This Ain’t Your Washington Redskins Of Old: 53 Man Roster Is Full Of Depth

The Washington Redskins have one of the deepest rosters in all of football. That can now officially be said after reviewing the team’s final 53-man roster.

On Saturday, NFL teams had to trim their rosters down to 53 players by 6:00 pm. Let’s take a look at the moves Washington made:

Quarterbacks (4)

Robert Griffin III

Kirk Cousins

Rex Grossman III

Pat White

• In a surprising change of events, former West Virginia star QB Pat White made the Washington Redskins’ final roster. No one could have guessed that the team would keep four QBs. But it makes sense for these reasons:

1. The Washington Redskins rather trade than outright release White. A team like the New York Giants was waiting for Washington to release him. Washington doesn’t want Pat White giving away information about their offense. They rather dictate where he lands. Their hope is that a trade partner surfaces in the coming weeks.

2. The team has to prepare for Michael Vick during practice next week. White is a perfect candidate to simulate Vick on scout team.

3. Two extra roster spots were opened when Rob Jackson and Jarvis Jenkins felt the wrath of Roger Goodell and the NFL justice system. Both players will be suspended for the first four weeks of football.

Running Backs (5)

Alfred Morris

Roy Helu Jr.

Evan Royster

Chris Thompson

Darryl Young

• No real surprises here. This is a position with quality depth and each player possesses different traits. Rookie Jawan Jamison was cut, but the team was smart with limiting his preseason reps. He’ll be retained on the practice squad. Chris Thompson made the team and stamped his name on the punt returner job last Thursday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Offensive Linemen (8 active)

Trent Williams

Tom Compton

Kory Lichtensteiger

Josh LeRibeus

Will Montgomery

Chris Chester

Adam Gettis

Tyler Polumbus

(Adam Gettis will start the season on PUP)

• No big surprises here either. Although, some would bang the table for RT Tony Pashos who played well in the preseason. The team is confident in Tyler Polumbus and versatility is something the team looks for in offensive linemen. So a lot of these guys can swing around to other positions. But most importantly, staying healthy along the front for a second consecutive year would be huge.

Tight Ends (4)

Fred Davis

Logan Paulsen

Niles Paul

Jordan Reed

• This will be a special position for the Redskins. There are numerous ways the team plans to use each guy — in slot, out-wide, in the backfield… They are match-up nightmares.

Wide Receivers (5)

Pierre Garcon

Joshua Morgan

Santana Moss

Aldrick Robinson

Leonard Hankerson

• If Pierre Garcon stays healthy, he will surface as one of the most explosive receivers in the NFL. He could easily have 80+ catches, over 1,000 yards and double digit TDs in this offense. He’s the featured, go-to guy. Josh Morgan is healthy and could have a good year. Santana Moss is still a consistent vet who will continue having limited snaps — keeping him fresh and capable of making big plays. Aldrick Robinson and Leonard Hankerson are two young guys with a lot of ability. But consistency is key. Especially in Hankerson’s case.

Defensive Line (6)

Chris Baker

Phillip Merling

Barry Cofield

Chris Neild

Stephen Bowen

Kedric Golston

• Five-Tech (3-4 defensive end) Jarvis Jenkins was suspended the first four games of the season. However, this is still a solid group of players. Chris Baker has moved over from nose tackle to defensive end and improved his play each game during the preseason. Phillip Merling really impressed me and seems to have finally found a scheme that clicks. And if Barry Cofield’s injured hand doesn’t keep him from playing his best football, he will top the list of Nose Tackles in the NFL this year. Well, he’ll be at the top of my list, at least. He’s undoubtedly the best pass rushing nose tackle. This year he’ll improve against the run game. He looked very good against the Pittsburgh Steelers week two of preseason.

Linebackers (8)

Ryan Kerrigan

Brandon Jenkins

London Fletcher

Nick Barnett

Perry Riley

Bryan Kehl

Brian Orakpo

Darryl Tapp

• If this group can stay healthy, it will be one of the nastiest linebacker corps in the league. These guys will hunt quarterbacks and they will smack you in the run game. Defensive Coordinator Jim Haslett has done a great job being more transparent this year. The team has added several new wrinkles including a “speed” nickel package that would have Kerrigan, Orakpo, Jenkins and sometimes Tapp all hunting the QB. The only concerns I have are: defending inside rushes and tight ends.

Safeties (5)

Brandon Meriweather

Bacarri Rambo

Reed Doughty

Jordan Pugh

Jose Gumbs

• This is a group of safeties that will wake you up on Sunday mornings. When they hit, you hear it. A surprise, but deserving addition is Jose Gumbs. This is a guy who was picked up early in training camp and hasn’t stopped knocking offensive players out their socks since preseason started. Brandon Meriweather, if healthy, is another guy who can set the tempo on defense. Reed Doughty is a consistent and savvy vet who will be a star on special teams. And there’s a lot expected from rookie Bacarri Rambo, who will start at free safety for the team. I’ve been talking about Rambo since January and he’s really impressed. Although, he’s had his struggles when it came to taking proper angles when attempting to tackle a player. But as seen on tape in college — he’s a willing tackler who can sting when he does make contact. He also learns from his mistakes, which he proved in the team’s final two preseason games. Rambo will be a good. Deep coverage and defending tight ends will be this group’s biggest tasks.

Cornerbacks (5)

DeAngelo Hall

Josh Wilson

David Amerson

E.J. Biggers

Jerome Murphy

• This group has more depth than it had last season. I believe Amerson will take over as starting right cornerback sooner than most believe. The Redskins have worked Josh Wilson over in slot a lot more this year. It’s a place I personally think he’s better suited for at this point. E.J. Biggers adds solid depth. A slightly surprising move was the team releasing Chase Minnifield. He stayed healthy this preseason and looked good. However, he was raw in off-man coverage. He still has a lot to learn, but should be retained on the team’s practice squad.

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