Redskins Notes: Depth Chart, Griffin and Patience

It was like déjà vu. Because Redskins’ head coach Mike Shanahan kept his team nearly intact from 2012 to 2013, the recently released depth chart looks very similar to last season’s.

The coach has said that Robert Griffin, III will not play during the preseason, but the second year quarterback is listed on the as the starter. Backup Kirk Cousins, who started one game last season against the Cleveland Browns, will lead the first team during the next four games. Hopefully, he is not treated as a “starter” and has ample playing time during the preseason. Shanahan was asked whether or not he would see only first-team reps during yesterday’s press conference and it sounds like he’ll find a variation of what is normally done with starters. That’s good.

“That’s a good question, Shanahan answered. “What we normally do is play our starters in the first game anywhere from 10-15 plays depending on what type of drive that you’re having. Is it three-and-outs? Do you have a long drive? It can go anywhere in that neighborhood. It is a unique situation with Kirk, but it’s unique throughout the whole preseason, like we talked about. We’ve got a game plan, getting these guys ready. Kirk will play more in the second and third game than a normal starter would. We’re going to give him a lot of reps, not necessarily as much probably in this first game.”

Griffin is never happy when he is not playing but he knows that he has to be patient about getting back on the field. During yesterday’s weekly meeting with the media, the quarterback made a comment that was telling. It sounds as though he sees “Operation Patience” as a give-and-take proposition although it’s not apparent that his coach feels the same way. Shanahan has the final say about when Griffin plays and has made that clear. His quarterback sounded a little frustrated during his press conference and made a strong statement about what he expects the result will be of him being patient during the preseason.

“You can say whatever you want about what [Coach Shanahan] is doing,” Griffin said. “I can feel any kind of way about it, but at the end of the day, we all have to be on the same page and that is what I am trying to do, just do everything the coaches ask me, show them that my rhythm and timing is there… show them that I can play. And at the end of the day, they have to come through for me and play me Week 1 if I do everything they ask me to do.”

Tight end Fred Davis, back from a season-ending injury sustained during game seven last year, is starting ahead of Logan Paulsen and Niles Paul.

Alfred Morris remains the starting running back, which is no surprise, with Roy Helu, Jr. in the second slot and Evan Royster in the third. Morris will undoubtedly remain the starter as long as he doesn’t get injured (or experience a sophomore slump) but if rookie Chris Thompson successfully rehabs from his left knee injury, he might usurp Royster or even Helu eventually. Keiland Williams is currently listed as “Other” along with Thompson and seventh-round draft pick, Jawan Jamison (I would expect for Thompson and Jamison to eventually have to compete for a roster spot and, with Thompson having been out the entire off-season and still nursing the knee, Jamison may hold the advantage).

Seeing wide out Donté Stallworth’s name on the roster along with Santana Moss brings the 2011 depth chart to mind as Stallworth was a member of the team that season. Pierre Garçon and Josh Morgan are listed as the starting receivers but it would not be a surprise to see any one of the receivers replaced (except for Garçon) if one of the other young receivers on the team (like Leonard Hankerson or Aldrick Robinson) shine during the next four games or early in the regular season. It seems wrong however, that Hankerson and Robinson are ahead of Moss on the chart.

Because of the setbacks that defensive lineman Adam Carriker has experienced with is knee; Jarvis Jenkins is shown as the starter. But with Jenkins’ four-game suspension, Chris Baker — shown as Jenkins’ backup — will likely start in the four regular season games that Jenkins will be out. In staying with the defense, it is interesting that rookie Bacarri Rambo is listed ahead of third-year defensive back D.J. Gomes — a 2011 fifth-round draft pick of Shanahan’s — at free safety. Rambo has shown some flashes at training camp and it has paid off for him.

Safety Brandon Meriweather, who made such a splash during the half-of-a-game he played last season against the Philadelphia Eagles before he left with an injury, is listed as starting strong safety. If he continues to have problems with his knee, that could change. Reed Doughty, is listed at number two but started 10 of 16 games in 2012 (and played in all). Rookie Phillip Thomas, listed at number three, could earn himself the starting job. Shanahan was not around when Doughty was drafted in the sixth round in 2006 but he likes him.  The veteran doesn’t have an injury but the coach held him out of practice yesterday. He will sometimes do this with the guys that have been around for awhile… just to give them a little rest.

“Reed was a little bit sore today,” Shanahan said during his presser. “We decided to not to practice him. He’s a guy that will practice anytime that you want him to practice. He’ll play anytime you want him to play. But I just thought in his best interest was to set him down for a day and let him heal up.”

It’s interesting to note that rookie cornerback David Amerson is listed ahead of second-year cornerback Richard Crawford. Crawford, who made some lights-out plays at the end of last season, is also listed on special teams as punt returner. The chart could, obviously, change as the preseason progresses. With return specialist Brandon Banks no longer on the team, Crawford, Moss and Thompson are listed as punt returners (in that order) and Paul, Robinson and again, Thompson are listed as kick returners (in that order). It would be best if Moss did NOT have to return punts, in my opinion. He is way too valuable to the team and that is a role that could easily get him hurt. Hopefully, he will not remain on the chart in the second Punt Returner slot. Shanahan knows how valuable he is.

“Well, last year and this year he lost a good 10 pounds,” Shanahan commented about Moss yesterday. “He decided to be in the best shape he could possibly be in. He had a great offseason and you can see the dividends from being in great shape. He made a commitment that he was going to do everything he could to eat right and to come back in the best football shape that he has been in. You could see that a year ago… one of the reasons why he had a great year. He has continued to do that this year. He is in excellent shape. You can see some of the plays he has made thus far at camp, [you can see] that he is hungry and [that] he is going to play at a very high level.”

One really good thing for the team… the offensive line remains exactly the same as last year’s. That is nothing but good.

So, with all of that in mind, here is the depth chart as released by the team:

OFFENSE:

DEFENSE:

SPECIAL TEAMS:

 Legend: KR = Kick Returner, H = Holder, PK = Place Kicker, P = Punter, PR = Punt Returner, LS = Long Snapper

Hail.