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ThomasTomasz
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We did these last year, so here's the first of the season. In addition to projected starters, I'm including depth grades as well. If anyone else ends up doing these and you would like to have them posted on the front page, please send me a VM with a link to the thread and I will put them up.
Quarterback: Robert Griffin III, B+
The Redskins gave up a lot for RGIII. He's got the measureables and he has the smarts- he graduated high school in 3.5 years, was done with college classes early and is working on his Masters. Last year, Andy Dalton and Cam Newton proved a rookie can step in and start right away, and the Redskins are hoping that RGIII will perform like they did.
Quarterback Depth: B
Rex Grossman has another year in the system, and will only see the field if Griffin is injured. A lot of people, including myself, were puzzled by the Kirk Cousins draft pick, but I've come around. Both rookie QBs should benefit from the other and help push themselves.
Runningback: Tim Hightower, B
I expect an open competition in camp, but I expect Hightower to come down with the job to start the season. Yes, he is recovering from a torn ACL but Hightower excels in the one-cut system that the Redskins employ, and is equally dangerous catching passes out of the backfield as well as in pass-protection. Hightower averaged 3.8 YPC last season but with the offensive line being together for another off-season and a quarterback who is a threat to both throw and run, Hightower should become more effective this year.
Runningback Depth: B
Roy Helu performed very well after taking over for Hightower, gaining 642 yards with a 4.2 average, and also pulling in 49 catches. He and Hightower will be neck and neck for the starting job, but he does not have the pass-blocking skillset that Hightower brings. Evan Royster got some time to start last season as well, and averaged 5.9 YPC so expect him to get time as a change of pace back. Darrel Young officially supplants Mike Sellers as the fullback, and Sellers leadership will be missed. Young won't do much aside from blocking.
Wide Receiver: Pierre Garcon, B
Washington effectively made Garcon their new #1 receiver by giving him a five year, $42.5 million deal in free agency, giving RGIII a young receiver who can grow in the offense with him. Garcon has the talent and the makeup to play in the NFL, but needs to improve his hands to live up to his contract.
Wide Receiver: Santana Moss, B
Moss struggled with injury last year, but dropped 15 pounds this off-season to hopefully keep his starting spot, as both Josh Morgan and Leonard Hankerson will be pushing him for it. Expect for Moss to be used in the slot more often this season in three receiver sets to hopefully create some mismatches.
Tight End: Fred Davis, B+
Fred Davis took over for Chris Cooley, who went down with a season-ending injury, and has replaced the fan favorite as the starting tight-end. Davis was well on his way to a 1,000 yard season before being suspended the final four games. Davis is not the blocker that Cooley is, but that isn't what the Redskins ask him to do. He excels at stretching the field, and making catches in traffic.
Wide Receiver Depth: B+
With the NFL transitioning to more two TE sets, expect Chris Cooley to be on the field a lot this season, and also the Redskins will utilize his blocking skills, as well as the incoming Josh Morgan, who is one of the best blocking receivers in the league and who looks to push Moss for a starting job. Hankerson missed last season with a knee injury, but coaches love his potential. Anthony Armstrong is a wild card, but is an excellent deep threat out of the slot if he can make the team. Converted receiver Niles Paul and Logan Paulson will fight for the third TE spot.
Left Tackle: Trent Williams, B+
Williams did well last season despite a line that was in flux. He was suspended with Davis for the last four games, and I worry about his head being in the game at times. He's good, but has yet to take the step up into the elite level of tackles
Left Guard: Kory Lichensteiger, B
Last season, I was wrong about Lichensteiger, who performed very well in the first quarter of the season until blowing out multiple knee ligaments. The hope is that he picks up where he left off, but that knee injury could take a toll on his valuable speed
Center: Will Montgomery, C+
Montgomery was solid last season, despite having to move to guard to replace Lichensteiger when he went down with injury. Being at center for the whole season will be beneficial for him.
Right Guard: Chris Chester, B-
Chester was the only constant as far as positions went last season, and performed well. He's not in the upper tier of linemen, but Chester excels in the zone blocking scheme and opening holes up in the running game.
Right Tackle: Jammal Brown, C
Brown struggled last season, and still does not look 100% from the hip injury a few seasons ago. He spent some of the off-season doing Yoga to hopefully increase the range of motion in his hip, we will see if that pays off.
Offensive Line Depth: C+
With all the injuries on the line last season, the Redskins struggled to put together a solid line, but that experience from last season should help the reserves, namely Erik Cook and Maurice Hurt. The Redskins drafted Josh LeRibeus to help the depth at guard. I am worried about tackle, where there is not a veteran backup like Sean Locklear in case Williams regresses or Brown is not healthy.
Left End: Adam Carriker, B
Washington felt Carriker put in a strong year and kept him away from free agency. Carriker notched 5.5 sacks last season and did a great job in run support and taking up space. He and Stephen Bowen will be helped greatly with Jarvis Jenkins, last years 2nd round pick, returning from injury.
Nose Tackle: Barry Cofield, A-
Cofield stepped right in and performed well as a nose tackle in the 3-4 defense. Cofield still managed to pressure the opposing QB with three sacks, and was a force up front. He should be even better in his second year in this role.
Right End: Stephen Bowen, B
Bowen proved his 2010 season with Dallas was not a fluke, as he managed six sacks at end and from what I saw, held his own in run defense. Bowen will always be a stronger pass-rusher, but he's put in work to improve against the run.
Defensive Line Depth: B
Kedric Golston is back once more, and is a player who can play all three positions on the line. Jarvis Jenkins could take over for either Bowen or Carriker in a full-time role in his return from knee injury, as he is someone the coaching staff really likes. Chris Neild is a solid backup nose tackle who can effectively step in for a series or two for Cofield to catch his breath.
Outside Linebacker: Brian Orakpo, A+
Orakpo will now be sharing the spotlight as the face of the franchise with RGIII. Orakpo had nine sacks last season, and was asked to do more in coverage with rookie Ryan Kerrigan learning a new position in his first season, and he did very well.
Inside Linebacker: Perry Riley, C+
Riley, a fourth round pick from 2010, took over in the middle of last season for Rocky McIntosh. Riley had 68 tackles and a sack last season, but the Redskins did bring in Jonathan Goff from the Giants to push him and provide insurance if Riley regresses.
Inside Linebacker: London Fletcher, A
FFletcher is well into his 30's, but shows no sign of slowing down, leading the NFL with 166 tackles last season. Fletcher is the defensive captain and sets the defense up before each play, and his return was essential to the defensive unit.
Outside Linebacker: Ryan Kerrigan, B+
Despite being in a new system and learning a new position, Kerrigan had a tremendous rookie season and should only continue to improve. As a rookie, Kerrigan notched 7.5 sacks, forced four fumbles and also had a defensive TD on an interception.
Linebacker Depth: B
Goff comes to the Redskins from the defending Super Bowl champs, and gives the Redskins a veteran backup who can play any linebacker position. Lorenzo Alexander is a leader on this team and is great on special teams. He is also willing to play any position on the field, as he's played linebacker, defensive line, offensive line and also as a red-zone TE. Rob Jackson is a long-term backup OLB and is good on special teams
Cornerback: DeAngelo Hall, C
Hall is a threat for turnovers at any time, but gives up far too many big plays. I was hoping the Redskins would bring in another cornerback to allow them to either release Hall or minimize his time on the field, but it looks like he will be back to starting this season. The Redskins run a lot of man-to-man, and Hall hurts them a lot of the time.
Free Safety: Tanard Jackson, C+
Jackson was cut from Tampa Bay after failing a physical, and has multiple substance abuse suspensions. Jackson has the pedigree, and will be reunited with former head coach Raheem Morris, but can he stay on the field and keep his nose clean?
Strong Safety: Brandon Meriweather, C
The Redskins are his second team since New England abruptly released Meriweather last off-season. The Bears signed him to start, but he lost the job and was released. Like Jackson, Meriweather has the pedigree but will be put it back together? A good coach in Morris could to him, but I have doubts.
Cornerback: Josh Wilson, B
Wilson is on the small side, but excels at man coverage and can create turnovers. He had two interceptions last season, and made it through all 16 games despite having some lower body injuries.
Secondary Depth: C
Lots of experience and former starters, but the secondary is a very weak point this season. Cedric Griffin could push Hall or Wilson for their starting jobs if he is fully recovered from injuries to his knee and Achilles. He also provides a physical presence lacking at corner. Madieu Williams is hoping to push for a starting job. Steady backup Reed Doughty has an outside shot at strong safety and is a good backup. DeJon Gomes is a project at safety, who could do well in the future. Kevin Barnes has his last shot to prove he can make it, as he failed to live up to his pre-season hype with the coaches.
Special Teams: C
Graham Gano had a very good season, if you factor in that half of his missed field goals were blocked. He did very well at kickoffs (though to be fair, who didn't) last season, but Neil Rackers will push him. Sav Rocca was one of the best punters we've had in a decade. In a change of fate, the punter and kicker of the Redskins did well, but the coverage and protection teams were the ones that had issues. Hopefully the team can resolve those.
Overall, the Redskins return a great front seven on defense, who will have to pressure the QB for the secondary to be effective. The defense also returns a remarkable number of starters from the end of the season, and they did perform well last season. With the addition of RGII and Garcon, the offense should be substantially improved and the defense should improve by being able to be off the field more. The key will be the offensive line staying healthy this season and performing at a high level, like they did when the Redskins started 3-1 before injuries hit, and getting some good play out of the veterans in the secondary.
Six games were lost last season by one possession, so it is possible to see last seasons 5-11 season turn into 10-6. While I don't think that is likely, 8-8 or 9-7 is very probable and we are at least due for an exciting season with RGIII under center.
Quarterback: Robert Griffin III, B+
The Redskins gave up a lot for RGIII. He's got the measureables and he has the smarts- he graduated high school in 3.5 years, was done with college classes early and is working on his Masters. Last year, Andy Dalton and Cam Newton proved a rookie can step in and start right away, and the Redskins are hoping that RGIII will perform like they did.
Quarterback Depth: B
Rex Grossman has another year in the system, and will only see the field if Griffin is injured. A lot of people, including myself, were puzzled by the Kirk Cousins draft pick, but I've come around. Both rookie QBs should benefit from the other and help push themselves.
Runningback: Tim Hightower, B
I expect an open competition in camp, but I expect Hightower to come down with the job to start the season. Yes, he is recovering from a torn ACL but Hightower excels in the one-cut system that the Redskins employ, and is equally dangerous catching passes out of the backfield as well as in pass-protection. Hightower averaged 3.8 YPC last season but with the offensive line being together for another off-season and a quarterback who is a threat to both throw and run, Hightower should become more effective this year.
Runningback Depth: B
Roy Helu performed very well after taking over for Hightower, gaining 642 yards with a 4.2 average, and also pulling in 49 catches. He and Hightower will be neck and neck for the starting job, but he does not have the pass-blocking skillset that Hightower brings. Evan Royster got some time to start last season as well, and averaged 5.9 YPC so expect him to get time as a change of pace back. Darrel Young officially supplants Mike Sellers as the fullback, and Sellers leadership will be missed. Young won't do much aside from blocking.
Wide Receiver: Pierre Garcon, B
Washington effectively made Garcon their new #1 receiver by giving him a five year, $42.5 million deal in free agency, giving RGIII a young receiver who can grow in the offense with him. Garcon has the talent and the makeup to play in the NFL, but needs to improve his hands to live up to his contract.
Wide Receiver: Santana Moss, B
Moss struggled with injury last year, but dropped 15 pounds this off-season to hopefully keep his starting spot, as both Josh Morgan and Leonard Hankerson will be pushing him for it. Expect for Moss to be used in the slot more often this season in three receiver sets to hopefully create some mismatches.
Tight End: Fred Davis, B+
Fred Davis took over for Chris Cooley, who went down with a season-ending injury, and has replaced the fan favorite as the starting tight-end. Davis was well on his way to a 1,000 yard season before being suspended the final four games. Davis is not the blocker that Cooley is, but that isn't what the Redskins ask him to do. He excels at stretching the field, and making catches in traffic.
Wide Receiver Depth: B+
With the NFL transitioning to more two TE sets, expect Chris Cooley to be on the field a lot this season, and also the Redskins will utilize his blocking skills, as well as the incoming Josh Morgan, who is one of the best blocking receivers in the league and who looks to push Moss for a starting job. Hankerson missed last season with a knee injury, but coaches love his potential. Anthony Armstrong is a wild card, but is an excellent deep threat out of the slot if he can make the team. Converted receiver Niles Paul and Logan Paulson will fight for the third TE spot.
Left Tackle: Trent Williams, B+
Williams did well last season despite a line that was in flux. He was suspended with Davis for the last four games, and I worry about his head being in the game at times. He's good, but has yet to take the step up into the elite level of tackles
Left Guard: Kory Lichensteiger, B
Last season, I was wrong about Lichensteiger, who performed very well in the first quarter of the season until blowing out multiple knee ligaments. The hope is that he picks up where he left off, but that knee injury could take a toll on his valuable speed
Center: Will Montgomery, C+
Montgomery was solid last season, despite having to move to guard to replace Lichensteiger when he went down with injury. Being at center for the whole season will be beneficial for him.
Right Guard: Chris Chester, B-
Chester was the only constant as far as positions went last season, and performed well. He's not in the upper tier of linemen, but Chester excels in the zone blocking scheme and opening holes up in the running game.
Right Tackle: Jammal Brown, C
Brown struggled last season, and still does not look 100% from the hip injury a few seasons ago. He spent some of the off-season doing Yoga to hopefully increase the range of motion in his hip, we will see if that pays off.
Offensive Line Depth: C+
With all the injuries on the line last season, the Redskins struggled to put together a solid line, but that experience from last season should help the reserves, namely Erik Cook and Maurice Hurt. The Redskins drafted Josh LeRibeus to help the depth at guard. I am worried about tackle, where there is not a veteran backup like Sean Locklear in case Williams regresses or Brown is not healthy.
Left End: Adam Carriker, B
Washington felt Carriker put in a strong year and kept him away from free agency. Carriker notched 5.5 sacks last season and did a great job in run support and taking up space. He and Stephen Bowen will be helped greatly with Jarvis Jenkins, last years 2nd round pick, returning from injury.
Nose Tackle: Barry Cofield, A-
Cofield stepped right in and performed well as a nose tackle in the 3-4 defense. Cofield still managed to pressure the opposing QB with three sacks, and was a force up front. He should be even better in his second year in this role.
Right End: Stephen Bowen, B
Bowen proved his 2010 season with Dallas was not a fluke, as he managed six sacks at end and from what I saw, held his own in run defense. Bowen will always be a stronger pass-rusher, but he's put in work to improve against the run.
Defensive Line Depth: B
Kedric Golston is back once more, and is a player who can play all three positions on the line. Jarvis Jenkins could take over for either Bowen or Carriker in a full-time role in his return from knee injury, as he is someone the coaching staff really likes. Chris Neild is a solid backup nose tackle who can effectively step in for a series or two for Cofield to catch his breath.
Outside Linebacker: Brian Orakpo, A+
Orakpo will now be sharing the spotlight as the face of the franchise with RGIII. Orakpo had nine sacks last season, and was asked to do more in coverage with rookie Ryan Kerrigan learning a new position in his first season, and he did very well.
Inside Linebacker: Perry Riley, C+
Riley, a fourth round pick from 2010, took over in the middle of last season for Rocky McIntosh. Riley had 68 tackles and a sack last season, but the Redskins did bring in Jonathan Goff from the Giants to push him and provide insurance if Riley regresses.
Inside Linebacker: London Fletcher, A
FFletcher is well into his 30's, but shows no sign of slowing down, leading the NFL with 166 tackles last season. Fletcher is the defensive captain and sets the defense up before each play, and his return was essential to the defensive unit.
Outside Linebacker: Ryan Kerrigan, B+
Despite being in a new system and learning a new position, Kerrigan had a tremendous rookie season and should only continue to improve. As a rookie, Kerrigan notched 7.5 sacks, forced four fumbles and also had a defensive TD on an interception.
Linebacker Depth: B
Goff comes to the Redskins from the defending Super Bowl champs, and gives the Redskins a veteran backup who can play any linebacker position. Lorenzo Alexander is a leader on this team and is great on special teams. He is also willing to play any position on the field, as he's played linebacker, defensive line, offensive line and also as a red-zone TE. Rob Jackson is a long-term backup OLB and is good on special teams
Cornerback: DeAngelo Hall, C
Hall is a threat for turnovers at any time, but gives up far too many big plays. I was hoping the Redskins would bring in another cornerback to allow them to either release Hall or minimize his time on the field, but it looks like he will be back to starting this season. The Redskins run a lot of man-to-man, and Hall hurts them a lot of the time.
Free Safety: Tanard Jackson, C+
Jackson was cut from Tampa Bay after failing a physical, and has multiple substance abuse suspensions. Jackson has the pedigree, and will be reunited with former head coach Raheem Morris, but can he stay on the field and keep his nose clean?
Strong Safety: Brandon Meriweather, C
The Redskins are his second team since New England abruptly released Meriweather last off-season. The Bears signed him to start, but he lost the job and was released. Like Jackson, Meriweather has the pedigree but will be put it back together? A good coach in Morris could to him, but I have doubts.
Cornerback: Josh Wilson, B
Wilson is on the small side, but excels at man coverage and can create turnovers. He had two interceptions last season, and made it through all 16 games despite having some lower body injuries.
Secondary Depth: C
Lots of experience and former starters, but the secondary is a very weak point this season. Cedric Griffin could push Hall or Wilson for their starting jobs if he is fully recovered from injuries to his knee and Achilles. He also provides a physical presence lacking at corner. Madieu Williams is hoping to push for a starting job. Steady backup Reed Doughty has an outside shot at strong safety and is a good backup. DeJon Gomes is a project at safety, who could do well in the future. Kevin Barnes has his last shot to prove he can make it, as he failed to live up to his pre-season hype with the coaches.
Special Teams: C
Graham Gano had a very good season, if you factor in that half of his missed field goals were blocked. He did very well at kickoffs (though to be fair, who didn't) last season, but Neil Rackers will push him. Sav Rocca was one of the best punters we've had in a decade. In a change of fate, the punter and kicker of the Redskins did well, but the coverage and protection teams were the ones that had issues. Hopefully the team can resolve those.
Overall, the Redskins return a great front seven on defense, who will have to pressure the QB for the secondary to be effective. The defense also returns a remarkable number of starters from the end of the season, and they did perform well last season. With the addition of RGII and Garcon, the offense should be substantially improved and the defense should improve by being able to be off the field more. The key will be the offensive line staying healthy this season and performing at a high level, like they did when the Redskins started 3-1 before injuries hit, and getting some good play out of the veterans in the secondary.
Six games were lost last season by one possession, so it is possible to see last seasons 5-11 season turn into 10-6. While I don't think that is likely, 8-8 or 9-7 is very probable and we are at least due for an exciting season with RGIII under center.
