Washington Redskins' Remaining Post-Draft Priority List
Successful hauls in free agency and the 2017 NFL draft filled out most of the obvious holes on the Washington Redskins' roster, but there is still some work to do.
The work includes identifying regular starters at two key positions in the secondary. It's a similar story at a pair of spots in the linebacker rotation.
More talent was finally added at running back during the draft, but the addition of a veteran would make this still-suspect rotation look a lot stronger. Solidifying things in the backfield would ensure the Redskins enter the season with one of the better offenses in football.
Away from the field, the Burgundy and Gold still need to officially move on from now former general manager Scot McCloughan. Putting an official face on the new-look front office would be a start.
Pick a Starter at Free Safety
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No other spot on the roster faces as many questions as free safety. It's a position where at least three players can be deemed potential starters.
The primary contenders are converted cornerbacks DeAngelo Hall and Will Blackmon, along with free-agent arrival D.J. Swearinger. All three naturally present different options.
If Hall gets the nod, his veteran presence and leadership would make him the obvious quarterback of the secondary. The 33-year-old can play deep and also be moved to match up in the slot.
However, the question marks against Hall are significant. They include a lengthy recent injury history resulting in just 13 starts in the last three seasons. Hall has also failed to register a single interception in the same time span.
As for Blackmon, he's appeared in 30 games in two years and also shown an ability to get around the ball and make plays. Blackmon has forced four fumbles, intercepted three passes, broken up 12 more and logged 1.5 sacks since joining the Redskins in 2015.
Yet for all his opportunism, Blackmon is still not a natural player at the position. Only Swearinger boasts that distinction, having played free safety for both the Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals.
Still, it's fair to say Swearinger is something of a crossover, in the sense he plays more like a traditional box safety. The 5'10" and 205-pounder is a downhill hitter, one who might be a force against the run, but a defensive back who may the lack the ideal range for deep coverage.
Choosing the right player at this vital position is the most pressing need facing defensive coordinator Greg Manusky. Get it wrong and an otherwise talented secondary could be fatally undermined.
Choosing a Third Cornerback
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Given how much teams field their nickel personnel in today's NFL, the third cornerback is virtually a starting role. So it's worrying the Redskins still don't have a clear favorite for the important position.
Just like free safety, though, there are obvious candidates for the other cornerback spot in support of starters Bashaud Breeland and Josh Norman. In fact, there are a plethora of options, both young and experienced.
Of the latter candidates, Hall may fit best given his experience playing in the slot. Putting No. 23 at nickel corner would mean being able to leave Norman and Breeland outside where they are most comfortable.
However, the pesky lack of interceptions and splash plays in Hall's performances the last three years should count heavily against him in this particular pecking order.
There are younger candidates than Hall, including 2016 third-round pick Kendall Fuller and one-time wide receiver Quinton Dunbar. The latter has flashed some potential on the outside, so he could see the field in three-corner packages and allow Breeland and Norman to slide inside. Both possess the physicality to handle playing in the slot.
Fuller may be the more intriguing choice, though, provided he can stay healthy. He came out of last year's draft off knee surgery that derailed his final season at Virginia Tech, and he went on to make just six starts as a rookie.
Yet Fuller offers good size at 5'11", 196 pounds. He's also got good instincts for playing the ball, a quality more suited to off-coverage than press techniques.
Ultimately, the third corner job may already be earmarked for this year's third-rounder, Fabian Moreau. Like Fuller, Moreau is entering the pros amid injury concerns after a pectoral problem.
Washington head coach Jay Gruden has already indicated having to wait until September for Moreau to be ready, according to JP Finlay of CSNMid-Atlantic.com.
There are those who believe in Moreau's ability, including NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock, who rated him as a first-round talent before his injury (h/t Redskins Capital Connection podcast host Chad Kelly).
Moreau has the size at 6'0" and 206 pounds, along with the athleticism to match up with and trail receivers on the inside. If he can get healthy, he may be the Redskins' best fit at third cornerback.
Adding a Veteran Running Back
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Running back received a boost when the Redskins took big bruiser Samaje Perine off the board in Round 4. Yet this rotation is still a questionable one, leaving the door ajar for a capable veteran to offer some useful skills and necessary experience.
Perine will vie for carries alongside Robert Kelley, a rookie free agent a year ago who is coming off knee surgery at the end of last season. Chris Thompson is also still in the mix, but he's more of a receiver than a rushing threat.
As for the other options, Matt Jones survived the draft, but the fumble-happy third-round pick in 2015 was a trade candidate for a reason. It would also be pie-in-the-sky stuff to expect Mack Brown and Keith Marshall to help much, since the pair have combined for just eight carries in the pros.
Putting a veteran alongside Perine, Kelley and Thompson would give this depth chart a lot more credibility and potential for production. There are still a few intriguing backs left on the free-agent market, including Chris Johnson.
He's 31 and has had some injury woes, but Johnson averaged 4.2 yards per carry for the Arizona Cardinals in 2015, proof he can still keep the chains moving. Aside from Johnson, 31-year-old James Starks and 32-year-old Rashad Jennings both offer tough inside running and top-notch receiving skills out of the backfield.
Nobody should expect the Redskins to lift their next 1,000-yard rusher off the veteran market. However, since a committee approach seems the most likely option on the ground, adding a versatile and experienced free agent would make a lot of sense.
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Picking a Starting ILB to Partner Zach Brown
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If there's one blot on the Redskins' copybook after an otherwise successful draft, it's not adding another inside linebacker from a class loaded at the position.
Given the likes of Kendell Beckwith and Ben Gedeon were still on the board after the first two rounds, it's surprising Washington didn't select a prospect with the potential to start alongside Zach Brown.
The latter joined the Redskins in free agency, but the spot next to him remains in a state of flux. It's a straight duel between incumbent duo Mason Foster and Will Compton.
As previously stated, Foster is the better choice from a physical standpoint. He's a quicker, stronger and more dynamic linebacker than Compton, one who can roam sideline to sideline and also thump downhill.
However, Compton is highly regarded at Redskins Park as a true worker bee who has grafted his way from undrafted free agent into a starting role. In fact, Compton has become a defensive captain and the signal-caller for the front seven, reasons Washington made sure to bring him back this offseason.
Yet for all his commendable qualities, Compton always looks like a player the Redskins can justify upgrading. Starting Brown and Foster would add more flexibility and range to Manusky's defense.
Identifying Ryan Kerrigan's Bookend
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As long as Ryan Kerrigan is around, the Redskins know they will get big plays off one edge of their defense. The problem has been getting the same from the other side.
It's an issue heightened by the dubious options to bookend with Kerrigan at outside linebacker. There's talent and question marks about every choice.
Trent Murphy appeared set for a breakout season after logging nine sacks in 2016, but he'll now miss the first four games of this campaign serving a suspension. It needn't be an issue if Junior Galette finally stays healthy and out of trouble after two season-ending injuries and an arrest this offseason.
Yet for all his issues, nobody can dispute Galette's ability to get to the quarterback when healthy. He recorded back-to-back double-digit sack seasons for the New Orleans Saints in 2013 and '14.
Galette is still a huge question mark, but his production is historically more proven and consistent than Preston Smith. The 2015 second-round pick logged eight sacks as a rookie but managed just 4.5 during his follow-up year.
Murphy's suspension, Galette's injury and disciplinary histories, as well as Smith's inconsistent production, are why Washington drafted Ryan Anderson in the second round this year. Selecting the former Alabama man was a smart move, but it has created something of a logjam at a rotation likely to only carry four players.
Not only do the Redskins need to pick a starter, with Anderson quickly adapting to the pros the best-case scenario, Washington also needs to decide which struggling incumbent to dump.
Choosing a Nose Tackle
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Choosing the right player to anchor Washington's 3-4 base front should be easier after the Redskins drafted Jonathan Allen 17th-overall. The former Alabama linchpin can become a bluechip five-technique end as a rookie.
Allen's presence, along with ex-Oakland Raiders man Stacy McGee, could mean fellow new boy Terrell McClain slides inside. McClain previously played over center for Washington's fierce NFC East rivals the Dallas Cowboys, as well as with AFC South club the Houston Texans.
However, the 28-year-old is somewhat undersized for the position at 302 pounds. Manusky and new D-line coach Jim Tomsula have traditionally favoured bigger nose tackles, such as Josh Chapman and Aubrayo Franklin.
If so, there are candidates to choose from on Washington's roster, with ESPN's John Keim breaking down the potential monsters in the middle.
Of the notable options, Keim wisely identified 6'3", 335-pound Phil Taylor as the best choice: "This would be the dream scenario for Washington because the former first-round pick has the size and talent to play the position. But they need to hope a guy who has dealt with injuries throughout his career suddenly can stay healthy."
Keim added: "In four years with Cleveland, Taylor played 44 games (missing 20 because of injuries). He last played in 2014, but appeared in only five games because of various knee issues (he eventually needed surgery). And that's the last time he's played. At this point, you can't assume he's the same guy from several years ago; it's been too long. If he comes through, it should be viewed as a bonus."
Taylor has talent as a former first-round pick of the Cleveland Browns. He's also the massive physical presence the Redskins hoped they were getting when McCloughan signed Terrance "Pot Roast" Knighton in 2015.
Knighton didn't work out, but Tomsula's influence could revive Taylor's career, per another article from Keim, who detailed the coach's past of turning unheralded players into commanding nose tackles.
"The overall point, though, is that when Tomsula coached the 49ers' line, they did not invest heavily in a nose tackle," Keim said. "They received solid play from the position, however, and during all of his eight seasons as the line coach, the 49ers ranked in the top 10 in yards per carry allowed."
Being as stout against the run is why the Redskins brought in Tomsula and invested so heavily in remaking their D-line this offseason. Finally finding the right player to play the most important spot in the 3-4, a position weak since the team switched to the front back in 2010, would complete the makeover.
Appointing a New General Manager
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McCloughan's dismissal left the Redskins open to the familiar and frankly now tedious accusations of dysfunction. However, while the true cause for McCloughan being let go isn't fully known, his exit has left a power vacuum in the front office.
It's one team president Bruce Allen and senior scout Scott Campbell have attempted to fill, but things will look a lot more stable with a new GM in place. Appointing McCloughan's official replacement would also quiet the naysayers and give Washington the chance to clearly define a new approach to team building.
A draft haul lauded by many, including NFL.com Media analyst Bucky Brooks, may indicate the Redskins are already comfortable coping without McCloughan.
"The Redskins scooped up a number of solid players by simply allowing the draft board to come to them," Brooks said.
In truth, McCloughan's genius, as well as his influence over Washington's actions this offseason, were always slightly overplayed. He obviously has talent as an evaluator, but McCloughan missed as many as he made at Redskins Park.
Signings such as Ricky Jean Francois, Stephen Paea, Chris Culliver and Dashon Goldson flopped. So did draft picks such as Jones and last year's first-rounder, wide receiver Josh Doctson.
Those blemishes went alongside snagging Brandon Scherff and Jamison Crowder in 2015's draft. Still, there is plenty of room for improvement in how this roster is put together.
ESPN's Keim has previously indicated the Redskins will find McCloughan's replacement from within. Making the call sooner rather than later would put the finishing touches on what's been an offseason filled with plenty of positives for Washington's immediate future.
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