Preseason – Game 3
August 24, 2021
By Noonefromtampa
The last preseason game is this coming Saturday evening at 6 pm (who starts a game at 6 pm?) against the Baltimore Ravens at Fed Ex Field. The roster has to be reduced to 53 players by 4 PM Tuesday August 31st.
The players now have two preseason games under their belts and the starters probably will not see a lot, if any, action in the last game.
The Bengals game did give you a sense of the caliber of Washington’s defense. In the first half, Washington’s defense held the Bengals to 55 total yards (40 yards net) on 23 plays or 3.4 yards per play (1.7 yards per play net). The caveat that Joe Burrow did not play was offset by the fact that Washington’s Kendall Fuller and William Jackson III also did not play. I know it was only the inept Bengals, but it gives one hope about the ability of the defense to carry the team if the offense sputters.
Let’s have some fun with who will be on the 53 man roster. Note that some players who may make the 53 man roster may be subject to a move to the injured reserve, especially if they are going to miss the first several games of the season. With the adjusted rules for COVID-19, a player can be eligible to return after three weeks instead of the normal six weeks.
Roster Breakdown
Special Teams (3)
Roster: Camaron Cheeseman, Dustin Hopkins and Tress Way.
No surprises here.
Quarterbacks (3)
Roster Locks: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Taylor Heinicke, Kyle Allen
Practice Squad: Steven Montez
No, they are not keeping four quarterbacks on the roster.
Running Back (4)
Roster Locks: Antonio Gibson, J.D. McKissic, Peyton Barber, Jaret Patterson
Practice Squad: Jonathan Williams
Jaret Patterson has shown enough skills to make the roster.
Wide Receivers (6)
Roster Locks: Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, Dyami Brown, Adam Humphries, Antonio Gandy-Golden, DeAndre Carter
Practice Squad: Dax Milne, Isaiah Wright
My surprise here is that Washington goes with six WR’s with both Cam Sims and Steven Sims Jr. being released. If Washington goes with only nine defensive backs, Cam Sims might get a reprieve. [Steven Sims Jr. was released yesterday]
Tight Ends (3)
Roster Locks: Logan Thomas, John Bates, Sammis Reyes
Practice Squad: Ricky Seals-Jones
The surprise here is Reyes, as the coaches seem to love his potential and hard work.
Offensive Line (9)
Roster Locks: Brandon Scherff, Charles Leno Jr., Chase Roullier, Cornelius Lucas, Ereck Flowers, Sam Cosmi, Wes Schweitzer, Tyler Larsen, Saahdiq Charles
Practice Squad: Beau Benzschawel, Keith Ismael
Wes Martin and David Sharpe do not make the final roster.
Defensive Line (8)
Roster Locks: Chase Young, Montez Sweat, Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, Matt Ioannidis, Tim Settle, James Smith-Williams, William Bradley-King
Practice Squad: David Bada, Daniel Wise
There is a lot of talent in this group. Casey Toohill and Devaroe Lawrence can play in this league. I expect one of these guys might be grabbed by another team.
Linebackers (7)
Roster Locks: Jamin Davis, Cole Holcomb, Jon Bostic, Khaleke Hudson, David Mayo, Jordan Kunaszyk, Jared Norris
Practice Squad: Shaka Toney
Yes, Bostic stays (this year).
Secondary (10)
Roster Locks: Kendall Fuller, William Jackson III, Kamren Curl, Landon Collins, Benjamin St-Juste, Bobby McCain, Deshazor Everett, Jimmy Moreland, Torry McTyer, Jeremy Reaves
Practice Squad: Danny Johnson, Darrick Forrest
Darryl Roberts and Cole Luke are the odd men out in this group which has shown some real promise in the preseason.
Final Thoughts
That is my take on the 53 man roster and who I think are some of the practice squad candidates. I expect the team to sign a few players released by other teams to the practice squad. Conversely, some of the players Washington released may find their way onto another team’s roster or practice squad. The final list of players probably will not be settled until late Wednesday or some time on Thursday.
Don’t rule out some roster trickery going on either, like releasing one player to be able to protect another player to move them to the Injured Reserve list and then re-signing the released player back to the 53 man roster.
Please feel free to post comments on why you disagree with my selections or your thoughts on what the final roster will look.