Heading into the NFL Draft, the Redskins had one path to follow. Their franchise QB, Alex Smith, is probably never playing football again. And we're on the hook for the 52 million left on his deal. But, we have Case Keenum. Now, what does that mean?
Case Keenum, on play action, is one of the better QB's in the league. We can make that work for us. On offense, we already had Trent Williams, Brandon Scherff, and Morgan Moses as veterans who can help us build a dominant line. Chase Roullier, in his first full season, was PFF's #17 ranked center and we hope he continues to grow into that mold. However, we did not have a left guard on the roster. We filled that need in spades with the selection of Chris Lindstrom, who is already a very strong lineman when it comes to running the football and play action passes. He'll slide in perfectly to cement our starting unit.
We also did not have a #1 receiver. In real life, I expect the Redskins to take DK Metcalf at this selection. While Metcalf may not be a sexy, flashy, agile receiver, this game isn't about what can't a player do. It's about what can a player do. Metcalf can come in, run big man routes (Slant, Post, Go) and break the game with his athleticism.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9EAnLHj2v4&t=794s
If my team's philosophy is to run the ball down the opponent's throat with Guice, Peterson and Thompson running behind a dominant line, a burner like Metcalf who can take a ball to the house is a perfect compliment to that philosophy.
Unfortunately, Metcalf went to the Lions. So, luckily we were able to trade for a veteran #1 WR, AJ Green. He moves Paul Richardson to the #2 spot, and I'm very happy with those two players on the outside.
Obviously our stable of RB's is set. Guice should be electric, AD showed enough last year for us to re-sign him for 2 more years, and Chris Thompson might be the second best playmaker out of the backfield in the NFL.
However, our tight ends left something to be desired. Healthy Jordan Reed just isn't a thing. I needed a healthy body who could help block for our running game, and our play action. I acquired James O'Shaughnessy from Jacksonville, who was the #2 rated blocking tight end in the league last year. With a young, healthy TE that excels in blocking, our offensive unit is filled out.
On to the defense. Last year, the Redskins defense was freaking dominant. Before Alex Smith went down, they looked like one of the best defenses in the NFL. Jonathan Allen and DaRon Payne are the best pair of 3-4 linemen in the NFL and if they can play together at this level for the foreseeable future, they might go down as better than Wilfork and Seymour. They're that good. And Matt Ioannidis is pretty damn good too. Behind those three, we have Ryan Anderson and Ryan Kerrigan on the outside, with Mason Foster and... nobody else... in the middle. So, we'll have to address MLB in the draft.
In the secondary, we stupidly signed Landon Collins to a monster deal, but hey, if we were already the league's best rush defense, now we're even better. Josh Norman, Fabian Moreau, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie are our top 3 corners, and Deshazor Everett is our starting FS. Both areas could use some new blood.
After taking care of the offense, our first third rounder was used on Blake Cashman, a dynamite middle linebacker out of Minnesota. He's a walk-on who was not only the most productive linebacker in the big 10, but also blew up the combine with top-end metrics. The kid eats and breathes football and will fit right in with our young, dynamic defense.
We also grabbed David Long at #96, who PFF has ranked as the 33rd player in this class. The 5'11" corner ran a 4.45 at the combine, which doesn't mean anything to me--but it might move him up some boards. I love the kid's smooth, fluid hips and 31" arms. He reminds me a lot of Joe Haden, and we're excited to have him in Washington. He only allowed 18 catches in his entire college career at Michigan. 18 catches out of 595 coverage snaps. That's just a stupid number. He's physical at the line of scrimmage, with fluid hips that can mirror receivers effortlessly. Check out his tape against Ohio State. The kid can start in the NFL.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_m713m6eYc
Finally, at #98, we added some depth to our defensive line. Khalen Saunders is the #47 player on PFF's big board, and he's a perfect fit for our 3-4 defense. He had the second highest win rate among interior players during one-on-ones at the Senior Bowl, which helps prove that he didn't just succeed against Western Illinois's weak competition. The DT who moves like a DE will be right at home playing DE in a 3-4.
- Run Defense - Has all of the physical ability to be a dominant penetrator and control the line of scrimmage
- Pass Rush - Was able to toss blockers out of the way in college and get after the quarterback but will need to develop technique to win in the NFL. Has unbelievable quickness and power
- Effort - Motor runs hot in doses but there are times where is clearly fatigued but doesn't come off the field. Works hard in pursuit and rallies to the football even when it's nowhere near him.
- Hand Technique - Hands are heavy, violent and capable of stunning pads.
- Flexibility - His incredible looseness doesn't make sense for his size. Has excellent closing speed and lateral mobility. Can spring back across his frame and change directions rapidly. Able to turn tight corners and carry speed through the angle.
- Play Strength - Is more than capable of anchoring and dominating at the point of attack. Has heavy hands. Can covert speed to power and put blockers on skates.
- Play Speed - Doesn't have the dynamic first step quickness and he's often late off the ball but steps 2-4 are a blur. Closing speed is rare for his size. Want to see him anticipate the snap better and be more deliberate about working into the neutral zone to fully take advantage of his rare mobility.
- Lateral Movement - Doesn't get stuck in one area and works in every direction to find the football. Has some spring in his step when working laterally down the line of scrimmage. Smooth operator with fluid change of directions skills. Has incredible range for his size.
This kid could be an absolute stud in the NFL, and to get him at pick 98 is a steal. They don't make human beings his size this athletic, and when they do, they're usually first round picks. Being able to play and learn behind 3 of the best should help bring Saunders along quickly, and we expect him to help wreak havoc as a part of our defense.
The Redskins new Roster:
QB: Case Keenum
RB: Guice, Peterson, Thompson
WR: Green, Richardson, Doctson
TE: O'Shaughnessy, Reed, Davis
LT: Williams
LG: Lindstrom
C: Roullier
RG: Scherff
RT: Moses
DE: Ioannidis, Saunders
DT: Payne
DE: Allen
OLB: Anderson
MLB: Foster
MLB: Cashman
OLB: Kerrigan
CB: Norman, DRC
CB: Moreau, Long
FS: Shazor
SS: Collins
We've got one shot at going for it while Alex Smith's contract hamstrings our team. If there's any team in the NFL that can win with Case Keenum at QB, this is it. If it doesn't work out, we're looking at drafting a QB in 2021 after tanking in 2020.