ASHBURN — Two days into Washington’s padded practices, coach Ron Rivera has a warning for those trying to project starting lineups and 53-man rosters.
It’s still early.
“To say and draw conclusions based on the first couple days would be a little premature,” Rivera said.
With all apologies to Rivera, what’s the fun in that?
After two days, Washington has had some surprises at pivotal positions — leaving others to wonder just what’s real and what’s not. Even acknowledging that there’s still much of camp to unfold, let’s examine what might be for real.
Troy Apke, starting safety?
Apke has started at free safety for the past two days, perhaps the most unexpected development of camp given Washington signed former Pittsburgh Steelers starter and Maryland product Sean Davis. Apke, a third-year safety, had struggled for much of his first two seasons, though showed some progress near the end of last year when injuries forced him into action.
“The biggest thing about Troy right now is he’s got a really good, athletic skillset,” Rivera said. “He’s got good range, good quickness. One thing he has to work on, obviously, is his angles.”
The angles Rivera referenced is Apke’s approach to tackling. Too often last season, Apke missed the open tackle by taking the wrong angle.
It can be common for players to leapfrog others on the depth chart as camp goes on. Zach Brown did it a few years ago when he beat out Will Compton for the other starting linebacker spot opposite Mason Foster, despite Compton beginning camp with the 1s. Brown, like Davis, needed time to adjust as he was signed over the offseason.
Rivera, though, praised Apke as a “sharp, smart player.” It wouldn’t be a shock if he earns the starting spot opposite Landon Collins.
“He’s doing a great job,” Collins said. “He’s understanding what he’s supposed to be looking at. We’re talking all the time on the back end, making sure what he sees. He’s picking my brain on my knowledge about how to play different things and playing within the defensive calls and how we’ve got to see things and see different adjustments.”
Left side of the line
When Rivera talks about it being too soon to make judgments based on the beginning of padded practices, the left side of the offensive line fits that description. Geron Christian and Wes Martin have started at left tackle and guard, respectively — but it’s important to note who is not practicing.
Fourth-rounder Saahdiq Charles and veteran Wes Schweitzer have not practiced in pads, and both figured to be serious candidates to anchor the left side. Charles is dealing with a “minor” injury, Rivera said, while Schweitzer’s absence has gone unexplained to the media.
Still, this is an opportunity for Christian and Martin to take advantage of the playing time. Martin did a solid job of filling in for an injured Brandon Scherff last season, while Christian barely saw playing time.
Rivera said Christian’s athleticism has stood out so far.
“He’s caught our eye,” Rivera said. “He’s caught our attention. He’s had a couple opportunities to play with the ones recently. We’re getting a good feel for what he’s capable of.”
Rotations, rotations, rotations
There have been three offensive positions in particular that has seen a consistent churn: Running back, wide receiver, and tight end.
Adrian Peterson didn’t practice Wednesday, but rookie Antonio Gibson and 2019 fourth-rounder Bryce Love have received first-team snaps over the last two days. With Peterson not practicing, Peyton Barber also got ample opportunities.
For wide receiver, Washington is trying to find a starter opposite Terry McLaurin. Dontrelle Inman, Antonio Gandy-Golden and even Cam Sims have all had reps with Dwayne Haskins. Steven Sims continues to excel in the slot, but Trey Quinn has looked good in work with backups.
As for tight end, keep an eye on Marcus Baugh. Washington added the 25-year-old in the spring, and so far, he has been the team’s primary receiving threat at the position, arguably even more so than Logan Thomas. Baugh has good size (6-foot-4), but his NFL experience is relatively limited as the 2019 undrafted free agent spent most of last year on injured reserve with the Carolina Panthers.
Linebacker is deep
Alex Smith isn’t the only player Washington is nursing along slowly following a serious injury. So far, linebacker Reuben Foster has played mostly with the second-and-third units as he works his way back from a torn ACL and LCL. Rivera said it has been “fun” to watch Foster, who had a good chance at an interception Tuesday only for him to mistime the jump.
With Foster not starting so far, Kevin Pierre-Louis continues to get serious run with the 1s. The 28-year-old is known mostly as a special teams ace, but he shined with the Chicago Bears last year when injuries moved him up the depth chart. With Washington, Pierre-Louis has been paired with different combinations of players, including Jon Bostic, Thomas Davis and Cole Holcomb.
“This league is about opportunity, and when your opportunity comes you have to make sure that you’re up for the task,” Pierre-Louis said.
This competition is by no means over. But Washington’s coaches will have their hands full in sorting out which players they want to see the majority of the playing time.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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