Taking a look at the positions impacted by the Washington Redskins' draft. Today: Receiver.
Who they added: Jamison Crowder (third round), Evan Spencer (sixth round).
Key holdovers: Pierre Garcon, DeSean Jackson, Andre Roberts, Ryan Grant.
Starting battles: None. The first three wideouts appear to be set with Garcon, Jackson and Roberts, though the last one has a lot to prove. But it would be a lot to suggest either Grant or Crowder to bump him out of the No. 3 role without seeing them this summer. But if Crowder and Spencer show they can play and if Grant improves over last year (he needed to get stronger), then the Redskins have some young talent worth developing. My hunch is that the receiving corps will look different a year from now so having younger options is necessary. For what it's worth -- and it bears repeating because I've been asked this a lot -- cutting Garcon was never going to happen.
Remaining questions:
Will they add Santana Moss? No. After the draft a key member of the organization said drafting two wideouts did not mean the end for Moss in Washington. However, that was directly after the draft. Things have changed and now, according to a source, he will not return. Could those plans change down the road if someone got hurt? Perhaps. But, as of now, Moss’ time in Washington has ended. The problem with keeping Moss is that who would you leave off? You’d need to keep seven receivers if he were around and then he’d be inactive every game. There’s no room for him among the top six. But, whether it's Moss or someone else, if anything happened to one of the top five or six receivers they'd need to find someone. The roster is thin on options beyond this group. (Rashad Ross is another holdover.)
Is Roberts in danger of being cut? No. There is no cap savings if, for some reason, the Redskins wanted to cut him post-June 1. And if they cut him before that point? He would count an additional $2 million against the cap. So even if they thought they’d made a huge mistake and wanted to unload him, it wouldn’t make any sense. Roberts caught just 36 of the 71 passes thrown his way, one of the worst percentages in the NFL. That must improve (sure, some blame is on the quarterbacks but every one of them had a passer rating of 54.4 or worse throwing to him -- by far their worst numbers with any target).
How much can Crowder and Spencer help? Obviously Crowder will be in position to make more of an instant impact, with his ability in the slot and returning punts. The latter likely will be his main role early. He’s quick and shifty, but definitely needs work getting off the line (playing in the slot will help some). Spencer will give the Redskins something they haven’t had in a couple years: A legitimate special-teams cover guy who also is a receiver. Niles Paul was that guy in 2011, but moved to tight end. (Before you ask, Spencer, at 205 pounds, is not a candidate to switch positions. Paul weighed 20 pounds more than Spencer did as a rookie).