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Three biggest surprises of Washington Football Team’s camp so far

By Jacob Camenker

LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 15: Troy Apke #30 of the Washington Football Team looks on during the first half against the Philadelphia Eagles at FedExField on December 15, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 15: Troy Apke #30 of the Washington Football Team looks on during the first half against the Philadelphia Eagles at FedExField on December 15, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images) /
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LANDOVER, MD – DECEMBER 15: Geron Christian #74 of the Washington Redskins looks on during the first half against the Philadelphia Eagles at FedExField on December 15, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – DECEMBER 15: Geron Christian #74 of the Washington Redskins looks on during the first half against the Philadelphia Eagles at FedExField on December 15, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images) /

3. OT Geron Christian

Coming into the season, many assumed that Geron Christian wasn’t guaranteed a roster spot. The 2018 third-round pick was considered to be a highly athletic player coming into the league, but he was also viewed as raw. And through two seasons, Washington fans saw why.

In his first two years in the league, Christian did little to make any think he could be a quality tackle at the NFL level. He was tossed around like a rag doll and didn’t have good enough technique to compensate for his lacking strength. He had the size. He had the athleticism. But he couldn’t put everything together because of those missing pieces.

But under Ron Rivera and John Matsko, Christian seems to be getting a chance to prove himself. On the first two days of camp, he worked with the first team at left tackle next to Wes Martin. Rivera has praised the work that Christian has put in at times during camp, so it’s clear that the veteran coach sees something that he likes in Christian. So, perhaps he is moving up in the tackle order.

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That said, there are a few caveats to his rise. First of all, Saahdiq Charles hasn’t been on the field during the first three days of padded practice at camp. It’s unclear why Charles, the team’s fourth-round pick in 2020, hasn’t been out there yet, but once he returns, he will provide Christian with more competition.

Speaking of that, Christian wasn’t with the first team on the third day of padded practice. Veteran free-agent signee Cornelius Lucas was marched out there instead of Christian, so perhaps Rivera wants to give multiple guys a chance to win the job. That would certainly mesh with his belief that competition brings out the best in players.

Most importantly of all, it’s worth noting that Christian worked with the first team during the early days of camp in 2019 as well. We all know how that ended. Christian struggled enough that Washington brought in 37-year-old Donald Penn to serve as a stopgap and potential swing tackle upgrade in the case that Trent Williams returned from his holdout. So, could Lucas’ insertion into the lineup be an indication that Christian’s struggles are continuing? It remains to be seen.

There are reasons to temper expectations for Christian even amid his early work in camp. With that said, however, it seems that Christian is well inside the roster bubble right now on a Washington team that doesn’t have a lot of tackle talent. And that runs counter to what many expected to see from him during his third NFL season.

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