Training Camp Preview: 5 Reasons To Panic (And Why You Shouldn’t)
July 25, 2019
by Eric Hill
The wait is over.
Training camp is upon us and with it comes hand wringing and speculation. The Redskins’ A+ draft is ancient history and the fruitful free agency period is long forgotten. Fans are back in #FireBruceAllen mode as Trent Williams is holding out, Brandon Scherff enters the last season of his rookie deal with no extension in place, Derrius Guice is already nursing an injury and an inside linebacker group once flush with more Fosters than an Australian tourist bar is now long on speed but short on experience. More than one talking head has predicted double-digit losses in 2019. Yep, Redskins football is back!
Let’s take a look at the topics of consternation and see if there’s really any reason to get our collective boxers in a wad. To measure, we’ll use the wedgie meter, which I developed and tested all through my young life to determine whether it was safe to go to the playground, attend school dances or do my ventriloquist act in the talent show. Wedgie level 1 would register as “barely noticeable,” and Level 5 would be “my back teeth taste like underwear.” We’ll start with the perceived wedgie level and end with the actual. Let’s get started.
Trent Williams Holdout
Perceived Wedgie Level: 5
The primary cause for concern here is the uncertainty of why Williams is upset. Is it money? Is it a distrust of management? The medical staff? We’ve heard different stories from different people at different times throughout the whole saga, and now Trent didn’t show up for the start of training camp.
How concerning is this really, though? Williams is an elite left tackle entering his tenth year in the NFL. A few extra weeks of rest is only going to help him when he gets to DC—and he will get to DC. If he isn’t happy with the team or medical staff, sure it’s an issue, but it’s an issue that can be easily rectified with a few commas and zeroes. If it’s about money, commas and zeroes will fix it, too, obviously.
Williams is due to make around $11 million this year and only half of that is guaranteed. He’s not going to forego $5.5 million because he’s grumpy about being underpaid. Whether or not a deal is in place, he’ll be back on the field by the time the games start. Still, I’d rather have a happy Williams than a grumpy Williams, so the team should work to pay him a little extra based on what he has meant to the organization.
Actual Wedgie Level: 2
Brandon Scherff Extension
Perceived Wedgie Level: 4
Recent revelations that Scherff and the Redskins were “far apart” in contract negotiations cause many a sphincter to tighten among Skins fandom. Scherff is a young, Pro Bowl level player and is seen as a foundational piece as the team moves forward. It’s essential that he and the team reach a deal to keep him here for the next few years.
That said, we must remember that Scherff is under contract for 2019 and there is plenty of time to work something out. The Redskins have been good about re-signing their bigtime players. Williams, Ryan Kerrigan, Jordan Reed and Morgan Moses have all been taken care of. There’s no reason to think Scherff won’t as well.
Let’s live in the now and let the future sort itself out in due time.
Actual Wedgie Level: 2 (If we’re still talking about this in February, it will be a 4)
Inside Linebacker Depth
Perceived Wedgie Level: 3
Inside linebacker looked like it would be a position of strength heading in to 2019. Reuben Foster had been cleared of wrongdoing by the NFL after an investigation of personal conduct violations. The combination of Reuben Foster, Zach Brown and Mason Foster, with Shaun Dion Hamilton providing depth behind the excellent defensive front, was cause for excitement.
Fast forward to July and Reuben Foster is on IR after shredding his knee on the third snap of OTAs. Zach Brown is an Eagle and Mason Foster was a surprise cut on the eve of training camp. Hamilton is now at the top of the depth chart, along with Jonathan Bostic, on his sixth team entering year seven of his career, backed up by unproven Josh Harvey-Clemons and sixth round rookie/Alex Zeese man crush Cole Holcomb. Yikes.
I’m not gonna lie, this is a little concerning. Mason Foster and Brown weren’t really that great and I don’t know how much they would have helped. I love Hamilton and Bostic has shown flashes. Harvey-Clemons might just become the standout dime linebacker that Su’a Cravens was supposed to be. Still, there’s quite a bit of uncertainty in this position group.
Actual Wedgie Level: 3 I think we got this one right.
Derrius Guice’s Injury
Perceived Wedgie Level: 3
Derrius Guice’s torn ACL in last year’s preseason was devastating on several levels. After inexplicably dropping to the Redskins late in the second round, Guice was seen as a draft steal who could be the work horse back the team hasn’t had since Alfred Morris.
His injury did have a silver lining, however, as the Redskins plucked Adrian Peterson off the scrap heap and his 1,042 yard season was one of the bright spots in 2019.
Still, hope has returned as Guice has had a full year to recover and take his rightful spot in the backfield. His latest setback, a hamstring injury, has sparked a “here we go again” groan from fans.
I’m not particularly worried about this hammy thing. I would assume the team planned to bring Guice along slowly in camp anyway as he regained his explosiveness. Peterson is still here and there is a stable of young players trying to make the team that are more than willing to take the extra carries Guice’s injury affords them. Guice should be ready to go when the regular season starts and even if he isn’t, there is a future hall of famer there to handle the load.
Actual Wedgie Level: 1
Pundit Predictions
Perceived Wedgie Level 1
So a bunch of talking heads in the national media are predicting this team to go 2-14 or 3-13. Whatever. They can go piss up a flagpole. This team isn’t going to win the Super Bowl but it’s not a two win team. The talent is there for the Redskins to at least be competitive in every game they play. This team has managed to win 7 games in each of the last two seasons despite finishing with 20+ players on injured reserve. There no way this team wins less than 5 games this season.
Actual Wedgie Level: If you’re worried about what some schmuck talking head thinks about your favorite team, you deserve a wedgie.
Football is back. Let’s enjoy the ride.