It’s finally time to start talking about regular season football. The Redskins will open up their season on the road against an Eagles team with strong playoff aspirations and a ferocious defensive line. How will the Redskins’ starting lineup stack up against an Eagles team that has swept them the last two seasons?
Offense
Quarterback
Starter: Case Keenum
Dwayne Haskins will back him up Keenum while Colt McCoy is on the mend. Barring catastrophe, Keenum should be the only QB to see the field.
Running Back
Starter: Derrius Guice
Expect Guice to get plenty of work, although his reps should ramp up later in the season with Adrian Peterson getting a solid share of the carries. Chris Thompson should be the third down back, as usual.
Receivers
X: Terry McLaurin
Y: Trey Quinn
Z: Paul Richardson
Tight End: Jordan Reed
Robert Davis and Steven Sims will be the backup wideouts, with Sims as the likely reserve to Quinn in the slot. Kelvin Harmon could also suit up over Davis, but for now I think Gruden will have Davis get time over the rookie.
Vernon Davis fits behind Reed, while Jeremy Sprinkle will be the occasional blocking tight end or fullback.
Offensive Line
Left Tackle: Donald Penn
Left Guard: Ereck Flowers
Center: Chase Roullier
Right Guard: Brandon Scherff
Right Tackle: Morgan Moses
Geron Christian will serve as the extra offensive tackle, with Wes Martin as the backup guard (predominantly for Flowers). Rookie center Ross Pierschbacher will also be available behind Chase Roullier.
In the unforeseen event that Trent Wiliams returns, he will obviously start at left tackle. We won’t worry about what that would mean for the rest of the roster yet.
Defense
Defensive Line
Left End: Jonathan Allen
Nose Tackle: Daron Payne
Right End: Matt Ioannidis
Tim Settle will serve as the primary backup. Caleb Brantley should get a role in the future, but there’s a chance they’ll rest him as he recovers from a foot injury suffered during training camp. Newly-acquired lineman Treyvon Hester will be suited up to add depth to the position.
Linebackers
Left Edge: Ryan Anderson
Mike: Jon Bostic
Will: Shaun Dion Hamilton
Right Edge: Ryan Kerrigan
It’s still up in the air as to who starts the game opposite Kerrigan, but expect both Anderson and Sweat to rotate in and out heavily Week 1. While Cassanova McKinzy is on track to play Week 1, it’s worth keeping an eye out for him after his concussion in the team’s preseason finale against the Ravens.
Josh Harvey-Clemons and Cole Holecomb will also find some time behind Bostic and Hamilton after impressive preseasons.
Cornerback
Left: Quinton Dunbar
Right: Josh Norman
Nickel: Jimmy Moreland
Fabian Moreau will likely be the starting slot corner when he’s healthy, but he isn’t, so now it’s time to see if the hype around Jimmy Moreland translates onto the field in the regular season. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie will also get featured, most likely in relief of Dunbar.
Safety
Strong: Landon Collins
Free: Montae Nicholson
Deshazor Everett will most likely be rotated in or featured on nickel packages throughout the game. Troy Apke will be seen on special teams.
Specialists
Kicker: Dustin Hopkins
Punter: Tress Way
Long Snapper: Nick Sundberg
With Byron Marshall gone, it’s hard to say who will be fielding kickoffs Week 1. Steven Sims was impressive in the preseason finale at the position, so perhaps he’ll get the first shot at it. Sims and Stroman are also strong candidates for punt returns if they’re both active, with Stroman bringing experience from last season.
Inactives
QB Colt McCoy, RB Wendell Smallwood, WR Kelvin Harmon, OT Tony Bergstrom, DT Caleb Brantley, CBs Fabian Moreau and CB Greg Stroman.
Obviously the depth chart is fluid and, especially for Week 1, we’ll be seeing a lot of rotating and usage of the team’s depth, but Washington will have the best chance with this lineup against a tough Philadelphia team at home.
The Capital Newsman 