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Five takeaways from Washington Football Team’s 53-man roster

By Ian Cummings

LANDOVER, MD - OCTOBER 20: Troy Apke #30 of the Washington Football Team intercepts a pass during the game against the San Francisco 49ers at FedExField on October 20, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. The 49ers defeated the Redskins 9-0. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - OCTOBER 20: Troy Apke #30 of the Washington Football Team intercepts a pass during the game against the San Francisco 49ers at FedExField on October 20, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. The 49ers defeated the Redskins 9-0. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images) /
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ARLINGTON, TEXAS – DECEMBER 28: Antonio Gibson #14 of the Memphis Tigers during the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium on December 28, 2019 in Arlington, Texas (Photo by Benjamin Solomon/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – DECEMBER 28: Antonio Gibson #14 of the Memphis Tigers during the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium on December 28, 2019 in Arlington, Texas (Photo by Benjamin Solomon/Getty Images) /

No. 1 – Investing in youth is a priority for Washington

The Washington Football Team drafted eight players in the 2020 NFL Draft. All eight of those players made the initial 53-man roster, and an additional undrafted free agent was retained as well.

Going further, various players still on their rookie deals were kept, when they otherwise might have experienced uncertainty. Those players included Dwayne Haskins, Sprinkle, Christian, Ryan Anderson, Shaun Dion Hamilton, Danny Johnson, Greg Stroman, and Apke, among others.

The Washington Football Team came out of cuts tied as the ninth-youngest team in the NFL, a fact which only confirms what most of us knew. Investing in youth was a priority for Ron Rivera in his first season. Giving youth time to develop in a rebuild simply makes sense, and Rivera has done that so far, refusing to cut ties with both his draft picks and previous ones who still show promise.

Next. Welcome to D.C.: Washington's newest players in 2020. dark

Seeing through development can be a rewarding process in the NFL, and there were times when the previous Washington regime neglected to do so. Now, they’ll have a shot to have players grow together, and that could give way to increased collective success in the future.

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