Washington Redskins Players Most Likely to Be Cut Before 2017 Season

A few prominent Washington Redskins veterans will be sweating come final-cuts time in the NFL calendar, including defensive back DeAngelo Hall, whose recent injury record counts heavily against him.

Yet, the cover man who has been at Redskins Park since 2008 isn't the only incumbent in jeopardy. There is also a group of draft picks selected on the watch of former general manager Scot McCloughan who are in danger.

Among the group, a running back expected to replace Alfred Morris now seems destined for the exit door just two years after being taken off the board in Round 3. At least one member of 2016's uninspiring draft class is also a strong candidate to be released.

Read on to find out which members of the roster are most likely to be dumped by the Redskins ahead of the 2017 NFL season.

Matt Ioannidis

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He was McCloughan's lone contribution to fixing a woeful defensive line in the 2016 draft, but Matt Ioannidis faces an uphill battle sticking on the roster this year.

His first problem is how much the Redskins have invested in fixing things up front this offseason. The recruitment drive was long overdue, but team president Bruce Allen scored points when he signed Terrell McClain and Stacy McGee during free agency.

A solid grade turned into top marks when Washington took Jonathan Allen off the board with the draft's 17th-overall pick. Allen was arguably the most nuanced D-lineman in his draft class, a game-wrecker who can disrupt offenses from multiple spots.

McClain, McGee and Allen look like the eventual starting front three for day one of the new season. Depth is also strong, though, with Ziggy Hood proving a useful pickup last season. The former Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick slotted in well at both end and nose tackle.

Speaking of nose tackle, Phil Taylor still has a place on the roster, one he is likely to keep thanks to his massive frame. The 6'3", 335-pounder is a natural 0-technique who can handle the two-gap responsibilities of a traditional 3-4 base defense.

At this point, Ioannidis is a long shot to make the roster. He began his rookie year on the practice squad and will do well to avoid being cut this time around.

Josh Evans

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Josh Evans is part of the now-annual logjam at safety on the Redskins' roster. Even though he is a veteran presence at a position built on quicksand, it's tough to imagine the 26-year-old won't be cut before the new season starts.

A former starter with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Evans joined the team late in 2016 and appeared in two games. Yet despite his starting experience, the Redskins still felt compelled to sign D.J. Swearinger in free agency and move last year's second-round pick Su'a Cravens back to safety full time.

In addition, the Burgundy and Gold also took a pair of safeties off the board in the 2017 draft, fourth-rounder Montae Nicholson and Josh Harvey-Clemons in the seventh.

Admittedly, it's unlikely both rookies make the final roster, but there is still too much competition ahead of Evans. Even a player such as Deshazor Everett may be ahead of the four-year pro in the pecking order.

Matt Jones

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It's surely a matter of when, not if, Matt Jones gets cut. He has tumbled down the depth chart at running back in the space of two seasons, with fumbling issues the bane of his development.

Jones' offseason so far has been defined by questions about his future and hints he's primed for the exit door. He was a candidate for trade during draft weekend, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Jones didn't come off the trading block, but an indication of how far his stock has tumbled was provided when NFL Network's Michael Silver revealed he had been told he is now fifth in the rotation.

Rob Kelley took the job from Jones in 2016 and is still the prospective starter. The Redskins also wisely added Samaje Perine in the draft's fourth round, a throwback workhorse who will take carries away from Kelley as a rookie.

Another back set for carries is veteran Chris Thompson after Washington re-signed the four-year pro during free agency. He is a third-down specialist, but he's also coming off a season where he had a career-high 68 rushing attempts.

Kelley, Perine and Thompson are all ahead of Jones in the thoughts of head coach Jay Gruden. Considering Mack Brown and Keith Marshall are still in the mix, Jones' days look numbered.

Jones has been at minicamp after skipping OTAs, but Rapoport believes it's more of a cost-saving measure than an attempt to reclaim his starting spot. In fairness, the 24-year-old is still on the team and working, but it remains a matter of when, not if, he's cut.

DeAngelo Hall

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There is a lot to recommend DeAngelo Hall still being on the team. For one thing, the 33-year-old is a veteran presence whose experience can be invaluable, both on the field and in the locker room.

As much as anything else, Hall is also highly versatile. He can still play outside corner and even slide inside to the slot. He can also be a safety, with free safety his obvious spot.

However, there are things counting against Hall as the secondary undergoes a revamp this offseason. Most notably, he has missed 31 games the last three years with various injuries. When he has been on the field, he hasn't managed to snag a single interception in the same time.

It's not a laudable recent track record for a player facing increased competition at every spot in the secondary.

For instance, the cornerback berths belong to Josh Norman and Bashaud Breeland. Third-rounder Fabian Moreau can expect to be in the mix once he's healthy.

Speaking of being in the mix, Gruden is counting on improvement from Kendall Fuller after injuries wrecked his rookie year in 2016, per CSN Mid-Atlantic's Rich Tandler:

"I think last year he was probably about 85-90 percent. You know, he fought through his rehab to get himself ready to play. He played some significant playing time for us, did some good things for us. But I think now, I think his body is a lot better, in a lot better shape."

Add in Quinton Dunbar and it seems unlikely Hall will be lining up at cornerback for the Burgundy and Gold any time soon. It's almost equally as unlikely he will feature at safety, since Cravens, Swearinger, Nicholson, Everett and Will Blackmon already seem set on the depth chart.

Hall would be the most high-profile cut before the season, but it's increasingly difficult to see him still being on the roster for Week 1.

Derek Carrier

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The Redskins are in an enviable position at tight end. They can carry as many as four tight ends on the final roster and have five strong candidates to choose from.

Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis aren't going to stop being features of the offense. The question is which two of Niles Paul, Derek Carrier and rookie Jeremy Sprinkle will stick?

Of the three, Carrier's position could end up being in the most jeopardy. He is coming off a serious injury and has a lot to do to prove he can still make an impact in both phases of the offense.

In terms of his threat as a pass-catcher, Carrier averaged 8.3 yards per grab in 12 starts in 2015. Yet the 26-year-old can't stretch the field like Reed, while his hands aren't as reliable as Davis'.

What could keep Carrier on the roster is his chops as a blocker. At 6'4" and 248 pounds, he has the frame to play an in-line role and be a force setting the edge in the running game.

However, fifth-round pick Sprinkle could push Carrier off the roster if he proves he can use his 6'5", 256-pound frame as a punishing blocker. Even if he doesn't, his move skills as a receiver may give him the edge over Carrier.

A scouting report from Pro Football Focus commended Sprinkle's move skills: "Athletic enough to win when lined up in the slot — 12th-highest yards generated per route run from the slot the last three years compared to draft tight ends."

The report also noted how Sprinkle showed a flair for the big play at Arkansas: "Athleticism displayed to attack the defenses second-level after collecting four of five catchable targets of 20 yards or more (averaging 26 yards per reception) since 2014."

Considering how much Washington's offense is built around roving playmakers at tight end, Carrier may be considered too limited. Think Logan Paulsen.

Reed's injury history means the Redskins would be wise to keep a few more "move" tight ends on the roster. Sprinkle fits the bill, as does Paul, whom quarterback Kirk Cousins admits he has a strong rapport with, per Stephen Czarda of the team's official website.

Davis can block, so Carrier's qualities in the area aren't niche on the roster, while his receiving skills don't match the other options at the position.

Rookies Most Likely to Be Cut

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Let's say three members of this year's draft class end up getting cut before the season starts. Sixth-round pick Robert Davis already looks like the odd man out in a revamped wide receiver corps.

Similarly, seventh-round defensive backs Harvey-Clemons and Joshua Holsey are going to have a hard time emerging from a crowded secondary. Moreau and Nicholson are more highly touted and more likely to be involved in the rotations at cornerback and safety, respectively.

It's a different story for Davis, who must battle with newcomers Brian Quick and Terrelle Pryor to join Jamison Crowder and Josh Doctson in the pass-catching rotation.

Despite his 6'3" and 219-pound size, Davis won't stretch defenses the way Pryor, Doctson and Quick can. His chances of establishing a niche as a possession-style outlet are slim with Crowder already the primary weapon from the slot.

Gruden's recent endorsement of Ryan Grant, another capable short-range target, per CSN Mid-Atlantic's JP Finlay, is another obvious obstacle in Davis' path.

Fortunately, the Redskins can afford to part ways with these players and still be strong at key positions on a roster already looking richer in depth and talent than a year ago.