Stock Up, Stock Down for Every Washington Redskins Positional Unit in Preseason

The preseason carousel spins on for the Washington Redskins. While some players are having the ride of their lives, others are in danger of falling off completely.

Fairground analogies aside, it’s already been an eventful preseason.  If the regular season turns out to be as exciting as this, the results won’t really matter.*

Here are the fluctuating fortunes of each positional unit.

*That statement was an enormous lie.

Quarterbacks: Stock Up

Over the course of the two preseason games, we’ve seen some solid quarterback play that is a good omen for the future of the franchise. We’ve also seen some unnecessary errors that have proved costly.  In both cases, however, the best part is that they haven’t always come from Robert Griffin III.

Griffin showed good touch and awareness against the Bills; he wasn’t faced with the blitz, and the offensive line allowed him the time to run through his progressions and make his throws. He looked to be developing a good relationship with Pierre Garcon and seemed assured in the pocket.

He wasn’t to be granted the same luxury against the Bears, which resulted in three sacks and a fumble. Much of this could be put down to his propensity to hold the ball too long, as well as looking to make a play rather than throwing the ball away.

As Jason Reid noted for The Washington Post, there were occasions where Griffin took unnecessary hits when trying to extend the play with his feet when he would have been better off acknowledging the play's end and looking to the next one.

The bright spot of the 33-31 defeat to the Bears was the development of Kirk Cousins. After a mediocre performance against the Bills, Cousins led a remarkable fightback in Chicago, going 18-of-23 for 264 yards and three touchdowns.

Of course, this was against the second-string Bears defense, but Cousins showed the leadership that was evident during his time at Michigan State and almost won the game before the Bears kicked a field goal in the final minute.

This isn’t to suggest that there is a quarterback controversy in Washington, or that there is the making of one. That simply isn’t the case. The Redskins gave up a lot for Griffin and he’s their guy.

What is apparent, though, is that Cousins is making a Rex Grossman-led offense a more distant possibility with every passing day. That’s definitely enough to merit the “Stock Up.”

Running Backs: Stock Holds Firm

Alfred Morris has shown us flashes of why Mike Shanahan picked him in this year’s draft. One cut and then he he's gone, just as the system requires.  

He looked sharp against the Bears, although his production dropped off after a very strong start. He also admitted to being at fault for some of the pressure that led to Griffin’s fumble. Against the Bills, he was the team’s leading rusher with 54 yards on 15 carries.

Prior to the preseason, Morris’ future wasn’t particularly certain. Even after the Bills game, Mark Maske at The Washington Post was still speculating that he could end up on the practice squad.

After being handed the start for the second game, Morris has shown his value to the team. He knew his assignments for the most part and consistently gained yards, generally just refusing to go down.

Evan Royster didn’t have a great night against the Bills and wasn’t much of a contributing factor on Saturday, either. Royster showed his talent at the end of last season, however, so there isn’t much doubt about his ability at this point.

If both Tim Hightower and Roy Helu are concerns from a durability standpoint, however, it will likely fall to Royster to make the most of his carries. He’s the least explosive of all the backs but has great field vision and awareness, which enables him to gain yards.

Hightower hasn’t been a factor in the preseason, which is no doubt starting to get to him. Shanahan won’t put him on the team until he’s certain of his fitness, so he may be waiting a while yet.

The running backs could give Redskins fans a lot to be happy about this year, as well as being a valuable outlet for Griffin in his rookie year. It’s the injuries that give cause for concern (again), and one more setback for any of the starters would be very costly as the season progresses.

Tight Ends: Stock Down

When Shanahan compared Niles Paul to Shannon Sharpe, the first thing that sprung to mind was when Shanahan staked his reputation on Rex Grossman and John Beck.

Paul didn’t do anything to assuage that feeling during the first game as he struggled with his new responsibilities, as well as failed to make catches when open.

This continued through the first half of the Bears game, but when Cousins took the field, Paul seemed to come alive again, bringing in consecutive passes in the third quarter and then a touchdown.

This hasn’t done much for Chris Cooley, obviously. He hasn’t been able to offer many reasons why he should be retained—at his current salary, anyway. He’s hugely popular among the Redskins faithful, but his time is drawing to a close.

I’m convinced that he is still the most complete tight end on the roster and has something to offer this year, but he may find that it is his last year.

Logan Paulsen also seemed to find some connection with Cousins and was able to find space where there seemed to be none. Paulsen isn’t expected to carry much of the offense in 2012, but it was a heartening performance nonetheless, and he certainly looked tough out there.

Fred Davis hasn’t been much of a feature so far, and it would be nice to see him back in the headlines for football reasons. He’s not too concerned, though. When talking to Mike Jones at The Washington Post, he was pragmatic about his limited opportunities so far. Davis said:

"

You always want playmakers on your team. The ball has to be spread around, and that way, when somebody starts keying on one guy, you can go to another guy. You’ve got to be a professional and know how to handle it. And then, when the season comes, you’ll be ready, be in grind mode and your opportunities will come.

"

It’s a close call, but the development of Paul has taken a slight hit since camp, and although the tight end position looks to be up on last year, the two weeks of preseason have been a slight step back.

Wide Receivers: Stock Up

Griffin to Garcon was the story of the Bills game, and rightly so. Griffin seemed to have developed a connection with the new wideout, and it was looking good for the year ahead. Griffin’s trouble in the Bears game meant that the receivers didn’t get much of a look during the first half.

Griffin was always looking to give his guys time to get open, which can only be admired. That approach was unsuccessful against the blitz, and Griffin found himself on the turf much more than he would have liked.

The second half was where the receivers got the chance to play, with Aldrick Robinson the main beneficiary. Posting a 100-yard game is a good way to force yourself into contention. The touchdown won’t hurt, either.

In an earlier article I grouped Brandon Banks and Aldrick Robinson together, highlighting concerns over Banks’ ability to become a true NFL receiver and entertaining the possibility that Robinson could overtake him before the preseason is out.

It’s safe to say that Robinson now has the edge in that battle, despite Banks’ strong showing with a 91-yard punt return for a touchdown. Shanahan declared that Banks must contribute at receiver in order to make the team, and he still hasn’t done that.

Despite this, Robinson’s drastic improvement is enough for me to rate the receiving corps higher than a few weeks ago. Staying positive doesn’t come naturally to me, but I’m determined to do it this year. At least through the preseason, anyway.

Offensive Line: Stock Down

The injuries along the offensive line were always going to make this season difficult, and it really showed during the Bears game.

Trent Williams didn’t do too much wrong, but he didn’t look as forceful as before. He is still recovering from the bone bruise in his foot, so I’m giving him a pass. Plus, he was so dominant against the Bills that I think I’m still a bit high off that.

Adam Gettis had a solid first game, but the second week of preseason wasn’t too easy for him. He looked overmatched along the line at times and got pushed back too much as he struggled to stay low and get leverage.

Previously I stated that Gettis’ technique helps him overcome larger opponents, and I stand by that. However, his blocking let him down slightly, and he allowed opponents to escape and pressure the quarterback.

Josh LeRibeus is a similar story. At times he looks like an NFL player, but other times he looks a bit rushed and unsure of his assignments.

In both games he has looked too eager to assert his authority, which has led to committing himself too early and has led being fooled by more experienced players. This will come with time, but at this point I’d love to see Kory Lichtensteiger back at full strength.

Tyler Polumbus has done enough but hasn’t exactly dazzled. Like many others, he seemed to be out of position a lot against the Bears, gave up pressure on RGIII for a sack and got called for a holding penalty. His run-blocking has been effective, but he’s also getting beaten far too easily.

Come the games against the divisional rivals, he’s likely to have a tough time. Maybe it’s actually good that most of these arrive at the end of the season this time around.

Will Montgomery was also a problem in Chicago and seems to be spending most of his time being pushed into the backfield. This was noticeable from the outset and needs to be addressed.

But hey, that’s what the preseason is for, right?

Defensive Line: Stock Down

The Redskins looked like a force to be reckoned with in the first game. They were aggressive, fast and unforgiving. The Bills were unable to allow Ryan Fitzpatrick the time he needed, and the linebackers flourished as a result.

This led to high expectations for the second game. It didn’t exactly turn out like that, though which has led to the step back in performance.

With Chris Neild out for the season, the Redskins lose some depth along the line. The good news is that Chris Baker is looking great and will now step in and save Shanahan the trouble of choosing between them.

The entire defense struggled against the Bears, with the line being no exception. The Bears offensive line was relentless in its pressure, and the Redskins had no real answer for it. This allowed Cutler to bombard the patchwork secondary with passes and he consistently found open receivers.

On the plus side, Jarvis Jenkins looks to be getting back into football shape and upped his pace in the Bears game. He looked like he was moving without impediment and I can't wait to see him at full speed. With him in the rotation with Adam Carriker, the Redskins will have one less position to worry about.

Linebackers: Stock Holds Firm

This was difficult to judge, as the linebackers suffered from the same problem as the defensive line: inconsistency over the two games. Again, they looked impressive in Buffalo and on multiple occasions succeeded in bringing pressure to the quarterback.

The Bears were always going to offer a bigger challenge.

London Fletcher wasn’t playing in Chicago—for undisclosed reasons—and so Lorenzo Alexander stepped in. Mike Jones reported for The Washington Post that Alexander “did well in place of London Fletcher, recording four tackles and doing well in pass coverage.”

What Jones didn’t mention was that Alexander was also slow getting to receivers and struggled against the run. If London Fletcher’s body chooses this year to give up on him, there could be some problems.

Brian Orakpo left the game with an injury to his left shoulder, which caused immediate panic in my brain. However, The Washington Post stated on Sunday that the MRI showed no damage to the area and that he should be ready for the season opener against the Saints. Orakpo is absolutely indispensable this year, so this is definitely good news for the team.

Defensive Backs: Stock Down

I’m making a concerted effort to remain optimistic about the makeshift nature of the secondary, as well as Raheem Morris’ ability to coach them into a unit, but they were found to be lacking on Saturday night.

Josh Wilson remains a constant at cornerback, and I don’t really have anything bad to say about him. He’s the best in coverage by some distance, and he showed it again when he went up against Brandon Marshall. He should have taken his chance for an interception, though, which was a missed opportunity.

Cedric Griffin continued his play from last season and was resoundingly awful. Marshall beat him for 41 yards on Cutler’s first play from scrimmage and it continued from there.

He was targeted as a weak link and was exposed as just that, with receivers having no trouble getting separation and making the play. Griffin has come back from two ACL tears but simply looked ill-equipped in Chicago. Expect to see Kevin Barnes take the field against the Colts this weekend.

The injury of Brandon Meriweather was another problem for the secondary, but the Post indicated that his MRI showed no significant damage to his injured knee. The Redskins will need Meriweather to find his Pro Bowl form and find it fast.

Special Teams: Stock Up

Brandon Banks’ 91-yard touchdown on a punt return highlighted why he remains on the Redskins roster and why he will likely stay there.

Although Shanahan told him he must contribute at receiver to make the team, Banks’ talent as punt returner might see him sneak on regardless.

Richard Crawford was solid returning punts against the Bills and followed it up with another good performance in Chicago. He also confused the Bears offense on blitz packages as a cornerback and almost grabbed an interception.

Neil Rackers was the kicker in Chicago, hoping to beat out Graham Gano, but he missed a 54-yard attempt that may see Gano given the nod at FedEx Field on Saturday. The kicking competition may not be the most exciting thing in the world, but it looks like it's going right down to the wire.