A little explanation of my projected 53-man roster as well as the starting lineup:
The big shocker, even for me, was including running back Trey Williams. He’s undrafted and we’ve never seen him in pads against NFL competition. But he’s talented and has excellent feet, as you could see during drills in the spring. And I know the Redskins like him. It’s a leap of faith to include him at this point. Keeping him meant leaving off Chris Thompson, whom the coaches liked entering camp last season. Durability, of course, has been an issue. Thompson is an easy kid to root for so if he shows something in camp and makes the team, good for him.
I also did not have Tom Compton making the final roster. He started the final seven games at right tackle, but he did not show he could be a starter. I did not think he had a strong camp last summer, either (or, at least, did not look like a future starter). So what we saw in the games was similar to what occurred in camp. Plus, they have three other tackles and it’s not often teams keep four. Trent Williams and Brandon Scherff will start and they love Morgan Moses' size -- and he’s a year removed from being a third-round pick. Compton has to show he can help at guard and if he does, it would help him tremendously. Also, this depends on Moses’ health and how well he’s recovered from his Lisfranc injury. That will be a key factor for Compton.
Another area to watch will be the secondary. I went with four safeties; they could easily go with five (giving them 10 defensive backs). I kept Trenton Robinson ahead of Akeem Davis and Kyshoen Jarrett and Phillip Thomas. I can see the last spot here being a tight race, but Robinson is the best combination, entering camp, of a guy who can play special teams and help from scrimmage. Yes, Jarrett was a special-teams stud in college (keep in mind that every player here was a stud at something in college). And he may be one in the NFL, but my early guess is that he’ll open on the practice squad. It’s really difficult to analyze safeties in practices so this spot is more fluid. I want to see Jarrett in the games. I had hopes for Thomas out of college, but durability has been an issue.
The fourth outside linebacker spot, I think, could go to someone not currently on the roster. For now, flip a coin between Trevardo Williams and Jackson Jeffcoat. The Redskins are still looking for more help at this spot.
Now, for the starting lineup choices. I went with Preston Smith ahead of Trent Murphy in part because I know what they think of both players. But I don’t know yet at what point Smith will surpass Murphy. A knock on Murphy in the past has been a tendency to overthink on the field, which slows him down as a rusher. Was that just a rookie problem? We’ll see. Regardless, both will play quite a bit.
I tossed a coin and went with Jeron Johnson at strong safety, but clearly there’s something the new staff likes about Duke Ihenacho and I’m curious to see him in a full camp. Ihenacho said he’s a much more patient player, which would help in coverage. Let’s see.
If corner DeAngelo Hall is healthy and hasn’t lost a step then I think he’ll start opposite Chris Culliver. If there’s a slip then Bashaud Breeland can get that job. For the purposes of this, I assumed Hall would be fine, but he needs to show it on the field. Either way, Breeland will be one of their top three corners because of his ability to cover in the slot.
It was easy to name the offensive starters. There is frustration with Jordan Reed's durability and his blocking was bad last season. But he remains talented. And, while Spencer Long still has to prove himself, so do the others behind him. Finally, I do think Robert Griffin III will start the season. For him not to start, Griffin would need a bad preseason and someone else has to separate himself. It can happen, but it has to be a knockout.
