform consistently at a high professional level.

Pete Hoener, who coached with Rivera for nine years Carolina, does have a strong track record, having helped develop Greg Olsen, Vernon Davis, and Delanie Walker during his long career. And new WR coach Jim Hostler, who only worked with Rivera during his final year in Carolina, has also helped shepherd the careers of T.Y. Hilton and Davante Adams in previous stops. Though his most extensive experience as a receivers coach came for the Baltimore Ravens circa 2010, his charges were generally very effective blockers. And he did help launch the early success of Torrey Smith.

With the uncertainty over how training camp will operate this season, younger players in need of more repetitions may suffer, and that is not a good sign for a team like the Redskins. It will be a challenge to have a highly productive receiving core this year, but it is not out of the realm of possibility. Here’s a look at the players currently competing for roster spots.