Washington Redskins Veterans in Danger of Losing Roster Spot This Offseason
Prominent names on defense head the list of veterans most in danger of losing their places on the Washington Redskins roster this offseason. There are also as many as three role players on offense whose situational talents could be in jeopardy.
Defensively, the Redskins have bolstered their front seven enough to give up on the experiment to get the most out of a veteran pass-rusher. It was an experiment started by former general manager Scot McCloughan two years ago, but one that has failed to yield any tangible benefit since then.
Similarly, one or two more subtle offseason moves mean Washington can wave goodbye to an experienced defensive back whose versatility has been offset by his injury woes in recent years.
Read on to find out which veterans could find themselves pushed aside this offseason thanks to the Redskins' solid work in both free agency and the 2017 NFL draft.
1. Junior Galette, OLB
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If you're wondering why the picture shows Junior Galette in his playings days with the New Orleans Saints, it's because finding a snap of him in a Redskins uniform is close to impossible.
Galette has missed the last two seasons with Achilles injuries since leaving the Saints in 2014. The 29-year-old was supposed to be the bookend standout outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan has lacked for too long.
Instead, Galette has been one giant "what if?" in Washington, as the Redskins haven't seen what a player who posted 22 sacks in his final two years in the Big Easy was capable of.
There is genuine talent for collapsing the pocket off the edge in No. 93's game, but there are also troubling questions, even beyond those about his health.
Galette hasn't proved he can stay healthy since joining the Burgundy and Gold, nor has he shown he can avoid trouble off the field. An arrest this offseason added one more red flags to a player dogged by questions about his character in the past.
The Redskins sent a pretty clear message to their pass-rush rotation when they used a second-round pick this year to draft Ryan Anderson from Alabama. It's a statement the team is far from convinced about many of its incumbent options on the edges.
The scenario spells trouble for Galette, even though head coach Jay Gruden has talked up the veteran's core talents back in March, per Stephen Czarda of the team's official website:
"(At) one time, he was one of the most dynamic pass rushers in the game, with his tenacity and his ability to get off on the ball. He has a great, great get off. Hopefully, that hasn't been affected. That's one thing he's got to work toward getting back, because you can't coach the speed (and how) he gets out of his stance and gets around that tackle before he gets out of his stance. He's the best at that."
Gruden has also since indicated the Redskins will take it slow bringing Galette back into the fold, per Czarda: "The trainers have the final word, and obviously Junior has a major say in how he's feeling. So we'll go from there."
However, Galette's recovery could well be overshadowed this offseason if Anderson makes a fast start to life in the pros.
The Redskins already have Trent Murphy coming off a career-best nine sacks in 2016, although a four-game suspension to start the new season is a blow for the ex-Stanford man. Preston Smith is also still a factor in the rotation, despite a drop-off in production during his second season.
Yet Galette's future will hinge mostly on Anderson's development. If 2017's second-rounder is deemed good enough to start as a rookie, it's likely the one-year deal Galette signed as recently as late-January will be torn up.
2. Niles Paul, TE
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The Redskins already had an embarrassment of riches at tight end even before they used a fifth-round pick this year to draft Jeremy Sprinkle from Arkansas.
Sprinkle's arrival puts the pressure on Niles Paul to stick on the roster at a spot already led by veteran standouts Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis. It won't be easy for Paul, who suffered a serious ankle injury at Wembley Stadium in London last season, which ended the 27-year-old's campaign after just eight games.
If he proves his health, there is a lot to recommend keeping Paul in the fold. Specifically, he's a versatile and useful move weapon at the position. As a converted wide receiver, Paul runs accomplished routes, has legitimate vertical potential and can be lined up in a variety of spots.
However, it may not be his playing style that decides Paul's future. Instead, financial considerations may convince the Redskins to part ways with No. 84, per CSNMid-Atlantic.com's JP Finlay: "Paul is due nearly $2 million this fall and has played just eight games over the last two seasons."
If there is one reason to think Paul might stick, it's his chops on special teams, according to his fellow CSN analyst Rich Tandler: "I would think long and hard before cutting Niles Paul loose. He has been the heart and soul of the Redskins' special teams since he stepped on the field as a rookie."
Like Galette, Paul could find his fate sealed by a rookie. If Sprinkle takes to special teams work well during the offseason process, as well as showcasing his worth as a pass-catcher, the Redskins will be more tempted to cut costs at this position.
3. Derek Carrier, TE
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Paul isn't the only tight end in danger at Redskins Park this offseason. It's a similar story for Derek Carrier, who, like Paul, saw his 2016 season curtailed by injury.
It was a significant blow for Carrier, who showed major promise in 12 starts during 2015, when he established a niche as a formidable blocker and a sneaky good receiver. It's those blocking skills the Redskins may consider most when deciding whether to keep Carrier.
The 6'4" and 248-pounder is a force as a classic in-line tight end who supplements the efforts of an offensive line. It's a skill most useful in multiple-tight end sets when Gruden can put two or three tight ends in a formation.
However, CSN Mid-Atlantic.com's JP Finlay believes Sprinkle could take this job away from Carrier: "Jay Gruden talked about wanting his team to get bigger, and Sprinkle is bigger than both Carrier and Paul. Remember how often the Redskins like to deploy their three tight end jumbo set, and then imagine Sprinkle running onto the field for the formation."
Of course, Carrier has also shown he can make plays downfield in the passing game. He averaged 8.3 yards on 17 grabs in 2017. Yet Sprinkle is a capable receiver in his own right, having averaged 11.52 yards a catch during his final year with the Razorbacks, according to cfbstats.com.
Carrier already faced a tough enough task earning snaps with Davis and Reed on the roster, but like Paul, his challenge may be too great if Sprinkle quickly makes the grade.
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4. DeAngelo Hall, DB
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To many, DeAngelo Hall is an obvious lock at free safety, but there are just too many questions to consider the 33-year-old as anything more than a veteran likely to lose his place this offseason.
Age shouldn't necessarily count against Hall, but the fact he's missed 31 games the last three years will. So should failing to record even a single interception in the same timeframe.
Being a ball hawk used to define Hall's game, but the loss of his opportunistic streak puts him under increased pressure at a position with several other candidates vying for playing time.
One of the more notable options is D.J. Swearinger, the veteran signed during free agency. Swearinger has the build, playing style and temperament of a box safety, but the 25-year-old displayed an aptitude for the free safety role with the Arizona Cardinals last season.
Swearinger is more likely to play free safety this season now the Redskins have decided to put Su'a Cravens at strong safety full time. A second-round pick in 2016, Cravens spent his rookie season in a hybrid role as a de facto linebacker in sub-package sets, but the Redskins are now planning for Cravens to start at safety, per Rich Tandler of CSNMid-Atlantic.com.
Hall's chances of sticking on the roster will also be hurt by the presence of Will Blackmon, another converted cornerback who can play free safety. There's also Deshazor Everett, a player whose special teams skills could spell trouble for Hall, according to another report from Tandler.
Add in the fact Washington drafted a pair of safeties, Montae Nicholson and Josh Harvey-Clemons, and Hall could be a forgotten man. It will be tougher still for him to stay in the mix if he begins the season on the PUP list, something Gruden has indicated could happen, per Stephen Czarda of the team's official website.
5. Shawn Lauvao, G
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He's not as ineffective as some believe, but Shawn Lauvao is one veteran who needs a strong offseason to keep his spot on the roster. The former Cleveland Browns starter is supposed to be Washington's left guard of choice, but he could face a surprising amount of competition this offseason.
Arie Kouandjio could lead the competition after the ex-Alabama blocker impressed at times last season. In particular, Kouandjio made the most of his first pro start in Week 4's 31-20 win over the Cleveland Browns, per Alaina Getzenberg of the team's official website: "While doing his job, he contributed to the most effective running attack the Redskins have had this season."
Kouandjio will apply pressure to Lauvao, but he won't be the only one, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post: "Yes, Arie Kouandjio is expected to compete with Lauvao. But so is Isaiah Williams, who signed during last season. Coaches are high on both young players."
However, Rich Tandler of CSNMid-Atlantic.com isn't quite as convinced Kouandjio will push Lauvao for playing time: "Perhaps Arie Kouandjio will push Lauvao for the starting job at left guard, but Lauvao is still a strong favorite to start Week 1."
Tandler may have a point, but competition for Lauvao doesn't necessarily have to come from Kouandjio alone. In fact, incumbent Spencer Long could move from center back to left guard, provided this year's sixth-round pick Chase Roullier defies his draft status to start early.
Long had the job on the left early last season while the now retired Kory Lichtensteiger anchored the middle. At 6'5" and 324 pounds, Long has the size and the tendencies as a mauler to be a force in the running game as a guard in 2017.
Of course, Roullier starting in the middle early is something of a long shot, even if this team still needs to replace Lichtensteiger and John Sullivan, who followed former Redskins offensive coordinator Sean McVay to the Los Angeles Rams in free agency.
With Roullier around to push Long, Lauvao's status is not as set in stone as it seems, with as many as three players likely to take his job if they enjoy strong offseasons.
6. Ryan Grant, WR
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Ryan Grant has a lot to do to convince coaches he should stick at a crowded wide receiver rotation, despite DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon both leaving in free agency.
They may have lost two 1,000-yard receivers, but the Redskins have made several moves to boost their ranks this offseason. Those moves included signing Terrelle Pryor and Brian Quick in free agency, while Robert Davis was taken off the board in the draft's sixth round.
It's the addition of Davis that really calls Grant's future into question. The young burner became a catch machine during his time at Georgia State, according to Stephen Czarda of the team's official website: "He is the school’s career leader in receptions (222) and receiving yards (3,391) and was the first three-time all-conference selection for the Panthers."
Just as important, Gruden has already endorsed Davis' talents and identified him as a player to watch this offseason, per another article from Czarda.
As a wideout with the potential to stretch the field, 22-year-old Davis offers a vertical element to the passing game Grant lacks. He also boasts greater size at 6'3" and 219 pounds than 6'0", 201-pounder Grant.
It's a similar story with Maurice Harris, an intriguing undrafted rookie from 2016. Standing 6'2", Harris has already displayed traits the Redskins are likely to value in the passing game.
Specifically, Mark Chichester of Pro Football Focus has detailed Harris' efficiency catching the football in clutch situations during limited action last season: "His completion percentage of 72.7 percent on those limited snaps ranked him second among Washington receivers who had played 100 or more snaps. Of his 11 targets, five came on third downs, where he amassed 37 of his 66 total yards."
By contrast, Grant is a possession receiver who can work the middle, but one who has not put together the production a sure-handed, intermediate target should. Grant only caught nine passes in 2016 and has a mere 37 career receptions to date.
With Davis and Harris set to be involved in a position that's still evolving, Grant's days could well be numbered.
There won't be a major turnover in veterans for the Redskins this offseason. After all, this is a young roster well-stocked at its key positions.
What changes there are will only be made if young players quickly make the grade at their respective positions. If so, giving new talent a chance at the expense of questionable veterans will be a win-win situation for one of the league's most improved teams.
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