Washington Redskins: Sizing up the two new additions at linebacker

The Washington Redskins have some new faces at linebacker. How do they size up and how much can they help the team in 2019?

Since the end of the 2018 season, I’ve mentioned the Washington Redskins‘ need for some middle linebacker help on multiple occasions. And every time that happened, someone would inevitably mention Reuben Foster.

There was a simple reason he was never brought up, though — I wasn’t convinced he’d ever actually play for the Redskins. That seems like a certainty now, though. Foster has the law on his side and isn’t even getting suspended for any games in 2019 as he’ll just surrender his first two weeks paychecks.

Throw out all the off-field drama and Reuben Foster is one of the most promising linebackers in football. The 25-year old looked great when he was on the field over the last two seasons and this could turn out to be a ridiculous steal by the Redskins.

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Obviously, people will be fighting for jobs this camp/preseason. Foster should be a favorite to win a starting job, though. In fact, not only is he a favorite, but he’s the obvious choice. He’ll make an immediate impact on the defense and gives the Redskins a young linebacker to build around with their superb defensive line.

Foster isn’t the only addition this Washington defense has seen this offseason, however. One that will go under the radar is Andrew Ankrah.

Ankrah played college football at James Madison before going undrafted in 2018. He then played in the AAF and, despite the league’s problems it worked out well for him. In nine games (counting the preseason game), Ankrah racked up six tackles for loss and four sacks. He added six QB hits and one pass deflection, as well as notching two forced fumbles.

Basically, Ankrah was a wrecking ball and disrupted the game in a number of ways. The 23-year old not only adds depth to the Redskins defense but could be a nice young building block. Washington has a hole at linebacker due to the departure of Preston Smith.

Ryan Anderson has shown potential, but has also struggled to find his footing. Ankrah is another young linebacker with potential. He’ll have a chance to prove himself with the Redskins and could be the answer they’re looking for.

Foster is a much safer bet when it comes to on-field play. However, Ankrah provides an interesting look and could turn quite a few heads. The Washington Redskins have taken a lot of steps in building their defense in recent years. These additions of Foster and Ankrah could be exactly what the linebacker corps needs.