Washington Redskins Should Consider Moving Bashaud Breeland To Safety
Nov 24, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrance Williams (83) catches a touchdown pass against Washington Redskins cornerback Bashaud Breeland (26) in the second quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
The Washington Redskins have had some issues in their secondary this year. One of the main culprits for underperformance has been their third year cornerback Bashaud Breeland.
Coming into the 2016 NFL season, many expected that the Washington Redskins would have a very strong secondary. The team had just added Josh Norman in free agency and they looked to have a lot of quality players on their depth chart. However, a lot of the expected improvement depended on the continued excellence of Bashaud Breeland. Thus far in 2016, he has not played up to par.
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In his first two seasons with the Redskins, Breeland was the team’s best cornerback. Despite being a fourth round pick, Breeland was able to establish himself as a No. 1 cornerback using his strength and agility to combat opposing receivers. Many expected him to become one of the best No. 2 cornerbacks when the team added Norman. Instead, he has regressed.
Breeland has been unable to perform as well in pass coverage as he had in the past. He has not been able to break up nearly as many passes and has been burned too often. Perhaps he was not motivated due to the upgrade Norman brought, or perhaps he just overperformed in his first two seasons. it also could be a result of the nagging ankle injury he has dealt with this season. Regardless of the reason, the Redskins have to figure out what to do with him in 2017, and I think they should move him to safety.
The fact is that Breeland has not gotten the job done at cornerback, but he still has the skills necessary to be a quality NFL player. The Redskins have a need at the safety position, and Breeland has the versatility to fill the position. In his first season with the Skins, Breeland played at the cornerback position, but he also saw some time at safety. Breeland played well at both positions, but the team had a weakness at cornerback at the time. That meant that Breeland would continue to play there as long he could be productive.
Sep 18, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins cornerback Bashaud Breeland (26) on the field against the Dallas Cowboys during the first half at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Moving Breeland Likely Improves The Redskins Defense
The Redskins now have a pretty solid group of cornerbacks to work with. Norman is the clear-cut No. 1 option, while Kendall Fuller has showed promise in the slot. In terms of backups, Quinton Dunbar and Greg Toler get the job done. The only question is, who will the No. 2 corner be? If the team moved Breeland to safety, they would not have an immediate answer to that. The answer to that problem is right in front of them. Add another cornerback in the draft.
This year’s crop of cornerbacks seems to be a strong one. With Washington likely picking anywhere from the 15-25 range, the team will have a chance to select a quality player at the position. Marlon Humphrey, Desmond King, and Adoree Jackson will be considerations for the team. Any project to be a solid No. 2 option and they could be good enough to replace Breeland.
For those worried about a potential position change for Breeland, that would likely be a non-issue. The Redskins coaching staff has done a great job of converting cornerbacks to safeties over the past couple of years. DeAngelo Hall and Will Blackmon were both converted this offseason, and they have fared relatively well at their new positions. Breeland has more upside at this point in his career by comparison, due to his age, so the coaching staff may have an easier time getting him to make the move.
It will also help Breeland’s cause that he has been a strong tackler at the cornerback position. If his tackling and coverage skills can translate to the safety spot, he could end up being a huge weapon for the team. The position just suits him better than cornerback. He would have a bigger impact.
At the end of the day, it will be interesting to see what the Redskins choose to do in the offseason. They have some serious defensive issues, but moving Breeland to safety and adding a cornerback could kill two birds with one stone. Jay Gruden will have the final say in what happens, but this could definitely be beneficial to the Redskins future.
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