August 14, 2016
By Justin Nicely
With training camp coming to a close, it’s not a secret that the Redskins could use some upgrades, veterans, or even more depth at certain positions. With running back, outside linebacker, and safety probably needing the most help. So let’s take a look at some players Washington should consider signing or trading for.
By Justin Nicely
With training camp coming to a close, it’s not a secret that the Redskins could use some upgrades, veterans, or even more depth at certain positions. With running back, outside linebacker, and safety probably needing the most help. So let’s take a look at some players Washington should consider signing or trading for.
Running Backs
The Redskins are very thin at running back. Matt Jones only had an average of 3.4 yards per carry last season. He also fumbled four times and missed four games last season (including the wildcard playoff game vs the Packers). Jones is expected to step in and be the lead-workhorse back in 2016 for the Redskins and although he did have some breakout games during his rookie season, they shouldn’t rely on him for the full season. His backup, Chris Thompson, should be a good roll player on third down. However, he is also injury prone and isn’t an every down back if Jones goes down. The seventh round pick, Kieth Marshall, also has shown a lot of promise but is another player who has had some injury issues. Another reason why Washington should really consider adding a veteran back is because picking up pass rushers as a running back is something that is very difficult for inexperienced players in the NFL. And that’s a very important role in the offense, especially if you want to protect your quarterback.
The Redskins need a veteran running back, plain and simple. Here are a few players the Redskins should consider adding before the start of the season:
The Redskins need a veteran running back, plain and simple. Here are a few players the Redskins should consider adding before the start of the season:
Joique Bell
Yes, he has had some injury issues too, but he would be a good option behind Jones because he would be able to take on a larger role than some of the other backs on the roster. He’s a powerful runner who’s had starting experience. During his career he’s had 561 carries; 2,235 yards; 4.0 YPC, and 22 touchdowns.
Chris Polk
He has one more year of experience than Chris Thompson does (four years) and also has a lot more game experience. Polk would be a good compliment to Jones and Thompson with the good balance of speed and power he brings. He is still a young player at 26 years old, which is usually around the age players starting getting into their prime which would be nice plus for whatever team he signs with. In his career, he has 156 carries for 604 yards, 8 touchdowns, 22 receptions for 186 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown.
Pierre Thomas
The Redskins signed Thomas during the last stretch of the season in 2015 and he provided a spark. He was very useful when coming out of the backfield and catching passes and also got a few big runs off too. I think he would be the most likely candidate to sign if the Redskins did decide to sign a running back.
Vick Ballard
If healthy (which is a big if), I believe Ballard would be a great pick up for the Redskins. Vick Ballard came in as a rookie in 2012 and played in all 16 games and started in 12 of those games. In his rookie year he had 211 attempts for 814 yards (3.9 AVG), two touchdowns, 17 receptions for 152 yards (8.9 AVG), and one receiving touchdown. Ballard showed a lot of promise and was expected to be there starting running back in 2013, but suffered two season ending injuries in 2013 and 2014. Ballard could help in the pass and run game and would add a little more experience, but is also still young at 26 years old.
Roy Helu Jr.
The former Redskin opted to sign a two-year deal with the Raiders over the Redskins last offseason. The Redskins were interested in bringing him back, so why shouldn’t they be now? He had some injury issues while in Oakland, but he’s a veteran back who can block and catch the ball out of the backfield. Although he’ll have some catching up to do, he is familiar with the offense.
Ray Rice
This option may be the most controversial one, but I think the Redskins would be very, very smart to add a player and person like Ray Rice. I honestly think he has turned his life around. If a player like Greg Hardy is still getting interest, then why isn’t Rice? General Manager, Scot McCloughan, likes to bet on players that have had a troubled past because he has been there himself, especially if he believes they are a changed person. Rice gives speeches to organizations, teams, and groups about domestic violence and he even pledged to donate his whole NFL salary to domestic violence programs if a team signs him and gives him a chance. You can tell, Rice is itching to get back into the pads and change his image. How does that not scream “McCloughan Player” to you? The former Raven is proven running the football and catching the football out of the backfield. I think he’d be a good fit in Jay Gruden’s offense and would be a good addition to the team.
Outside Linebackers
The Redskins were counting on Junior Galette to get a double digit sack season, but he tore his other Achilles days before training camp and will be out for the year. General Manager, Scot McCloughan, wanted more from the pass rush last season that logged 38 sacks. They are looking at younger players already inside the building, but none of them have stood out. They even moved Trent Murphy back to OLB after he had been working with the defensive line all last season. Here are some options for the Redskins in free agency, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they waited until after week one to add someone here.
Mike Neal
The Redskins wouldn’t be signing Mike Neal to replace Junior Galette because he’s not as much of a pass rusher, rather he’d take the role of setting the edge on first and/or second down and give Preston Smith or Ryan Kerrigan a breather so they can get fresh legs and get to the quarterback easier. Since free agency started I always thought signing Neal would be a smart move for the Redskins because of his ability to play the run. Which is something the Redskins have had trouble stopping the past few seasons. Mike Neal was constantly in the backfield making plays in the wild card game vs the Redskins. Even though he doesn’t get double digit sacks, he can still manage to get a few sacks throughout the season. In 2015, he started in 15 of 16 games for the Packers. In his six years as a pro he gained 133 tackles, 19 sacks, and three forced fumbles. However, according to ESPN’s John Keim, the Redskins weren’t interested in Mike Neal at this time.
Greg Hardy
Reports came out that the Redskins were considering Hardy after the news broke that Galette was out for the season. But it was quickly dismissed. Redskins corner Bashaud Breeland and Josh Norman both expressed interest in Hardy, but it is doubtful they bring him in. Greg Hardy played with Norman in Carolina and had a breakout-Pro Bowl year, but a domestic violence charge came up and was released by the Panthers. He signed with the Cowboy’s last season, but stirred up a lot of drama and became a headache for the organization. I think it would be smart for the team to avoid the drama and find another option.
Johnathan Newsome
He may be one of the most appealing pass rushers on the market, but he has a lot of baggage that comes with him. In February he was released by the Colts after being arrested for possession of marijuana. In April, he pleaded guilty to one count of maintaining a common nuisance. He signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League and is trying to turn his image and life around. In 2014, (his rookie season) he led the Colts in sacks with 6.5 sacks. In his two-year NFL career he had 47 total tackles, 7.5 sacks, 2 passes defended, and 4 forced fumbles. Newsome can also play special teams which is a plus. He’s only 25 years old, and if the Redskins pass rush still has some questions early in the season, they should think about giving him a call and adding a player that could be in his prime soon.
Safeties
I think the Redskins are happy with their depth at safety right now. However, Will Blackmon looked like he was struggling at free safety in the preseason game vs the Atlanta Falcons. And if he keeps having a hard time transitioning, they might consider adding a veteran. It definitely hurts losing Kyshoen Jarrett, but I think they are fine at strong safety with David Bruton Jr. and Duke Ihenacho. If they sign a safety, I think it will most likely be Dashon Goldson and here’s why:
Dashon Goldson
The Redskins released Goldson early in the offseason due to his large contract that he signed with the Buccaneers. They said they wouldn’t rule out bringing him back, but it doesn’t seem likely. He started next to DeAngelo Hall in 2015, and although he played better than previous Redskins' at his position in the past few years, he wasn’t great. With the Redskins he had 110 total tackles, 3 passes defended, 1 interception, 1 touchdown, and 1 forced fumble. They wouldn’t sign him to start but rather to back up DeAngelo Hall at free safety. I think he’s the most likely safety to sign (if they were to sign one) due to his knowledge of the defense already.
Trades
Dion Jordan
The Dolphins traded up to get Dion Jordan with the third overall pick in the 2013 draft. In his rookie season he didn’t start any games and only had two sacks and 19 tackles. In his sophomore season he only played in 10 games and started in only one. He had an underwhelming 1 sack and 20 tackles. The NFL suspended Jordan for the entire 2015 season for violation of league substance abuse policy. Dion Jordan was reinstated this summer and was just cleared to start practicing when he’s healthy (he just had arthroscopic surgery on his knee). Although he won’t be able to participate in practice for a few weeks, reports have stated that he looks “brand new.” If the Dolphins are willing to trade their former first overall pick, the Redskins could potentially get a steal for a mid-to-late round pick.
Andre Ellington
Due to injuries and impressive performances by others, the former starting running back now sits as the third running back on the roster behind rookie sensation David Johnson and speedster Chris Johnson. Ellington has yet to play all 16 games in the regular season in the NFL, but when he is healthy he’s hard to stop. He's quick, speedy, and can complement that with some power. He’s an every down back that can take the hand-off down the middle and come out of the backfield and catch passes. In his three year career he’s played in 37 games and started in 15 of those. Ellington has gained 1,601 yards and 9 touchdowns on 364 carries. He also has 100 receptions for 914 yards and three touchdowns.
Bishop Sankey
The former second round pick by the Tennessee Titans in the 2014 draft is now near the bottom of his team's depth chart. The Titans are planning on giving him a heavy work load during the preseason games to try to get other teams interested him trading for him. The former Washington Husky, is another speedy back that can catch the ball out of the backfield. In college, he put up video game stats with 644 career carries for 3,496 yards and 37 touchdowns. He also added 67 receptions for 567 yards and a touchdown.Sankey also dominated at the combine, so it’s not like he is lacking anything athletically. In his two years as a pro he’s played in 29 games and started in only 12 of them. Sankey has also had a very light work load in the NFL, having only 199 carries for 762 yards and 3 touchdowns, and 32 receptions for 272 yards and one touchdown. With the Titans, he never really got to showcase his skill set due to a poor offensive line and bad scheme fit. If the Redskins were able to snatch Sankey, they could have themselves a steal. He would fit Jay Gruden’s system perfectly and could possibly be the Redskins version of Giovani Bernard.
Jamaal Charles, Charcandrick West, Spencer Davis, and Knile Davis
The Chiefs have on of the deepest backfields in the NFL. After Jamaal Charles tore his ACL in 2015, West and Davis took over the backfield and the Chiefs offense didn’t skip a beat. Earlier in the offseason there was some rumors going around that the Chiefs would be willing to trade Jamaal Charles, but that would come at a hefty price. If the Redskins really wanted to trade the Chiefs for a running back it would make more since if they went after one of the three backs behind Charles. Charcandrick West was the first player to stand up to the plate when Charles went down had he didn’t disappoint. He started in in games and had 160 carries for 634 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also caught 20 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown. Spencer Ware started in two games in 2015 after his fellow running back, Charcandrick West, went down. Ware impressed and got even more work when West returned. In 2015, Ware recorded 72 carries for 403 yards and 6 touchdowns. Knile Davis was a player forgotten in the Chiefs backfield in 2015. But he is a multi-dimensional player as he can run the ball between the tackles, catch the ball out of the backfield, and receive kickoffs/punts. He showcased this in is best NFL season that came in 2014 when he had 134 carries for 463 yards and six touchdowns. He also had 16 catches for 147 yards and a touchdown. Davis is only 24 years old too. I doubt the Chiefs would be willing to trade one of these players though as each person plays a significant role for their team.
What player would you like to see the Redskins sign? And what player would you like to see the Redskins trade for?
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