Washington Redskins' 5 Biggest Training Camp Battles

An offseason geared toward improving the talent on defense means the Washington Redskins enter their 2017 training camp with three key position battles along the front seven needing to play out.

Two starting spots along the linebacker corps remain unresolved. On the inside, three starting-caliber players will vie to fill two slots, with a Pro Bowler from 2016 added in free agency looking to supplant an incumbent.

Changes are afoot on the edges, where a former double-digit sack man is finally healthy. However, the veteran's return comes at a time when the Redskins have added a prominent draft pick at his position.

Things look a lot more settled on offense, but a key spot at the heart of the line will be under focus once camp begins July 27 at Bon Secours in Richmond, Virginia.

Read on for a breakdown of Washington's five biggest camp battles for this year.

Inside Linebacker: Mason Foster vs. Zach Brown vs. Will Compton

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

Finding the right mix of aggression and athletic range is central in determining which two players operate at inside linebacker for the Redskins in the 2017 NFL season. The right mix is something the team doesn't have now.

As Mike Jones of the Washington Post has pointed out, there are doubts about both holdovers, Will Compton and Mason Foster: "Compton is an effective communicator and has good instincts, but he lacks elite closing speed. Foster plays with great physicality, but he struggles in pass coverage at times."

Brown is the wild card in the mix after his Pro Bowl season with the Buffalo Bills in 2016. The 27-year-old proved himself something of an all-rounder, logging 149 tackles, recording four sacks, forcing a pair of fumbles, breaking up a quartet of passes and snaring an interception.

Make no mistake, Brown is a versatile middle linebacker the Redskins would be wise not to leave on the bench. So far, though, he has worked in a situational role, according to Jones, who noted how Brown often replaced Foster in nickel sets during offseason activities.

In terms of getting greater athletic ability on the field more often, Foster and Brown will be the best pairing. Of course, Compton has established his value as a signal-caller in recent seasons, but the greater quickness and flexibility boasted by a combination of Brown and Foster would increase what defensive coordinator Greg Manusky can call in 2017.

Manusky could lean on a nickel look more often, call more blitzes from the middle and match up in coverage more effectively against spread sets using base personnel.

If Brown showcases the skills he flashed last season, he will claim the starting job he was signed to win. The true pressure is on Foster, a more naturally gifted linebacker than Compton, but one who must prove he is consistent enough to supplant the defense's on-field leader.

Outside Linebacker: Junior Galette vs. Ryan Anderson vs. Preston Smith

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

With Junior Galette back in the fold, along with the decision to select Ryan Anderson in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft, the Redskins are now loaded at outside linebacker. The challenge is now to find the best combination of edge-rushers to put on the field regularly.

Galette and Anderson joining Trent Murphy, Preston Smith and Ryan Kerrigan makes this a crowded field. Murphy having to serve a four-game suspension all but rules him out of this competition, at least initially.

It's more likely the former Stanford man maintains a key role as a situational pass-rusher after posting a career-best nine sacks last season.

Since Kerrigan is a lock on one side, it leaves Galette, Anderson and Smith competing against one another for the other starting role. Smith took some steps back in his second season, registering just 4.5 sacks during 2016, making him the outsider in this particular battle.

Galette could have the edge if he can get back to full speed after missing the last two years with Achilles injuries. To that end, the 29-year-old revealed he has lost 15 pounds and is bidding to be faster, per Michael Phillips of the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Phillips rightly pointed out how Galette faces a tougher task making the team than he did two years ago, thanks to the increase in talent at his position.

Of the new faces, Anderson is his biggest threat. The former Alabama ace developed well on the watch of noted defensive guru Nick Saban.

Playing for Saban in Mobile means Anderson should boast a more nuanced game, rather than being a one-dimensional edge-rusher. Indeed, he improved every year with the Crimson Tide, specifically as a pass-rusher, finishing with a career-high nine sacks in 2016, per Cfbstats.com.

Aside from developing his skills getting to quarterbacks, Anderson is already adept at setting the edge against the run and can play in space. In many ways, he is reminiscent of San Francisco 49ers veteran Ahmad Brooks, the steady starter who got his breakthrough under Manusky in 2009.

It makes sense to think Anderson wins this job and acts as Kerrigan's bookend in base packages, while Galette, Murphy and Smith are worked in situationally.

Center: Spencer Long vs. Chase Roullier

Nick Wass/Associated Press

It's no surprise center is a position in a state of flux following an offseason of upheaval. The Redskins saw two veterans leave town, with Kory Lichtensteiger entering retirement and John Sullivan joining the Los Angeles Rams in free agency.

Those developments naturally created a vacuum at the heart of the O-line. It explains why Washington traded up to draft Chase Roullier in the sixth round. He is expected to provide competition for Spencer Long, the converted guard who should have the inside track on the starting job.

Line coach Bill Callahan has talked up Long's progress as a pivotman, per Jake Kring-Schreifels of the team's official website:

"I've seen a lot of growth from Spencer. He's worked extremely hard. He's one of our favorite guys. He's taken over more of a leadership role inside because he has the ability to communicate and vocalize all the calls and put everybody on the same page."

Callahan also noted how the Redskins had a reason for selecting Roullier: It's a sign that the Burgundy and Gold want options at the position.

As Rich Tandler of CSN Mid-Atlantic.com pointed out: "The Redskins seem to have a lot banking on Chase Roullier to be their backup center." However, Tandler's reference to head coach Jay Gruden fearing "being without a capable center" means Roullier can push for more with a strong showing at camp.

As things stand, it still looks like Long's job to lose. The third-round pick in 2014 has started 25 games the last two years, and at 6'5" and 318 pounds, he has the mass Callahan needs at the heat of an increasingly formidable Redskins front five.

3rd Tight End: Niles Paul vs. Jeremy Sprinkle vs. Derek Carrier

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

It might only be the third tight end spot, but this is already shaping up to be one of the more intense battles set to take place during Washington's camp. Three players will be involved, including a rookie who has already caught the eye of his position coach.

The rookie in question is fifth-round pick Jeremy Sprinkle. Tight ends coach Wes Phillips has endorsed the former Arkansas product's size and receiving skills, per Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post: 

"I think people say (Sprinkle is) known for his blocking because he's a big guy, but he caught a lot of passes at Arkansas as well, and showed a lot of skill in the pass game as well. He's got big hands, soft hands. He can get in-and-out of breaks for a big man."

Such versatility could give Sprinkle the edge in the bid to provide support for established pairing Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis. Remember though, the rookie will be competing against Niles Paul and Derek Carrier, two veterans who both boast experience in Gruden's offense.

Paul has spent most of the last two years injured but posted career highs for receptions and yardage in 2014, Gruden's first season in charge. As a former wide receiver, Paul has similar move skills to those Reed uses to torment defenses.

Yet his greatest attribute may be his work on special teams. Paul's value in football's third phase is his strongest case for staying on the roster.

Carrier can't say the same, but he can point to the 15 starts he made in 2015 as evidence he can be a useful contributor. Where he exceeds Paul is as a blocker, while the 6'4", 244-pounder can also stretch the seams.

Injuries wrecked last season for both Carrier and Paul, giving Sprinkle a great chance to convince coaches it's time to move on from the duo. At 252 pounds, the first-year prospect has the frame and pass-catching chops to offer the Redskins a more complete tight end in support of Reed and Davis.

Gruden and his staff aren't afraid to deploy three-tight end sets, so a player who can replicate the niche receiving and blocking skills Reed and Davis offer would be an asset.

Nose Tackle: Joey Mbu vs. Phil Taylor vs. Stacy McGee

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

There is no doubt nose tackle is the most wide-open position on the roster headed into camp, thanks largely to the new faces added up front this offseason.

Watering the competition down leaves three obvious names, Joey Mbu, Phil Taylor and Stacy McGee. The latest buzz puts all thee under the spotlight as Washington's potential starter in the middle for 2017.

A report from Mike Jones of the Washington Post detailed how Mbu and Taylor, as well as Ziggy Hood, have already figured in the mix: "Mbu, an undrafted Houston product, actually received more first-team reps at nose tackle during offseason practices. However, Taylor—the 21st overall pick of the 2011 draft—has more experience, as does Hood."

Jones also made the case for former Oakland Raiders D-tackle McGee: "It's very possible that McGee winds up joining the mix at nose because of his experience there. A three-man front of Allen and McClain at the end positions and McGee at the nose could emerge as the strongest trio."

Interestingly, Jones twice referenced the idea and expectation McGee's fellow free-agent arrival Terrell McClain will play end along with Washington's top draft pick, Jonathan Allen.

While Allen is likely a lock at end, McClain would seem to be a more obvious fit at nose guard. He impressed over the ball for the Dallas Cowboys, albeit in a 4-3 front.

McClain doing the same in Washington will depend largely on what type of anchor Manusky wants for the front. Tipping the scales at 302 pounds, means McClain is not the most physically imposing 0-technique.

By contrast, 323-pounder Mbu and Taylor, all 6'3" and 343 pounds of him, both have the size to plug gaps and be magnets for double teams in the base defense. Yet neither will offer the quickness through gaps McClain can bring to the field.

The final call could be made based on Washington's desire to bolster a run defense that has been feeble the last two years. The Redskins' defense ranked 24th on the ground last season and seventh-worst the year before.

Putting a bigger nose tackle up against the heavy offensive lines common in the NFC East may be Manusky's best way of underpinning a tougher rush defense.

Manusky also used bigger players at the position during his stints as coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis Colts, where Aubrayo Franklin, Isaac Sopoaga and Josh Chapman all played nose tackle on his watch.

Taylor and Mbu are players to watch at camp, but both are relatively unproven. The former has made just four starts since 2014, while the latter has yet to make his first start as a pro.

McGee is looking increasingly likely to get the chance to park his 341-pound frame between Allen and McClain to form what should be one of the most-improved D-lines in the NFL this season.

Each of these battles have significant implications for Washington's 2017 campaign. Fortunately, the Redskins' offseason additions mean the team has stronger, more talented options competing at the vital spots.