Category: Redskins Rookies

A life outside of football at IBM awaits for Redskins rookie James Smith-Williams

Smith-Williams was an extremely successful student at North Carolina State, and he already has a job lined up at IBM for when he retires.

You may know that James Smith-Williams, who the Washington Redskins drafted in the 7th round of the 2020 NFL Draft, is a highly-skilled defensive end that will have a decent chance of making the 53-man roster in 2020, but did you know that he’s already set up for life after football as well?

Smith-Williams is an extremely intelligent student who soared academically throughout college, earning a degree in business supply chain management, and he is pursuing a graduate certificate in policy analysis, according to Redskins.com.

He also spent his 2018 summer as an IBM intern studying robotic automation, and he already has a full-time job at IBM waiting for him whenever his football career is over.

“NC State and the football program opened that door for me,” Smith-Williams told the school website in 2019. “I work with students that are top of their classes at Ivy League schools, so to be exposed to their talents has been a valuable experience in making me a better employee and person.”

While Smith-Williams is undoubtedly excited for the road ahead as he attempts to carve out a patch in the NFL, it has to be comforting to know that there’s life outside of football, whenever he is ready for it.

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Bleacher Report claims RB Antonio Gibson is a bad fit for Redskins

A crowded backfield in Washington may seem like an obstacle for Gibson, but his athleticism figures to find him a lot of playing time.

Fans of the Washington Redskins were extremely excited about the selection of Antonio Gibson in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, but some media members are questioning the decision.

Not that Gibson is a bad player at all, but rather that he might not be the best fit in Washington, as they already have an extremely crowded running back room.

According to Marcus Mosher, at Bleacher Report, the Redskins are a bad fit for Gibson, as he will be relegated to a role player in an RB-by-committee situation going forward.

Washington brought back veteran running back Adrian Peterson but also has Derrius Guice returning after consecutive major knee injuries. In addition, the Redskins selected Bryce Love in the fourth round of the 2019 draft, and he should be back after a 2019 torn ACL.

At best, Gibson will be part of a committee and probably won’t get significant touches right away. The most likely scenario is that he is a special teams player as a rookie and potentially contributes as a receiver out of the backfield.

Gibson could still turn into a solid NFL player, but it would have been nice to see him in a more stable offense that has shown a solid track record of knowing how to use this type of weapon. Washington may figure it out eventually, but there are concerns that he will be used only as a running back with the Redskins.

To someone who is unaware of the plans that OC Scott Turner has for Gibson, this is an understandable concern, but there has already been a lot of buzz about the new-look offense that will utilize Gibson’s athleticism in a multitude of ways, looking to get him the ball in open space and let him work. While he may not be an every-down player in 2020, he definitely won’t be relegated to a few touches here and there.

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With Antonio Gibson, throw all conventional RB roles out the window

The Redskins have an extremely crowded backfield, but the addition of Antonio Gibson should allow them to mix and match with new formations.

Many fans of the Washington Redskins have looked at the team’s post-draft roster and wondered something along these lines: ‘With so many running backs, how are you going to find enough carries and snaps for everyone?’

It was likely the addition of RB Antonio Gibson — who Washington drafted with their pick at No. 66 in the 2020 NFL Draft — that caused this reaction. With Gibson now added to the Redskins RB depth chart, there are 7 players battling for reps (Derrius Guice, Adrian Peterson, Gibson, Bryce Love*, Peyton Barber, J.D. McKissick, and Josh Ferguson.) Quite a competition brewing.

However, the addition of Gibson will be treated a bit differently in Washington. While he is primarily designated as an RB, OC Scott Turner and the Redskins don’t plan to treat him as such, and having him on the field likely won’t stop a formation from having 1-2 other backs in the backfield as well.

“It’s not like with a normal running back,” said Kyle Smith, the Redskins VP of Player Personnel, via The Athletic. “You can put (Antonio) on the field with Adrian Peterson, with Derrius Guice, J.D. McKissic, Bryce (Love)… it opens up a lot of different options for our offense.”

This is mainly due to Gibson’s positionless nature. During his time at Memphis, he often split out wide as a receiver, and showed a great ability to operate out of the slot as well. When talking to teams at the Senior Bowl during the pre-draft process, he told everyone that he wanted to be thought of as “an offensive weapon.”

“He was brought to our attention because they moved him around at the Senior Bowl,” coach Ron Rivera said. “Kyle and his guys kept pointing him out.”

So are there times when Gibson will be lined up in a single-back behind QB Dwayne Haskins? Sure. But there are also several formations that figure to split him out wide alongside Terry McLaurin and Steven Sims, with Guice and AP lined up alongside Haskins. The possibilities are endless, and that’s what Gibson brings to this offense. While you and I may be wondering what Washington is going to do on each and every snap, the defense will be guessing as well.

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Which Redskins will have an impact in fantasy football next season?

Fantasy football is a ways out, but it’s never too early to do some research and these are a few players in Washington to keep your eye on.

We don’t yet know when the 2020 NFL season will kick off, or what exactly it will look like whenever games do finally get underway, but one thing is for sure — when games start, fantasy football will be right alongside the action, step for step with the real contests.

The Washington Redskins may not be projected to win many games in 2020, but there are several players on the team who could end up making a difference on your fantasy team. Whether you play in a ‘Just For Fun’ league with your family or work colleagues, or you’re deep in the game with dynasty leagues and auction drafts, these are some names to keep in mind as you start to do draft prep for the coming season.

Redskins to Start With Confidence

Terry McLaurin

Derrius Guice

There really are only two players in Washington who you can have any amount of confidence when throwing into your starting lineup, and one of those players has dealt with a litany of injuries already in his young career, so it may be on a wing and a prayer that you entrust him with a RB2 or FLEX spot any given week. However, if either Terry McLaurin or Derrius Guice are healthy, you can definitely feel good about playing them.

McLaurin had an incredible rookie season, and he burst onto the scene in fantasy right off the bat, with over 60 yards and a touchdown in each of his first three games. As for Guice, he only played in five total games on the year, but he scored three touchdowns in that time, with 245 yards rushing, and seven receptions for 79 yards as well. Both are expected to get better this offseason, and both are projected to shoulder a major load in the Redskins’ offense going forward. Draft them, and start them without a second thought.

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Redskins RB Antonio Gibson named one of biggest steals of 2020 draft

The Redskins found Antonio Gibson in the third round, and he has a chance to be a huge difference-maker.

The Washington Redskins had an easy selection to make in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, but it’s the second pick that they made last weekend that really got the respect of the public.

With the No. 66 pick, Washington built off the success of Chase Young by drafting RB Antonio Gibson, a dynamic offensive weapon out of Memphis. Heading into the 2020 season, Gibson will instantly be implemented into several packages in the offense as Scott Turner looks to get him the ball out in space.

Now that we’ve had the chance to revisit the draft a week removed, many think that drafting Gibson was one of the better picks of the entire draft. At USA TODAY’s Touchdown Wire, they named Gibson as one of the biggest steals of the draft.

Limited sample size had Gibson, the Memphis alum, dropping to the 66th overall pick in the third round, but there’s no denying his explosive ability as both a receiver and returner. Last season, he broke 16 tackles on his 33 rushing attempts, and 17 tackles on his 38 catches. Imagine DK Metcalf also playing running back, and you’ll understand his athletic potential in the right system. Washington head coach Ron Rivera has intimated that the Redskins could use Gibson as the Panthers, Rivera’s former team, used Christian McCaffrey as a do-it-all weapon.

There’s no telling exactly how the Redskins will use Gibson just yet, but we know that he will likely be heavily featured throughout the gameplan.

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WATCH: This is the catch that Antonio Gandy-Golden says shows his true potential

Gandy-Golden has produced in college, but he knows that he’ll have to do it again on the big stage before he gets any recognition.

Washington Redskins receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden has no shortage of highlight-reel catches from his time in college at Liberty, but some of them stand above the rest. When talking to local media members on Wednesday, AGG highlighted the above clip, saying that what he did on this play, in his opinion, highlights how truly dynamic of a receiving threat he really is.

“I caught the one-handed ball with my left hand, something I usually don’t ever do,” Gandy-Golden said, via NBC Sports Washington. “The DB was tugging and pulling on me, I felt like it should have gotten a flag beforehand. I just feel like [that catch] shows my focus, my determination, and it is my ability to fight through contact to catch the ball.”

There are countless other highlights that show AGG’s leaping ability, body control, and hand strength. He always seems to be able to go up and get the ball in traffic, hauling it down and usually continuing on down the field. He also has an impressive array of one-handed catches under his belt as well. One thing is for sure, though — he is a young player who knows he can succeed, and he’s excited for the world at large to see what he can do.

“I definitely feel like I have a chip on my shoulder,” he said. “The small school thing comes up a lot with me for some reason even though I have produced. I plan on coming into the league and playing right away, at least getting in the game and showing what I can do.”

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