Which Redskins players are on the bubble heading into week 4 at Tampa Bay

The Redskins pre-season to this point has been filled with highlights from individual players to this point. Offensively, they may not have looked impressive as a unit, but younger players have had good outings. Rookies Chase Roullier and Robert Davis have showcased skills at their respective positions, where one may start at center and the other may sneak into the final 53. The stock of Brian Quick, who had a good debut in Baltimore, has fallen, and he may have lost an opportunity to make this team with multiple drops this past Sunday. On defense, rookie cornerback Joshua Hosley and rookie safety Montae Nicholson have both had good preseasons, which creates tough decisions for coaches for their respective positions. Outside linebacker Chris Carter has emerged as a versatile player, a player who was once on the bubble. Carter has created an opportunity for himself with his pre-season performances now that Trent Murphy is lost for the season due to injury.

The last 4 players to make the Redskins roster to this point are as follows:

Joey Mbu – A year ago Mbu was on the Redskins practice squad, but has showed progression as a player. Mbu demonstrated that he’s worth developing, and that should happen while being on the active roster. Mbu has been active and displayed a high motor at nose tackle. With Phil Taylor lost for the season, this should likely be his replacement.

Quinton Dunbar – Dunbar wasn’t very impressive a year ago, and his stock has dropped following the performances of rookies Fabian Moreau and Joshua Hosley. However, he’s had a decent preseason, which is good enough for the Redskins to keep developing their project corner.

Lynden Trail – Trent Murphy’s injury has allowed for other linebackers to crack the final roster. Trail has a long ways to go, but the Redskins will need him, along with others, to help fill Murphy’s void.

Robert Davis – Prior to the start of preseason, one can say the Redskins were loaded at the wide receiver position. Technically, you can still say that, but the position has been unimpressive for the most part the first 3 weeks. Although his route running hasn’t been very good, Davis has displayed his natural ability to attack the football. He snatched one away from the defender against Green Bay and made a sliding catch against Baltimore for a critical first down conversion. He’s someone you need to keep.

The 4 players who just fall short of the active roster to this point:

Will Blackmon – With the emergence of Montae Nicholson these past couple of weeks, one can only assume the 11-year veteran’s job is in jeopardy. He’s a converted safety and to this point has struggled in his transition.

Fish Smithson – Smithson had a very good outing against the Bengals on Sunday, with an interception that should have been a pick-six, and he displayed natural instincts at the position on that play. However, Smithson has not done enough to stay on the final roster, although the practice squad may be in his future.

Arie Kouandjio – Kouandjio’s stock has took a hit each year of being in the league. The third year pro never developed into a potential starter, and has now started taking reps with the third team offense.

Nate Sudfeld – Pending his performance against the Buccaneers, Sudfeld is likely to be cut following his performance this pre-season. Although he has a strong arm, his throwing mechanics are still off. He’s struggled with his accuracy on throws outside the hashes, which should be routine throws for a professional quarterback. He was held on the active roster last season because of his potential, but with a year of preseason film, followed by this preseason’s film, he may be safe to cut and sign to the practice squad.