Washington Redskins: Could Ryan Anderson move to inside linebacker?

The Washington Redskins released Mason Foster earlier this week. Would a move to middle linebacker make sense for Ryan Anderson?

The Washington Redskins made a semi-surprising move recently that a lot of fans actually liked. Despite the fact that he was fine on the field, many felt it was time to move on from middle linebacker Mason Foster. The Redskins did just that.

However, there’s a slight problem with this move. It leaves Washington rather weak at the position. They have veteran Jon Bostic, which is nice, but that’s about it. Reuben Foster was supposed to be the big addition but an unfortunate injury has already sidelined him for 2019.

Currently on the roster, someone like Shaun Dion Hamilton might get a chance, or rookie Cole Holcomb. Maybe Josh Harvey-Clemons? These are all options and some definitely have potential for a bright future. However, are they solutions for 2019?

With that in mind, why not look elsewhere on the roster? With the addition of Montez Sweat, the Redskins now have an absolutely deadly duo on the outside, pairing Sweat with Ryan Kerrigan. That’s fantastic, but it also diminishes the role of Ryan Anderson greatly.

Now, if we’re being honest, Anderson was on a short leash this year anyways. Before the draft, I even talked about how this was a make-or-break year for Anderson. Of course, now he’s in a different role and won’t exactly get a chance to have that breakout year. Then again, maybe he can.

Washington having Anderson as depth on the outside is nice, but maybe they should try to switch things up. This is similar to what the original plan with Ereck Flowers was. He didn’t work out as an offensive tackle so far in his career, so they want to try him out at guard. Maybe his skills would translate better there.

Who’s to say Anderson’s skills won’t translate better on the inside at linebacker? He’s not exactly known for his fantastic pass rushing moves, but would be a great pass rusher as a middle linebacker. Meanwhile, he’d bring athleticism to the position and could develop into a very strong run stopper.

There’s definitely no guarantee that it would work. What do the Redskins have to lose, though? It’s not like he’s a starter anymore anyways. Sometimes a switch in positions is all someone needs to kickstart their career. And it wouldn’t be crazy for Anderson to move inside and try and do that in Washington.