Washington Football Team 2020 – Is There Any Electricity? Part 2
August 3, 2020
By Noonefromtampa
This is part 2 of our look at the Washington Football Team and what changes have occurred since season. Part 1 covered the defense, special teams and coaching staff, while part 2 covers the offensive side of the team.
Offensive Line
The offensive line is probably the biggest question mark for the team. The team seems to be set at center with Chase Roullier, but then the questions begin. Can Brandon Scherff come back to Pro Bowl level performance after his injury in 2019? Also, will he eventually sign a long-term deal, hit free agency after the 2020 season, or be tagged again? Who is going to play left tackle? The choices are veterans Geron Christian, Cornelius Lucas and draft pick Saahdiq Charles. Can Morgan Moses bounce back from his declining performance in 2019? Finally, who is going to play left guard out of the two Wes’s – Martin and Schweitzer. New offensive line coach John Mastko will earn his money this year determining the identity of the starters and backups. Keith Ismael and Ross Pierschbacher will have an opportunity to show they can be versatile backups covering the interior line positions. The remaining backups will come from Michael Liedtke, Jeremy Vujnovich, Timon Parris and Paul Adams.
Offensive Line Rating: Negative (-)
Hog Sty Position Group Breakdown – Offensive Line
Running Backs
Adrian Peterson, even at his age, is the likely starter at running back. The team drafted Antonio Gibson to be the dual threat runner/pass catcher out of the backfield. J.D. McKissic was signed as a free agent for the same role. Derrius Guice and Bryce Love are both coming back from injuries. Guice has shown great promise in flashes between injuries. Love has yet to take the field since his serious knee injury in college. There is a lot of talent and promise in this group and Scott Turner will have to find a way to best use them.
Running Backs Rating: Positive (+)
Hog Sty Position Group Breakdown – Running Backs
Wide Receivers
This group will be very young in terms of NFL experience. The core group is expected to be Terry McLaurin, Steven Sims Jr., and Kelvin Harmon. Cody Latimer was signed in the offseason to be the veteran of the group, but ran into trouble getting arrested back in May. So, his status is uncertain given Coach Rivera’s reputation for discipline. Antonio Gandy-Golden was drafted and his highlight reel has people excited. People should temper that as most rookie wide receivers take a season to get use to the NFL level of competition. With Latimer in question, players such as Trey Quinn, Cam Sims, Isaiah Wright, Jordan Veasy and Jester Weah have a shot to make the team. Washington brought Dontrelle Inman in for a workout on Sunday and is expected to sign him but has not yet made an announcement.
Wide Receivers Rating: Positive (+)
Hog Sty Position Group Breakdown – Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
There is not a tight end the caliber of Jordan Reed on the roster anymore. Jeremy Sprinkle and Hale Hentges return from last year’s squad. Logan Thomas was signed in the offseason to be the primary option at tight end but is currently on injured reserve under the COVID-19 protocol. He has had an inconsistent history in his short career as a tight end. Thomas has shown promise at times but having a consistent option for a young quarterback is important. Undrafted free agent Thaddeus Moss, Marcus Baugh, Caleb Wilson and journeyman Richard Rodgers round out the list of players competing for a spot.
Secondary Rating: Negative (-)
Hog Sty Position Group Breakdown – Tight Ends
Quarterbacks
Regardless of what some in the national media have published, the quarterback position is Dwayne Haskins’ job to lose. Kyle Allen is there to back him and provide a voice in the quarterback room who understands Scott Turner’s offensive. The level of success of this offense will be directly tied to how well Haskins plays. Will Alex Smith ever be able to play again? Only time will tell. His doctors have cleared him, but he still has to be cleared by the team physicians, Personally, I think he retires after collecting his money this season. Steve Montez is the project at this position.
Quarterback Rating: Positive (+)
Hog Sty Position Position Group Breakdown – Quarterbacks
Where Do We Stand
The team has several position groups which are strengths, such as defensive line, running back and wide receiver. The trouble is there are just as many questionable groups. For this team to be anything more than a five-win or six-win team, the defensive needs to play well, keeping games close. The offense must not turn over the ball a lot, putting the defensive in a short-field situation. The offense must play well enough to keep the defense off the field long enough to get rested. The offense has to make enough big plays to keep defenses from crowding the line of scrimmage and daring Haskins to throw.
The team also has to avoid the leading the league in games lost due to injury. The injury bug has severely impacted the team the last few seasons.
The electricity surrounding this team comes from a new coaching staff and the possibility of having found a franchise quarterback. If Jack Del Rio can deliver a good defense, this should be the best season to watch in the last three or four years.