The 10 most important players on the Washington Redskins
1. TE Jordan Reed (41 points)
2. CB Josh Norman (37)
3. LT Trent Williams (35)
4. OLB Ryan Kerrigan (31)
5. WR Terrelle Pryor (20)
6. WR Jamison Crowder (17)
7. DT Jonathan Allen (15)
8. LB Zach Brown (14)
T-10. RT Morgan Moses (11)
T-10. S D.J. Swearinger (11)
T-10. G Brandon Scherff (11)
T-10. RB Rob Kelley (11)
In past seasons Washington’s offense has imploded with Jordan Reed out of the lineup, as was the case in 2015—the Redskins averaged 369 yards in 14 games with Reed, 247.5 in two games without him. That drop-off wasn’t as painful last season, but even so, Kirk Cousins is now just 2–7 as a starter sans his top tight end. With the tweaks to Washington’s WR depth chart this off-season, Reed’s presence becomes even more important. His team-high voting total in our poll included a pair of first-place votes (Feldman and Single) and a second-place vote (Kaplan).
Two other pass-catchers cracked the Washington top 10: Pryor, voted as high as No. 3 (Feldman); and Crowder, as high as No. 4 (Jones). Joining them in the middle of the pack was rookie Jonathan Allen, who squeezed his way onto just three of a possible five ballots. That’s one ballot more than saw Rob Kelley, but he received a first-place vote. More on that here:
Vetting the Votes: Jacob Feldman defends his first-place vote for Fat Rob — After Washington’s Week 9 bye, the Skins were 4–1 when Kelley averaged 3.5 yards and 0–3 when he didn’t. It’s generally accepted that Kirk Cousins needs weapons around him, and a consistent backfield-mate is critical as he adjusts to an altered crop of wideouts.
Other Redskins receiving votes: SSu'a Cravens (nine points), CB Bashaud Breeland (eight), LB Mason Foster (three), WR Josh Doctson (one).
