The Redskins Have More Questions Than Answers…and That’s Okay
By Richard Rogers
The Redskins have gone about their business this off-season with a quiet focus. The McCloughan debacle was thought by many as a massive distraction and indicative of a dysfunctional organization that can never get out of its own way. But the Redskins have been lauded by many for their draft and free agent additions. But many questions remain. Here are mine:
Will there be McCloughan hangover (no pun intended)?
Scot McCloughan was the most talented personnel executive we’ve had since Bobby Beathard, but Bruce Allen is confident that there are folks in the front office that can effectively evaluate talent. We’ll see.
Will the defense be better?
There are a lot of new players on defense. It’s clear that there has been a talent upgrade, but will they yield results right away. History says they will need time to play together and gel if they are to have any success.
Are Manusky and Tomsula the answers to our coaching prayers on defense?
Greg Manusky is our third defensive coordinator in four years. Jay has to get this one right. Manusky talks a good game and sounds aggressive, but will it translate? The challenge for him and Tomsula will be maximizing the young talent given to him. Preston Smith has flashed but has been mostly been an unimpressive 2nd round pick. Trent Murphy has steadily improved but hasn’t been the difference maker we thought. Cravens is young but the team hasn’t quite figured out where he should play. Breeland’s regressed. Fuller is still young. We’re still thin at safety. The Redskins made some solid defensive additions in the first three rounds of the 2017 draft, but coaching will be key. Let’s hope we finally have the right ones.
Will Kirk Cousins be signed to a long-term deal?
Depending on who you listen to, this is a major question, not only for the season, but for the franchise in the foreseeable future. Bruce says all is well. Kirk says things are “positive”. But most are skeptical and don’t trust Allen to get this done. Count me in the (small) camp that thinks this will get done. However, I don’t think the Redskins should give Kirk a “blank check” to stay.
How much will the Redskins miss Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson?
This is tough to answer. Garcon was the trusty veteran that could be counted on to make that tough catch on 3rd and 9. Jackson could change the complexion of an entire game in a single play. The Redskins added Terrell Pryor, Brian Quick, and now have a healthy Josh Doctson. Crowder returns after a breakout 2016 campaign and Maurice Harris and 7th round pick Robert Davis have potential. But it’s hard to replace two thousand yard WR’s. This will be one to watch as we head into the season.
What, if anything, will a healthy Junior Gallette mean to this defense?
Junior Gallette was supposed to be an upgrade over the departing Brian Orakpo, but two torn Achilles has Redskins fans seeing a ghost, meaning he hasn’t existed. Junior Gallette could be a bonus, situational pass rusher and with Allen on the defensive line, Kerrigan could have a HUGE season.
With Jay Gruden now calling the plays, will the offense look different?
I don’t expect the offense to look much different. Don’t expect Jay Gruden to run the ball 25 to 30 times a game. It’s just not in his DNA. He loves to throw the ball, but I also think Jay recognizes that you have to run the ball successfully in the red zone for them to have success.
All NFL teams have questions this time of year, and many look good on paper. Everybody thinks they have a chance to be winners in May. Time will only tell how good the Redskins will be. Most early lines have set the number of Redskins wins at 7. Perhaps they have the same questions I have, and that’s good enough for a one game regression. For the record, I don’t think this is a 7-9 team, even with a tougher schedule. But there are legitimate questions that we’ll soon know the answers to.