Riggo’s Rag Redskins Mailbag: Potential surprises, position battles, more

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LANDOVER, MD – AUGUST 29: Timon Parris #61 of the Washington Redskins looks to block against Tim Williams #56 of the Baltimore Ravens during the first half of a preseason game at FedExField on August 29, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

Unsettled position groups

Bob Schaefer: The O-line and linebacker corps seem to be the most unsettled areas. Are there any surprises in the making?

JC: I think you’re right on about those positions being the most unsettled ones. I’d throw cornerback into the mix there, but there is at least a pecking order starting to take shape there.

Starting on the offensive line, I don’t foresee any big-time surprises in the making there. The big position battle to watch is at left guard, as Wes Martin and Wes Schweitzer will duke it out in the Battle of the Wes’ to hold down that spot. I prefer Martin as the starter, but the veteran Schweitzer is probably the favorite to win the job at the moment.

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The other thing to watch will be whether or not Geron Christian makes the team. Christian is entering his third season but the 2018 third-round pick isn’t a roster lock. He was picked by a previous regime so if Ron Rivera and John Matsko aren’t fans of his game, they may part ways with him. But given the team’s lack of depth at the position, Christian still should be favored to make the team unless Timon Parris makes a big-time leap during training camp.

So, the offensive line will probably look like this from left to right in Week 1: Cornelius Lucas, Schweitzer, Chase Roullier, Brandon Scherff, and Morgan Moses. Some may bemoan Moses’ inclusion here as he has averaged 15 penalties per year the last two seasons, but the team doesn’t have a lot of talent at tackle, so they probably aren’t going to cut Moses.

And for those wondering, I think Saahdiq Charles starts the year as the swing tackle and eventually takes over for Lucas. The goal would be to have Charles start by the end of the season; they don’t have to rush him into action if he isn’t ready Week 1.

As for the linebacker spot, that position is completely unpredictable. I like the collection of talents the Redskins have at the position. But few are proven and all come with concerns whether it’s age, injury, size, speed, or experience. The unpredictability will make this group fun to watch in 2020, at the very least.

I think one player that could surprise is Kevin Pierre-Louis. He has long been a productive special teams player at the NFL level but fared very well in three starts for the Chicago Bears last year. Jack Del Rio has expressed excitement about Pierre-Louis, so he may give the Boston College product a chance to battle for a starting job. Maybe he can overtake Thomas Davis or Jon Bostic if he performs well in training camp.

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