Josh Doctson struggling to get healthy for the Redskins
By Jon Dove
Rookie Josh Doctson is struggle to get on the field and it could hurt his ability to make an immediate impact.
The reports are that Josh Doctson isn’t recovering well enough from his Achilles injury and will miss time during training camp. This injury is something that the Washington Redskins will monitor closely.
Washington isn’t going to rush Doctson on the field and risk his long-term health. However, they were hoping to get some early production from their 1st round pick. Doctson is an explosive athlete who excels at making plays down the field.
He uses a combination of his height, length and leaping ability to high point the football. Doctson isn’t a burner, but he has more than enough speed to stretch the defense. His savvy as a route-runner help in this area.
This injury isn’t a major blow to the Redskins as they have plenty of depth at the wide receiver position. DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon are the projected starters with Jamison Crowder working out of the slot.
Ryan Grant, who showed some upside last year, will work as the No. 4 receiver until Doctson gets up to speed. Washington also has talented pass-catching tight ends like Jordan Reed, Niles Paul and Vernon Davis.
Jay Gruden also likes to heavily feature the running game which cuts into the opportunities for the pass catchers.
The biggest impact this injury might have is that Washington will keep Garcon on the roster. Cutting him lose would save the team about $8 million which could be rolled over to next year’s salary cap.
Doctson’s injury likely means that he’ll need to work his way up the depth chart. The snaps he’s missing during training camp will set him back and hurt his ability to establish a bond with quarterback Kirk Cousins.
This is probably something for fantasy football owners to note as it maybe several weeks into the season before we get a gauge on how Doctson will contribute to this team.