The Washington Redskins will be down a cornerback on Sunday after Chris Culliver was suspended for one game for violating the league's personal conduct policy. The Redskins lost to the Dolphins on Sunday and Kirk Cousins will continue to start over Robert Griffin III and Colt McCoy for head coach Jay Gruden.
According to NFL.com, Culliver will be out on Sunday for the Redskins against the St. Louis Rams after being suspended one game by the NFL. Culler's suspension dates back to an incident from when he was with the San Francisco 49ers and had a hit-and-run incident. Bashaud Breeland was suspended for Week 1 and now Culliver will be down for Week 2, leaving DeAngelo Hall and Justin Rodgers as the main options with Breeland.
The Redskins lost to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday with Kirk Cousins under center and he will continue to be the starter for Jay Gruden. Cousins was named the starter by Gruden over Robert Griffin III and now the future for RG3 is firmly in question in Washington. Cousins had 195 yards and completed 21 of 31 passes in the game with one touchdown and two picks. Griffin was inactive for Week 1, but he has been cleared of concussion issues after getting hit around in the preseason.
McCoy served as the backup for Week 1 and he could be in that role this week as well depending on what happens with RG3. Griffin has $16 million guaranteed for next year for injury only and that could lead the Redskins to leave RG3 off the field for a while. The team likely will not get the value back they had to give up to get Griffin and clearly Gruden sees Cousins as a more viable option at this point. The Redskins are trying to bounce back against the Rams and this will be the second home game in a row for the team.
The Redskins may try and run the ball more this season and in Week 1 the offense gave a steady dose to Alfred Morris. Morris had a down season in 2014, but he opened up 2015 with 107 carries on 24 rushes and he could be primed for a big season. Matt Jones will likely get some work behind Morris, but that is actually good for Morris and his wear and tear, which has been pushed over the last three seasons. Cousins is more of a game manager quarterback for Gruden, but right now RG3 does not look like an option.
Culliver signed with the Redskins in the offseason with a four year deal worth over $30 million after his time with the 49ers. Last season Culliver had 45 total tackles and a career best four interceptions and he is considered to be a very solid cornerback. Pro Football Focus ranked Culliver as one of the top 15 corners in the league last season and he has proven to be versatile and can play on both sides of the field.
