The Redskins will report to training camp on July 25. Over the next five weeks they will undergo the process of cutting their 90-man roster down to 53. Which players will get those coveted spots and which will join the ranks of the unemployed? Over the next couple of weeks we’ll go through position by position and try to predict what decisions Mike Shanahan and company will make.
So far we’ve covered the offense, the linebackers, the defensive backs and the defensive line. Today we’ll look at the specialists.
There are four specialists on the roster, the Redskins will keep three.
In: P Sav Rocca, LS Nick Sundberg, PK Graham Gano
Out: PK Neil Rackers
Breakdown
Rocca and Sundberg have no competition right now although they could bring in someone during camp should either one of them falter. That seems unlikely and they are very likely to go into the season with their jobs.
If Rackers clearly outperforms Gano in camp and in the preseason games, the job is his. If Gano is better, he gets the job. That’s obvious. But who will win if there is no clear winner?
Will Danny Smith and Mike Shanahan go with the veteran Rackers, believing that his experience will be an asset the team can lead on as the season wears on? Or will they stick with younger Gano thinking that they have gone through the labor pains for the past two years to they should get the baby?
I think that on this youth-oriented team the younger player will get the push. So since Gano wins out in two of the three possible scenarios I’ll go with picking Gano as the winner of the competition.
Cornerback: DeAngelo Hall, Josh Wilson, Cedric Griffin, Richard Crawford, Chase Minnifield
Safety: Brandon Meriweather, Tanard Jackson, Madieu Williams, DeJon Gomes
Out: Kevin Barnes, Brandyn Thompson, Morgan Trent, Jordan Bernstine, Travon Bellamy, Reed Doughty
In: Brian Orakpo, Ryan Kerrigan, Rob Jackson, Markus White, Chris Wilson, London Fletcher, Perry Riley, Lorenzo Alexander, Keenan Robinson, Jonathan Goff
Out: Donnell Holt, Bryan Kehl, Brian McNally, Monte Lewis
In: Stephen Bowen, Jarvis Jenkins, Adam Carriker, Kedric Golston, Barry Cofield, Chris Neild
Out: Darrion Scott, Kentwan Balmer, Doug Worthington, Chris Baker, Delvin Johnson
In (4): Roy Helu Jr., Tim Hightower, Evan Royster, Darrell Young
Out: Tristan Davis, Alfred Morris, Antwon Bailey, Lennon Creer
In (3): Fred Davis, Niles Paul, Chris Cooley
Out: Logan Paulsen, Richard Quinn, Beau Reliford
In (6): Anthony Armstrong, Pierre Garçon, Leonard Hankerson, Josh Morgan, Santana Moss, Aldrick Robinson
Out: Brandon Banks, Terrence Austin, Darius Hanks, Brian Hernandez, Lance Lewis, Samuel Kirkland
In (3): Robert Griffin III, Rex Grossman, Kirk Cousins
Out: Jonathan Crompton
In (9): Trent Williams, Kory Lichtensteiger, Will Montgomery, Chris Chester, Jammal Brown, Willie Smith, Tyler Polumbus, Josh LeRibeus, Tom Compton
Out: Erik Cook, Grant Garner, Adam Gettis, Maurice Hurt, Nevin McCaskill, James Lee, Nick Martinez
Rich Tandler blogs about the Redskins at www.RealRedskins.com. You can reach him by email here and follow him on Twitter @Rich_Tandler.
Comments