7 Biggest Changes the Washington Redskins Must Still Make This Offseason

There is no denying that the Washington Redskins have made great use of their off time since finishing the 2014 season with a 4-12 record. They hired Scot McCloughan as their general manager, fired Jim Haslett as their defensive coordinator and hired Joe Barry to replace him, as Redskins.com's Andrew Walker reported.

Those key moves will change the team for the better, but there is still more to be done with the long offseason ahead.

With player futures to decide, schemes to pin down and culture changes needed in Washington, the Redskins can't get complacent with the positive moves they've made thus far. They have a long way to go before the problems are fixed.

Here are some of the changes the Redskins still must make this offseason.

Hire a Quarterbacks Coach

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Kirk Cousins became a turnover machine in 2014, and Robert Griffin III showed few signs of grasping Jay Gruden's offense or the expectations of a pocket passer within the system.

Griffin has sought the aid of quarterbacks coach Terry Shea in the offseason, but it has done very little to refine his mechanics or help him adapt to the Redskins' new offense.

Griffin more than Cousins needs someone he can go to on the sidelines and during practices to clarify concepts, critique his performances and generally help him while also having a connection to the team and the scheme.

Shea may be a renowned coach on his own, but he has no knowledge of Gruden's offense and is not equipped to mold Griffin the way he needs to be to succeed in Washington.

A coach would also help Gruden communicate with Griffin even if there is no rift between the two. There is a disconnect, however, and there needs to be someone in place to bridge that gap, whether it's the terminology, the mechanics, whatever.

Griffin needs that type of help if he is to be of any use to the Redskins in the future.

Decide on Their Defensive Scheme

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The Redskins changed from a 4-3 defense under Greg Blache to a 3-4 defense under Jim Haslett. Joe Barry, the newly hired defensive coordinator, ran a 4-3 with the Detroit Lions but has spent the last four seasons in a 3-4 system as linebackers coach with the San Diego Chargers.

Does this mean the Redskins will be running a hybrid scheme, reverting back to 4-3, or sticking with the 3-4 as is?

All indications thus far point to Washington being a 3-4 team moving forward, though it certainly won't be the same scheme Haslett was running. Hopefully, Barry will see his personnel upgraded and be able to adapt the scheme to exclude 10- and 15-yard cushions in coverage and ease off blitzing despite its effectiveness.

Haslett had a tendency to back off pressure over the course of a game, which left the already shorthanded corners hung out to dry since opposing quarterbacks were given gobs of time to dissect the field in passing situations.

The 3-4 suits their current personnel, but mixing in elements of a 4-3 scheme as Haslett did allows them to bring pressure from multiple positions as well as have versatile players move around the formation the way Jason Hatcher, Ryan Kerrigan and Trent Murphy did in 2014.

Prepare Draft Strategy

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McCloughan is a football-minded general manager with excellent scouting ability and a history of drafting well. All of those traits have been lacking in Washington for the better part of the last 20 years.

Only in the last 15 or so has it been abundantly clear that the Redskins do not draft well.

While it is still a ways away, McCloughan and the Redskins need to be devising a strategy for the draft, at least as far as targets and which positions offer the best value in each round.

Brandon Scherff may be a monster prospect at right tackle, but is he really worth the fifth overall pick? If Amari Cooper is the best player available, would it be a bad idea to pass on him just because it isn't an immediate need?

Decisions like that will have an immediate impact, but it is the later rounds that matter just as much since they require a keener eye to pick out talent.

Scan the Market for Potential Free Agents

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Washington has gotten itself in trouble relying on free agency to build its roster. That said, free agency can be a fantastic means of supplementing a small portion of the roster while focusing most efforts on developing talent from the draft.

The market looks to be ripe with players the Redskins could plug in and use to improve at key positions of need.

On the expensive side is expected to be San Francisco 49ers guard Mike Iupati. He is an excellent run-blocking guard who is solid in pass protection. If the Redskins want to get into a bidding war, he's certainly the right guy to chase.

Sticking with Jay Gruden's love of beefy linemen would be Seattle's James Carpenter, who is listed at 6'5", 321 pounds compared to Iupati's listing of 6'5", 331 pounds. If Gruden wants road graders at guard, he need look no further than these behemoths.

Arguably a better route for free agency would be the secondary, which is in need of a safety and a corner, which can be addressed in the draft but may not offer the tremendous talent available in free agency.

Seattle's Byron Maxwell is sure to be a hot commodity this offseason regardless of how the Seahawks fare in the Super Bowl.

With David Amerson regressing mightily in 2014 and DeAngelo Hall in the twilight of his career coming back from tearing his Achilles twice, the Redskins need a corner with Maxwell's size and speed to put across from Bashaud Breeland.

The key for the Redskins is adding a few free agents at a reasonable rate rather than filling their roster with free agents at exorbitant sums.

Implement Jay Gruden's Offense Entirely

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One of the most frustrating aspects of Washington's offense in 2014, aside from the quarterback play, was the compromise between Jay Gruden's offense and the existing offense Mike and Kyle Shanahan ran.

The passing game was purely Gruden, while the ground game was Sean McVay borrowing from his former head coach.

That needs to change in 2015 if there is any hope for Gruden and the Redskins.

Cincinnati Bengals fans would say Gruden doesn't care to run the ball, but the numbers from the last three seasons show he was about average in calling run plays. Just last season, the Bengals were ranked ninth in the NFL in run plays with 481 and called 587 pass plays.

Compare that to Cleveland, a team that ran the ball 381 times in 2013 and threw 681 passes.

Gruden's biggest obstacle will be the offensive line. He had one of the biggest offensive lines in Cincinnati, which favored a power-running scheme, but he may not find the same success with the big plodding bodies in Washington.

Alfred Morris is excellent behind a zone-blocking line but would be just as successful if Gruden cut down on the tosses and sweeps that take far too long to develop.

The offense needs to be Gruden's offense with McVay's input rather than Gruden's air attack with Shanahan's ground game through McVay's interpretation.

Make a Decision on Brian Orakpo

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The biggest name on the free-agent list for the Redskins is Brian Orakpo, the All-Pro outside linebacker who has spent more time on injured reserve over the last three seasons than he did on the field.

The same Orakpo who has produced 11.5 total sacks over the last three seasons, who was franchise tagged by the Redskins in 2014 and played less than half the season.

There is no denying that Orakpo can be a game-changer for Washington's defense. He is a gifted athlete with the ability to drop into coverage, step up and stop the run and to bull-rush any and all blockers the opposition puts in front of him.

But being drafted in the top 15 and having just two double-digit-sack seasons in six years is not worth the max deal he wanted leading up to this season.

Justin Houston, who was drafted two years after Orakpo and was a third-round pick for the Kansas City Chiefs, already has 48.5 career sacks and led the NFL with 22 sacks in 2014.

Orakpo, coming off a year cut short by injury, may be cheaper to sign, but he may not be worth the trouble since he seems to believe he's worth top dollar in the NFL.

Change the Franchise Mentality

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The Washington Redskins have a solid collection of talent on all sides of the ball: Ryan Kerrigan, Keenan Robinson, Bashaud Breeland, Trent Murphy and Chris Baker on defense, and Trent Williams, Alfred Morris, Jordan Reed, DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon and Darrel Young on offense.

Even Tress Way is deserving of praise given his excellent performance in 2014 after being signed off the street.

There are major, long-term pieces in place that can be considered a foundation for the Redskins' future.

However, everyone involved in putting the team together—the coaches, scouts, executives, everyone—needs to take to heart the simple fact that the myriad of problems ailing the Redskins franchise will take more than a season or two to fix.

Progress has already been made with the staff changes, but those changes won't show real results until a couple of years into their tenure.

McCloughan may be a miracle worker, but he will need time to fix what damage has been done to the franchise and its culture over the last 20 years.