Taking a look at the defense now that the big moves are done through free agency. Other moves might follow in the draft or after some players are cut by other teams. For now, this is where things stand. Wednesday, I'll take a quick look at the Washington Redskins corners.
In: Chris Culliver
Out: E.J. Biggers
Still around: David Amerson, Bashaud Breeland, DeAngelo Hall, Tracy Porter, Courtney Bridget, Trey Wolfe
Projected starters: Culliver, Hall*
Better or worse: Better. There’s an asterisk next to Hall’s name because we don’t know yet how he’ll look in the spring or summer coming off his Achilles’ injury. At 31, it gets a little harder to recover from injuries. But if Hall can look like his old self then the Redskins have the chance for solid cornerback play. If Hall isn’t that guy anymore, then Breeland could remain as a starter – coach Jay Gruden was effusive in what Breeland meant to the defense as a rookie leader. His energy and passion is good for morale. Yes, he must improve as a corner especially in zone. But he’s a tough player who can play press coverage and studies well. Amerson is the one I wonder about most. This current group did not draft him so there are no direct ties – and I don’t know what the defensive staff thinks of him or even general manager Scot McCloughan. But Amerson is young and does have talent. Another good offseason would help. He needs to be more disciplined with his eyes. The good thing for Washington is that it, potentially, has good depth – if Hall has recovered and Porter stays healthy (a problem throughout his career). And the Redskins have versatility. They could use their corners to play some safety in various coverages. Breeland can play in the slot, too; Culliver has minimal experience here and Hall was not good at it two years ago. Porter would be OK there, but, again, durability.
Should they address in the draft: Sure. Culliver’s arrival lessens the need. But it’s like any other position – while the Redskins appear to have good depth, they can always use more. There is no need to take a corner high in the draft. However, if they did find another corner in the higher rounds, they could release Porter and save $2,328,175 million against the salary cap. His base salary is $1 million higher than that figure, a solid sum for a guy who might be your fourth or fifth corner – and who struggles to stay healthy. As with receiver, this position could look a lot different in terms of needs a year from now. But, then again, they could see how Breeland develops and if Amerson improves. If neither happens, they could address this spot in the higher rounds next year. Another corner in the middle rounds who could be developed this year wouldn’t be bad (it’s what they wanted to do with Breeland before injuries forced him into the lineup). Aside from Culliver, the Redskins corners all have questions about them. So this wouldn’t be a bad strategy anyway. Corner depth is paramount.
