When looking at the playmakers that each team will be putting on the field in 2020, Washington’s weapons ranked dead last in the league.
What’s one of the best things you can do for a young quarterback in the NFL in order to help him succeed? Surround him with weapons.
What’s one stat that you hate to see if you’re a fan of both Washington and QB Dwayne Haskins? ESPN’s Bill Barnwell recently ranked all 32 NFL teams from ‘best to worst’ as far as offensive weapons go, and Washington came crashing down all the way to the bottom.
Before we get into it, Barnwell set out some parameters for how he ranked each team’s weapons, based on the following:
- Contract value doesn’t matter.
- Only 2020 matters.
- Wide receivers matter more than other positions.
- Top-level talent is worth more than depth.
- Not everyone who was considered gets mentioned.
With that being said, here’s Barnwell’s take on Washington’s offensive firepower.
It’s rock-bottom for Washington, which has a budding star in No. 1 wideout Terry “F1” McLaurin and little else after the 24-year-old. McLaurin was second among rookies in receiving yards and yards per route run behind A.J. Brown, and his speed proved to be absolutely devastating, especially when stretching defenses out of the slot. He was a couple of long misses away from a 1,000-yard, nine-touchdown season.
After McLaurin, though, the weapons for second-year quarterback Dwayne Haskins are underwhelming. Washington has moved out disappointing additions like Josh Doctson and Paul Richardson, but the receivers who replaced them were Kelvin Harmon and Steven Sims, the latter of whom averaged just 9.1 yards per catch. Trey Quinn ranked No. 103 out of 111 wideouts in yards per route run. The organization is optimistic about Harmon and 6-foot-4 fourth-round pick Antonio Gandy-Golden, but over the past decade, less than 16% of fourth-round picks have topped 500 yards during their rookie season. And while it seemed like Washington would add tight ends to replace the departing Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis, those replacements were Logan Thomas and Richard Rodgers.
It’s tough to argue with much of that, as McLaurin really is the only player that Washington can surely count on to be productive in 2020, while there is hope and upside for others. It’s also important to note the loss of Harmon, who will miss the upcoming season with a torn ACL. While his absence could drive the team to sign a top free agent at the position — potentially Josh Gordon or Antonio Brown — there is also a chance that Rivera opts to develop young talent in what will likely be an underwhelming season anyway.
As for the running backs in Washington, the outlook does not get much better.
The running back depth chart looks like someone is dedicating a homage to your fantasy waiver wire of a year ago. Adrian Peterson and Peyton Barber are low-ceiling, run-only veterans who serve little purpose for a rebuilding organization. Derrius Guice and Bryce Love have serious injury histories and have combined for 95 pro snaps over their first three seasons. The big hope here is hybrid weapon Antonio Gibson, who is converting from serving as a wideout in college, but it would be a surprise if he’s an impactful player from the jump. The bright side is that this is one of the youngest groups in the league.
Oof. Again, hard to argue, but important to note that the goal is not to ‘win now’ in Washington; eyes are set for the future, and a playoff birth is likely a few years from now, rather than in a few months. If you’re a fan of this team, there’s no getting around it — 2020 could be another grind to get through, with several frustrating losses and an early exit, But what is important to remember is the last thing that Barnwell noted — this is a young team with a lot of high-upside talent. There is a bright future to be had in Washington, even if it might take a couple of years to get to the light at the end of the tunnel.
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