Re: Burner's Burning Questions: Free Agency, Mocks, Camps, OTAs, Roster Predictions,
Burner's Burning Questions: Free Agency, Mocks, Camps, OTAs, Roster Predictions, 2019
Greetings from BBQ to everyone here at BGO. We hope you had a good weekend. Hello to everyone on social media. We'd love to have you as a member here and become part of the family.
OTAs, mini-camp, rookie camp, and the draft have passed into the history books. Training camp will be here in just over two weeks. We'll continue to cover it all and give everyone at BGO the best coverage possible.
BBQ continues our off-season evaluations and today we will take a look at the defensive tackles and defensive ends. Feel free to scroll back in this off-season blog and see what we have said about free agency, the draft, and take a look at what your fellow Redskins fans think of the team transactions over the last several months. BBQ will continue to take a look at each position and provide analysis over the next few weeks. Feel free to offer your own analysis as we go along.
- Days until Training Camp: 17
- Days until the first preseason game: 31
- Days until the Regular Season Opener (Eagles): 62
- Days until the Cowboys game: 69
- Days until the Giants game: 90
Let's get right to it!
Defensive Tackles, Defensive Ends:
Daron Payne
At 6-3 and 320, Daron Payne is a force in the middle and he will get even better. Payne is primarily a run stuffer, but he gets to the quarterback often and is simply a disruptive problem for opposing offenses. He has a legitimate chance to be an All-Pro this season.
Jonathan Allen
The Alabama product leads by example, but he is going to be more of a vocal leader for the defense this season. His career is gaining traction after coming back from an early season injury in 2017. He took major strides in 2018 and is set to have a greater jump in productivity in 2019. Allen has a realistic chance to be voted to the Pro Bowl.
Matt Ioannidis
Remember his first year in 2016? Many Redskins fans and pundits were ready to label him a fifth round bust and it was time to move on from him. Ioannidis spent some time on the practice squad, but he began to show some solid production in 2017. After he was given a new three year contract during this off-season, the former Temple Owl is ready to elevate his play to the next level. Could he get Pro Bowl consideration later this year?
Tim Settle
Many draft experts and pundits considered Tim Settle to be a second to fourth round prospect in the 2018 draft, but he lasted until the fifth round and the Redskins snagged him. Settle produced a very good pre-season last summer and provided some quality minutes off the bench in the regular season – albeit, in a limited role. The Virginia Tech alum should see a leap in his production and is set to have a very good 2019.
Caleb Brantley
Caleb Brantley was considered to be a late first or early second round talent in the 2017 draft, but character concerns dropped his stock and he was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round. The Browns surprisingly waived him late last summer and the Redskins swooped in and signed the former Florida Gator to a very team friendly contract. The character concerns were overblown and he has been a model citizen since entering the league. Brantley should have a good impact in 2019 and has the benefit of playing in Jim Tomsula's system for the last year.
Ryan Bee
Ryan Bee is similar in size to a former Redskins great – Dave Butz. That is where the comparisons end. Bee was signed this spring after the draft. The UDFA from Marshall could turn some heads in training camp and the preseason. He has a chance to be on the roster of fifty-three and, at the very least, a place on the practice squad. Keep an eye on him.
Others
JoJo Wicker could make some noise in the preseason, but he is a longshot to make the roster. However, don't count him out just yet. Austin Maloata and Jonathan Bonner are practice squad candidates for now.
Additional Thoughts
The defensive line is the best unit on the Redskins roster. If they can stay injury free in 2019 and live up to the hype, this defensive group can be the best in the NFL.
There is our latest look at roster position evaluations for this off-season. We will feature another position later this week.