Washington Redskins: Ranking Remaining Offseason Priorities – Bleacher Report Washington Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan can be pleased after meeting most of his team’s offseason priorities, in terms of adding talent. He’s made smart use of both free agency and the draft to bolster each line, as well as adding to a suspect secondary. Now McCloughan’s done his bit, it’s the turn of Washington’s coaches to do theirs. Some of their work can only be done by making judgements on the practice field. The toughest choices will come at both guard spots where as many as five players will be competing for two spots. Then there’s the outside linebacker berth formerly filled by Pro Bowler Brian Orakpo. A pair of second-rounders will vie to win the job. But finding the right players to fill key positions isn’t the only priority still facing the Redskins this offseason. In fact, it may not even be the most important. The bigger priority has to be getting players up to speed with new schemes. It’s more pressing on offense, where Alfred Morris needs to adapt to a power-style ground game, while quarterback Robert Griffin III must better adjust to head coach Jay Gruden’s playbook. It’s not harsh to dub Perry Riley Jr. one of the major disappointments of Washington’s 2014 season. After signing a new contract, Riley not only failed to justify the extra dollars in the deal, he made it seem like money for nothing. Granted, Riley wasn’t always put in the best positions by previous defensive coordinator Jim Haslett. When an inside linebacker finds himself isolated in single coverage against an explosive wide receiver in the slot, the way Riley did against Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ rookie Mike Evans in Week 11, something’s very wrong. But even without schematic breakdowns, Riley was an inconsistent tackler, took bad angles in underneath coverage and made next-to no impact plays. The problem for Washington’s D’ is there’s little in the way of quality depth behind Riley and fellow starter Keenan Robinson. Try hard duo Steve Beauharnais and Will Compton filled in at times last season, but neither seems capable of supplanting Riley as a starter if he flounders again. New coordinator Joe Barry must hope fifth-round pick Martrell Spaight proves an astute draft find. Fortunately, NFL.com College Football 24/7’s Chase Goodbread believes Spaight’s skills are a perfect match for Washington’s scheme: The Redskins’ 3-4 defense is just what Spaight needs: a system that will demand more from others in defending the perimeter, and more from Spaight in the area in which he excels. That would be defending the run between the tackles, where Spaight showed outstanding instincts as a senior with the Razorbacks. Of the seven Day 3 picks Washington made, Spaight is the most likely to make the roster. Robinson’s natural athleticism and raw potential make inside linebacker a position of strength. But another dismal year from Riley, a player who’s often flattered to deceive, would soon turn it into a weakness. Barry and his staff should take a long look at Spaight during offseason activities and find out just how starter-ready the former Razorbacks ace can be. A new line coach and a greater emphasis on power in the trenches demand changes along the interior of Washington’s O-line. That should mean incumbent starting guards Shawn Lauvao and Chris Chester both being made to feel the pressure this offseason. Fortunately, the depth chart features two young linemen seemingly suited to the new schemes. Last year’s third-rounder Spencer Long offers a beefy 6’5″, 311-pound frame and greater natural power than veteran Chester. Gruden has already indicated these two players will be locked in an intense competition this offseason, per ESPN’s John Keim. But right guard isn’t the only spot up for grabs along the new-look O-line coach Bill Callahan is putting together. Lauvao hardly impressed as a free-agent arrival from the Cleveland Browns last season. The 6’3″, 315-pound behemoth certainly boasts the size for power blocking, but is far from accomplished. Perhaps this year’s fourth-round choice Arie Kouandjio. He played a power scheme at Alabama and could quickly make the grade, provided his surgically repaired knees hold up this offseason. McCloughan sees Kouandjio as a necessary building block for the type of offensive front Washington will rely on in the new season, per Liz Clarke of The Washington Post: We need to be able to win up front. We need to have big guys come off the ball and move people. We’re addressing this with [Alabama guard Arie] Kouandjio, Brandon [Scherff] — our big-body guys who have no problem doing the dirty work. There might even be a place for Josh LeRibeus, a player whose mass never seem suited to the zone scheme Mike Shanahan first installed in 2010. But the 6’2″, 315-pound interior mauler could surprise coaches in the new scheme. The Redskins are building a new style of running game, one based on hat-on-hat brute force and powerful drive-blocking. It’s likely to take several changes at the personnel level to make the new system work. Orakpo may not have endeared himself to many Redskins fans, not when he spent so much time nursing injuries and didn’t always live up to his potential. But at his best, Orakpo would dominate off the edge and wreck an offensive gameplan. Every 3-4 defense, even the hybrid type the Redskins will run in the new season, needs a dominant force on the outside. So given the importance of the position, it’s somewhat surprising Washington is prepared to let two raw and relatively unproven players compete to fill the void. Trent Murphy may have the inside track. Last year’s second-rounder started eight games as a rookie. Yet despite entering the pros as college football’s sack leader, Murphy only registered 2.5 quarterback takedowns during his debut NFL season. While he was often stout against the run, the former Stanford man rarely displayed the explosive qualities and athletic flexibility to consistently win off the edge. Adding bulk to his frame may not help, yet Murphy remains intent on beefing up ahead of the new season, according to Stephen Czarda of Redskins.com. The pressure to get bigger has likely come from McCloughan’s decision to select Preston Smith in Round 2 of this year’s draft. Washington’s new GM emphasized size and versatility as key factors in his decision to take the ex-Mississippi State rush end off the board, per Tom Schad of The Washington Times: “He’s unique because he’s got 34 1/2-inch arms. He’s almost 6-5. He’s 270 pounds. And he can rush the passer. It’s a great tandem.” Of course, Barry needs both men to be flexible enough to adopt various roles and alignments. That’s the only way the Redskins will be able to transition between three and four-man fronts on a regular basis, the backbone of any hybrid playbook. Getting two young players comfortable with multiple roles will perhaps be the key task Washington’s defensive staff faces this offseason. The running back rotation was given a new workhorse-style grinder in the form of third-round pick Matt Jones. He’ll form a formidable tandem with three-time 1,000-yard bruiser Alfred Morris. But the one thing still missing is a naturally explosive and versatile third-down back. This offense needs a pint-sized speedster who can catch the ball and produce big plays out of the backfield. Gruden and then-general manager Bruce Allen tried to fill the void in last year’s draft. But sixth-rounder Lache Seastrunk never made the grade. Hoping to get it right this time, Gruden is willing to give Chris Thompson a longer look. A fifth-round choice in 2013, Thompson has the niche skills that are tailor-made for sub-package offensive sets. The Redskins have already begun running the rule over the brittle 5’8″, 193-pound dynamo. Thompson was given the “first crack” at winning a role on third downs, per Mike Jones of The Washington Post. Thompson has even expressed his confidence about making this key role his own, during an interview with Redskins Nation host Larry Michael, per the team’s official site. But Thompson may be wise to temper his enthusiasm after Washington brought Trey Williams to town as an undrafted free agent. Real Redskins blogger Rich Tandler identified Williams as one to watch during rookie minicamps. Tandler also highlighted how increased competition in the backfield is designed to create the changes in the running game Gruden wants for 2015. It’ll be one where Morris carries the ball less, but where a committee approach keeps defenses off guard and produces big plays. The best way to improve last season’s 19th-ranked ground attack is to add variety. It can only come from finding and establishing a contrast in styles. While Morris and Jones can be trusted to batter defenses inside, this offense will be better if either Thompson or Williams can emerge to stretch the field as well. This is the big one for Washington. If Gruden and Griffin can’t find a middle ground, all of McCloughan’s rebuilding efforts this offseason will be wasted. So coach and quarterback have to settle on a system that works well for both. At the moment, the latest proclamations about what the playbook will look like don’t auger well for this vital relationship. Standout wide receiver DeSean Jackson recently called for a return to 2012’s read-option, run-heavy formula that made Griffin Offensive Rookie of the Year. Jackson made the claim during an interview with ESPN 980 (h/t Dan Steinberg of The Washington Post). But during another ESPN 980 chat, Gruden played down this idea, per a separate report from Steinberg: No, that’s not true. Well, first of all we did some of the read option [in 2014]. That’s the reason I kept Sean McVay and some of the staff that I kept from the year before, because I wanted to keep some of that element as part of his game, because he’s good at that. But there also comes a point in time when we have to teach the quarterback position how to drop back and throw, and he’ll get better at that stuff. Gruden certainly needs to fix Griffin’s woeful mechanics. Any coach working with 2012’s second-overall choice faces that challenge. But as with most things, there has to be a balance. That means a compromise between including concepts that play to Griffin’s dual-threat skills. More important though, it has to mean not forcing too much progress from Griffin too soon. Gruden made that mistake as a rookie sideline general, forcing ill-equipped quarterbacks to win games with their arms. Instead, Year 2 must be defined by the coach scaling back his offense to make life easier for the man under center. Calling a run-first game would be the best way to start, followed by a steady diet of safe throws Griffin can make quickly. It’s a combination that will make for slow, no doubt painful progress. But that’s the speed the Redskins must go at when there’s so many question marks at the most important position on the roster. At least the issues at other key spots aren’t as serious or tough to solve. Sticking to an unfashionable, yet smart blueprint in free agency and the draft has ensured this season’s quarterbacks are surrounded by a stronger supporting cast.
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