Since Coach Ron Rivera arrived in Washington in January 2020, those who closely follow the team have constantly heard him preach about competition. With the offseason underway and Rivera set to begin his second year in Washington, there are endless position battles throughout the team.
Often fans or media would project depth charts and 53-man rosters way too early with near-identical picks. Still, it’s a bit different in 2021, where plenty could see Washington plugging in various combinations of potential starters and reserves. The biggest battles will come out of the wide receiver, safety, and offensive line groups with some prominent names on the roster bubble in favor of newly acquired players via free agency, draft, or trade.
Along with the competition, Rivera has the drive for versatility among his players. Versatility is what will help players stand out when asked to produce in numerous ways. The receiver position has three players that should be locked in to make the roster, while the remaining wideouts battle throughout the summer to fill those seven or eight spots.
After a recent rookie minicamp practice Rivera spoke about the position battles and which ones he’s excited about.
“I’m looking forward to watching the whole group of wide receivers,” Rivera said. “I think that group, you know, we did some things with increasing our team speed. We wanted to get a complement to Terry [McLaurin], and I think we went out and got a few compliments to Terry. I think that group can be very dynamic for us, so I am excited about that. I am excited about the young tight ends we have and watching their progression. We feel really good about John [Bates] and Sammis [Reyes], but we also have Temarrick Hemingway – a young man that we have had with us in the past. Unfortunately, he broke his hand last year and he was making some good strides. We feel good about those types of positions. I am excited to see the strides that our defensive line has made. That’s the other group that you’re pretty excited about. And the linebackers. There’s a lot to be excited about in terms of hoping we grew so that we can get better as a football team.”
The safety room had three locks, and now with the addition of newly acquired Bobby McCain, who’s quickly becoming a fan favorite addition, could make for heated competition. Washington could potentially carry five safeties which leave two spots up for grabs.
In the last big position battle, the offensive line hasn’t been anywhere as deep in recent years as the 2021 group should be. The unit is so deep that veteran right-tackle Morgan Moses is being mentioned as possibly seeking a trade. The group may keep 10 or 11 and has two guys drafted in 2020 and one in 2021. Still, Washington traded for returning left-guard Ereck Flowers. In addition, it signed Chicago left-tackle Charles Leno, an additional five new O-Lineman aside from the five starters who took the field last season for Washington.
Those three position battles are significant, while the rest are just as important. Washington has an embarrassment of riches when discussing position depth, and it’s a welcome sight as a destination for talent.
Training camp gets underway in late July, and with the return of Pre-Season games in August, many eyes will be on the new-look roster overhaul.