Jack of all trades: position flex allows for creativity on both sides of the ball for the Washington Football Team

Pay close attention to the words of Jamin Davis, the Football Team's first round selection in the most recent draft:

[My value to the team lies in] being able to be completely versatile, not just being locked into one specific linebacker position. Something that [my] coach put a big emphasis on was teaching me all of the linebacker spots, and just overall, learning all the different techniques, and just being able to step in wherever I need to be.

The word that leaps out is "versatile". It's a word that you hear every time Ron Rivera speaks about players. Washington's head coach believes that positional versatility is one of the keys to success in building a winning NFL roster.

Draft picks, free agent signings, the entire roster

One of the team's most recent veteran signings is Bobby McCain who played six seasons with the Dolphins. McCain began as a corner for the Dolphins before moving to safety two years ago. He's been producing in his career, accumulating seven interceptions and four sacks in 87 games. He's known as a tremendous leader, and was a captain during the last two seasons. Obviously, McCain can line up at free safety, where he will probably start for the Football Team, but he can also play boundary corner, and is also a skilled slot defender.

The focus on versatility is nothing new. One of Ron Rivera's first roster moves was to bring former Washington draft pick Kendall Fuller back to the DMV. Among other defensive backs, Kendall Fuller is primarily a boundary corner in Jack Del Rio's defense, but he started his career in Washington mainly playing as the nickel corner covering the slot receiver, and as a member of the Chiefs in their recent championships season, Fuller played safety for much of the year.

The team's 5th round pick, safety Darrick Forrest, was asked just after he was drafted whether he was more comfortable at strong or free safety. Clearly, Forrest is expected to become a key member of the special teams units early in his career and will likely be limited to a backup role at safety, similar to Deshazor Everett. But if Washington were to suffer injuries at the position and Forrest was needed to step in, what could he bring to Washington’s defense? Here's what Forrest said during his minicamp press conference this past week.

I don't know exactly which safety spot I'm gonna be playing right now, so I'm learning both. They're just putting me out there and seeing what I can do. I feel like, towards the season, they'll tell me exactly which safety position I'll be playing.

Both sides of the ball

It's not just defensive versatility that the coaches value. Look at this season's premier offensive free agent, Curtis Samuel. The receiver played primarily as the z receiver for Ron Rivera in Carolina, but in 2020, on the same team, but under a different coaching staff, Samuel was moved around the offensive formation more, and had incredible production working as a slot receiver.

Curtis Samuel (10) catches a pass during the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Prior to the draft, it looked like Ron Rivera and Scott Turner would be asking Samuel to line up again the way they used him in Carolina -- out wide, opposite Terry McLaurin. However, with the drafting of Dyami Brown with the 82nd overall pick, the makeup of the receiving group is dramatically changed; we could see Samuel lining up in the slot or split out wide -- and with the amount of motion that Scott Turner incorporates into the offense, Samuel will probably often shift from one position the other.

The same is true for running backs JD McKissic and Antonio Gibson. McKissic was signed by Rivera as a free agent in 2020, and Gibson was drafted in the third round about a month later. Gibson is a converted wide receiver who seems to be a more natural running back, but his experience as a receiver in college gives him flexibility.

The importance of versatility

One reason why versatility is key is that it allows coaches to confuse the opposing offense or defense pre-snap. If a player is capable of rushing the passer, dropping into coverage or sifting through blocks to tackle a running back, you don't really know what his assignment is based on personnel and alignment. Similarly, on offense, a player who is both a capable runner and pass receiver stresses a defense, as they can't tell, simply by the personnel on the field, whether to expect a run or pass.

For example, both running backs -- McKissic and Gibson -- can run the ball, catch passes out of the back field, line up in the slot or out wide. Both frequently line up in one position before pre-snap motion puts them into another, adding stress to the defense, which has to adjust assignments on the fly.

But the value of versatility goes beyond each individual play. Football is a sport of attrition, certainly over the course of a season, but also within a game. A player may need to sit out a play or a series while he gets his ankle wrapped. Another player needs to be able to take his place for a play or a season as a blocker, pass catcher or defender.

Even Washington's final defensive draft pick, 7th round DE Shaka Toney out of Penn State, should be able to add versatility and flexibility in these situations.

Related article: Should Washington’s newly drafted DE from Penn State convert to linebacker?

In an interview with Julie Donaldson just after the draft, Jack Del Rio said pretty clearly that Toney, who is an undersized defensive end who seems more suited to a SAM linebacker role, would be cross-trained to that position.

We're gonna give him some time [at linebacker]. I talked to him the weekend we drafted him, and said, 'We'll probably have you take some reps at linebacker', and he said, 'Coach, I'm on it -- whatever you want me to do.'"

Whether offensively or defensively, the current coaching staff has stressed a few ideas from the time they arrived in January last year: culture fit, accountability, speed and versatility.

All these traits have been obvious in the free agent signings and draft picks they have made in two offseasons. The result is that, two years into the RivEra, Washington has a highly flexible roster that looks playoff ready and built to withstand the rigors of a 17-game season.

Follow me to see more articles like this.

...

Follow