True or False? The Redskins roster is closer to a 4-win team than an 11-win one

If you were paying attention to Redskins twitter over the past couple of days, then you saw a fanbase that was sent into a frenzy after another perceived disrespectful take on the Washington Redskins. The latest, NFL Network’s Adam Rank, who predicted a 2-14 record for the Redskins in 2019.

Don’t make any mistake; the heat sent Rank’s way was warranted for the lazy analysis and prediction. However, it prompts a more meaningful conversation here; that is, to address a common theme in the National Media’s perspective of Washington. The question for Washington fans: Is the Redskins roster being undervalued nationally, and is it closer to 11 wins? Alternatively, are the Skins being overvalued by Washington fans, and are they closer to four wins? Which one is true, and which one is false?

Well, what makes outsiders say the Redskins won’t be good this year?

The quarterback position is an unknown.

The most critical position on the team has at least one too many question marks. Is a quarterback competition between Case Keenum and Dwayne Haskins Jr. a competition between two proven and respectable commodities? No.

Case Keenum is the ultimate journeyman, who is a serviceable quarterback, but far too inconsistent as a full-time starter. Dwayne Haskins has not played a single snap yet as a pro, and has not proven he can play at this level “yet.” Essentially, this is a hard position to evaluate, and also happens to be the most important position on an NFL team.

The offensive line and the wide receivers are not impressive position groups.

With Trent Williams an unknown as it currently stands, and Ereck Flowers is one of the worst offensive linemen in the NFL but apparently slated to start for the Redskins, there is hardly anything left to say about the situation. Though Flowers will likely play guard if he ends up starting, he would still be starting, and that is bad!

The Redskins aren’t aiming to put Flowers at the tackle position, which forces them to find alternative options outside of Ereck and Trent if TW does not come back in time. Can the offensive line hold up? This position group has been consistently and significantly injured over the past couple of seasons.

Though I personally believe the wide receivers are underrated, they are certainly unknown commodities. Who is the clear number one? Who is even a clear number two? Well, we got a clear number three, right? Maybe Josh Doctson or Paul Richardson. This is what analysts see when they look at the Redskins — nothing impresses them.

These are the primary factors behind the Redskins being overvalued by the fanbase.

What would make the Redskins an underrated team to fans?

The Redskins defense continues its makeover for the third-straight off-season.

The Redskins defense has made a dramatic transformation from what they used to be under Jay Gruden and former head coach Mike Shanahan. The Redskins failed to address key positions on the defense for a long time, and it burned them in the long run. The front office had a pattern of signing defensive lineman and safeties at bargain prices in hopes of these players outperforming the deals they signed. However, the issue behind that is these players were overvalued to begin with as their production was not good enough to make a difference defensively.

With that being said, there ha been significant investments in the front seven through the draft and in the secondary through free agency. This seems to force a situation where the Redskins defense is in a position where it must compensate for an offense that may average around 17 points per game. I believe the defense can do it.

The Redskins receiving core is underrated.

As mentioned previously, the Redskins receiving core is underrated by a lot of people. Receivers Cam Sims and Trey Quinn are healthy again and are capable of producing at a quality level in the NFL with “capable” meaning at least 1,400-1,500 receiving yards between the two receivers.

Sims is a playmaker with the ball in his hands and also is aggressive enough to compete for a pass in traffic. If Kevin O’Connell can get supplemental production from rookies Kelvin Harmon and Terry McLaurin, the Redskins will have a receiving core that will drastically change the outlook of the position group for the immediate future.

Though Josh Doctson and Paul Richardson are veterans on the team, they still must show what their value is to the team.

The running backs may be one of the better groups in the NFL.

The running backs in Washington, specifically Chris Thompson and Adrian Peterson, are elite in their respective roles. Adding Derrius Guice gives the three backs the potential to reach top three all-purpose yard production from that position group in the NFL. Of course, this may be dependent upon the offensive line. However, the Redskins running backs are in a great situation as we head into the regular season, and may very well be the highlight of the offense.

So, which side is more realistic?

The Redskins roster is more undervalued than it is overvalued; Washington’s roster is not that of a four-win team. Am I saying the Redskins will win 11 games? No, not at all. However, they are far from a four-win team, let alone one that will achieve only two wins.

Jay Gruden, as every head coach does, continues to learn the ropes of being a successful NFL head coach. Though he hopefully will not have to deal with another season of the injury bug biting the team, he must continue to show his growth as a coach, and his players must continue to develop and produce on this team. I believe he and his players will do just that.

Let us know what you think!