LANDOVER, MD - OCTOBER 14: Cornerback Quinton Dunbar #23 and strong safety Montae Nicholson #35 of the Washington Redskins celebrate after a play in the fourth quarter at FedExField on October 14, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)

For Redskins fans in the lead-up to the 2019 season, it’s okay to believe

For Redskins fans in the lead-up to the 2019 season, it’s okay to believe by Conor Forrest

The Redskins safety situation still lacks clarity, but a revelation made today could work toward remedying that.

It wasn’t long ago, at least on the geologic timescale, that the Washington Redskins had a virtual solution at safety in 2017 fourth-round pick Montae Nicholson.

Nicholson came into the fold as a rookie from Michigan State, and impressed early on in his tenure at Washington. By Week 2 of the 2017 season, he’d usurped the starting free safety job from Deshazor Everett, after the team unexpectedly lost Su’a Cravens for the season.

Nicholson flourished as the team’s rangy cover man, earning a reputation as a young player with immense disruptive upside. That upside was put on display with plays like his interception against the Raiders, and his heavy hits against downfield runners. At 6-foot-2, with 4.42 speed, Nicholson had the length, speed, and range to ascend much of the league as a starter.

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Unfortunately, Nicholson couldn’t stay healthy consistently, and in 2018, his development was snagged when the Redskins traded for Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, and chose to start Clinton-Dix over Nicholson. From there, Nicholson’s downward spiral only continued. In December, he was arrested on assault charges, and placed on the NFL’s exempt list.

Nicholson’s status heading into the offseason was uncertain. He was still with the Redskins organization, but a court date was still withstanding, a date where his charges would be further addressed. That date passed today, and per Washington Post’s Kareem Copeland, Nicholson’s assault charges were dropped, based on insufficient evidence.

Legally, Nicholson appears to be clear to return to football, but he still needs to earn back the trust of the Redskins staff, and it’s unclear if a suspension from the NFL is still in play. The NFL could take a similar course of action to that of the Reuben Foster situation, and give Nicholson a pass pursuant to his dropped charges. That said, the situation has yet to play out in its full capacity.

What we do know? Nicholson is still just 23 years old, and he has plenty of time to learn and grow from this incident, and he still has the upside and opportunity to take hold of the starting safety job opposite from Landon Collins. Will he fulfill that potential? That remains to be seen. But the Redskins avoided the safety position in the NFL Draft for a reason. Perhaps they felt that Nicholson could somehow factor into the equation again. Now, with his charges dropped, that possibility seems more and more likely.