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Chris Cooley's Take On Roster & Starters

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This AM on 980 Cooley went on to comment on some of the players on the roster, and who should be starting at several spots:

1. Running back - thinks Kelley has won the job with his play and intangibles but Gruden/Scot still favor Matt Jones. Cooley seemed surprised a rookie coming off a year in which he averaged 3.4 yards per carry was just handed the job with no competition.

2. Tight End - Paulsen should be cut and his spot used to keep another player with some upside at another position. Paulsen is equivalent to what you can sign off the street during the season if there are injuries.

3. QB - you can't sneak Sudfeld through waivers, the Redskins won't even try that.

4. Defensive line - Thinks listing Reyes as a starter is just short of a joke. He said Reyes was one of the lowest rated DL by PFF for 2015 and his camp and preseason only confirmed that. Hood and Jenkins are both better players. Mat Ioanidis may make the team but strictly because the team spent a pick on him. Lanier has been better.

5. Safety - Ihenacho has outplayed Bruton in camp and the preseason games. Why Bruton is given the start here is a question mark. Ihenacho is younger, more instinctual player who started 16 games and SB for Denver. Bruton was Ihenacho's backup in Denver, that's how they grade out here too.

There were some other comments during the segment but that's the gist of it.
 
Yeah, Cooley seems to think there might be some friction between McLovin and Gruden, and that some of these questionable personnel decisions are being made based on the fact that they are McLovin guys (Jones, Ioanidis).

I'm not sure that's true, and I'm not sure it's a bad thing if it is. GMs and coaches aren't going to agree on everything. They shouldn't. I think a little friction is a sign of a healthy front office. The last thing we want is another "total control" situation. Those seem to end in disaster far more often than they don't ... and not just on the Redskins. :)

Anyway, some interesting stuff.
 
I'm with Cooley as far as Kelley and Lanier, especially Kelley. Jones has all the natural abilities EXCEPT vision. Kelley has solid vision, a quick burst, and can run between the tackles. Jones may have better measurables, but they don't seem to translate into positive results.
Lanier also seems to have great instincts - always around the ball. I don't know if a 5th rounder has that much advantage over an UDFA; I think the thing that might give Ionaiddis an edge is supposedly he can play NT (though he seems undersized for that to me).
 
Ioannidis graded out pretty well his first two weeks. Week 3 pretty forgettable. NT not a good fit unless he bulks up, a PS project and see if he can beef up or scrap the NT plan and keep him on the line.
It seems they almost have to keep Kelly based on his blocking alone. Cut Paulsen (shoulda made him walk home at halftime) and keep 4 RBs maybe? Well, the two established backs here have established they can get injured so maybe 4 not a horrible idea.
Neither Ihenacho nor Bruton have been too impressive. Has Duke outplayed Bruton or has Bruton underwhelmed pretty much everyone? Dude really looks lost & out-of-position quite a bit.
Reyes probably shouldn't even be a backup let alone starter. But I think they're stuck with him at the moment due to lack of depth.
Sudzy - if he stays it has been the Skins MO recently to keep three QBs on the active roster and not try a play the shell game on PS. If waived probably means the Redskins aren't interested even for PS but ya never know.

What, no comments about the OLine? I guess they must be pretty set then, eh?
 
#Redskins center Kory Lichtensteiger has taken a pay cut from $3.25M base to $2.25M ($2.8M cap #).Can earn $1.25M in playing time incentives.

Cooley believes that Long is now our starting C and Lauvao is starting LG week 1.
 
Paulsen is done, especially based on his dropsies against Tampa. He played like he felt pressure from his roster spot being in-jeopardy. A few radio programs may lament his departure, but oh well...

Nick
 
I think the final cut-downs may be interesting in terms of the OL.

The attempt to trade for Stork and the signing of Painter shows the team is not 'set' in the interior.

I don't think anyone you acquire now is going to start in the opener, but they could come in and be contributors during the season.
 
Paulsen is done, especially based on his dropsies against Tampa. He played like he felt pressure from his roster spot being in-jeopardy. A few radio programs may lament his departure, but oh well...

Nick

I will lament too, the kid played hard for us for a number of years and had a couple decent seasons with us. He was a special teams ace/3rd string TE who was thrust into starting position a couple of times and handled it well enough with his limited talent as a receiver. It was obvious he could not make it back after his injury. I would say overall, Logan Paulsen was a quality undrafted free agent selection in 2010.
 
Agreed. He and Darrel Young were among the few undrafted contributors this organization was able to find going back several years.

Teams like New England and Seattle find these types of guys each offseason.

Hopefully, guys like Compton, Phillips, Kelley, etc. won't be the exceptions here in the future as Scot and Co. unearth some more of these contributors.
 
Paulsen is done, especially based on his dropsies against Tampa. He played like he felt pressure from his roster spot being in-jeopardy. A few radio programs may lament his departure, but oh well...

Nick

His drops and Vernon's blocking. Davis a much better blocker than typically given credit for. Carrier went to Reserve PUP so it sounds like they feel pretty good about the blocking there.
 
The Redskins gave up a pick for Carrier, but the reality is that Reed, Davis and Paul are better pass receivers and Carrier is not known for his blocking so being on PUP may be one step away from being cut.
 
The Redskins gave up a pick for Carrier, but the reality is that Reed, Davis and Paul are better pass receivers and Carrier is not known for his blocking so being on PUP may be one step away from being cut.

Carrier is known less for his receiving (26 catches/28 games) than his blocking so not a good sign. But after last season, probably want to store as many TE's as possible in case of emergency {Break Glass}
 

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