Take a quick look back at the top Redskins 2015 season storylines from the linebacker position, courtesy of Redskins Public Relations.
Linebackers Coach Kirk Olivadotti orchestrated a group that features a veteran climbing the ranks in Redskins lore and a rookie etching his name in the record books as well.
Take a look back at the top images of the Washington Redskins' linebackers from the 2015 season.
The corps was led by outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan's 9.5 sacks, which pushed his career total to 47.5 sacks, currently third all-time in Redskins history since sacks became an official statistic in 1982. Kerrigan became only the fifth NFL player since 1982 to open a career with five consecutive 7.5-sack seasons, joining Jared Allen, Derrick Thomas, DeMarcus Ware and Reggie White.
Outside linebacker Preston Smith followed with 8.0 sacks in 2015, passing Kerrigan for second-most sacks by a rookie in team history. Smith also led all NFL rookies in sacks in 2015 while helping clinch the NFC East Division title with a three-sack performance in Washington's 38-24 win at Philadelphia in Week 16.
The career numbers and milestones were contagious, as second-year outside linebacker Trent Murphy also earned a career high in sacks (3.5).
They say good things come in pairs, and for Washington, a pair of tandems at the inside linebacker position helped serve as the catalyst for the Redskins' success in 2015. Will Compton, a former 2013 college free agent turned starter, has emerged to play a vital role in the defense's run-stopping ability down the stretch.
Compton was credited by coaches' film review with 122 tackles and posted his first career sack in Week 16 and first career interception in Week 17 to conclude the 2015 regular season.
Sharing the interior alongside Compton, Mason Foster contributed 38 tackles after the Redskins acquired the free agent following Week 3.
Early in the season, Keenan Robinson and Perry Riley, Jr. served as the starting inside duo before battling injuries for significant portions of the season. Robinson was second on the team in tackles before suffering an injury which rendered him inactive for three weeks and sidelined for another. Riley recorded a career high in interceptions in a season (two) before being inactive with a foot injury for the final five games of the regular season.
Linebackers Houston Bates and Carlos Fields played limited reps on defense but played a critical role on special teams.
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