Washington Redskins: Full Position, Depth Chart Analysis at Wide Receiver
When you think of the Washington Redskins depth chart at wide receiver, the phrase "embarrassment of riches" should be at the front of your mind. If it isn't, it's because a talented group has yet to produce to its full potential.
Yet that's not necessarily the fault of the men who call this position group home. In many ways, playing wide receiver for the Burgundy and Gold is currently a thankless task.
Let's face it, the quarterback situation is a mess. Robert Griffin III has been hamstrung by injuries and clashes with successive coaches. Kirk Cousins has a strong and accurate arm, but perhaps the most fragile confidence in the league. Meanwhile, Colt McCoy is a veteran journeyman for a reason.
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It's a frankly mediocre carousel that took a spin too often last season. Having to catch passes from three very different quarterbacks, whose only similarity is how they're all limited in fundamental ways, naturally affected the production of DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon and company.
One other problem is that head coach Jay Gruden and offensive coordinator Sean McVay don't seem to know how to make everyone happy. At least, they haven't yet settled on the right formula for sharing the catches around to ensure each receiver's talent isn't wasted.
That wasn't a problem for Jackson in 2014. His first season in D.C. was a major personal success after he caught 56 passes for 1,169 yards.
But the play-calling certainly proved a problem for the other half of Washington's star receiver double act.
The Garcon Problem
How do you take a receiver who broke a franchise record for receptions the previous season and render him almost irrelevant the next? Only Gruden and McVay know the answer.
There's no doubt Garcon was a marginalized figure for the Redskins in 2014. To add some weight to that claim, consider these numbers from Sports Journal writer Dan Roth: "The 28-year-old Mount Union product caught 68 passes for 752 yards and just three touchdowns in 16 games last year—a precipitous drop from the 113 catches for 1,346 yards and five touchdowns he had the season before."
As Roth notes, that's a "near 50 percent drop in production." Actually, it's really a near-criminal waste of one of the NFL's most dynamic playmakers with the ball in his hands.
But fear not, Gruden is ready to solve the problem. He fully intends to get Garcon more involved during the new season, according to ESPN reporter Britt McHenry:
OK, that's a nice sound bite. But just so it doesn't read like an empty campaign promise from a shallow politician, don't just tell me the plan, tell me the next step. How are you going to do it?
Fortunately, Gruden's got that covered too. He's going to lean on a rather bizarre-sounding positional switch, one that's already been evident during OTAs, per Mike Jones of The Washington Post:
"Garcon appears to have switched wide receiver positions and spent the bulk of the day playing the ‘Z’ rather than the ‘X.’ He used to line up on the left, and now is split out to the right. Coaches plan to make a greater point of getting Garcon the ball, and this is part of the plan. Jackson lined up at the ‘X’ today.
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Since I very nearly managed to confuse myself when describing this change earlier in the week, it's a good idea to refer back to a Fox Sports report detailing what those letters mean: "In most offenses, including Gruden's, the X wide receiver is responsible for making big plays and occasionally operating clear out routes. The Z wide receiver tends to run more short and intermediate high-percentage routes."
So why call this a "bizarre-sounding positional switch?" Well, the question has to be asked: Why weren't Garcon and Jackson playing these roles last season?
After all, making big plays is what Jackson does—and has done throughout his pro career. It's his forte, one proved by the 20.9 yards-per-catch average he tallied last season.
More to the point, Garcon's speciality is turning "short and intermediate high-percentage" catches into long gains. It's what he did to knock the great Art Monk off top spot in the record books in 2013.
Take a look at this play from Week 15 of that season, a road loss to the Atlanta Falcons. It was a day when Garcon made seven grabs for 129 yards.
He was in the "Z" position prior to the snap. Garcon was ready to run a shallow cross behind the linebacker level of the defense to target the middle of the field:
Cousins hit him in stride and Garcon secured the catch as he prepared to turn into space:
Notice how his route was run with the perfect depth to arrive in the void between the linebacker and safety levels. It's a no-man's land for a defense, one where a smart playmaker can eat up yards after the catch.
There are few better at doing that than Garcon, who becomes a running back once he gets the ball in his hands. He did here to turn a simple shallow cross into a 27-yard gain:
This is the type of play Garcon was making for fun two seasons ago. It's also the type of design Gruden and McVay need to revive as a feature of the passing game. That should mean more shallow crosses, middle screens and option routes that target Garcon on the run and in space.
Gruden's plan to move Garcon around may be one season overdue, but it does at least show the coach is actively thinking about ways to get him more involved. But it might not be a position switch that really ensures increased production from Garcon.
As B/R analyst Matt Bowen notes, only improvement from Griffin will maximize the talent Washington boasts at the receiver position:
Bowen's right to emphasize how it matters little where Garcon aligns at the start of a play. In fact, the more the Redskins move him around formations, the better.
But Bowen's assertion about the connection between Griffin's development and receiver production doesn't just apply to Garcon. It holds true for every wideout on the roster. Well, all bar one, actually.
There's one receiver who needs to key his own jump in production no matter who's under center.
Getting More from Andre Roberts
One year ago, Andre Roberts looked like one of the best signings of free agency. The Redskins appeared to have landed a steal by acquiring a versatile burner who can work inside and outside.
It seemed like one of those perfect marriages of the right player and the right time. After working in a supporting role through four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, Roberts looked primed and eager for more.
Of course, that all changed the moment Jackson was brought on board, a move that demoted Roberts before he'd even caught a pass for his new team. Still, even after being shoved aside, Roberts should have done more during his first year in Washington.
A mere 36 catches for 453 yards is certainly not indicative of the 27-year-old's talent. Roberts has since become something of a favorite target for disgruntled fans. But that's not exactly fair.
It's not fair because one of the main issues contributing to his middling production is a basic misunderstanding over how best to use him. Once Jackson signed on, Roberts was expected to become the over-the-middle, possession-type slot specialist.
Sadly, this very specific role as good as ignored his ability to win on the outside and create big gains down the field. It's time for Gruden and his coaches to revisit some of the things Roberts did in Arizona.
Winning on the outside and stretching coverage deep were the defining features of his game for the Cardinals. The first example of both comes from Week 4 of the 2012 season when Arizona took on the Miami Dolphins.
Roberts aligned as the "X" and was ready to execute an in-and-out double move from his break:
His first move was toward the inside, which turned the cornerback's shoulders away from the sideline:
Now the cornerback was perfectly set up for the outside move. Roberts executed a very sharp cut toward the sideline:
The move took Roberts over the outside shoulder of the cornerback and allowed him to get behind the coverage. Now he was able to use his underrated speed to gain separation vertically:
When the ball arrived, Roberts adjusted his body to reel in the catch from a throw that had been aimed behind him and was in danger of sailing out of bounds. The result was a 25-yard gain:
Just to show this combination of moves, vertical speed and a great adjustment to make the catch was no fluke, cast your eyes over this play from Week 12 of the 2013 season. The Cards were in the midst of demolishing the Indianapolis Colts.
In the fourth quarter, Roberts again aligned as the "X." This time he would run a simple post up the sideline:
What was easy to love about this play was how 5'11", 187-pounder Roberts defiantly swatted away the initial attempt by the cornerback to clamp on and play press:
Forced to scrap throughout every step of his route, Roberts still managed to pluck a heavily contested ball out of the air:
Here's another view of the hard-fought catch:
Despite being denied a clean release, Roberts won the physical battle to defeat Indy's Cover 1 scheme. He beat single-high safety Antoine Bethea to the catch point and completed a 32-yard gain.
The fact both of these plays featured highlightmreel-worthy catches will no doubt surprise many Washington fans. Even now, there's probably a few readers screaming some version of the phrase, "but he couldn't even catch a cold last season!"
Well, he already seems intent to improve in that area ahead of the new season, according to ESPN.com reporter John Keim: "Receiver Andre Roberts made a difficult diving catch going across the middle. He laid out for the ball; just a nice grab. The Redskins really need him to be more of a factor this season."
Keim's right about Washington needing more from Roberts. But the Redskins won't get it until they re-evaluate what he can offer.
This is not a possession receiver or somebody who will consistently win from the slot. Instead, Roberts is a big-play, vertical threat and must be used accordingly.
It's not as if Washington doesn't have other options for the slot and possession work. In fact, Gruden has been running the rule over two intriguing choices this offseason.
Ryan Grant or Jamison Crowder?
Before OTAs, this may not have even looked like a competition. The moment new general manager Scot McCloughan took Jamison Crowder off the board in Round 4 of the 2015 NFL draft, the Redskins appeared to have found their slot receiver.
B/R analyst Matt Miller immediately tabbed Crowder an "underneath" option, one who can "make people miss" from the slot:
Those words sounded prophetic when Crowder instantly made a solid impression on his coaches, especially Gruden. The man in charge was particularly wowed by Crowder's intelligence and toughness. Back during rookie minicamp, he described the ex-Duke pass-catcher as having "all the traits you want in a slot receiver," per 247Sports.com's Jamie Oakes.
But since then, Crowder has found himself embroiled in an off-field scandal concerning accusations of domestic violence, according to Todd Dybas of The Washington Times.
While the focus has shifted from what Crowder can do on the field to his life off it, another receiver has been catching Gruden's eye.
The coach has been full of praise for the player taken in the fifth round of last year's draft, per Mike Jones of The Washington Post:
"Gruden is very impressed with second-year wide receiver Ryan Grant. 'He’s awesome, man. He really is,' Gruden raved. Wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard praised Grant as well when asked about him today. As was the case last year, Grant is a very polished route runner. He looks even more confident this year, and he has strong hands and goes after balls, making tough catches.
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Grant's reliable hands and knack for winning over the middle were highlighted as his best qualities coming out of Tulane. B/R's Matt Miller and Michael Felder both lauded his "body control" and "inside-out speed" when he was drafted:
Sadly, Grant received only scant opportunities to showcase what he can do during his rookie season. He made a mere seven catches for 68 yards.
But the Redskins still have an obvious void for a possession-type receiver in the slot. The team's struggling quarterbacks certainly need one.
A diminutive wideout who can regularly get free underneath can be a signal-caller's best friend on football's money down. That's definitely an area where Washington's passing game must improve in 2015, as DC Hot Read writer Chris Russell detailed: "The Redskins were 31 percent on third-downs last year, one of the top reasons that they were absolutely putrid on offense as a whole."
A safe pair of hands presenting an easy target over the middle would solve a lot of the problems, even on earlier downs. If nothing else, a natural slot receiver can help coax quicker throws from Griffin, in the process improving both his confidence and accuracy.
Yet none of the current quarterbacks are used to targeting this type of receiver, something that's hurting Crowder, according to ESPN.com's John Keim:
"One thing I've noticed: The quarterbacks have to get used to throwing to Jamison Crowder. He’s listed at 5-foot-8, so he's a little shorter than they’re used to -- but it’s not as if DeSean Jackson is a lot taller (about a couple inches). Regardless, when they miss to Crowder, it's typically high, which happened again Wednesday.
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But Gruden needs to settle on a slot receiver fast and get his quarterbacks used to targeting a mini marvel underneath. Crowder is the more explosive, while Grant may be the more reliable.
The sensible play-caller would find a host of ways to include both.
The Final Picture: More Production to Match the Talent, Please
With the talent they boast at the position, the Redskins should be the proud owners of one of the more dynamic passing attacks in the NFL. That they aren't is due in no small part to the shaky play under center.
But it's also an equal indictment of how these receivers are used. Gruden's new plan for Garcon and Jackson makes sense, but can he keep two de facto No. 1 receivers happy?
Can he craft plays better suited to Roberts' core skills? Can he also find a way to incorporate both Grant and Crowder's respective talents for winning underneath?
Of course, what Gruden can design for his receivers will continue to largely be dictated by what his quarterback can do. But if Griffin's ultra-strong arm needs to be flexed in a vertical-based passing game, then so be it.
By the same token, Gruden can't be afraid to get creative to maximize his talented receivers. It would be nice to see plenty of bunch formations with three of the five playmakers at the position on the field together, running multiple crossing patterns that stretch the field and pull defenses out of shape.
Gruden is already expecting more from headline acts Garcon and Jackson, according to 247Sports.com's Jamie Oakes: “Those guys are two great players on our offensive football team and we’re going to demand a lot from them."
Demanding more also means giving more in terms of expanding concepts in the playbook. Gruden can't be afraid to do that, even if it leads to a change at quarterback.
Ultimately, the Redskins will have to decide what's more important. If it's developing Griffin at the steady pace he needs, then a pared-down playbook is required, one that won't really make receivers stars.
But if Washington's coaches want to turn their incredible talents at the position loose, the extra demand must be on the man under center.
All screen shots via CBS Sports, Fox Sports and NFL.com Game Pass.
All statistics and player information via NFL.com.
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