Both Redskins Capital Connection’s Chad Ryan and The Washington Post’s Mark Bullock have done predicted final 53 man Redskins rosters, and they decided to jump on the phone to each other and compare notes. This article is a transcript of the conversation that followed, omitting any cricket-related trash talk.
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Chad Ryan: Let’s start with the Wide Receivers. I’ve got the Redskins carrying six, you’ve got them carrying seven. Was that just so you could fit both Rashad Ross and Evan Spencer on the roster?
Mark Bullock: Yes. Essentially I thought Spencer, whilst he has the profile of being the draft pick over Ross and he offers height that the Redskins don’t have from any other receiver, he didn’t really stand out as a receiver. He had too many drops. Where as Ross was a stand out, quite obviously. He led the NFL with receiving yards and touchdowns for the preseason. I had to find a way to fit him on the roster, if anything just as a future investment instead of letting him go and watching him land somewhere else.
Chad: You’ve also got Kyshoen Jarrett making the roster above Trenton Robinson, but you do have the Redskins carrying five safeties. What was your thinking between Jarrett and Robinson?
Mark: I prefer Jarrett personally. The fact that he’s a ‘McCloughan guy’ gives him a one-up for a start, and he’s caught my eye with the way he was directing people around in the secondary. He has quite a confidence in himself as a rookie to come in and take charge, be the guy leading people around. Obviously it’s easy to step on the field and point your finger around, saying “go here, go there”, but he seemed to actually be getting it right which was impressive. He’s also more versatile; he can play both safety slots, he can play some slot corner. He’s a big special teams guy. With the Secondary lacking, I thought I’d take the extra safety in Trenton Robinson as well, just as a precaution. He can play a bit of Free Safety, as well as on special teams.
Chad: You’ve got the team taking Martrell Spaight, where as I don’t have him making my final 53. For me it came down to him and Houston Bates for that last spot… and this was the 53rd spot on the roster I assigned. Bates offers more on special teams and looks a little more developed than Spaight in my opinion. Spaight looks a bit more raw and looks like he needs a year on the practice squad. How close was Bates to making your roster?
Mark: Yeah, pretty close, for those exact same reasons you just said. In the end I felt that Spaight being a draft pick probably gives him the upper hand. That said, Bates definitely had a terrific preseason, but I thought with Trent Murphy and Preston Smith being young guys -and high profile young guys-, they’ll get most of the snaps opposite Ryan Kerrigan. And Jackson Jeffcoat performed really well, too. That means I don’t see there being many snaps to go around at Outside Linebacker. It’d be pretty much a special teams role. And last year, Keenan Robinson went down injured, and Perry Riley both had a couple of knicks, so I thought an extra backup Inside Linebacker would probably be more useful than backup-backup pass rusher.
Chad: Another difference between our predictions; I’ve got Kedric Golston making the roster, and I know that coaches like him and what he offers. Even though he won’t see much action because of where he sits on the depth chart. You’ve left him off. Was he close to making your 53?
Mark: No! He was one of my first cuts, personally. He’s been a guy that I’ve heard coaches like him, but I don’t see why everytime I’ve watched him play. He’s never stood out to me, at all. In the last three seasons combined his stats are 25 tackles and 0 sacks. If we lacked Defensive Line depth, then you might carry him. But the fact that the Redskins added three defensive lineman and kept Frank Kearse, Chris Baker and Jason Hatcher, and Kearse actually showed some pass rush ability last year, I’d keep him over Golston.
Chad: We have the same six Cornerbacks making the team, but I have included Bashaud Breeland in my final 53, even with that week one suspension, where as you have done a final 54, with that suspension in mind. Who is the unlucky guy who drops off the team in Week 2 for Breeland to return?
Mark: Most likely Trenton Robinson. I think they carry the Corners. It’ll either be Robinson or Deshazor Everett, but I think Robinson was a last-second keep. So unless Robinson does something amazing, I think he’ll drop off.
Chad: That’s interesting, because for me I’d need to add someone for that Week 1 where Breeland is suspended. For me, it would by Kyshoen Jarrett. He’d come in and then drop off in Week 2, go back onto the practice squad. It’ll be interesting to see if either of us is correct here, or if neither of us are correct. Because it could also just as easily be one of the linebackers like Houston Bates or Martrell Spaight, depending on who makes it.
Mark: It could definitely be one of the linebackers, for sure.
Chad: So the one main thing we both agree on in terms of our rosters is that we both have Robert Griffin III not present. What would you rate your confidence out of 100% on that one?
Mark: I’m not 100% confident in that. If it were me, I would definitely not have him on the team. If you’re going to committ to Kirk Cousins, then committ. Say “right, that’s it. We’re done with RGIII. Let him go be elsewhere”. Because if you keep him on the team, even as the third Quarterback who doesn’t dress on gameday, anytime Cousins makes a mistake you’ll start hearing “RGIII” chants. So for me I’d let him go and move on. But I have a sneaky suspicion the team isn’t ready to say he’s definitely not our guy anymore.
Chad: I agree. If you were serious about this being “Kirk’s team” now, it’s a half-measure to not immediately move on from Griffin cleanly. It’ll be very interesting to see. As soon as Cousins was named the starter I would have said it’s about a 85% chance that Griffin wouldn’t be on the roster, but then after the past couple of days and listening to Gruden, that number is closer to a soft 60% now. But it changes the shape of the roster dramatically, because if Griffin is cut I don’t see the Redskins bringing in a third Quarterback who makes the roster. Maybe they bring in a practice squad Quarterback, but that’s it. People’s interest in the final 53 is definitely going to be focused on this spot, because if the Redskins do keep Griffin, that’s a spot that someone like Trenton Robinson, Kyshoen Jarrett, Houston Bates, Martrell Spaight or even Rashad Ross can’t take. It’s going to be a very intriguing 24 hours whilst we wait to see what happens here.
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