Washington Redskins Week 3 Stock Report

On the eve of their Week 3 matchup with the New York Giants, the stock is on the rise for key members of the Washington Redskins, both at the playing and coaching levels.

Specifically, rookie running back Matt Jones and offensive line coach Bill Callahan both earned A-plus reports for their efforts in Week 2. They've added elements to this season's offense that have sparked the unit into life and provided the whole team with a brash new identity.

Jones' vital role in Week 2's 24-10 dismantling of the St. Louis Rams means a dip for the man who was the team's incumbent at his position. But that lull is likely a temporary one.

Finally, a roster move has boosted the stock for a pair of defensive backs. They now have important jobs to perform in Washington's sub-package coverage schemes.

Read on for a full accounting of the Redskins stock report headed into the 2015 season's third week of action.

Stock Up: Kyshoen Jarrett and Will Blackmon

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When you're a sixth-round safety asked to play slot corner on your team's starting defense, you know your stock is up. Kyshoen Jarrett's audition in the slot could now become a permanent gig after the Redskins waved goodbye to 2013 second-round pick David Amerson, per Mike Jones of the Washington Post.

Jones noted how both Jarrett and veteran Will Blackmon played in the slot against the Rams. Blackmon, a 30-year-old signed off the league's scrapheap just hours before the Rams came to town, may prove a very shrewd addition from general manager Scot McClougan.

Blackmon can play press and has the right attributes for covering inside receivers. With Amerson out of the way, he has a chance to make a crucial position his own. Not bad for a guy out of work to start the season.

If the Redskins still opt for a job share between Blackmon and Jarrett, the latter offers intriguing matchup possibilities. Having a safety with legitimate coverage chops offers a great way to neutralize some of the league's better "move" tight ends and running backs who flex into the slot.

Of course, both may give way to Bashaud Breeland. He's a good bet to shift inside, at least for a few snaps, now that Chris Culliver has returned from suspension.

Either way, Blackmon and Jarrett will still see plenty of playing time in multiple-defensive back sets, as well as providing quality depth at four spots (slot, outside corner and both safety positions). Washington has dumped an under-performing player and now has two intriguing options for sub-package work.

Stock Down: Bruce Allen

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He's team president now, but Bruce Allen was general manager the year Amerson was drafted. It may have only been a surface-level title, but Allen took part in recruiting a class that can serve as a reference point for Washington's history of draft struggles.

Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post sums up the infamy that is the 2013 class:

"

And then there were two. The Redskins on Monday released cornerback David Amerson, who was a second-round selection in the 2013 draft class that included seven players. Just two seasons removed from that draft, and the Redskins have only tight end Jordan Reed and running back Chris Thompson remaining.

"

These are not numbers Allen or anybody associated with the team's selection processes at that time can be remotely proud of. Granted, Tesfatsion does offer Allen an out by noting how then-head coach Mike Shanahan "had final say with each pick at the time over general manager Bruce Allen and Scott Campbell, the director of college scouting."

Still, Amerson's release is yet more ammunition to Allen's critics. It's a reminder of an era many fans are convinced McCloughan will fix.

If you want to know why the new GM was greeted with such fanfare, why even questioning one of his decisions is an invitation to a torrent of abuse, just think of how things looked when Allen was running the show.

That's what we're all working so hard to forget.

Stock Up: Matt Jones, RB

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Nobody's stock rose faster than Matt Jones' after Week 2. This year's third-round pick just beat the living daylights out of a St. Louis defense that isn't supposed to be pushed around by anybody.

But Jones was too big and too fast for the Rams. His size and physical running style aren't surprises. After all, he's a 6'2", 231-pounder who always went looking for contact when he lugged the rock at Florida.

Sporting News writer Eric Galko praised Jones' ability to "work through contact." According to Galko, it's a quality that helps Jones compare favorably with one of the NFL's best power-based runners: "Jones, unlike most runners, does this very well, reminding some of Marshawn Lynch in his physicality and ability to stay on his feet through contact, use his hands to push off tacklers and keep his feet moving forward."

Yet Jones' speed has been a surprise, at least to me. Whenever he goes off tackle, he's simply out-sprinting defenders.

His 39-yard touchdown run against the Rams was a prime example. Once Jones had rounded the corner, he seemed to hit an extra gear. His acceleration up the sideline was incredible to watch.

Rich Tandler of Real Redskins also expressed how Jones' ability to shift from meandering to cheetah-fast caught him off guard: "I knew he had good feet and was quick for a guy his size but I never had him pegged as a player with impressive speed. After all, the stopwatch at the NFL Combine timed him at 4.61 in the forty."

Per statistics tweeted by Chris Wesseling of the league's official site, GPS numbers that correlate and quantify speed, Tandler calculated Jones would "cover 40 yards in 3.77 seconds" at "peak speed," based on how he ran against St. Louis.

Any back who combines brutal straight-line power with legitimate field-stretching speed is a weapon defenses will fear. A fear factor and genuine big-play capability are just what Jones has brought to Washington's running game.

Stock Down: Alfred Morris, RB

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He's in a contract year, so any time the other guy at his position has a big day Alfred Morris' stock is going to take a dip. So it goes after Week 2, despite No. 46 still getting 18 carries against the Rams.

The problem was Morris didn't do a great deal with those touches. He gained 59 yards, but 35 of those came on one run. Overall, Morris averaged 3.3 yards per carry.

Every minimal gain from Morris was in sharp contrast to the explosive plays Jones was producing.

While Jones was fast out of the blocks, Morris appeared slow. While the rookie powered through tacklers, Morris was too often brought down early.

Of course, there are factors at play here which influenced the contrasting fortunes of Washington's bruising backfield combo. For one thing, Morris is a marked man after three 1,000-yard seasons as the Burgundy and Gold's previously unchallenged workhorse of choice.

Alf only cemented that reputation when he ran for 121 yards against the Miami Dolphins in Week 1 of the new season. Opposing teams still make stopping the 2012 sixth-rounder a priority.

That's reflected by claims from some members of the Rams defense that they were "surprised" by Jones, as noted by Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Now that his reputation precedes him, Morris isn't going to surprise anyone in his fourth season.

The beauty of Washington's so-far dominant rushing attack is how Morris can flip the script in Week 3. He had almost as many chances as Jones to shine against the Rams. Perhaps he can better seize those chances against the Giants.

It won't be easy. Big Blue have allowed opposing runners just three yards a rush this season. While they haven't faced elite ground games, the Giants are doing an excellent job of stringing plays out and forcing lateral runs.

Morris' history against New York is very much hit-and-miss. He's had some stinkers against the Giants, but he's twice topped 100 yards against the same opposition as a rookie.

He is still an exceptional zone runner, something highlighted by B/R's X's and O's guru Matt Bowen. If the blocking stays as good as it's been through two weeks, Morris won't waste time getting back to his best.

The bid to outdo one another between Jones and Morris is good for both players and the team as a whole. Right now, Jones certainly has the hot hand. But Morris' career history suggests he won't be overshadowed for long.

Stock Up: Bill Callahan

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If you want to know how much of a difference coaching can make, look no further than Washington's offensive line under the tutelage of new boss Bill Callahan.

A group that gave up 58 sacks a year ago, and entered this season with huge question marks on the right side, has dominated two of the most star-studded defensive fronts in football.

For an idea of how dominant Callahan's five starters have been, consider this awesome stat from ESPN.com's John Keim: "After two games, Jones leads all NFL RB's with 4.28 yards before contact." Amazing stuff.

Then there's this from Thomas, emphasizing how the Redskins kept a St. Louis pass rush sparked by a quintet of former first-round picks quiet: "Rams pressure numbers way down from opener against Seattle. They had only 3 pressures, 1 QB hit, and 2 sacks against Kirk Cousins."

Even for a coach with a lofty reputation, Callahan is performing above expectations. He's got left tackle Trent Williams, guard Shawn Lauvao, center Kory Lichtensteiger, rookie right guard Brandon Scherff and second-year tackle Morgan Moses clicking like the proverbial well-oiled machine.

Sports Illustrated's Greg A. Bedard highlights "precision, toughness and confidence" as the core qualities of Callahan's coaching influence. Each of those things was certainly obvious in Week 2.

But the next challenge is a little trickier than it looks. You can expect Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to test out Callahan's group with some typical fire zone blitz pressures.

Dealing with the blitz was a problem for the vaunted O-line Callahan constructed in Dallas last season. The Arizona Cardinals exposed it in Week 9 after the Redskins had done the same on Monday night in Week 8.

A coach as experienced as Callahan will surely have learned how to better deal with sophisticated blitz designs. He better had, because Washington's linemen haven't had much practice during the season's opening two games, when neither the Dolphins nor the Rams sent extra rushers very often.

But as long as Callahan continues to refine the working formula, there's every chance Washington's revitalized front five will get even better. Great news for the rest of the season.

The stock downs for this week should tell you a lot about the positive progress the Redskins are making. One is an accomplished and highly productive veteran whose only misfortune is being outperformed by a rookie. The other is a team executive lambasted for decisions he's no longer paid to make.

An upbeat slant is merely a reflection of how things are improving this season. The O-line, long a bane of progress in Washington, is earning deserved plaudits. Meanwhile, the running game is so good not even previously pass-happy head coach Jay Gruden can ignore it.

If there's a word of caution, it's to not overlook the 0-2 Giants. This is a tougher matchup than it seems.

Spagnuolo's pressure schemes will cause Kirk Cousins problems. Don't rule out the turnover bug returning after a rare clean week for Washington's starting quarterback.

It would also be a mistake to assume the running game will make a third fast start. The Giants are stingy on the ground. Linebacker Devon Kennard is like a fifth lineman, while defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins is a force in the backfield whenever he slants downhill.

On the other side of the ball, backfield pass-catcher extraordinaire Shane Vereen is a mismatch nightmare for Washington's linebackers.

The key for the Redskins will be patience. This is the week to trust the running game can overcome a sluggish start and eventually wear the Giants down. It's also the week not to deviate from the safer approach Cousins has used so far, and play into the hands of Spagnuolo.

All statistics and player information via NFL.com.