Washington Redskins slowly, quietly assemble a contender

The Washington Redskins have patiently put together a team loaded with talent that must now be considered a contender coming out of the NFC…

The Washington Redskins will go into the 2018 regular season with nine first round draft picks on their roster. Additionally, six former second rounders and four former third rounders suggest this team is about to take it the next level.

The talent on this team can no longer be questioned. Now, it becomes a matter of strategy and preparation.

Alex Smith chose to come to Washington and play for the Redskins for one very simple reason: This team is built to win. With very few exceptions, all the pieces are in place. That makes the upcoming draft one of the most important in the team’s history.

Smith will take control of an offense that boasts five former first round picks. There could potentially be six first rounders should the Redskins choose to draft a running back (Derrius Guice) or an offensive guard or Center (Will Hernandez, James Daniels) with their first pick.

Although, unless Quenton Nelson inexplicably drops to the Redskins at pick number 13, conventional wisdom has the Redskins using that pick on the defensive side of the ball.

Either way, when Smith settles in under center he will be standing behind an offensive line that features two All-Pros and former first round selections in left tackle Trent Williams and right guard Brandon Scherff.

Additionally, Morgan Moses, Chase Roullier and presumably a very high draft pick will complete the impressive offensive line.

As the quarterback reviews the other members of his offense he will see first round pick Josh Doctson at one wide receiver position and the lightening fast free agency acquisition Paul Richardson at the other. With Jamison Crowder manning the slot receiver position, Smith has to feel good about the targets available to him.

If that weren’t enough to turn the ‘Skins new quarterback into a pass-happy gunslinger, Jay Gruden likes to run two tight end sets. Under these circumstances, Smith will see former Pro-Bowl tight ends Jordan Reed lined up to one side and another first round draft pick Vernon Davis lined up on the opposite side.

Aside from the obvious benefits of having two excellent tight ends at his disposal, one of those tight ends, Vernon Davis, has already caught 30 touchdown passes from Smith – the most by any other NFL player.

With this kind of arsenal, Smith will most likely be hoping that Gruden’s play calling will lean heavy on throwing the football. However, the running backs lined up behind Smith are impressive in their own right.

Last year Chris Thompson showed the Redskin world what he can do, which is essentially everything. And, while Gruden and VP of Personnel Doug Williams have all but guaranteed an early round pick will be used on a running back, Samaje Perine is undoubtedly chomping at the bit to prove he can be a featured back in the NFL.

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The all time leading rusher in Oklahoma Sooner history would surprise no one if his sophomore campaign in the NFL saw him become a dominant running back for the Redskins.

Assuming the Redskins can fill that hole at left guard with one of the plug and play guards that will be available with the 44th pick in the NFL Draft, this offense is poised to put up a lot of points. A savvy veteran quarterback like Smith knew this when he chose to come to Washington.

When the Redskins’ front office offered to hand the keys to this offense over to Smith he probably snatched those keys quicker than Kirk Cousins signed those $45,000,000 worth of franchise tags. This is an offense that has the potential to be as good as any that Redskins’ fans have seen since the years when trips to the playoffs were the norm rather than the exception.

The defensive side of the ball looks just as good.

It is a testament to Dan Snyder, for his patience, and to Bruce Allen, for his ingenuity that there is so much talent taking the field this year. The defense has three first round picks taking the field and, assuming the Redskins use their first round pick on either Derwin James or Vita Vea (a virtual certainty) there could be four first round picks playing defense for Washington. Combined with the five second round picks on Washington’s defense, this unit looks promising.

Next: Odell Beckham Jr trade rumors: Potential partners

The Redskins’ patience is finally paying off. They have slowly but surely built a team that can be realistically considered contenders.

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