2020 Training Camp Preview

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July 28, 2020

by Steve Thomas

This is the column in which for every year of The Hog Sty’s existence, I have given you all of the details about training camp, the local Richmond, Virginia, area, some fun facts about what to expect, and where to get your free tickets to attend.  Well, folks, in case you’ve been in a coma for 6 months, this year’s camp is going to be drastically different, and not for the better.  Even setting aside the massive amount of trauma that the Redskins franchise (RIP) has been through, the coronavirus virus pandemic essentially destroyed the entire offseason.  The NFL and the NFLPA recently reached an agreement on the season, so barring some other unforeseen calamity, football will proceed on for 2020.  As a result, it’s time to preview training camp, at least this year’s bastardized version thereof.

Schedule

Training camp will take place entirely at Redskins Park, or whatever the team is calling the place in Ashburn nowdays.  The team usually sends out information to the press and the public about the schedule and how to get tickets, and for media outlets like The Hog Sty, when to apply for season press credentials.  Absolutely none of that has happened yet this year, with no fault on the team.

The NFL and NFLPA very recently reached an agreement on how the season will proceed given the status of the health crisis.  The basics are the following:

  • Training camp opens today, July 28, and will be held at each team’s home facility
  • Teams can trim rosters from 90 to 80 and cannot have more than 80 players at the facility at a time
  • Padded practices cannot start until the 21st day of training camp
  • All preseason games are canceled
  • Fans will not be allowed to attend
  • The size of regular season practice squads will be increased from 10 to 16
  • The 2020 salary cap will remain at $198.2M
  • Players can opt out if a family member has coronavirus

That’s essentially it.  Unless something changes, you will not have the normal contingent of media at camp, including The Hog Sty, to provide you with all of the normal, great training camp content.

We have reason to believe that the team is going to livestream at least some portion of camp, so we’ll let you know when we have details.

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Training Camp storylines  

Some things to watch for in training camp include:

System implementation.  The single most important thing to accomplish in training camp is for Ron Rivera and Jack del Rio to get their offensive and defensive systems implemented effectively.  Unfortunately, with no preseason to watch, we probably aren’t going to know how this effort is going until the regular season starts – and for that matter, neither will the coaching staff, most likely.  Regardless, this is by far the most critical issue for this team, so keep a close eye on words like “cohesion”, “development”, and “progress” in whatever media reports come out of Ashburn over the next 6 weeks.

The left tackle and left guard problem.  Both of these positions have great potential for disaster in 2020.  Saadhiq Charles was highly rated headed into the draft, and his stock dropped due to character issues.  However, he’s still a rookie and there’s no guarantee that he’s going to pan out even as an NFL player, let alone a starting-quality tackle from day one.  In fact, given that there’s been no offseason program and there will be no preseason games, unless Charles really blows the coaches away in practice, I think it’s pretty unlikely that Charles will be a day one starter.  This team may be looking at either the Cornelius Lucas or Geron Christian era, and neither of those options makes me feel all tingly inside given that the quarterback is a young, developing second year player.  Left guard is an even bigger problem for Washington, which is without an obvious option at that spot.

The return of Alex Smith and Dwayne Haskins’ development.  Like a phoenix rising out of the ashes, Alex Smith has returned.  He’s been cleared by the doctors for full participation in football activities, so, incredibly, assuming he passes the team physical, Smith may at some point soon be all the way back and ready to play.  The team put him on the Physically Unable to Perform list for the time being, although that can change before the season.  Even if he never plays again, I’m flabbergasted that he’s gotten this far.  It’s a real testament to his work ethic and positive attitude.  Regardless, though, Dwayne Haskins is the future and needs to play, so Rivera should give him the first shot at the starting role.  As great of a story as Smith is, the reality is that Haskins sitting at this point would hinder his future.  I can’t read Ron Rivera’s mind, so maybe he opens up competition for the job, but I find it difficult to believe that Smith is actually going to be under center against the Eagles on September 13.  To me, if Smith actually does get back to active status, it needs to be in competition for the backup role.

The start of the Chase Young era.  It’s a darn shame that we won’t be able to see much of him until week one, but Young comes to DC with as much hype as anyone who’ve graced Washington’s hallowed halls in a generation.  Anything less than elite performance is going to disappoint many fans, so his development will be one of the highlights of training camp.  He has legitimate competition just to get a starting job in the form of the second-leading sacker in team history, Ryan Kerrigan, and last year’s first round draft pick Montez Sweat.  Watching the defensive end group is going to be one of the most visible and covered stories of the preseason.

The linebacker depth chart.  There may be more uncertainty amongst the linebacker corps than any other position group on the team.  Jonathan Bostic is probably the most settled as the starting middle linebacker, but beyond that, everything else is a big mess.  Will Reuben Foster be healthy and ready to go?  Probably not since the team put him on the PUP list on Monday, but if so, he’s the most talented backer on the team and can play either the SAM or the WILL.  How about Thomas Davis?  He’s older than dirt in football years, but he’s an accomplished, respected vet, so if he’s in any way a reasonable facsimile of his former self, he may be the starting WILL backer.  That, of course, would leave 2019 rookie Cole Holcomb on the bench, which doesn’t seem like a great idea.  Other folks like Ryan Anderson and Shawn Dion Hamilton will also be looking for playing time.  Anyone who claims to know for sure right now what linebacker is going to line up where on defensive play #1 against the Eagles is lying.

Will a young running back ever step up?  Is Adrian Peterson going to have to shoulder the load for the team’s running game forever, or are one of these young guys finally going to stay healthy and show they belong in the NFL?  The Washington Whatevers have a good amount of raw talent in this group, but not one of them except for the future hall of famer has actually proven anything.  At some point, a new franchise running back needs to show his face.  It’s worth noting that the team did not put Bryce Love on the PUP list yesterday, so he continues to be my sleeper pick.  Watch the news out of camp to see who’s getting the most carries in practice.

That’s basically it – no need for any preview of Richmond, Virginia, or how to get tickets.  This is the entirety of 2020 training camp, so enjoy what you can get.  The season starts on September 13.