Foresight and preparation have led to the Redskins being ready for a possible Breeland departure.

According to Head Coach Jay Gruden, the extension of Quinton Dunbar is not the end of Bashaud Breeland in Washington, but it alludes to the fact that there is no doubt the Redskins staff is comfortable with moving forward without Breeland on the roster. Breeland was up-and-down in his four years with Washington following his first two seasons, which were outstanding. 2016 was a miserable year for the secondary, and very poor for Breeland. He followed up with a solid 2017 campaign, which will likely earn him second-string money during a time in his career where he will have a chance to earn even more money in a third contract. With the odds of Breeland finding a better opportunity elsewhere, the onus is on the role players now to step up and develop accordingly.

Second-year cornerback Kendall Fuller is coming off an outstanding season, rebounding from a weak rookie year that left many either scratching their heads or making excuses that he was playing injured still. Personally, the excuse was a valid one and probably was a factor on the field. Fabian Moreau did not see much time on the field at cornerback this season, however with the assumption Breeland will be elsewhere, Moreau who was deemed a top cornerback prospect pre-injury will be heading into a very critical off-season in his young career. These two are the future at the cornerback position for the Redskins, and if Dunbar who has only played cornerback for a couple of years now continues to develop, he may fill out the top four cornerbacks on the roster (with Josh Norman still being number one).

The defensive unit as it stands is a top tier pass defense. This is factoring in rushing the passer, getting home to the quarterback, and covering. Now, there are still flaws with the defense, speed is still lacking and without Montae Nicholson’s speed at the safety position, opposing offenses did not hesitate to attack the secondary down the field. Adding speed to the back end of the defense, as well as the front seven for that matter, will be essential this off-season for the unit overall. However, the future of the cornerback position is already on the Redskins defense, and that speaks to preparedness from the coaching staff.

What are your thoughts on the secondary? Comment and let us know.