[Monkeydad]

Here's WaPo's predictions with Banks beating out Austin, Armstrong and Robinson:


Let’s take a crack at the final 53 Redskins - The Insider - The Washington Post

Quarterback (3) -- Robert Griffin III, Rex Grossman, Kirk Cousins. I know Mike Shanahan has gone with just two quarterbacks in the past, and it’s an easy place to get back a roster spot when you don’t want to make a tough decision at another spot, but Rex is too valuable to let walk. You might not want to ride with him for a full season, but he knows the system and can win you a few games in a pinch.

Running back (4) -- Tim Hightower, Evan Royster, Roy Helu Jr., Alfred Morris. The problem with Morris’s big game against the Colts is that he’s no longer far enough under the radar to hope to sneak through to the practice squad. He might even be competing for carries in Week 1 at this point. Seems unwise to go without a fullback in Darrel Young. The choice is between him and tight end Chris Cooley, who will take snaps at fullback.

Wide receiver (6) -- Pierre Garcon, Josh Morgan, Leonard Hankerson, Santana Moss, Dezmon Briscoe, Brandon Banks. Tough decisions have to be made here. Some people might prefer Aldrick Robinson over Banks, who is still basically a return specialist and nothing more. But Robinson is eligible for another year on the practice squad. Armstrong wasn’t healthy enough and Austin didn’t show enough this preseason.

Tight end (4) -- Fred Davis, Chris Cooley, Niles Paul, Logan Paulsen. Four tight ends is a lot, but on this roster, Cooley is the only fullback. I could see Cooley being traded, but not outright cut, even with his salary and even with the other talented tight ends on the roster. In the end, it’s a choice between Cooley and Darrel Young, and I kept the more versatile player.

Offensive line (9) -- Trent Williams, Kory Lichtensteiger, Will Montgomery, Chris Chester, Tyler Polumbus, Maurice Hurt, Adam Gettis, Tom Compton, Willie Smith. Plenty of room to quibble here, as I let third-round pick Josh LeRebius go instead of the also-practice-squad-eligible tackles Smith and Compton. The Redskins might make a decision between those two instead, and in the end, may carry two or three O-linemen on the practice squad.

Defensive line (6) -- Adam Carriker, Kedrick Golston, Barry Cofield, Chris Baker, Stephen Bowen, Jarvis Jenkins. Chris Neild’s ACL injury left just Cofield and Baker as the nose tackles, and leave the D-line as one of the areas with little suspense.

Outside linebacker (4) -- Ryan Kerrigan, Chris Wilson, Brian Orakpo, Rob Jackson. Markus White is my last roster cut here.

Inside linebacker (4) -- London Fletcher, Perry Riley, Lorenzo Alexander, Keenan Robinson. Bryan Kehl might make the team -- he’s listed ahead of Robinson on the depth chart on the team website, for whatever that’s worth -- but the team invested a fourth-round pick in Robinson. Kehl had chances at interceptions in the first two preseason games, but couldn’t come up with them.

Cornerback (5) -- DeAngelo Hall, Josh Wilson, Cedric Griffin, Brandyn Thompson, Richard Crawford. The Kevin Barnes trade signals that the Redskins like some of their younger corners. I wish I had some great insight on why they like Thompson and Crawford instead of Travon Bellamy and David Jones (who isn’t all that young), but I based it on the two who good things seem to be written about most often. Open to hearing better reasons.

Safety (5) -- Brandon Meriweather, Madieu Williams, Tanard Jackson, DeJon Gomes, Reed Doughty. Since I kept Banks, I keep an extra safety to fill a role on coverage units.

Specialists (3) -- Graham Gano, Sav Rocca, Nick Sundberg.

Some bad picks here. Cooley in with D. Young out. Banks over Robinson. Gano still on there (they wrote it this morning but never updated).