Excited, Intrigued, Concerned - UKHTTW Discussion Blog

The Washington Football Team are now participating in Organised Team Activities (OTAs).

This represents Phase 3 of the off-season and although voluntary, it has been pleasing that the vast majority of the WFT roster were in attendance. Is this a sign of the continued culture shift in D.C?

Here at UKHTTW, we discussed with Andy Eckert of DC Football Gold Pants and Tony Wheat of Full Press Coverage what had them a) excited b) intrigued and c) concerned following the FA and Draft additions in 2021 so far.

First up Tony Wheat:

The Excitement Factor

It may not be a particularly exciting answer. but the bar has been fairly low recently, so the fact we appear to be on an upward trajectory, with a coach who has a clear plan has me excited.

We are not there yet, and the schedule and division look potentially tough, but Rivera is building the roster that he wants in the way that he wants. He is not afraid to make tough decisions and he has a clear vision which is a breath of fresh air compared to some of his recent predecessors.

On a wider scale, the progress that the organisation has made in the last 12 months, with some excellent hires and a real effort to right some of the wrongs of the past and turn WFT into a model, modern, progressive franchise is exciting. Things are looking rosy, but there is a potential shadow hanging over things (spoiler alert for concerns!)

Intrigued

There are a few contenders here including seeing how Curtis Samuel is utilised, watching to see if Jamin Davis is that final piece to making this Defense elite, and especially if solid, even average QB play from Fitzmagic will be the difference between a 7-win team and a 10/11-win team.

However, I am going to go slightly out of the box and say that the development of Antonio Gibson is critical to the success of the team.

The turf toe injury ruined the end of his season, but in the weeks prior to that he had been developing into a player that was drawing comparisons to the very best dual threat players. If he gets more opportunities on 3rd down, he really could develop into a back that could rival Kamara or Christian McCaffrey.

I am intrigued to see if he can take the next step and progress to become a true RB1. Will the additions on offense of Samuel/Brown take some of his touches, or will it actually help free up some space for him with lighter boxes? If he can take that step, WFT really could have an offense to get excited about.

Those lingering concerns

It must be the scars from years of disappointment but there is always a doubt that, despite the undoubted positivity around the franchise, there is always a disaster around the corner!

As long as Dan Snyder is in charge (although thankfully he appears more hands off now), there is always a risk that things could take a turn. What if this season goes badly? What if he decides that Rivera is not the man after all and decides to start meddling again and ultimately blow the whole thing up in a couple of seasons and start again? I really hope he has learned his lesson, but I do not fully believe that he has.

From a playing perspective my concern is the defence does not perform to expectations (i.e., be a top 5 Defense).

The D is undoubtedly exciting and went through a great stretch towards the end of last season but conceded over 500 yards to Brady and the Bucs in the wildcard round, and the QB’s on this year’s schedule are enough to send a shiver down the spine!

Last year, the D feasted on the likes of Dalton, Mullins. Finley and the shells of Wentz and Roethlisberger. It will not be that easy this season and I hope that the D is ready to step it up another level, but my concern is that the elite QB’s will enjoy similar success to Brady.

Christian, UKHTTW founder, gives his viewpoint:

Excitement for the WFT

If there was any lingering suggestion that HC Ron Rivera was not firmly in charge of decision making, the recent release of Morgan Moses and subsequent lack of interest in bringing back DE Ryan Kerrigan, put paid to those doubts. Ron has the front-office he wants and, whilst not completely there yet, he also has a roster that is starting to very much look like the House that Rivera Built.

As Tony alludes to, that in itself, after a double-down decade of failure gives hope and encouragement. Rather than starting the metaphorical 10 yards behind the pack, it does seem that Washington have a functioning franchise with intelligent people in charge of football decisions.

When the biggest “head scratcher” is the letting go of a 30-year-old RT with a history of playing through injury then this points to a team on the right path to success.

In pinpointing a single reason for excitement, I am going to be a bit obvious here and say Chase Young. The Defensive Rookie of the Year is an athletic freak, and I am expecting great things in Season 2 of his NFL career. The motor, the speed and the leadership will cause a lot of problems for many an O-Line in 2021. Is it too outlandish to suggest Chase might double his 7.5 sack total from last season? I would not bet against it.

Intrigued

The team has around $17m in cap space.

Even a deal to tie up DT Jon Allen would not affect this too much, as Allen is due $10m this season, with an expected future contract deal salary of approximately $13m a season if the WFT & Allen tie the knot.

I am intrigued, therefore, to find out if the team might still have a FA splash card to show in 2021. OK, maybe this might upset the steady progress being made, but surely it is at least worth a phone call to Atlanta to enquire the trade package needed to land Julio Jones? The thought of McLaurin and Jones on the outside and Curtis Samuel in the slot is mouth-watering.

When we caught up with the UK Dolphins podcast recently, it was mentioned that Ryan Fitzpatrick loves a big-bodied receiver. Jones is a Hall of Fame first round ballot WR and would unquestionably elevate the WFT above the Dallas and the NYG receiving group. Roll the dice, Ron!

Did you have to let concerns linger?

An injury to TE Logan Thomas would be extremely bad news for the WFT, as behind Logan, the depth chart is not so impressive. A lot of faith is being bestowed upon fourth round rookie John Bates and you would expect in his first NFL season that his blocking abilities would be utilised more than his receiving game.

Just yesterday, the team signed Ricky Seals-Jones who will compete for the third TE spot along with Temarrick Hemingway, Deon Yelder, Tyrone Swoopes and Sammis Reyes. I would expect either Seals-Jones or Hemingway wins out, with Reyes making the practice squad as the WFT assess whether his athletic prowess can translate to the NFL.

And last, but definitely not least, we have Andy Eckert aka Washington Gold Pants, making his UKHTTW debut.

What has got you excited?

Except for a few head-scratchers, the common-sense approach to the offseason has me most excited. They clearly identified their weaknesses and gaps. Then purposefully went about making improvements there without breaking the bank, trading up in the draft, or reaching on bad character guys. They needed weapons on offense. They needed a 3 down Line-backer who wasn’t a hybrid or tweener. They got the guy they wanted.

What has got you intrigued?

The potential of the Defense.

They were really good last year but still missed a few pieces that allowed good offenses to take advantage of gaps. You know that probably ate at Coach Rivera more than the offense being what it was. Adding a LB, a CB, and a FS being the depth of the OL makes me wonder what the ceiling is for this group.

Are they going to be really good again or elite?

What has got you concerned?

Until the OL can be group that does not gives up 50 sacks in a season. That is my concern.

They clearly made moves recognizing this has been an issue. Signed your starting LT, drafted a guy who will probably start at RT. Have your swing guy. Brought back a guy who did really well at LG for us.

But I do not know if I would have cut Moses in May. Even if he is not in your plans. I would have waited until camp to see if another team had a tackle go down and needed a guy.

Scherff…. I do not know. Maybe with the money they save by releasing Moses, they finally extend him (maybe they extend Allen). Right now, I want to see an OL that keeps the QB clean. It is need so long since that’s happened here that we’ve overrated really good guys thinking they better than they are.