Saturday, August 23, 2014

The Skins Logjam at WR and RB

At WR, Garcon, Jackson, and Roberts are locks to make and start for the Redskins. Roberts should start most games in the slot (and return punts and kicks). Garcon and Jackson are Pro Bowl players and Garcon quietly led the NFL in receptions last year.
 
Robinson made circus and clutch catches last year and is a speed burner. He likely makes it and get significant playing time.
 
Ryan Grant--the rookie from Tulane--is a lock after hearing the praise coming from everyone on the skins and seeing his production in the two preseason games, which validated the praise. That makes five WRs. Will the Skins keep six?

What about Ross who has been outstanding returning kicks and receiving deep passes? Does Santana Moss make it based on his outstanding career? Ross and Moss would start on half the teams in the NFL. Nick Williams--the Hun School grad--will almost certainly be cut but he should land on someone's roster.
 
Maybe this logjam of talent at WR was the result of luck. We know the Skins signed Roberts before they knew they could land Jackson. But then they drafted Grant in the fifth round. I knew about Grant because of his career at Tulane and maybe he was head and shoulders above all of the other picks they could have made at that spot, but the Redskins must know how hard it is to trade talent that otherwise has to be cut. Drafting Grant likely made Moss expendable.
 
The same is true at the RB position. Morris and Helu are locks. So, how do the Redskins decide between Seastrunk, Redd, Royster, and Thomas? The first two are rookies who have looked outstanding.
 
Couldn't they have used some of these picks and salary cap on linemen and defensive backs where they had more of a need? How do they realize value for the players they have to cut that will probably be starters elsewhere?
 
18 Doss, Lee WR 6-1 178 23 R Southern
88 Garçon, Pierre WR 6-0 216 28 7 Mount Union
14 Grant, Ryan WR 6-0 193 23 R Tulane
87 Hoffman, Cody WR 6-4 210 23 R BYU
11 Jackson, DeSean WR 5-10 178 27 7 California
17 Lawrence, Rashad WR 6-1 190 22 R Northwestern
89 Moss, Santana WR 5-10 193 35 14 Miami (Fla.)
12 Roberts, Andre WR 5-11 187 26 5 The Citadel
15 Robinson, Aldrick WR 5-10 184 25 3 Southern Methodist
19 Ross, Rashad WR 6-0 167 24 R Arizona State
13 Williams, Nick WR 5-10 184 23 2 Connecticut