Washington Redskins facing questions at center spot

ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Redskins came into training camp with great stability on the offensive line, but the most vulnerable spot was at center. Spencer Long had a solid first year at that position in 2016, but he has Been out two-to-three weeks with a knee injury and his status for the Sept. 10 season opener against Philadelphia is in some doubt.

Washington has limited depth at that spot after veteran center John Sullivan signed as a free agent with the Rams this past offseason. For now, the options are rookie sixth-round pick Chase Roullier (Wyoming), journeyman Ronald Patrick and Lucas Crowley, acquired this week in a trade with Pittsburgh. That could change if Long is deemed out for Week 1 or longer. He was playing on a damaged meniscus.

"It has been bothering him. He's been trying to fight through it," Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said. "Spencer does not like to miss a rep. He's a very competitive guy and unfortunately you could see it starting to bother him. After the game, he tried to fight through the whole first half against Green Bay (on Saturday) and he just said he couldn't really go."

--Quarterback Kirk Cousins and wide receiver Terrelle Pryor, signed as a free agent from Cleveland, have been building their chemistry since March when they participated in a minicamp of sorts with ESPN analyst Jon Gruden and some teammates. It doesn't hurt the speed of that process that Pryor is a former quarterback and thinks like one. The Ohio State star is still adjusting to receiver after moving there full time finally last season, but day by day the Redskins are seeing progress.

"One of the benefits of working with Terrelle is that he just really loves football," Cousins said. "And that's evident with the fact that he wants to stay after practice, he wants to talk about the routes and the nuances of it. I think, again, what some of the stuff we're working on goes back to the fact that, as good as he is, as talented as he is, there's still a lot more there."

--Inside linebackers Zach Brown and Mason Foster will again start in Washington's preseason game on Sunday vs. the Bengals. Foster had spent the past two seasons starting alongside Will Compton at inside linebacker. But the Redskins signed Brown, a Pro Bowler last season with Buffalo, as a free agent in March to upgrade their speed at the position. Brown and Foster started the second preseason game last Saturday against Green Bay.

"We're going back and forth all the time during practice with Mason and with Comp (Will Compton) and then with Zach," defensive coordinator Greg Manusky said. "We're going through a process - that's the preseason - right now. That's why I like both of them right now. Mason and Zach inside, they are doing a good job from a coverage perspective."