The Washington Redskins ended training camp on Sunday, and have now turned their full attention to getting ready for preseason games as the season opener fast approaches. If you want to bet on Washington this season, check out the Redskins betting lines to win.
After closing camp, head coach Jay Gruden said he felt the team had a very good camp and he is excited to see how it translates on the field. Gruden said they got to evaluate a lot of talent and they will continue doing so until the end of the preseason when they have to make their final cuts.
A few Washington players suffered injuries during camp, which means the team will have to evaluate more players to figure out which ones can fill in for their injured players on a temporary basis. Players like DeAngelo Hall, Sua Cravens, Josh Doctson, and Jamison Crowder are expected to be kept out of preseason games to give them time to recover from their injuries.
While training camp has been going well, the Redskins still have a lot of issues to resolve when the season starts.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins remains signed to a one-year contract thanks to the team using the franchise tag on him for a second consecutive season. With Cousin’s contract situation in limbo, it will be difficult for the team to sign quality free agents during the offseason because the free agents will like to know the team has stability at the most important position.
Getting Cousins to sign a long-term contract will be even more difficult for the Redskins after the team lost Pierre Garcon and Desean Jackson in free agency. Both receivers topped 1,000 receiving yards last season and made life easier for Cousins.
With Jackson and Garcon moving on, the team brought in former quarterback turned receiver Terrell Pryor, who had over 1,000 receiving with the Cleveland Browns last year despite having three quarterbacks throwing the ball.
Redskins’ brass expect Pryor to be even better this year with a quarterback like Cousins throwing him the ball.
The Redskins and Cousins will also be hoping Jordan Reed can stay healthy this year because he adds another dimension to their offense. Reed has already established himself as one of the best receiving tight ends in the league, and could be in for a career season if he can stay on the field.
The Redskins also have Vernon Davis on their roster so they have another capable tight end on the team. If both tight ends can stay healthy, expect to see the Redskins use a lot of two tight end sets.
Even though the Redskins didn’t play well in their preseason opener, Gruden said he liked what he saw for the most part, and the way they practiced after the game.
With the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants making the playoffs last year, the Redskins aren’t being given much of a chance in the NFC East, but with Ezekiel Elliott suspended for the first six games of the season, nothing is guaranteed for the Cowboys, who will have to rely mostly on Dak Prescott to lead them to victory.