Now that this season’s Training Camp is finished, Redskins Capital Connection is going to take an in-depth look at each unit on the team, analysing their strengths, weaknesses, projected starters and points of interest. In the lead up to the Week One game versus the Miami Dolphins, RCC will break down every single unit on the Redskins team.
Receivers
Unit Coach: Ike Hilliard
Projected Starters: DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, Andre Roberts
Projected Backups: Ryan Grant, Jamison Crowder
On the Bubble: Evan Spencer, Reggie Bell
Key Additions
With the departure of the veteran Santana Moss, as well as 4th year player Aldrick Robinson, the Redskins needed to bring in at least a couple of players to work behind DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon. If this was 2005 and not 2015, the Redskins likely would have splashed money around looking to overpay some of the free agent Wide Receivers that hit the market this offseason such as Torrey Smith or Andre Johnson. But that’s not how Scot McCloughan does business.
At picks 105 (4th round) and 187 (6th round) respectively, the Redskins selected Jamison Crowder from Duke and Evan Spencer from Ohio State to join the roster. Neither player had been expected to come in and compete with the established veterans to push for a starting job, but both players would be given every opportunity to compete throughout Training Camp and the preseason to cement themselves as professional footballers worthy of a spot on the final 53 man roster.
Among their various abilities and strengths, the size of both Crowder and Spencer is interesting; at 6’2, Evan Spencer is the tallest receiver on the Redskins roster at present by a full 2 inches, and yet at 5’8 Crowder is the smallest receiver by a full 2 inches. How this impacts their chances to make the roster and what they can offer the Redskins is yet to be seen in it’s entirety.
Unit Weaknesses
It is fair to say that the biggest weakness for the Wide Receivers has been the inconsistent Quarterback play in the past two years, but as this article is focusing purely on the receivers as a unit, we won’t be including that here.
Although the trio of Jackson, Garcon and Roberts are all battle-tested veterans, the rest of the receivers on the roster are anything but. Crowder and Spencer are rookies, and 2nd year receiver Ryan Grant has a career total of 7 receptions, 5 of which came in the Week 2 Jacksonville game last year when Jackson hurt his shoulder and left the game. Therefore the issue of reliability and consistency is a huge question mark for this unit. Both Jackson and Garcon have missed some games due to injury in the last three years, and should one of them be hurt during the regular season this year the Redskins would quickly find themselves relying heavily on unproven young players.
Then there’s the issue of variety. All of the top five Redskins receivers on our projected Week 1 roster (as above) are remarkably similar players in what they bring to the offense; they are all 6’0 or under and they all rely purely on their speed to either get behind a defense, or to turn short passes into big gains with yards after the catch. Only the 6’2 Evan Spencer has the height to provide a different type of target in the passing game -a true “go up and get it” endzone target. Yet there is every chance Spencer may not make the final roster should the Redskins decide to go with 5 receivers instead of 6. Even if Spencer does make the roster, he has shown in Training Camp that he is raw, and he has battled with drops and getting his timing on routes to be consistent.
Unit Strengths
Having a weapon of the caliber like DeSean Jackson completely opens up what you can do with an offensive playbook, given that you know any smart defense you face will rarely stack the box against you out of fear that Jackson will burn you deep like only he can. It also means that more often than not Pierre Garcon will be left matched up against the second best Cornerback from opposing teams, and this is something that can and should be used to the Redskins advantage as frequently as possible. When left in single coverage, Garcon has the ability to turn short catches in to huge gains, like this example from the Tennessee game last season.
Both Jackson and Garcon are the type of receivers that would certainly give opposition Defensive Coordinators headaches in terms of trying to scheme against them. Both have excellent speed, both have great hands, and both have an uncanny ability to make tacklers miss in the open field. Furthermore, both also have the ability to run a wide variety of different routes, ranging from simple bubble screens and slants, to more complex routes like digs and corners. Neither receiver is afraid of crossing the middle and potentially taking a hit, either, and we have seen both of them put their bodies on the line to pull in catches in traffic, such as this Griffin to Jackson touchdown pass from last year.
Although Andre Roberts had a few too many drops on catchable passes last season, he does bring a noticeable veteran presence and attitude to this unit. Like Jackson and Garcon, Roberts is also not afraid to run routes through traffic, and this versatility is a strength that Redskins Offensive Coordinator Sean McVay should seek to build around even further in 2015.
Young Player to Watch
Given that Roberts had a few drops last year and also didn’t set the world on fire with his work as a returner on both kickoffs and punts, there is an ever-growing contingent of Redskins fans who are lobbying for rookie Jamison Crowder to take Robert’s role as the starting slot receiver and returner. Therefore, most would think that Crowder would be our young player to watch. But he’s not.
It’s Ryan Grant.
In his second year with the team, Ryan Grant looks noticeably quicker and more confident this year, and he was carrying himself with a permanent “pissed off” demeanor throughout Training Camp that many members of the media contingent noticed at different times, as Grant was perhaps the only player to consistently refuse to do post-practice interviews. Whether this is some new approach to football, or whether there’s something else motivating Grant to be angry, the early indications are that it’s working. He has looked dramatically improved compared to his 2014 self, and Jay Gruden remarked on his progress on the last day of Training Camp, saying the following:
“Ryan is a technician is what he is. If you draw a play up on a chalkboard he’ll do it exactly right. He’s very good at doing what he’s asked to do, he’s very defined in all his routes. He’s probably our best route runner, pure route runner. He gets in and out of breaks in a hurry. He’s got big strong hands. I have no trouble, no problem, any time, any place, anywhere lining up with Ryan in a key situation and having him be a focal point. Unfortunately for him, there are a couple of other really really good players in front of him.”
Based on both the first preseason game as well as Training Camp, Ryan Grant looks likely to be the backup receiver working directly behind DeSean Jackson. This means the majority of his assignments when he is on the field will be working from the outside receiver position, and he’ll be matching up against some upper echelon quality defenders. If Grant can translate his impressive offseason work into results on the field, he’s certainly going to grow his number of career receptions significantly.
Unit Grade
B.
One of the strongest receiving corps in the National Football League, but it’s being held back by it’s relatively one-dimensional personnel grouping, as well as the inconsistent Quarterback play like we touched on earlier. If Ryan Grant and the rookies can come in this year and be an impressive and reliable supporting cast to the starters Jackson and Garcon, and if the receivers can build and maintain rapport with the Quarterback, then there should be some fun times ahead of this unit.
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