Washington Redskins: Breakdown and Depth-Chart Analysis at Wide Receiver
The Washington Redskins have positioned themselves to lean more heavily on their running game. The acquisitions of Bill Callahan and rookies Matt Jones and Brandon Scherff all point to this.
Even so, the aim of the team is ultimately to get the most out of Robert Griffin III. With that goal in mind, the onus will be on Washington's receivers to make life easier for the maligned quarterback.
Familiar faces return in Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson, but via the draft, the team's also added some new blood to the mix.
How will the depth chart shake out?
Let's find out. Here is the breakdown of the Redskins' depth chart at receiver.
Honorable Mention: Evan Spencer
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The Redskins could very well carry six receivers, but with the cast of players they have competing for the final receiver spot, the wiser bet is to place the "sixth wideout" on the practice squad.
Selected in the sixth round, Evan Spencer should be the favorite to land that spot. At 6'2", 208 pounds, Spencer would bring some much-needed size to the team's receiving corps. Of the receivers who return from last season's team, none is taller than 6'0".
In terms of actual production, Spencer has a ways to go. He posted all of 52 catches at Ohio State. Even so, it's hard to ignore the athletic ability he displayed at his pro day, per Doug Lesmerises of Northeast Ohio Media Group:
"Spencer ran in the 4.4 range on his 40, saying he heard times between 4.38 and 4.48, while a scout said he had Spencer at 4.4 flat.
At the NFL Combine, four receivers ran in the 4.3s. Spencer also did 20 reps on the bench press at 225 pounds (only three combine receivers did more) and had a vertical jump of 35 inches (which would have been lower-middle of the pack at the combine).
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A developmental prospect, Spencer's ceiling as a rookie would be as a special teams player.
5. Ryan Grant
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The talk of offseason workouts a season ago, Ryan Grant's strong play didn't translate once the real games began.
He did have quite the game in relief of an injured Jackson in Week 2 (five catches for 57 yards), but for the year, the fifth-round pick out of Tulane registered all of seven catches for 68 yards. None of this is surprising, though.
There was a clear hierarchy at receiver for the 'Skins, and as such, Grant didn't garner much playing time. Unfortunately, going into Year 2, this a hurdle Grant will again face.
Washington returns its top three receivers from 2014 and added another wideout in the draft for good measure.
So as you can guess, Grant will again have to bide his time to crack the rotation at receiver. Already a smooth route-runner, it'll be critical for the 6'0", 193-pound Grant to get stronger.
He's not a burner; he ran a 4.64 in the 40-yard dash. And because of it, opposing cornerbacks won't hesitate to disrupt Grant's routes through press coverage.
Spencer will challenge Grant for the final roster spot, but considering the 24-year-old can contribute on special teams too, his polish as a receiver will outweigh Spencer's raw ability and size advantage.
4. Jamison Crowder
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An explosive playmaker out of Duke, the initial expectation for fourth-round pick Jamison Crowder was for him to contribute on special teams. After all, he did return four kicks for touchdowns during his collegiate career.
But as general manager Scot McCloughan tells it, per Mike Jones of the Washington Post, when he looks at Crowder, he sees a receiver first: "You know what, for an undersized guy, he’s got a chip on his shoulder. He’s a really good punt returner. He is a receiver first, punt returner second. And he’s going to come in here, you put him in the slot, he’s going to be tough to cover. He’s a football player."
Dedicated to mastering Washington's offense with his work in the classroom, per Stephen Czarda of Redskins.com, Crowder has put his best foot forward to ingratiate himself with the coaching staff.
Knowing that head coach Jay Gruden has raved to ESPN.com's John Keim about his football IQ, you could say Crowder is off to a good start in that regard.
Like Grant, though, his ability to consistently beat press coverage is in question. The more explosive player of the two, Crowder gets the nod here for the No. 4 spot.
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3. Andre Roberts
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Money talks. Looking at Andre Roberts' place on Washington's roster, that's abundantly clear. By all accounts, Roberts was a free-agent bust and the team's worst receiver last season.
With a dead cap hit of $5.75 million, though, per Spotrac.com, he's not going anywhere.
Where to begin? For starters, no matter who the passer was, with Roberts as the target, the team's quarterbacks were unproductive.
According to ESPN.com's John Keim, the quarterback ratings of RG3, Colt McCoy and Kirk Cousins on throws to Roberts were 35.9, 33.5 and 55.4, respectively.
Go back to his final year with the Arizona Cardinals, and you see a similar script. Among all his receivers, Carson Palmer had his lowest passer rating (72.9) targeting Roberts.
And to think, prior to Jackson's signing, he was in line to be the team's No. 2 receiver.
Both Crowder and Grant will aim to take Roberts' place on the depth chart. But with the lack of experience between them, it will take Roberts faltering again and a strong showing this offseason for either of them to supplant him for the No. 3 spot.
2. Pierre Garcon
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Garcon didn't just take a backseat to Jackson in 2014; he was in the trunk of the car! At least, that's the perception Garcon garnered.
In reality, though, he led the team in targets a season ago. He had 105 targets to Jackson's 94. Comparing his 2014 campaign to his record-breaking season in 2013, as expected, Garcon's production declined because of a better supporting cast.
With a pair of receiving tight ends in Jordan Reed and Niles Paul, in addition to his cohorts at wideout, there wasn't a need for Garcon to be targeted 181 times like he was in 2013. In fact, when looking at the percentage of targets he actually hauled in, 2014 was the superior season.
According to Sporting Charts, Garcon caught 62.4 percent of his targets in 2013 and 64.8 percent last year.
Sporting a career average of 12.7 yards per reception, the task for Garcon in 2015 will be improving upon the career-low 11.1 yards per catch he recorded a season ago.
1. DeSean Jackson
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It hasn't happened often with Daniel Snyder running the Redskins, but the team actually got what it paid for in free agency. It signed Jackson to a $24 million deal to make big plays, and he delivered just that his first year in D.C.
He averaged a league-high 20.9 yards per reception and led the NFL with 13 receptions of 40-plus yards. This is in addition to leading his team in touchdowns (six), first downs (35) and receiving yards (1,169).
What more can you ask for?
At this point, just an encore.
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