Tandler: Scherff Still Has Blue Chip Ceiling
- In projecting which current Redskins offensive starters will be on the team three years from now, Rich Tandler of RealRedskins.com tabs Jordan Reed, Brandon Scherff and Trent Williams as those with the best chance to be blue chip players. As for Kirk Cousins, Tandler does not see Washington’s current franchise-tagged player ascending to that level, with the now-fifth-year quarterback landing on the “solid starter” tier.
Redskins Notes: Doctson, Baker, P. Smith
What kind of expectations should the Redskins set for rookie Josh Doctson? Many are excited about what the TCU product can do at the next level, but he’ll also be vying for catches against wide receivers Pierre Garcon, DeSean Jackson, and Jamison Crowder plus star tight end Jordan Reed. At 6’2″, Doctson stands as Washington’s tallest receiver and he can cover even more space with his leaping ability. Reed should receive extra attention from opposing defenses in the red zone, so Doctson could be the team’s Plan B for touchdowns thanks to his range.
Looking beyond 2016, the Redskins are hoping that Doctson can serve as the team’s WR1 or WR2 in the future as they are expected to move on from DeSean Jackson and/or Pierre Garcon after this season. In the interim, the Redskins boast one of the league’s deepest receiving cores, particularly if you include Reed.
Here’s more out of D.C.:
- Right now, running back Keith Marshall appears to be right on the Redskins’ roster bubble, Rich Tandler of CSNMidAtlantic.com writes. Marshall’s participation in OTAs was slowed by nagging injuries, but his speed obviously helps his case with Washington coaches. Marshall will have a tougher time making the 53-man cut if the team signs Pierre Thomas, Tandler notes, but it’s not clear if the Redskins are still considering the veteran. As of late May, the Redskins were interested in signing Thomas, who spent four games with the squad in 2015. Beyond Marshall, Tandler writes that tailbacks Mack Brown and Robert Kelley are darkhorse candidates to get a spot behind starter Matt Jones and No. 2 RB Chris Thompson. For a full rundown on the Redskins’ roster, check out their depth chart on Roster Resource.
- JP Finlay of CSNMidAtlantic.com analyzed the Redskins’ roster to evaluate the best values on the team. Ultimately, he bestowed that mantle on two players – defensive lineman Chris Baker and outside linebacker Preston Smith. Smith, a Mississippi State product taken in the second round of the 2015 draft, excelled down the stretch of his rookie year in 2015. Baker, meanwhile, is coming off a breakout season in which he amassed career highs in appearances (16, to go with 11 starts), tackles (53), sacks (six) and forced fumbles (three). Thanks to his output in 2015, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked Baker a solid 22nd out of 83 qualifying interior defenders. He is currently slated to play out the three-year, $9MM contract extension he inked with the Redskins in February 2014.
- It sounds like quarterback Kirk Cousins will play out the 2016 season under the franchise tag rather than sign a multi-year deal with Washington this week.
Opinion: Norman Is NFC East's Best FA Pickup
- Olivier Vernon signed the biggest deal of the offseason with the Giants, but Todd Archer of ESPN.com still sees Redskins cornerback Josh Norman as the best addition to the NFC East. The division offers up formidable receivers like Dez Bryant, Odell Beckham Jr., and Jordan Matthews, which underscores the importance of a cornerback who can hold his own in one-on-one matchups. Norman also has a fearless approach to the game which could be infectious for the Redskins’ D. On the flipside, Archer voices some concern over whether Norman is a true No. 1 corner and also wonders if Washington’s front seven can offer the same kind of support as Carolina’s did in 2015.
Tandler: Don't Rule Out A Long-Term Deal For Cousins Just Yet
Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com is fully aware of the recent report indicating that Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins will not sign a long-term deal with Washington prior to the July 15 deadline, which means that he will play the 2016 season under the franchise tag. However, Tandler is not ruling out the possibility of a multi-year contract just yet. As he observes, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, who reported that the Cousins-Redskins impasse would not be resolved this week, said more or less the same thing about the Demaryius Thomas negotiations last year, only to see Thomas sign a five-year contract with Denver right before the deadline.
Florio, though, is not the only one to report that Cousins would play out the 2016 season on his franchise tender. ESPN’s Adam Schefter, for instance, has said the same thing for at least a month. But as Tandler notes, deadlines drive deals, and both Cousins and the Redskins still have plenty of incentive to get a deal done in the next couple of days.
Examining Redskins' Left Guard Options
- Spencer Long became a full-time starter for the Redskins at guard after Shaun Lauvao suffered a season-ending injury early last season, and now it’s unclear which of the two will man left guard in 2016. Rich Tandler and Tarik El-Bashir of CSNMidAtlantic.com debate the topic, and each scribe comes to a different conclusion.
Lack Of DL Talent Could Hurt Redskins
- Whether the Redskins have a sufficient amount of defensive line talent is one important issue facing the defending NFC East champions, posits Mike Jones of the Washington Post. The team lost both Terrance Knighton and Jason Hatcher during the offseason and didn’t add significant replacements, notes Jones, who contends that eighth-year man Ricky Jean-Francois is a candidate to fill the void. Jean-Francois – who’s a fit at right end and nose tackle – is aiming to start and make more of a pass-rushing impact this year after picking up two sacks as a rotational player last season.
Kirk Cousins To Play 2016 Under Franchise Tag
The July 15 deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign new contracts is fast approaching, but the Redskins and quarterback Kirk Cousins have not made progress toward an agreement, reports Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who adds that circumstances will not change over the next week. That means the Redskins and Cousins won’t be free to negotiate a long-term deal again until the end of the season. In the meantime, Cousins will play 2016 under the $19.95MM franchise tender he signed in March.
Given the lofty price of the tag this season – which will increase to $23.94MM if Washington uses it again on Cousins in 2017 – the 27-year-old doesn’t have much incentive to ink an extension. If the two sides were to strike a deal, it would take the Redskins the combined price of the tags, $43.89MM in guarantees, over the first two seasons of the pact, per Florio.
Tagging Cousins again in 2018 would cost the Redskins an unpalatable $34.47MM. That’s a long way off, though, and the franchise first wants Cousins to prove his red-hot finish to the 2015 campaign wasn’t a fluke. The four-year veteran closed the regular season on a tear, completing 74 percent of his passes for nearly 1,200 yards, 12 touchdowns and a 134.0 quarterback rating over the final four weeks. That astounding stretch helped the Redskins to a 9-7 overall mark and an NFC East title.
In total, Cousins ended his first full season as a starter with a 69.8 completion percentage, 29 scores, 11 interceptions, 4,166 yards and a 101.6 passer rating. Before usurping the No. 1 job from former second overall pick Robert Griffin III last summer, Cousins appeared in 14 games and made nine starts from 2012-14. Notably, Griffin and Cousins were part of the same Redskins draft class in 2012, though the team invested only a fourth-rounder in the latter signal-caller.
At $660K, Cousins earned a paltry sum for a starting quarterback last season. But thanks to his down-the-stretch brilliance, the ex-Michigan State Spartan will pace all QBs in base salary this year.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Center, Defensive Line Were High Draft Needs For Redskins
- Although they ultimately selected receiver Josh Doctson earlier this year, the Redskins had defensive line and center ranked as higher needs heading into the draft, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Connecting the dots, that means the Redskins may have been interested in players such as Sheldon Rankins and Ryan Kelly, who were chosen 12th and 18th overall, respectively. Washington might have also simply had a higher grade on Docston than any other individual player remaining on its board, even if the club didn’t consider wide receiver to be a high priority position.
Under-The-Radar Redskins Storylines Entering Camp
- Rich Tandler of RealRedskins.com highlights three under-the-radar storylines the Redskins will deal with in training camp, pointing out that they face uncertainty along both lines and at cornerback.
David Bruton Has Early Edge At SS
- Former Broncos safety David Bruton, who signed a three-year deal with the Redskins in March, was brought to Washington to bring some semblance of stability to the team’s safety position, an area that has been a consistent weakness for the Redskins over the past decade. Both Rich Tandler and Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com believe that Bruton will open Week 1 as the starter at strong safety over former Denver teammate Duke Ihenacho, particularly since Bruton has been taking virtually all of the first-team snaps at the position in offseason workouts. But, as is always the case with Washington’s safety depth chart, the situation will remain fluid.