5 Washington Redskins Players with Most to Prove in 2017

Proving a point won't just be about living up to big contracts for five members of the Washington Redskins during the 2017 NFL season. Instead, these five players must prove they can thrive in demanding roles, where their respective success will decide how far this team goes in the new campaign.

The most obvious members of the group under the spotlight include a pair of incumbent defensive backs. Meanwhile, one cover man must offer the Redskins a reminder of his worth ahead of 2018 NFL free agency.

Speaking of free agency, a big-ticket item from 2016's market must thrive now he's set to be given the responsibility he lacked in his first year for the Burgundy and Gold.

Responsibility is something a new arrival at wide receiver cannot shirk this season. A solitary 1,000-yard season can't be a fluke if the Redskins are going to maintain the quality of their passing game—the strength of the team the last two years.

Read on to find out which five players have the most to prove for Washington in the new season.

Junior Galette, OLB

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There are few players on the Redskins' roster with as much to prove as Junior Galette. Primarily, the veteran must prove he was worth bringing back for a third year.

Giving Galette a third contract was more than just a questionable decision by this franchise. It was a downright head-scratcher since Galette has yet to play a competitive down for Washington.

Not only has he missed the last two years with Achilles injuries, Galette has also been unable to avoid trouble off the field. Questions about health and temperament create major concerns about a player still expected to be a key part of the pass rush.

As for health, head coach Jay Gruden believes the injuries haven't diminished the core qualities that make Galette a dangerous edge-rusher. Gruden told ESPN.com's John Keim: "He knows he's got a little ways to go, but you can still see that he's got the quick twitch, which you really need off the edge."

Gruden continued:

"He can bend, and now as far as stamina goes, he’s going to continue to work to get in shape. But knowing Junior, the way he works and the way he trains and prepares, he'll get himself into shape. The big thing is feeling confident in those Achilles, getting that burst back, which it looks like he's got a lot of it back. It's just a matter of maintaining that burst for a long period of time."

The coach's comments can be read as cautious optimism, a wide approach with a 29-year-old coming off a serious injury. Gruden's problem is his defense needs Galette to finally get back to his pass-rushing best this season.

Galette must boost a unit that managed just 38 sacks a year ago. The number looks more modest still when you consider the question marks surrounding some of Washington's other options.

In particular, Trent Murphy's four-game suspension, along with Preston Smith's inconsistencies, put greater onus on Galette to be the player the Redskins thought he was when they gave him a chance in 2015.

The player Washington hopes for is the one who tallied 22 sacks during his final two seasons with the New Orleans Saints. However, the question persists: Can Galette turn back the clock or has his best form gone forever?

Spencer Long, C

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It wouldn't be possible to overstate the pressure Spencer Long is under this season. The 2014 third-round pick and converted guard is expected to anchor the middle of Washington's offensive line. He's also expected not to be a weak link at the heart of a front five otherwise loaded with talent.

Few teams boast bookend tackles the quality of Trent Williams and Morgan Moses, while right guard Brandon Scherff has shown shades of dominance in his first two seasons in the pros. Left guard Shawn Lauvao doesn't dominate, but the seven-year pro can hold up in the running game when at his best.

Things are close to settled at four positions, but every offensive line's strength starts with the man in the middle. It's why the Redskins may miss the retired Kory Lichtensteiger and departed free agent John Sullivan, who joined former Washington offensive coordinator Sean McVay with the Los Angeles Rams.

Only rapid strides forward from Long can make the Redskins forget about Lichtensteiger and Sullivan. Not that he needs more incentive to do well, but Long is also a pending free agent, per CSN Mid-Atlantic's JP Finlay:

"A free agent at the end of the season, Long comes in to 2017 looking to prove he can be a top tier center in the NFL. He excelled in pass blocking and calling the assignments on the Redskins line, but his run blocking could improve this fall. The literal centerpiece of a strong, young 'Skins line, 2017 will be a big opportunity for Long. Don't forget Washington moved up to draft Chase Roullier from Wyoming in the 6th round, and he played center and guard in college."

Long's ability to make this vital position his own can obviously be boosted by the presence of noted line guru Bill Callahan. Some further refinement from Callahan can make Long the answer in the middle.

If the former Nebraska linchpin responds, Washington will boast one of the strongest front fives in football.

Bashaud Breeland, CB

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Bashaud Breeland is another Redskins player set to be a free agent in 2018. He's also one of the team's starting cornerbacks who needs to rebound from a mixed season in 2017.

Just in case Breeland was oblivious to the pressure he's under, Washington reminded him with the decision to select UCLA's Fabian Moreau in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft. Moreau's start to life with the Redskins will be delayed by his rehab from a torn pectoral muscle, with August or September a likely start date, according to Finlay of CSN Mid-Atlantic.

Even so, the rookie is still a highly regarded prospect, one NFL Network's Mike Garafolo deemed a "potential first-round talent." Make no mistake, the Redskins are prepared to wait for Moreau as a safeguard against Breeland struggling some more in 2017 or leaving in free agency next year.

Moreau isn't even the only competition Breeland faces. There is also Kendall Fuller, a fourth-rounder a year ago.

Staying ahead of the competition will demand Breeland embracing his role as second fiddle to Josh Norman. He's already switched sides to accommodate Norman, but Breeland can do more to refine his game.

Doing more could mean getting used to playing in the slot. It's something Breeland should be suited to, according to Pro Football Focus (h/t CSN Mid-Atlantic's Peter Hailey).

Proving he can play inside more often is the best way for Breeland to show his true worth to this team. He's been something of a steal since being drafted in the fourth round in 2014, so the Redskins should hope he only gets better.

Terrelle Pryor, WR

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There's so much for Terrelle Pryor to prove in 2017. First, he must prove the 1,000-yard season he produced in 2016 was no fluke for a player with just one year playing wide receiver in the pros.

Second, Pryor also has to show he can be a legitimate No. 1 receiver for a team set to go only as far as its passing game can take it. In order to prove those things, Pryor must demonstrate he can replace DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon, the two 1,000-yard wideouts the Redskins lost during free agency.

At least one person is confident Pryor can replicate his stunning turn as a receiver with the struggling Cleveland Browns a year ago. NFL Network's Mike Garafolo told Chris Russell of 106.7 The Fan (h/t CBS DC's Brian Tinsman): "It’s not like (Pryor) was sitting down in zones and making plays…and that really impressed people last year. With only more work at the wide receiver position, and with a better quarterback to throw it to him, the production is going to be there."

There are other reasons to believe Pryor can be a prolific playmaker in Washington. In particular, the 6'4", 223-pound 27-year-old will give quarterback Kirk Cousins a bigger target.

ESPN.com's Keim believes Cousins will need time to get use to how Pryor differs from previous deep threat Jackson. A tricky transition should be expected since Cousins will eventually realize he can put the ball up and expect Pryor to go and get it, something 5'10" Jackson may not have always done.

Yet whatever limitations DJax and Garcon may have had, they were still catch machines who moved the chains and delivered big plays regularly, making Cousins a better quarterback along the way.

All of those things will be expected from Pryor, who must become the top outside target on a team otherwise loaded with pass-catchers who thrive over the middle. Yet while tight end Jordan Reed and slot receiver Jamison Crowder can be expected to boss coverage underneath, Pryor will be counted on to stretch defenses vertically.

Being the top target in Washington won't be the same as being the go-to guy with the Cleveland Browns, where Pryor's talent made him the No. 1 by default on the worst team in football in 2016.

Now Pryor will have to prove himself on merit in an offense geared to win through the air.

Josh Norman, CB

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The Redskins signed an elite, shutdown cornerback when they paid Norman a pile of cash in 2016, only to be reluctant to let No. 24 always follow the opposition's best receiver.

Fortunately, new defensive coordinator Greg Manusky intends to let Norman match up with the best this season, per ESPN.com's Keim: "It's hard for them to travel at times, but will we do that? Yeah."

It's a long overdue ploy since Norman established his reputation as a premier corner who focused on the top wideouts during his time with the Carolina Panthers. Having him do the same in Washington is just common sense for a a team playing in an NFC East division loaded with quality receivers.

More of Norman lining up over New York Giants ace Odell Beckham Jr. and Dez Bryant of the Dallas Cowboys will surely lead to more drama than the average game can handle. Ultimately, though, the Redskins didn't sign Norman to cover the supporting acts.

This franchise knows all about trusting putting one man on an island to cope with marquee talents. Think back to the days when Richie Petitbon let Darrell Green lock up a team's best receiver while the rest of the secondary played zone.

Of course, the plan can only work if Norman delivers and proves he's as good as many think he is, preferably as good as he thinks he is. A cursory glance at the Redskins' schedule for 2017 shows the scale of the challenge facing Norman.

Larry Fitzgerald, Doug Baldwin, Demaryius Thomas, Amari Cooper and Keenan Allen all await Norman in the new season. If Norman earns his money, the Redskins will have one of the better defensive backfields in the league. If he doesn't, Washington's defense will be undermined by a familiar weakness.

Fortunately for the Redskins, the players with the most to prove are well-positioned to make a positive impact. Galette need only be a rotational pass-rusher if Ryan Kerrigan and rookie Ryan Anderson handle the starting load.

Offensively, it's not as if Pryor and Long aren't surrounded by enough talent to be the key figures Gruden needs them to be.