Perry Riley

Riley fell just short of 100 tackles last season, thanks to a knee injury that cost him two games. In the previous two years, Riley posted 129 and 115 tackles. He is mostly a high-floor, modest-ceiling player but has consistently notched a few sacks each year — he has 8.5 in the last three seasons. Entering his fourth year as a three-down inside linebacker, little should change for him in 2015.

Riley has provided solid LB2 value in each of the last two years, following up his 125-tackle 2012 season with 115 tackles last year, while also adding 6.5 sacks over that two-year span. He's poised to take the step into LB1 territory in 2014, as long-time tackle hog London Fletcher finally retired after 16 seasons, and Riley is in line to inherit a chunk of Fletcher's production. Fletcher made 111 tackles last year, and Washington's potential replacements (Darryl Sharpton and Akeem Jordan) are both below average. As a result, it seems like Riley ought to push for the 130-tackle mark in 2014. The Redskins defense played just 993 snaps last year – the seventh-lowest total in the league – so Riley's 2013 numbers were probably his floor.

He's not London Fletcher, but Riley has quietly established himself as a solid IDP option nonetheless. He played an enormous snap count for Washington last year –1,060 snaps on defense and 238 on special teams – and piled up 125 tackles and 3.5 sacks in the process. Those numbers could be his ceiling more than his floor, given all the opportunities he had, but on the other hand, there's no reason to think he won't have just as big of a role in 2013. Fletcher and Riley remain the only two vaguely established inside linebackers on the team, so they should get all the work they can handle.

He’s no London Fletcher, but Riley is still a solid sleeper to be among the league leaders in tackles in 2012. He totaled 67 tackles (35 solo) in eight starts last year, adding a sack and four passes defended. He doesn’t have any real competition for snaps in Washington, so Riley shouldn’t have much trouble pushing for 120 tackles this year, though his low solo total from 2011 is a bit concerning. Riley will have plenty of room to roam with offenses much more worried about Fletcher, Ryan Kerrigan and Brian Orakpo.

Riley will compete with Rocky McIntosh for the starting inside linebacker role. The Redskins do not feel McIntosh is suited to start as an inside linebacker role in a 3-4 defense. Riley played in eight games in 2010 and registered seven tackles.

Rookie linebacker he has a chance for playing time due to the Redskins lack of depth at linebacker.