What was Washington thinking when they put together the linebacker group?

June 5, 2023

by Steve Thomas

What is the mystery of life?  Who killed John F. Kennedy?  Who built the pyramids in Egypt?  Does bigfoot exist?  Is there a Lock Ness Monster?  All of those questions pale in comparison to something even more unknown and difficult to answer: what in the world has Washington’s coaching staff been thinking with the linebacker group?  I simply don’t get it.

Here’s the sum total of the true linebackers currently on the Redskins’ Washington Football Team’s Commanders’ Washington’s roster:

Jamin Davis

Cody Barton

David Mayo

Milo Eifler

Nate Gerry

De’Jon Harris

Khaleke Hudson

How many names on that list inspire confidence?  For me, not many.  Davis has improved from his year one disaster at middle linebacker by moving to more of a pursuit role, but, thusfar at least, he isn’t panning out as a plus-level player that a team wants from a first round pick.  In two years, he’s played 32 games, with 23 starts, and made a total of 180 tackles, including 116 solo, 4 sacks, and 2 interceptions.  Statistically, 2023 was better for Davis, with 104 combined tackles, including 68 solo, and 3 sacks.  Still, though: for teams with elite defenses, that’s a decent but not special player.

For comparison’s sake, the Falcons’ Foyesade Oluokun led all NFL linebackers in tackles between 2021 and 2022, with 376 combined tackles.  The Vikings’ Eric Kendricks was in 10th place with 280.  Davis’ 180 was tied for 38th.  In 2022, Oluokun led with 184 tackles, and Davis’ 104 was again good for 38th.  That shouldn’t generate warm, fuzzy feelings amongst the fanbase.

What’s worse is that nobody else in this position group even comes close to Davis’ level of production.  None of them have ever even been consistent starters, much less plus-level players.  Cody Barton has only started 16 games in 4 years and has a total of 231 combined tackles, including 140 solo.  None of the rest of these linebackers have given any indication that they’re worthy of playing a starting role.

The truth is that Washington is pretty much forced into playing a 4 – 2 – 5 defense, rather than a 4 – 3, as they (1) don’t have a worthy middle linebacker, or (2) more than one legitimate starter.  I don’t think that the team could legitimately give three middle linebackers significant playing time at even an NFL average level even if they wanted to do so.  David Mayo is the only other linebacker beyond Davis and Barton who is a legitimate, career pro football player.  He’s also one of only two – the other being Nate Gerry – who has the size to play inside.  The other linebackers are all 225 pounds and under, suggesting that the team probably views them more as outside linebackers or possibly in a nickel role.

What exactly is the plan if, heaven forbid, either Davis or Barton have an injury?  It’s pretty mind-boggling that the head coach and the defensive coordinator, who were both NFL linebackers in their playing days, don’t see the problem here.  I really don’t understand what Ron Rivera and Jack del Rio are thinking.  Other than drafting Davis, who, if we’re being honest, was a bust in the role originally intended for him, Rivera has done next to nothing of note to improve this position group.  Instead, what we got are endless defensive line and defensive backfield signings and draft picks.  You aren’t going to convince me that drafting corner in both rounds 1 and 2 was an intelligent move when the linebacker group is currently a living, breathing trainwreck.

The truth is that Ron Rivera has had ample opportunity in both free agency and the draft to raise this position group up to the level of at least league average.  As it stands now, I can’t imagine that Washington’s linebacker group is rated at anything other than bottom 5 at best.  It’s crazy to think about the incredible amount of negligence that has gone into this situation – poor drafting, lack of free agency attention, unearned faith in existing players.

All defenses need to have a basic level of skill in each area – edge, interior line, linebackers, defensive backfield – in order to succeed.  What Washington has done instead almost totally ignore one position in favor of an overabundance at another.  Simultaneously, they’ve also put themselves in the position of having spent a ton of resources on edge rushers of questionable success, who will all become free agents at one time, but that’s a story for another day.

At this juncture, no realistic options are available to make this situation better.  Washington is just going to have to pray that (1) the current players can unexpectedly step up, and (2) nobody gets injured.  Hopefully, next offseason, either this coaching staff or their replacements will wise up and start putting serious resources into the defense’s weakest position.