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Washington Redskins: Time to Give Matt Ioannidis More Snaps

By Hunter Noll

Oct 2, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Cleveland Browns long snapper Charley Hughlett (47) lines up against Washington Redskins defensive end Matt Ioannidis (98) in the third quarter at FedEx Field. The Redskins won 31-20. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 2, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Cleveland Browns long snapper Charley Hughlett (47) lines up against Washington Redskins defensive end Matt Ioannidis (98) in the third quarter at FedEx Field. The Redskins won 31-20. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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Matt Ioannidis seeing more snaps on the Washington Redskins defensive line could help them down the stretch.

The Washington Redskins defensive line hasn’t been anything to brag about this season. With the exception of Chris Baker, it’s been completely underwhelming, in fact. Despite that, the line is still worth a look—that is, if Matt Ioannidis is given a chance.

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When the Redskins drafted Ioannidis in the fifth round of the NFL draft this season, his role was unclear. He had the athletic ability to play anywhere on the line, which made him intriguing. The question seemed to be “where will he play?” Instead, the question should’ve been “how much will he play?” Ioannidis saw little time in the first few weeks, and ended up on the team’s practice squad.

Ioannidis has seen some playing time on the line over the last few weeks however. He saw eight defensive snaps in Week 12, 13 defensive snaps in Week 13, and 16 defensive snaps in Week 14. This is a trend that absolutely needs to continue.

Ziggy Hood and Cullen Jenkins have both shown flashes. However, neither are the longterm answer. It’s hard to take out someone who might be your best player at a position when the playoffs are still in the picture. Hood has done enough to stay in the rotation in fact. Although, he should probably stop stealing Josh Norman‘s lifesavers.

There’s no reason for Ioannidis to not push Jenkins out of the rotation however.

Hood has become a serviceable defensive tackle. Nothing special, but he tends to get the job done. A rotation of him and Ioannidis could actually turn into something.

The problem is that the Redskins are running out of time. This was the year to get Ioannidis time in a rotation to learn if he could become part of the defensive line for years to come. It’s hard to imagine the Redskins rolling with the same rotation next year, after such a poor year defending the run in 2016. If they don’t bring in a bigger name it would be a shock to almost everyone.

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The problem is, Ioannidis has the potential to become a problem for opposing teams at the spot. The Redskins still have time to give him a look in 2016, but that time is running low.

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