Welcome to DC: Washington Football Team’s newest players

Offense

Kyle Allen – QB – 6’3”, 210 – 3rd season

Allen played for coach Ron Rivera in Carolina his first two seasons, and took over as the starter in 2019 after Cam Newton’s injury. He began like gangbusters before regressing in the second half of the year. Overall, Allen proved to be a decent game manager whose youth and familiarity with the current coaching staff gives him a secure spot as Dwayne Haskins’ backup. The health of Alex Smith could impact Allen’s chances to play if anything happens to Haskins, but for now, he looks to be the new Colt McCoy in town.

Peyton Barber – RB – 5’11”, 225 – 5th season

I’ll admit it. After mocking Barber’s chances of making to roster, all he did was outlast the perceived savior Derrius Guice and future HOF’er Adrian Peterson. Since joining Tampa Bay as a UDFA in 2016, Barber has had to overcome low expectations every year. He is a pedestrian runner (3.6 career YPC), but he shows up. He can play special teams. He can block. He should take a back seat to the Washington Football Team’s trio of more dynamic playmakers in the backfield, but once again, Barber has carved out a role for himself.

Antonio Gibson – RB – 6’2”, 220 – Rookie

Gibson’s selection in the third round of the 2020 draft raised some eyebrows. Despite his obvious physical gifts, he was neither a surefire running back nor wide receiver – both positions he played at Memphis. But he has steadily moved up throughout training camp, and along with the return of Bryce Love, Gibson’s play convinced coaches to move on from Adrian Peterson. No one knows exactly what the WFT backfield will look like with both Guice and Peterson gone, but Gibson should be an integral part of it, whether lining up behind Dwayne Haskins, or splitting out wide.

J. D. McKissic – RB – 5’10”, 190 – 5th season

I’ll say right up front – I have always been a J.D. McKissic fan. He won’t blow you away with elite athleticism, but he is a very versatile weapon who can be one of the premiere pass catching backs in the league. Like so many others in his position, McKissic just has to stay healthy. A very productive receiver in his first few years at Arkansas State, McKissic developed into a decent runner as well, and flashed his potential during his years with the Seahawks. Along with Gibson and Love, McKissic could form a very productive three-headed monster in the backfield.

Antonio Gandy-Golden – WR – 6’4”, 223 – Rookie

Gandy-Golden, a fourth-round selection for the Washington Football Team in 2020, has fine hands and an excellent catch radius. His lack of raw speed caused him to drop a bit in the draft, but he seems to have the tools to develop into a productive Z-receiver.

When projected starter Kelvin Harmon went down to injury and veteran Cody Latimer was placed on the exempt list, it appeared the Gandy-Golden would be the last man standing to start alongside Terry McLaurin and Steven Sims. But injury and the pace of NFL play slowed his early progress, and the Washington Football Team brought in veteran Dontrelle Inman, who is likely to take snaps away from Gandy-Golden.

There is the very real chance that a recently-waived receiver will also be joining the roster. Nevertheless, Gandy-Golden should get his chances – perhaps not as quickly as we may have expected a month ago.

Dontrelle Inman – WR – 6’3”, 205 – 8th season

Inman has been a pretty good player for a long time. He was never elite, but as a secondary option in San Diego mid-decade, you could do a lot worse than Dontrelle Inman. And out of the available veterans to fill in after Harmon and Latimer were lost, he was a reasonable choice. But Dontrelle Inman is also 31 years old, coming off injuries which have restricted him to 12 catches over the past two seasons.

The history of tall receivers coming off injury past age 30 is not encouraging. Inman’s veteran leadership and savvy may surprise me – and I’d be delighted if they did – but he is nothing more than a stopgap at this point.

Isaiah Wright – WR – 6’2”, 220 – Rookie

Wright’s path to the final 53-man roster was no doubt aided by the absence of both Harmon and Latimer. Nevertheless, this UDFA from Temple overcame several other young veterans to win his spot. There will be a number of intriguing options on the waiver wire once all the dust settles, and Wright’s continued position is by no means secure. But obviously the coaches saw enough in this tall versatile receiver to keep him around. He can contribute as a returner as well as playing multiple receiver positions.

Marcus Baugh – TE – 6’4”, 245 – 3rd season

Perhaps the biggest surprise in training camp, Marcus Baugh vaulted over a mostly-unheralded group of tight ends to secure a spot on the roster. He is a classic example of Moneyball philosophy. Baugh is a cheap option, and though his physical tools do not stand out, he was productive at a high caliber program in college – the same one that produced starting QB Dwayne Haskins.

The jury is obviously still out on how effective he will be in the NFL, but he has been trending up. With No. 1 tight end Logan Thomas primarily serving as a pass catcher, and veteran Jeremy Sprinkle providing in-line blocking, Baugh’s versatility should get him on the field quite often.

Logan Thomas – TE – 6’6”, 250 – 7th season

For a presumed No. 1 tight end, Logan Thomas does not have statistics to inspire confidence. That’s because he began his career as a quarterback and didn’t switch positions until 2016. He has been learning on the fly since then, and the hope is that his excellent physical tools and quarterback’s understanding of the passing game will help him develop into a reliable weapon for Dwayne Haskins. That remains to be seen. Of all the positions on the Washington Football Team heading into 2020, this is probably the biggest unknown.

Keith Ismael – G/C – 6’3”, 311 – Rookie

Ismael was drafted in the fifth round of the 2020 draft and was almost immediately considered a roster lock. His athleticism should provide solid depth on the interior of the offensive line and with starting center Chase Roullier in his free agent year, Ismael could well be the Washington Football Team’s center in 2021 and beyond.

Wes Schweitzer – G – 6’4”, 300 – 5th season

Schweitzer is the ideal depth player for an NFL team. He can play any of the three interior line positions, and has a great deal of experience both starting and coming in off the bench. Assuming Wes Martin seizes the left guard spot, Schweitzer should fulfill that depth role in Washington. He will not blow anyone away with his physical tools, but he can come in and play when needed.

Saahdiq Charles – OT – 6’4”, 321 – Rookie

The lofty expectations that greeted Charles’ selection in the fourth round of the 2020 draft have been tempered. This is partly due to injuries that have delayed his progress in camp. But it was always going to be a tall order to expect a fourth-round draft pick, who just turned 21, to step in a left tackle. The fact that he overcame the injury to make the roster (and not be placed on IR) is a positive sign. Charles just needs a little time. He should develop into an important piece of the offensive line.

Cornelius Lucas – OT – 6’8”, 327 – 7th season

I always thought Lucas was the likely starter at left tackle this year. Without preseason games to evaluate, the fact that he was beaten out of the starting gate by Geron Christian is hard to interpret. Hopefully, it means that Christian has finally grown into his potential, and not that Lucas proved underwhelming.

Lucas has been a decent backup player throughout his career, who, like former Bear teammate Kevin Pierre-Louis, stepped up when given extended playing time in 2019. His size and career trajectory is very reminiscent of former Washington player Ty Nsekhe, and if he develops into a quality swing tackle, that would be a good return on investment.

David Sharpe – OT – 6’6”, 330 – 4th season

The mammoth tackle was brought in late when Saahdiq Charles’ injury put the 2020 draftee’s status in jeopardy. Much like projected starter Geron Christian, Sharpe has the body of an elite NFL tackle, but has yet to produce at a comparable level. Perhaps the Washington Football Team sees a Christian-like turn-around in the offense. In college, at Florida, he blocked for current Washington Football Team offensive quality control coach Luke Del Rio (defensive coordinator Jack’s son).