Washington Redskins' Top Candidates for Breakout Season in 2017
Two wide receivers represent the most obvious candidates to be breakout players for the Washington Redskins during the 2017 NFL season.
Frankly, if the pair deliver on their potential, it should be a successful campaign for the Burgundy and Gold, because it will mean departed free agents Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson aren't missed on a team still defined by its passing game.
It won't all be about the wideouts this year at Redskins Park, though. Instead, two key defensive players can help spark a major improvement from a front seven feeble against the run the past two seasons.
Toughening up on D' has to be a priority for Washington in an NFC East veering increasingly toward its history of bruising, smash-mouth football.
Speaking of a bruising brand of football, the Redskins can now play the power game with the best of them thanks to a formidable offensive line. One member of the front five, a former top-five pick no less, will emerge as a truly dominant force in the new season.
Read on to find out which five players are the most likely breakout candidates for Washington this year.
5. Terrelle Pryor Sr., WR
1 of 5
Snaring Terrelle Pryor Sr. on a cost-effective and low-risk one-year contract was one of the best moves any team made during free agency this year. It meant the Redskins acquired a 1,000-yard wide receiver on the cheap, while also moving quickly to offset losing Jackson and Garcon.
Of course, Pryor catching 77 passes for 1,007 yards in 2016 might imply he has already broken out. Yet there are ample reasons to believe he will be even better in Washington this season.
For one thing, Pryor put up those numbers in his first year playing wide receiver at the pro level. Imagine what the converted quarterback will do now he's completed his on-the-job training.
His chances of doing more are also increased by the superior supporting cast awaiting him at Redskins Park.
What made Pryor's 2016 numbers so impressive was how they were produced as a member of the Cleveland Browns, the NFL's worst team last season. Pryor routinely burned defenses despite having as many as seven different quarterbacks throwing the passes.
Kirk Cousins may be playing under the franchise tag for the second year running in Washington, but at least he represents a measure of continuity under center for Pryor. Cousins is also a Pro Bowler and franchise record-holder who is a better quarterback than any passer on the Browns' roster a year ago, including a certain Mr. Griffin III.
Cousins' talent for making quick decisions will help Pryor's game. So will being supported by a capable contingent of other pass-catchers.
Slot specialist Jamison Crowder and all-world tight ends Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis will certainly draw attention away from Pryor and ensure he sees plenty of single coverage.
It's no wonder Alex Gelhar, Fantasy editor for the league's official website, believes Pryor's stock will soar in 2017:
"As a size-speed freak, Pryor should help replace the downfield element lost with Jackson, while simultaneously improving the team's struggles in the red zone. With Jamison Crowder primarily playing in the slot and last year's first-round pick Josh Doctson still a health question mark, Pryor should start Week 1 as the No. 1 option for a passing attack that put up 9,189 yards and 55 touchdowns over the last two years.
"
Placing Pryor's enticing raw skills in a better situation will lead to big things from the burgeoning flanker in the new season. Expect another 1,000-yard season for Pryor.
4. Jamison Crowder, WR
2 of 5
One other reason Pryor can be a breakout candidate is the fact Jamison Crowder will be joining him in the same category. No. 80 is one of the few standout selections from former general manager Scot McCloughan's tenure, and he is ready to become a star in his third season.
Crowder showed glimpses of being ready for stardom in 2016 when he caught 67 balls for 847 yards and seven touchdowns. More than just his numbers, the former Duke prospect became what Washington's offense had missed for too long, namely a playmaker from the slot.
Crowder's diminutive 5'8", 182-pound frame, returner-like make-you-miss moves in space and sneaky takeoff speed make him a nightmare for coverage. He's too quick and slippery to be clamped on to at the line, yet there's also too much shiftiness in his game for defenders to keep him in front in zone coverage.
The hidden statistics reveal how effective Crowder was at escaping coverage and creating space in 2016, per Gerald Huggins of USA Today's Redskins Wire:
"Separation at target helps assess how much separation the slot receiver creates. Crowder lead all slot receivers in slot separation and out-wide separation. Crowder edged out wideouts like Green Bay Packers WR Randall Cobb, Seattle Seahawks WR Doug Baldwin, and Miami Dolphins WR Jarvis Landry.
Crowder averaged 3.48 yards in the slot, tied with Dallas Cowboys WR Cole Beasley. He also led all of those receivers with 3.88 yards of separation when lined up outside, where he saw 23.2 percent of his total targets. Crowder averaged 3.6 yards of separation per target last year. Cobb averaged 3.42, Baldwin averaged 3.05 and Landry averaged 2.87.
"
Those numbers indicate Crowder is beginning to boss his area of expertise amid a field of ultra-talented specialists. Now the 23-year-old can leave the competition in his wake as he prepares for what is sure to be an increased workload for the 2017 season.
Garcon and Jackson playing on different teams means the Redskins are likely to lean more on Crowder and his skills. In fact, head coach Jay Gruden has already indicated as much, per Stephen Czarda of the team's official website: "Losing Desean [Jackson] and Pierre [Garcon] are going to hurt a little bit, but part of the reason I feel good is him. He’s a great player. He can play outside [and] he can play inside, obviously."
Smaller wide receivers who cut their teeth in the slot before becoming bigger parts of the overall passing games for their respective teams are now a feature of today's NFL. Think Cole Beasley of bitter division rivals the Dallas Cowboys, Julian Edelman of the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots and T.Y. Hilton of the Indianapolis Colts.
Crowder has the core talent to be as productive as any member of this group. His talent and the opportunity provided by the shakeup at his position during free agency, will add up to a first 1,000-yard season and a breakout year for 2015's fourth-round pick.
3. Brandon Scherff, G
3 of 5
The other notable success from the McCloughan era, Brandon Scherff is already well on his way to justifying the sensible decision to draft him fifth overall two years ago. Voted to the Pro Bowl in just his second season, Scherff is now primed to become one of the elite guards in football.
Scherff made the Pro Bowl after a stellar 2016, although injuries meant he had to withdraw from the league's annual all-star exhibition. It was a rare blot on the copybook of a player who has made rapid strides since converting from left tackle to right guard upon entering the NFL.
Scherff has wasted no time becoming a mauler in the running game, but what sets him apart among interior blockers is how well he copes in protection.
It's a trait he showed during a Week 3 win over NFC East foe the New York Giants, earning him plaudits from Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus: "Scherff didn’t allow any pressure on 41 pass-blocking snaps, and only a holding penalty kept him from an even higher grade."
Scherff has naturally responded well to the teachings of noted lineman whisperer Bill Callahan, one of football's premier position coaches. Working with Callahan for a third year will only help Scherff get even better.
He'll also be aided by continuing his partnership with right tackle Morgan Moses. The latter is quietly becoming Mr. Dependable along Washington's O-line and steadily making oft-maligned team president Bruce Allen look shrewd for using a third-round pick on him in 2014.
Scherff and Moses form an imposing tandem, but the former's durability also points toward a true breakout year. Ex-Iowa mainstay Scherff hasn't missed a game in two seasons.
Last season saw Scherff rightly earn Pro Bowl honors. This year will see him justify plaudits as one of the best guards in the game.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
2. Terrell McClain, DT
4 of 5
It's possible not many people realize how good a player the Redskins acquired when they signed defensive tackle Terrell McClain from the Cowboys. Well, ignorance will no longer reign supreme once McClain lines up for the Burgundy and Gold and becomes a breakout player up front in 2017.
McClain can make the step up because he's already the best D-lineman on the roster. He's a force against the run, something sorely missing for two years in D.C. Yet McClain is also a sneaky good pass-rusher, one capable of splitting gaps and getting into the backfield quickly.
The 28-year-old boasts crossover skills defensive coordinator Greg Manusky can use well. Manusky usually runs a one-gap version of the 3-4 where linemen align in between blockers rather than head-up over them.
McClain could fit more than one role in this scheme. He could operate as a 3-technique end in the guard-tackle B-gap, a player tasked with breaking through the line to redirect runners or pressure the pocket.
Alternatively, the 28-year-old could line up as a 1-gap center, sliding into the A-gaps to create quick penetration through the middle. McClain has experience of this role from his time with the Houston Texans and 1-gap 3-4 master Wade Phillips in 2013.
It will be interesting to see which role Manusky chooses for McClain. Yet maybe the coordinator won't make a choice. Maybe McClain won't have a set role and will instead be left to line up in multiple spots to target weak O-linemen and disrupt blocking schemes.
Manusky has never been afraid to move D-linemen around. He did it with the San Francisco 49ers from 2007-10, when he had interior monsters Isaac Sopoaga and Aubrayo Franklin regularly swap positions.
McClain could partner with either Ziggy Hood or Phil Taylor to take turns playing over the ball or as an under-tackle. His ability to create pressure means he will also likely stay on the field in four-man fronts and obvious passing situations.
Everything points to this steal in free agency enjoying a breakout season during his first year with the Redskins.
1. Su'a Cravens, S
5 of 5
Tabbing Su'a Cravens to be a breakout player is probably the most contentious call on this list. After all, the former USC man hardly impressed as a second-round pick in 2016.
Cravens appeared in 11 games but only contributed 34 tackles, one sack and a single interception as a rookie. Yet those numbers came in a role maybe asking too much of him.
Essentially, former defensive coordinator Joe Barry asked the first-year pro to play everywhere. Cravens spent time at linebacker, in both safety spots and even in the slot.
It seemed the Redskins didn't know what to do with their second-round pick. Well, apparently they know now, with Cravens making the full-time move to strong safety for 2017.
It's a switch already endorsed by Gruden, with the head coach also excited about how well No. 36 may pair with free-agent pickup D.J. Swearinger, per Stephen Czarda of the team's official website: “Knowing Su’a, I don’t think there’s a lot of things he can’t do so I’m excited to see him back there. I think he’s going to have a lot more range than people give him credit for right now."
Range is something all good safeties are defined by. Yet Cravens doesn't need to show much of it in space or in vertical areas to enjoy a breakout season. Instead, he can be a force playing in the box.
The versatility that made him tough to define as a rookie can help define Cravens as a strong safety. His downhill game could be molded into something reminiscent of former Arizona Cardinals Pro Bowler Adrian Wilson.
Like Wilson, Cravens has the blitz skills and thumping hitting to excel the closer he gets to the line of scrimmage. Manusky could put Cravens on the edge to show blitz or add him to the linebacker level to stuff the run, lock up a tight end in coverage or peel off and track a running back in the flat.
Manusky's presence is one of the main reasons to believe Cravens will be a breakout player in 2017. The coordinator has coached some outstanding safeties during his career, including Eric Weddle, Antoine Bethea and Mike Adams—the latter earned his first-ever Pro Bowl nod on Manusky's watch with the Indianapolis Colts in 2014 and repeated the feat a year later.
If Manusky gives Cravens an attacking remit, the now fully fledged member of the safety fraternity will be a breakout performer in Washington this season.
Expect these five players to shine for the Redskins in 2017. Their contributions can provide the catalyst for not only a third-straight winning record, but also a stronger and sustained challenge to win the NFC East and return to the playoffs.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
