WASHINGTON (WUSA) -- The Washington Times' Rich Campbell pointed out the main reason why the Redskins brass will have such a hard time cutting 18 players on Friday (tweet seen below).
For the first time in awhile, the Redskins have depth at most positions on the roster -- excluding the offensive line and secondary.
I attended roughly 35 percent of training camp and watched each preseason game twice. I won't call myself an expert (yet), but if I were Bruce Allen, this is how I would shape the roster.
Quarterbacks: Robert Griffin III, Rex Grossman, Kirk Cousins.
Why: Grossman becomes the immediate backup quarterback, but if heaven forbid Griffin III goes down for an extended period of time, Cousins would leapfrog Rex. The Shanahan's wouldn't want to throw Cousins into the fire. They'd rather give him a full week of preparation.
Running Backs: Alfred Morris, Roy Helu Jr., Tim Hightower, Darrel Young (fullback) Evan Royster.
Why: The final roster spot for me came down to Evan Royster or return man Brandon Banks. I know Mike Shanahan was quoted as saying it's hard to justify keeping a guy just for special teams, but Shanahan says a lot of things that don't come to fruition. To me, you can find another Evan Royster type of back in free agency, where as Brandon Banks is one of the more rare players in the NFL. Banks' play on special teams -- field position and possible touchdowns -- outweigh carrying a fourth running back.
Wide Receivers: Pierre Garcon, Josh Morgan, Santana Moss, Leonard Hankerson, Dezmon Briscoe, Anthony Armstrong, Brandon Banks, Aldrick Robinson,Terrence Austin
Why:Terrence Austin equals been-there-done-that and can you really ever imagine Aldrick Robinson shining in the NFL? I just can't. While Brandon Banks may not be Devin Hester, you cannot deny that Banks has electricity. His two 40-yard plays against the Buccaneers sealed the deal in my opinion.
Tight Ends: Fred Davis, Niles Paul, Logan Paulsen
Why: Which player, outside of RGIII, has the most pressure to succeed on the roster? It has to be Niles Paul. He better prove that he's more of a playmaker than Chris Cooley, or Redskins fans may psychically attack him.
Offensive Line: Trent Williams, Kory Lichtensteiger, Will Montgomery, Chris Chester, Tyler Polumbus, Maurice Hurt, Josh LeRibeus, Tom Compton
Why: Please don't let RGIII get annihilated, please don't let RGIII get annihilated...
Defensive Line: Adam Carriker, Barry Cofield, Stephen Bowen, Kedric Golston, Chris Baker, Jarvis Jenkins, Doug Worthington
Why: Kedric Golston has been beastly all throughout training camp and I predict him to put up career numbers even if he is backing up both Carriker and Bowen on the outside.
Linebackers: Ryan Kerrigan, London Fletcher, Perry Riley, Brian Orakpo, Chris Wilson, Lorenzo Alexander, Keenan Robinson, Bryan Kehl, Rob Jackson
Why: The linebacking position is by far the best on the Redskins roster. The unit should be able to overcome injuries to any starter.
Cornerbacks: DeAngelo Hall, Josh Wilson, Cedric Griffin, Richard Crawford, Brandyn Thompson
Why: Keeping Griffin will be a tough decision, because the veteran has performed so poorly during the summer months. I still think it's better then shoving seventh round draft pick Richard Crawford on to the field for 55 percent of the snaps on defense.
Safeties: Tanard Jackson, Brandon Meriweather, Madieu Williams, Jordan Bernstine
Why: Jackson was without question the most impressive during the preseason, and should garner the start at the strong safety position. My surprise here is Dejon Gomes. The 2011 fifth round pick didn't show me much improvement, while rookie Jordan Bernstine played solidly in deep coverage.
Special Teams: Billy Cundiff, Sav Rocca, Nick Sundberg
Why: Redskins fans will have it out for Cundiff. The burgundy and gold booed pretty loudly for a preseason game when he missed a 46-yarder on Wednesday.