Washington Roster 2020: Post cut down day reaction

Saturday was cut-down day in the National Football League and the Washington Football Team made a number of expected moves to cut the team down to the required 53. There were minimal shocking moves and Washington was inactive on the waiver wire. This leads me to believe they’re comfortable with the talent on their roster as they go into an evaluation year. I’d expect them to look to add another wide receiver before the season starts, but otherwise, the team looks mostly complete. What does Washington’s 2020 roster look like now? What are some of the best and worst units on the team?

Washington Roster 2020

QBs

• Dwayne Haskins
• Kyle Allen
• Alex Smith

RBs

• Antonio Gibson
• Bryce Love
• JD McKissic
• Peyton Barber

WRs

• Terry McLaurin
• Steven Sims Jr.
• Dontrelle Inman
• Antonio Gandy-Golden
• Isaiah Wright

TEs

• Logan Thomas
• Marcus Baugh
• Jeremy Sprinke

OL

• Geron Christian Jr.
• Wes Martin
• Chase Roullier
• Brandon Scherff
• Morgan Moses
• Saadiq Charles
• Wes Scheitzer
• Keith Ismael
• David Sharpe
• Cornelius Lucas

DEs

• Ryan Kerrigan
• Montez Sweat
• Chase Young
• Ryan Anderson
• James Smith-Williams

DTs

• Matt Ioannidis
• Jonathan Allen
• Da’Ron Payne
• Tim Settle

LBs

• Thomas Davis
• Shaun Dion-Hamilton
• Cole Holcomb
• Kevin Pierre-Louis
• Jon Bostic
• Khaleke Hudson

CBs

• Kendall Fuller
• Ronald Darby
• Fabian Moreau
• Jimmy Moreland
• Greg Stroman
• Danny Johnson

S

• Landon Collins
• Troy Apke
• Kamren Curl
• Deshazor Everrett

ST

• Tress Way
• Dustin Hopkins
• Nick Sundberg

Surprises

The biggest surprise from Washington’s cuts was the release of Adrian Peterson. Peterson was expected to be the workhorse back for a Washington offense that lacks any resemblance of consistency. With Peterson gone, the expected lead man will be 2020 third-round pick, Antonio Gibson, with Bryce Love also getting work. To me, this move means that Washington is embracing their youth movement, and Peterson didn’t fit the timeline of the team’s rebuild.

Related | Washington Football Team: Positions with most to prove in 2020

Another big surprise from the off-season was the emergence of tight end Marcus Baugh in training camp, which has led to a spot on the active roster. Baugh spent time in Carolina last season and had the opportunity to show off his ability in camp this season. He’s been a nice surprise for a team struggling to find talent at the position.

Finally, Washington only electing to keep five receivers on the roster stunned me. Especially when you consider that their fifth receiver is undrafted free agent Isaiah Wright, who spent his collegiate career at Temple. Wright is an athletic specimen who excels in the return game and provides a spark plug for the Washington offense. He won’t be a featured player, but he’ll have touches. This is the position I most expect the team to improve via free agents after cuts.

Strongest units

Unsurprisingly, the strongest units on the Washington roster in 2020 are the defensive ends and defensive tackles. The defensive ends are led by Washington great Ryan Kerrigan, who is expected to provide another year of consistency against both the run and pass. Kerrigan is an elite mentor for the young defensive ends Washington has brought in via first-round picks in back to back years.

2019 26th overall pick Montez Sweat flashed as a rookie and is the best athlete of the unit. If he can take the next step in his development as a pass rusher, it could be scary. 2020 second overall pick Chase Young is widely considered the best edge-rushing prospect since Myles Garrett, if not longer. Young is projected as a future all-pro level player and rounds out an elite trio.

Related | Matchup Analysis: Washington’s defensive line vs. Philadelphia’s offensive line

The defensive tackles are led by the three-headed monster of Matt Ioannidis, Jonathan Allen, and Da’Ron Payne. This unit is so well rounded because each succeeds in different elements. Ioannidis is the top pass rusher of the three, and one of the top interior pass rushers in the NFL. Allen is as technically refined as they come, he offers positional versatility and he’s a better run defender than Ioannidis and a better pass rusher than Payne. Payne is the top run defender, and one of the run defenders in the NFL constantly eating double teams while giving up minimal ground.

Finally, the team has Tim Settle waiting in the wings who could likely start on a number of NFL teams. However, his field time is limited due to the sheer talent of Washington’s defensive interior.

Weakest units

Far and away the weakest unit on the team is the tight ends. Washington’s tight end room has a career 612 receiving yards, despite a combined nine years of NFL service. The team’s hope for the unit is based completely on projection, but there is an upside. Logan Thomas has had a strong camp and he’s an elite athlete for the position. Expect him to produce at some level this season. However, if Washington still gets minimal production from the position, it will likely force their hand to address the unit with early draft capital.

Overview

Washington’s roster ended up similarly to how I expected it to, but there were some surprises. The team electing to move on from the veteran Peterson, only keeping five receivers, and not addressing any needs via the waiver wire were all shocking developments in my eyes. However, Washington is embracing a youth movement, and they recognize they won’t be contending for a Super Bowl this year. They instead plan to use this season to evaluate what they have on the roster moving forward.