Washington Redskins: Will team keep three quarterbacks?

The Redskins traded for Kevin Hogan in the spring to give them three quarterbacks on the roster. Will Hogan even make the team?

The Washington Redskins traded for Alex Smith in the offseason to replace three-year starter Kirk Cousins at quarterback. However, Smith wasn’t the only signal-caller Washington traded for this offseason, as in April the Redskins acquired Kevin Hogan from the Cleveland Browns. The price was minimal, too, as the two clubs swapped sixth-round picks in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Now, the biggest question is, will the Redskins actually keep Hogan? Smith is the unquestioned starter and a very good one. Veteran Colt McCoy returns for his fifth season in D.C. He is one of the better backups in the entire NFL and a lock to make the roster.

McCoy has proven in limited opportunities he can move head coach Jay Gruden’s offense and even win. And Gruden loves McCoy.

There’s also the fact that Washington has only kept three quarterbacks on the roster once in Gruden’s previous four seasons. That was back in 2014 when the Redskins were still figuring out if Robert Griffin III was on the roster and he split time with Cousins and McCoy.

A former fifth-round pick by Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs, Hogan was released just before the beginning of his rookie season back in 2016. He was promptly picked up by the Browns and ended up playing in four games in both 2016 and 2017. Hogan had an outstanding college career at Stanford, starting 46 games and leading the Cardinal to three Pac-12 titles. He also happens to be a Washington, D.C., native.

Hogan has the potential to develop into a nice long-term backup. He has good size (6’3″, 218), solid mobility and a decent arm. There are no special qualities that Hogan possesses, but the same thing could be said about McCoy. It’s the intangibles. And while Gruden loves McCoy, Hogan is growing on him, too.

Speaking of McCoy, he’s due to count $3.6 million against the salary cap this season, per Spotrac, which is expensive considering Washington’s major investment in Smith. Team president Bruce Allen is notoriously thrifty and it would surprise no one if he’s spoken to Gruden about the development of Hogan with McCoy’s salary in mind.

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So, no, it’s doubtful the Redskins keep three quarterbacks. However, it’s a possibility Washington keeps two, it just may not be the two you’re thinking of.