Winners and Losers from Week 2 of Washington Redskins' Training Camp
With two weeks of training camp and a preseason game in the books, we're starting to see position battles heat up and the roster regulars separate themselves from the roster hopefuls.
With one more week of training camp to go, and a host of roster cut downs thereafter, competition is getting increasingly fierce.
There is still a lot to be decided through the final week and the remainder of the preseason, but there's enough to look at to see who is winning out and who is losing ground during training camp thus far.
Here are some of the winners and losers from the second week of camp.
Loser: Jeremy Kimbrough, Linebacker
1 of 8Jeremy Kimbrough, quite possibly the heir apparent to the future Hall of Famer London Fletcher at middle linebacker, suffered a torn labrum in the Redskins preseason victory over Tennesee, ending his rookie season before it began.
It has to be frustrating for a rookie to get a whiff of real action only to see it snatched away due to injury.
Maybe it's a stretch putting him in line to take over for Fletcher, but Kimbrough's presence would have alleviated the loss of Lorenzo Alexander. Now the Redskins have to rely on Roddrick Muckelroy and Nick Barnett after Keenan Robinson suffered a torn pectoral muscle early in training camp.
Winner: Brandon Meriweather, Safety
2 of 8After being limited for the first week of training camp, Brandon Meriweather had a heavy workload during Monday's practice. He participated in 11-on-11 drills, and as The Washington Post's Mike Jones notes, he showed good speed and comfort running stride for stride with Leonard Hankerson.
This is great news for Meriweather and makes the loss of Phillip Thomas for the season less of a crippling blow.
Not that Meriweather has made a career out of getting hurt, but he needs to prove that 2012 was a fluke in terms of injuries. It's a good sign that he's taking first-team snaps and seeing a bigger workload early this week.
Loser: E.J. Biggers, Cornerback
3 of 8E.J. Biggers hasn't been the worst player at camp, but he has been one of the most inconsistent ones, though it's not entirely his fault. He's been pressured by the impressive performance of rookie David Amerson and has been picked on a little in practices and drills.
As Mike Jones of The Washington Post observed, Biggers gave up a highlight-reel catch to Dezmon Briscoe during Monday's practice and saw Santana Moss make a better play on a ball over the middle for a catch.
Though he isn't likely to fall off the depth chart because of a rough day or two, Biggers hasn't done enough to distinguish himself from the pack after the top-three corners in Josh Wilson, DeAngelo Hall and Amerson.
Winner: Leonard Hankerson, Wide Receiver
4 of 8Focus and consistency have always been the obstacles standing between Leonard Hankerson and being more than just a good receiver. He's poised for a breakout, and his progress through training camp gives you the feeling that he may take hold of the second receiver spot across from Pierre Garcon.
Hankerson received all of the first-team snaps alongside Garcon during Monday's practice, which speaks to his continued development.
It may just be for training camp, but Hankerson could ultimately cement himself as the second receiver for the Redskins. If Garcon stays healthy, and Hankerson keeps his head in the game, it could be a big year for the offense through the air.
Loser: Jordan Reed, Tight End
5 of 8A rookie can't make an impact if he can't get on the field, and tight end Jordan Reed is learning that the hard way. A sprained foot has kept Reed out of most drills and preseason action thus far and though he's still worth something in the long run, Logan Paulsen and Niles Paul are putting in the work to keep themselves ahead on the depth chart.
In the best case scenario, Reed would ascend to the top of the depth chart alongside of Fred Davis and the pair would ruin defenses everywhere with matchup nightmares.
Realistically speaking, Reed wasn't going to see a ton of action early in the season anyway, and his injury just means it will take longer to work him into the mix. He could see some reps as part of a rotation at the second tight end spot, but short of that, he's going to have his work cut out for him.
Winner: Alfred Morris, Running Back
6 of 8As if finishing his rookie season with the second-most rushing yards in the NFL wasn't enough, Alfred Morris continues to improve and refine his craft. He's put in work on his receiving, pass protection and improved his quickness.
Imagine if Morris, typically a bruising runner, starts spinning and making cuts on a dime.
Morris has the starting job firmly in hand, but he gets some credit for showing off his offseason work during training camp.
Loser: Phillip Thomas, Safety
7 of 8Just when you thought the Redskins had their secondary situation figured out, Phillip Thomas suffers a Lisfranc injury and is out for the season. Though not a lock to be a the opening day starter, it was likely that Thomas could have become the starting strong safety by season's end.
Now, the Redskins have to hope Brandon Meriweather lasts the entire season, or they could be in trouble.
More than anything, losing Thomas diminishes the depth the team had at the position.
DeJon Gomes is listed as the backup to Bacarri Rambo at free safety, but in the event he goes down, Meriweather is the de facto backup free safety, leaving Reed Doughty and Jordan Pugh to fight for the starting strong safety position.
Winner: Robert Griffin III, Quarterback
8 of 8Mike Shanahan isn't likely to give an inch on the matter of keeping Robert Griffin III out of preseason action, but at least RGIII is getting an increased workload as he continues to work back from his ACL injury.
During Monday's practice, Griffin participated in 53 of the 70 plays the first team ran, while throwing a few more passes down the field than during previous practices.
If you can ignore the media hype of Griffin's vocalized frustration with his reintegration into normal team activities, then Griffin's return to a semi-normal swing of things is a positive sign for the season to come.
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