Need to Know: Will there be a shakeup on the Redskins’ O-line? Rich Tandler Jul 2, 2014 PHOTO #1: Redskins O-Line vs.Falcons Here is what you need to know on this Wednesday, July 2, 22 days before the Redskins start training camp. Three and out-What are the chances that the Redskins line up in Houston on Sept. 7 with the same line that has been the first unit during OTAs and minicamp? Let’s take a look. —The more I think about it, the more I think that Spencer Long has a decent shot at beating out Chris Chester for the starting right guard job. Although Jay Gruden dished out a few platitudes about the line that has been in place the last two seasons I don’t think he was really happy with what he saw from it. It’s difficult to see him getting the Redskins’ new beginning underway by starting four of the five members of that line. Besides the departed Will Montgomery, Chester was the weak link on the line last year. It’s easy to see Gruden going with Long, assuming that he can show he is close to Chester’s equal. —Does tackle Morgan Moses, who was drafted before Long, have a shot at starting opening day? Although I wouldn’t rule it out I don’t think that Moses’ chances of starting are nearly as good as Long’s. Tackle is a more complex position to learn and I get the impression that Moses was drafted with the idea that he is a project, that he’ll be good but not right away. Tyler Polumbus’ experience the last two years has been the opposite of Chester’s; the tackle was better last year than he was in 2012. Still, the courting of Donald Penn showed that the Redskins would like to replace Polumbus, and it’s hard to rule out them doing that sooner rather than later. —Looking at the other potentially vulnerable holdover, what are the chances that Kory Lichtensteiger gets bumped from his center position? Gruden could pick from veteran Mike McGlynn, or third-year lineman Adam Gettis, if he wanted to replace Lichtensteiger in the lineup. McGlynn is the bigger player and has 48 career starts under his belt; Gettis is more athletic and could fill the position for the long term. Lichtensteiger is the safest of the three veterans discussed here, but not quite a sure thing. Redskins camp countdown: 21 carries per game for Alfred Morris Rich Tandler Jul 2, 2014 PHOTO #2: Morris Running vs Eagles We’re counting down to the start of training camp here by looking at some numbers that will be keys to the Redskins’ 2014 season. 21—Carries per game for Alfred Morris For some reasons, the impression exists that Jay Gruden is a pass happy coach. The term is being thrown around a lot when talking about the fantasy prospects for the Redskins’ skill position players. But Gruden’s offense in Cincinnati was far from pass heavy during the three years he was calling plays for the Bengals. The team attempted 1,764 passes during that time. That total tied for 19th-most in the NFL, exactly as many as, coincidentally, the Washington Redskins. Gruden’s Bengals ran the ball 1,366 times. That was 11th in the NFL, just three carries behind, yes, the Redskins. You can’t look at those numbers and come to the conclusion that Gruden’s offense is particularly reliant on the pass. To be sure, things may be different in Washington with a more naturally talented quarterback to work with than he had in Cincinnati. But there is no reason to believe that Gruden is going to go all Steve Spurrier on us and chuck the ball around the yard all game, every game. He is a believer in the importance of the running game and he won’t abandon it. And that brings us to 21, the ideal number of carries per game for Alfred Morris in 2014. That comes to 336 carries over the course of a 16-game season. It’s one more rushing attempt than the 335 he had in his record-setting 2012 season when he ran for 1,615 yards. Morris getting 21 carries per game would be a good thing for the Redskins on two sides of the coin. If he’s running effectively the offense will be moving the ball well. And if the Redskins have late leads, Morris will be racking up carries to move the chains and kill the clock. Camp countdown •30 TD passes •No. 29 Roy Helu •28 forced fumbles •27 rushing plays per game •26 sacks allowed •25 yards per kickoff return •24 total turnovers •No. 23 DeAngelo Hall •22 field goals made Timeline—It’s been 185 days since the Redskins played a game; in 67 days they play the Texans in their 2014 season opener. —Days until: Training camp 22; Preseason opener vs. Patriots 36; Home opener Jaguars @ Redskins 74
Posted on: Thu, 03 Jul 2014 08:58:46 +0000
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