Training Camp Preview 2016
By: Robbie Duncan
Well, ladies and gents, a new season is upon us once again and I can’t be more excited for it as I’m sure you are as well. I would hope so, you are reading my blog post about previewing the Redskins training camp practices after all. Anywho, unlike previous years, this season brings with it some actual promise. Last season the Redskins won the NFC East division and earned a trip to the playoffs. As brief as that was, it gave the team and fans hope for the future. The question is, however, will they regress and have another poor season or will they pick up where they left off? I shook my my magic eight ball of history for the answer and it told me “outlook not so good”. But will that actually be true this coming season? I don’t think so. Which brings me to why you’re here: to read my preview of training camp. There are a lot of story lines and position battles to keep an eye on which I’ll highlight for you, including things I’ll be specifically watching for. So without further ado, let’s dig in:
No Pressure, No Diamonds
Before you hate-mail me or block me on Twitter, pump the brakes. I’m not talking about who you think I’m talking about. The Redskins suffered a major loss in their pass rush department on Monday (July 25) when reports came out that OLB Junior Galette tore his Achilles tendon. Reports said Galette did not re-tear the same tendon from last year’s injury but the other tendon, most likely due to overcompensation. Even though Galette has never actually played a down for the Redskins, this is a major loss. Galette had battled hard to come back healthy and was primed to have a big year. His drive and determination was undeniable. If you follow him on social media you could see it. The biggest concern now is the depth the Redskins have left at the OLB/Edge position. Ryan Kerrigan and Preston Smith are obviously the top dogs now, and are guys I’m not worried about, but after them the number three guy is Houston Bates. No offense to Bates, but that doesn’t fill me with confidence. Bates, along with guys like Lynden Trail and Willie Jefferson, are going to have to step up, assuming the front office doesn’t sign or trade for a vet to replace Galette. What we all thought up until Monday was that the Redskins’ pass rush was going to be deadly, but now is a serious question of depth. The Redskins need to find an answer to that question in camp or it they really will be hurting if Kerrigan or Smith go down.
How Good is this Revamped Secondary, Really?
With one signing the outlook of the Redskins secondary changed dramatically, and on paper they look to be promising. Much like how DeSean Jackson fell into the Redskins’ lap, Josh Norman did the same. He is arguably the best corner in the NFL and has locked down many teams’ number one guy. With Norman and Breeland as the one and two corners, 3rd round pick Kendall Fuller, DeAngelo Hall at Safety, S/LB hybrid 2nd round pick Su’a Cravens in the mix, and the continuing development of Quinton Dunbar; the Redskins have some serious talent in their secondary. I want to see how good they actually are. How do they match up against the Redskins’ now seemingly stacked receiving corps? Can they create turnovers? Can they win the one on one matchups? Who fills Kyshoen Jarrett’s spot now that he’s been waived? They’re going to get their first real test come September when they play the Steelers in week one; hopefully they’re as good as they look on paper.
If the running game could improve, that’d be great…
As flashy and exciting passing the football is, running the football is still key to winning games and the Redskins were below average at best at it last season. Alfred Morris is gone and the starting spot is Matt Jones’ to lose. Can Jones step up and become that workhorse feature back that this team needs? The depth behind him leaves a lot to be desired as well. Chris Thompson is solely a change of pace third down type of back and can’t handle the load of being a starting back. Silas Redd is suspended indefinitely. After those two players, we get to guys like Mack Brown, 7th round pick Keith Marshall, and undrafted free agent Robert Kelly. There appears to be a serious depth issue along with the concerns about Jones as a starter. Along with that, who will play Left Guard this season? Shawn Lavaou was thriving in Bill Callahan’s new system last season before going down with a season ending injury. Spencer Long and second year guy Arie Kouandjio are competing for that spot as well. This, for me, will be the position battle I’ll keep my eye on the most. How is the entire running operation going to be? Kirk Cousins might have all these weapons to throw to but he’s going to need a solid running game in order to take the heat off of him. Speaking of….
Make or Break Year for Captain Kirk
After winning the starting spot over Robert Griffin III last training camp, Kirk Cousins for the most part took it and ran with it. While his 2015 season had its ups and downs, Kirk still seemed to improve as the season went on, and he led the Redskins to a division title and the Redskins’ first playoff appearance since 2012. This year Kirk has had a full offseason to prepare and train as the full time starter and seems primed to continue where he left off. As good as his season was last year, the Redskins front office franchise tagged him instead of trying to sign him to a long term deal. While talks were held to reach a contract extension, the front office didn’t agree with the money that Kirk wanted to be paid. Basically, they are asking him to prove that last season wasn’t a fluke. With the addition of 1st round pick Josh Doctson, Kirk has a plethora of talented targets to throw to now. The ball is in his court to have a huge year and to earn a long term deal and huge pay raise. This team will go as far as Kirk can take them and if he repeats or even out-performs last season, he’ll get his pay day whether that’s with the Redskins or some other QB needy team.
Players to Watch
Su’a Cravens- Su’a has become a early fan favorite of the 2016 Redskins draft class due to his presence on social media, but he’ll become even more of one once fans see him on the field in uniform. Cravens is a smart instinctive player and I’m most interested to see what defensive coordinator Joe Barry does with him. One of the top things I’ll be looking for at camp is where Cravens lines up and how he’s going to be used on this defense.
Arie Kouandjio- This year’s fan favorite to make the “Moses Leap”, meaning making such a huge jump in his development as a player that he earns a starting spot like Morgan Moses did last training camp. As much as I’d love to see it happen, I’m not so confident that Kouandjio will actually make that kind of jump. Morgan Moses’ case was special and rare. Kouandjio last training camp didn’t show me a lot to give me confidence that he’s capable of making that kind of jump. We’ll see though, crazier things have happened before.
Trent Murphy- Trent Murphy this offseason was moved from OLB to DL and has gone through quite the transformation to make this switch. Murphy didn’t have the explosiveness you look for in an NFL edge player and I think this transition to DL will better suite his talents. I’m very intrigued in what he could do there and will have an eye on him all camp.
Quinton Dunbar- This time last year, Quinton Dunbar was a long shot to make the Redskins roster until a slew of injuries to the cornerbacks brought him to change positions. What was unexpected was how quickly Dunbar seemed to pick up the new position and made the best of his chances when he got them. During the regular season when he was officially part of the 53 man roster, Dunbar flashed a lot of potential. Can he continue to grow and become key player in this secondary? Many fans would love to see it including me.
Morgan Moses- Morgan Moses blew me away last training camp as I watched what appeared to be a completely different player who came to camp the year before. His technique improved immensely and he was winning almost every one on one matchup. He flashed a lot during the regular season as well. However, like I’ve pointed out before, he still has some technical flaws that he has to fix. I hope to see him make another jump in development and maybe even have, dare I say it, a Pro Bowl caliber year.
This should be a fun and exciting training camp this time around with hopefully no more major injuries. I plan to be there as much as my schedule will allow so be sure to follow me for my updates and observations during the practices. And if you see me wearing my Hog Sty t-shirt, don’t be afraid to come talk to me. I love talking Redskins and football in general. After all, this is my hobby (a big hobby mind you). See you in Richmond! HTTR!