Top 8 Reasons to Be Excited About the Washington Redskins in 2017
A new-look defense finally reloaded up front, an overhauled receiving corps and a roster better equipped to beat their most fierce division rival are among the top reasons to be excited about the Washington Redskins in 2017.
The main reason for optimism has to come from a defense bolstered at the key spots along the front seven this offseason. Two linemen were added in free agency to beef up a front as soft as mush last season, before the Redskins also got arguably the steal of the 2017 NFL draft when D-tackle Jonathan Allen fell their way with the 17th-overall pick.
Now the Burgundy and Gold boast a defensive line sure to be the foundation for any success they achieve in the new season.
Fortunately, the team also still has an offense sure to light up scoreboards, despite seeing 1,000-yard wide receivers Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson leave in free agency.
Even so, Washington retained a pair of quality tight ends, along with a dynamic but raw newcomer at wideout, meaning there's ample reason to still be excited about this pass attack.
Read on for a list of the top reasons to be excited about Washington this season.
1. The Best 2-Pronged Tight End Attack in Football
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It may be a bold statement, but you'd be hard-pressed to find another NFL team with a more talented two-pronged attack at tight end than the Redskins.
In Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis, Washington boasts a playmaking duo capable of undermining defenses in every phase of the game from anywhere on the field.
Davis is the in-line weapon, a still-formidable blocker in the running game, as well as an effective intermediate pass-catcher. Even at 33, he remains a force to be reckoned with.
Yet if Davis has still got it, Reed simply gets better every year. He's the most dynamic route-runner on the team, a weapon with moves on top of moves, subtle out of his breaks, and swift and spectacular after the catch.
One of the best aspects of Reed's game is how he can be lined up anywhere and create a mismatch. He's a demon when split out wide as a traditional flanker, too quick for linebackers and safeties in man coverage and too big for a cornerback to keep in front.
Reed is also useful when flexed into the slot or released from the backfield. There's a myriad of ways for creative head coach Jay Gruden to use his signature playmaker.
Putting both Reed and Davis in the same formation together more often will only expand the ways the Redskins can split coverage and manufacture big plays this season.
The Davis-Reed tandem is cause for excitement, but the possibility of a three-tight end set should really intrigue fans.
If Reed and Davis are as good as it gets in terms of tight end duos, nobody has better depth than Niles Paul and Derek Carrier. There's also fifth-round pick Jeremy Sprinkle to add to the mix.
CSN Mid-Atlantic.com's JP Finlay has commended 6'5", 252-pound Sprinkle's prowess as a run-blocker, a quality he feels can be an asset in the Redskins' "three tight end jumbo set."
Meanwhile, Finlay's fellow CSN analyst, Rich Tandler, endorsed the merits of keeping Paul around for another year, per the same report:
"In 2014, the last time he was fully healthy for a season, he was Reed's backup and he caught 39 passes for 507 yards despite a three-ring circus (RGIII, Colt McCoy, Kirk Cousins) at quarterback.
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As ESPN's John Keim noted at the start of last season, putting three quality tight ends on the field together gives the Redskins a clear advantage.
He wrote: "Because Niles Paul and Vernon Davis are considered good blockers who also can get downfield, and because Jordan Reed is a dangerous matchup, it forces defenses to honor both the run and the pass."
There's just no way the tight end position won't be an exciting feature of Washington's offense in the new season.
2. Terrelle Pryor's Development at Wide Receiver
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Terrelle Pryor produced over 1,000 yards in his first season playing wide receiver at the pro level, so there are plenty of reasons to be excited about what he could produce in a Redskins uniform.
The main reason to be optimistic about the converted quarterback's production is how he posted virtually identical numbers to those DJax put up during his final season in Washington, per NFL Research.
Consider Pryor achieved this level of production despite playing on the Cleveland Browns, the league's worst team in 2016, one with a revolving carousel of mediocre quarterbacks throwing the passes.
Just imagine what Pryor will be able to do with Washington's Pro Bowl passer Kirk Cousins targeting him, Imagine what he will do when Reed and Davis are drawing coverage away from him.
One area where Pryor will improve the Redskins is in the red zone, where the Burgundy and Gold ranked a lowly 30th in scoring a year ago. Yet, ESPN's John Keim detailed what Pryor will offer inside the 20: "Pryor offers more size at nearly 6'5". With Cleveland last season, Pryor caught 9 of 14 passes with four touchdowns in the red zone."
Expect Pryor to be a staple of the passing game in 2017, with another 1,000-yard season surely beckoning.
3. A Healthy Josh Doctson
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Having Josh Doctson finally get healthy can be like having an extra first-round pick for the Redskins. It will mean getting a do-over for the player selected 22nd overall in 2016.
Doctson confirmed on Twitter at the end of March he's back to full strength after an injury-riddled first year at Redskins Park.
Sadly, Doctson appeared in just two games as a rookie, as a litany of injuries kept him out of the fray. While it means he didn't prove himself during his debut season, it also means the talent and potential the Redskins thought worthy of a first-round pick remains untapped.
The former TCU burner offered a tantalising glimpse of his flair for the big play when he hauled in a 57-yard catch against NFC East rival the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2, per Stephen Czarda of the Redskins' official website.
Delivering catches and yards in vertical areas was one of the core strengths identified in Doctson's game when he was drafted, per Lance Zierlein of the league's official website:
"Silky vertical routes with ability to make subtle shifts to get past corners waiting to put hands on him. Consistent in his play speed. Good accelerator off stutter-step release. Able to create late separation down the field with body lean and quiet hand usage. Touchdown maker who has rung up 25 receiving touchdowns over last two years despite missing three games this season. Climbs to snare jump balls and has body control to adjust in midair."
If Doctson can get back to his basics this season, he will add one more weapon to an already-loaded receiving corps. In the process, he would make sure the Redskins don't miss Garcon and Jackson too much.
He would also make former general manager Scot McCloughan's decision to draft him—questionable at the time given more obvious needs on the roster—look like a masterstroke of future planning.
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4. Fringe Players Defying Expectations
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The Redskins have a solid recent history of unheralded fringe players defying expectations and becoming useful contributors on both sides of the ball.
It's been a trend particularly prevalent among undrafted players on the roster the last two years. In 2015, it was Quinton Dunbar, who went from wide receiver to useful sub-package defensive back.
Dunbar intercepted a pass and broke up five more as the Redskins won the division and made the playoffs. He proved those contributions were no fluke by registering another interception and five more pass breakups, along with recording a first pro sack, in 2016.
Speaking of 2016, it was the year another undrafted rookie became a key contributor. This time it was running back Robert Kelley, who replaced fumble-prone Matt Jones as the lead workhorse in the ground game. Kelley responded by managing 4.2 yards per carry and rushing for six touchdowns.
This year's unheralded fringe-player-turned-key-contributor could be another undrafted free agent from 2016, Maurice Harris.
CSNMid-Atlantic.com's Rich Tandler highlighted the potential Harris showed as a rookie:
"Harris played just 129 snaps so it's a small sample size but he did catch an impressive eight of the 12 passes thrown his way (67%). He will get every opportunity to earn the No. 4 receiver spot, which would mean more snaps and, presumably, more receptions. At 6-3, he fits right in with the picture of the taller wide receiver group."
Even so, Harris would face a tough task earning snaps in the passing game, despite his size. After all, the Redskins have Pryor, fellow free agent Brian Quick, Doctson, Jamison Crowder and Ryan Grant also available.
Yet, given the recent history of former undrafted players making it good for the Burgundy and Gold, don't count out Harris' chances just yet.
5. Defensive Line Improvement
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It's impossible to underestimate how much of a difference a beefed-up defensive line can make to the Redskins this season. If I say spark a playoff return, it's not hyperbole.
First, consider why Washington had to get better up front. The main reason was two years fielding one of the softest run defenses in football. The Redskins ranked 24th stopping the run a year ago and 25th in 2015.
Not being able to control the time of possession or make offenses one-dimensional routinely cost the Redskins games. Remember when the Green Bay Packers, one of the game's most run-shy teams, amassed 141 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground to knock Washington out of the NFC playoffs after the 2015 season?
The Green Bay Packers: There was no clearer message the Redskins had to get tougher up front, a need McCloughan ignored last year to the detriment of the team.
Now consider how Washington has fortified its defensive front this offseason. Terrell McClain was a prized pick in free agency as an underrated nose tackle who can split gaps and control things in the running game. It's no coincidence the Cowboys boasted the stingiest run defense in the NFL last season with McClain starting 15 games.
Stacy McGee may have arrived with little fanfare from the Oakland Raiders, but the 6'3", 310-pounder is another tough-to-move force in the trenches who can clog running lanes. Then there's Allen, perhaps the most complete, versatile and dynamic defensive tackle in 2017's draft class.
Allen will draw, control and split double teams for fun, the way he did for Alabama's miserly defense at the collegiate level. Expect him to become the focal point of Washington's run defense as a rookie.
Arguably the best reason to be excited about this line is the arrival of Jim Tomsula as position coach. He's one of the most lauded D-line coaches in football, a man who can work wonders with the batch of exciting new talent he's been given this offseason.
6. Zach Brown's Arrival
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The Redskins signing Zach Brown on a one-year contract late in free agency almost slipped under the radar. However, don't underestimate the significance of this deal or why you should be excited about it.
For one thing, Washington's defensive front seven now has a Pro Bowl-level talent at a position suspect for too long. Brown immediately upgrades the team's starters at inside linebacker after his breakout season with the Buffalo Bills in 2016.
CSNMid-Atlantic.com's Rich Tandler heralded what a difference Brown can make:
"The Redskins have not had a player with his speed and athleticism at the position in the seven seasons they have been running the 3-4 defense. If they can figure out how to utilize him he could have a substantial impact."
Using Brown the right way will demand taking advantage of his athleticism and flexibility. Defensive coordinator Greg Manusky has to know this is an inside 'backer he can trust to lock up running backs and tight ends in intermediate coverage. Brown is quick and savvy enough to play zone underneath or even match up in man on the outside.
Yet his biggest impact could come on the blitz after a career-best four sacks last season. Of course, Brown was playing in a defense created by then-Bills head coach Rex Ryan, a scheme still featuring 46 principles, where inside linebackers are given greater license to attack and linemen are stacked closer together to keep the men behind them clean from blockers.
Now the Redskins have a weapon inside they can scheme around. Still just 27, Brown has true star potential playing behind Washington's revamped D-line.
7. Another Kirk Cousins Soundbite
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Two seasons, multiple records broken, one Pro Bowl appearance and more than one soundbite. It's the Kirk Cousins story in a nutshell since No. 8 was wisely allowed to supplant draft bust Robert Griffin III as the starting quarterback in 2015.
Yet, for all his yards, touchdown passes and personal and franchise accolades, Cousins is perhaps best known for those soundbites. You know the ones, the full-throated bellow of "How you like me now?" into McCloughan's ear after beating the Packers in Week 11 last season.
Then of course there's the now infamous "You like that?!" from 2015. This one became something of a catchphrase for 2012's fourth-round pick.
When asking why Cousins is so soundbite-prone, consider the rather sizeable chip on his shoulder. Not only was he originally drafted to be a backup, not many believed he deserved to take the starting job from Griffin two years ago, although quite why is still baffling.
Indeed, Cousins has taken stick for his decision-making and penchant for turnovers, but those heckles usually come from those outside the team.
However, Cousins' sense of defiance has only grown after being handed the franchise tag instead of a lucrative long-term deal two offseasons in a row. Using the tag is hardly a show of faith from his employer, so expect Cousins to let the Redskins know he deserves better the first time he plays game-winner in the new season.
His history says he'll express the reminder in typically memorable fashion.
2 Fresh Chances for Payback Against the Cowboys
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Of course, every season gives the Redskins another crack at their most bitter NFC East rival. Yet 2017 affords chances for genuine payback after the Dallas Cowboys did the double over Washington last season.
Fortunately, the Redskins are entering the new campaign better equipped to derail division kingpin Dallas. It starts with a fortified run defense able to shut down the Cowboys' dominant ground game led by dynamic back Ezekiel Elliott and a marauding offensive line.
At least with Allen, McClain and McGee on board, the Redskins will be able to put up a stronger fight in the trenches this season. Elliott rushed for 180 yards and three touchdowns in two games against Washington in 2016, but he shouldn't expect to find as much joy this year.
Nor should the Dallas defense anticipate being able to stop Reed in the passing game. No. 86 has become a perennial tormentor of the Cowboys, catching 15 passes for 165 yards and a pair of scores in the rivalry last season.
The Cowboys don't have a matchup answer for Reed. They tried putting versatile and ultra-athletic defensive back Byron Jones over him last season. Yet while Jones may be able to handle New England Patriots all-world star Rob Gronkowski, but he can't live with Reed.
With Davis and Sprinkle alongside him, Reed should be an even bigger threat against the Cowboys this season.
Every win against Dallas is a season highlight, but beating the Cowboys in 2017 can play a huge role in helping the Redskins return to the summit of the NFC East. It's an aim that exciting new personnel along the defensive line, at inside linebacker and wide receiver can help make happen.
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