Ordinarily, here would be your weekly Bacon Bits blog recapping the week in Washington Redskins news, however, there was literally no news to recap. Therefore, in the interest of having something to fill the white space the following is being cobbled together from a general upward tick in positive media coverage. Among those praising the future of the Redskins is ESPN’s collection of pundits in their annual future power rankings. The full article is, of course, Insider material hidden behind a paywall but fortunately the pertinent information is available in the local newspaper, which is also hidden behind a paywall after a certain number of views per month. The ethics of excerpting one media outlet’s paid content and then placing same behind another paywall are questionable to say the least but let us digress.
The following are the actual numbers of ESPN’s 2016 futures rankings. Numbers in parentheses indicate the change from the 2015 rankings.
Roster: 71.7 (+11.7)
QB: 77.3 (+36)
Coaching: 72.3 (+11.6)
Draft: 78.3 (+14)
Front Office: 73.3 (-1.7)
Overall Score: 74.2 (+14.9)
Sufficed to say the roster has most certainly improved. Off-season free agent acquisitions Josh Norman, David Bruton, Kendall Reyes, Vernon Davis, Cody Booth, and Al Bond, the return of Junior Galette, Stephen Paea, Niles Paul, and Shawn Lauvao from injured reserve should make the roster both more stable and more competitive.
Without reliving the past, let’s just say quarterback play has undoubtedly improved and leave it there. Moving on. Nothing to see here.
Coaching is always judged by the results. More wins invariably means higher coaching rankings. Playoff wins are the next step. It’s a big step.
The draft additions of Josh Doctson, Su’a Cravens, Kendall Fuller, Matthew Ioannidis, Keith Marshall, and Nate Sudfield infuse the roster with youth, size, and potential. Undrafted free agent signings Rob Kelley and Lloyd Carrington have an excellent chance of making the roster based upon their play thus far.
How exactly the front office rankings decline when the team has virtually the same front office personnel, had a better season, a better draft according to the very same source, and a brighter future according to the very same source is beyond comprehension. One would surmise ownership owning rather than managing would be worth it’s weight in gold futures.
Overall, the Redskins were ranked as having the brightest future of any NFC East team, Kirk Cousins playing the 2016 on the franchise tag not withstanding.
Former Redskins player personnel man Morocco Brown spoke recently on NFL Network about how an NFL roster is constructed. His formula consists of ten core players, five on offense and five on defense, based upon position. The positions specifically ordered in rank of importance are: QB, LT, RB, WR, TE and RDE, 3Tech NT/DT, LCB, MLB, FS. In terms of futures, Kirk Cousins, Trent Williams, Matt Jones, Josh Doctson, and Jordan Reed make for a nice group. Defensively, NT is a major concern beyond this season. It’s possible Jerrell Powe or Ziggy hood can fill that role but that remains to bee seen. By Brown’s “elite or starter standards” this is an area of need. One of Trent Murphy or Matthew Ioannidis is likely to be around in three seasons. Josh Norman and Bashaud Breeland are both likely to be on the roster. Take your pick at LCB. Free Safety is definitely an issue. It’s a difficult position to address in the draft. Safeties with speed want to be cornerbacks. It pays more. A lot more. Safeties without elite speed are generally relegated to strong safety. Expect this position to be addressed in the next two drafts.
In summary, if Scot McCloughan is on the same page with Morocco Brown it stands to reason he will focus on defense in the next free agency and draft period. While the offense appears largely set, the defense has more long-term holes which will need to be filled.
One final note, for what it’s worth: The Redskins have poor fan equity for a professional sports franchise ranked #8 globally in net worth.
Fewer and fewer fans are spending the money to fill the seats. Even more discouraging, fewer and fewer fans are discussing the team on social media.
It’s often said winning cures a lot but of the teams that are ahead of the Redskins, Dallas is at #2. Someone remind us what they’ve won in recent memory?
https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/esma/
Apologies for the rehash drivel. Typically every effort is made to keep the content fresh, unique, and relevant. There just wasn’t anything of the kind to discuss this week.
If reading the “Captain Obvious” material is your thing, let me know. I have a list of it from the people paid to come up with material even when there is none.