Washington Redskins Position Review: Quarterbacks and Cornerbacks

The Washington Redskins enter the off-season as 2015 NFC East Champions but still have much to accomplish. Below we’ll begin our position review series to discover what areas Washington needs to address in the coming months.

Quarterbacks Depth Chart:

1. *Kirk Cousins, 28 years old
2. *Colt McCoy, 30 years old
3. Robert Griffin III, 26 years old

Two of the Redskins QBs are scheduled to be unrestricted free this off-season. It’s expected that Robert Griffin III will join that party when Washington likely releases him within the next month.

QB Notes:

Kirk Cousins is coming off what’s statistically a historic season. There’s no getting around it — he had some high levels of success this past season. Cousins’ 101.6 passer rating ranked sixth among QBs with at least 300 passing attempts. He showed flashes, especially late in the season, that he could potentially be a franchise QB. But there is some concern about presumably giving him a long-term contract.

For starters, Cousins has never defeated a team with a winning record. Although, according to my count, he’s only had seven or eight opportunities in 26 starts against  teams with a winning record. Here’s the list:

2013 Cowboys: 8-8

2014 Eagles: 10-6

2014 Seahawks: 12-4

2014 Cardinals: 11-5

2015 Jets: 10-6

2015 Patriots: 12-4

2015 Panthers: 15-1

*(playoffs) 2015 Packers: 10-6

Kirk Cousins’ stat against teams with a winning record should be taken with a grain of salt. But it is note worthy. In six of those eight games, the Redskins lost by at least 10 points. In 2015, the team lost to those opponents with winning records by at least two touchdowns. That’s not to say it was all Cousins’ fault — the Redskins haven’t been a very good team. But that’s the next step for Cousins — he has to raise his level of play up in those games.

In all, Cousins will enter the off-season for the first time as Washington’s clear cut starter. I think the best option for both sides is to smack Cousins with the franchise tag. That way, he gets paid and the Redskins buy themselves another evaluation season.

• Colt McCoy - The Redskins could re-sign Colt McCoy this off-season as a backup. Although, McCoy could attempt to wait and find himself a better opportunity. McCoy isn’t a bad backup.

• Robert Griffin III - It’s hard to believe that Griffin will only be 26 years old this year. He has a lot of football and upside left in the tank. If and when the Redskins release him, Griffin will have a huge decision to make. Where he plays moving forward will be mostly up to him. I think pairing with a QB-guru like Bruce Arians (Cardinals) or Andy Reid (Chiefs) would be great landing spots for him. But I also believe, knowing the type of competitor this guy is, landing in the NFC East would add extra fuel to his raging fire. I think the Eagles’ new direction with Doug Pederson would be a solid fit for Griffin, as he’s implementing a vertical passing system. I also think Dallas would be a solid fit for Griffin. Wherever he goes, Griffin will have to prove himself coachable and really hone in on his skills to reach that high level of upside we all tasted in 2012.

QB Position Need Level (1-10):

7/10 - The Redskins don’t have to focus on finding a starter this off-season if they’re able to retain Cousins. But they do need depth at the position and I wouldn’t be surprised if McCloughan looks to draft one. Drafting a QB wouldn’t necessarily show lack of trust in Cousins — McCloughan tends to draft QBs almost every year regardless of who the starter is.

Cornerback Depth Chart:

1. Bashuad Breeland, 24 years old
2. *Chris Culliver, 28 years old
3. *Will Blackmon, 31 years old
4. Quinton Dunbar, 24 years old
5. Deshazor Everett, 24 years old
6. *Cary Williams, 31 years old

The Redskins have two unrestricted free agents at the CB position in Blackmon and Williams. But the team also has a decision to make on Chris Culliver. With Culliver’s suspension early in the season, a clause was activated in his contract that would allow the Redskins to move on if they want without having to pay him $8 million.

CB Notes:

• Bashaud Breeland  is the best corner on the team. He’s a very good CB, but he could be elite if he’s able to progress in several areas. One of those areas is creating turnovers. Breeland has to become better at making teams pay for throwing at him. Also, Breeland is a press corner who unfortunately doesn’t get to focus on that in this system. Playing off-man puts Breeland in a situation where receivers can expose his stiff hips. Breeland has enough make-up speed to recover, but he’d be even better playing press. If I’m the Redskins, I’d consider playing more press-bail next season.

• The Redskins should keep Chris Culliver. He brings an attitude to the team that you need and he is a good corner. Unfortunately, much like Breeland, Culliver is a press corner. You won’t see the best of Culliver until the Redskins allow him to play to his strengths.

• I’m interested in watching how Quinton Dunbar progresses in his second year as a corner. He has some talent that could help him become a solid corner in the NFL. He needs to master the technique of playing the position. But Dunbar has a lot of length and does a good job breaking on balls when they’re in the air.

CB Position Need Level (1-10):

8/10 - I think in Culliver and Breeland, the Washington Redskins have two formidable cornerbacks. However, they need to let these guys press. Behind those two players, there isn’t much. I like the potential of Dunbar. McCloughan was able to get some quality play from in-season pickup Will Blackmon, but I wouldn’t put much stock in that. Washington needs more cornerbacks, just like every other team in the NFL. You can never have enough corners. As of right now, the Redskins don’t have a nickel corner. Kysheon Jarrett filled in very well there early in the season, but I hear the team likes him most at safety — he also prefers safety. It should be noted that Washington may have lost a potential solid nickel corner in Tevin Mitchell who the Colts scooped up prior to the season when he was placed on IR. I’d expect the team to draft a couple DBs and maybe look towards free agency for guys like Brandon Boykin or Jeremy Lane.

*(ages represent how old the player would be at the beginning of the 2016 season)

Next installment: RBs and Safeties 

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