Rounding Up Washington Redskins' Offseason Buzz, Post-Minicamps

If you've ever wondered what really happens when there are too many cooks in a kitchen, the 2015 Washington Redskins are likely to provide the answer. Just how many people will be calling plays for the NFC East cellar-dwellers in the new season has been generating buzz since the team's minicamps ended.

But it's not the only issue at the forefront for the Burgundy and Gold. The favorable impression created by new offensive line coach Bill Callahan, a man expected to key a major turnaround, has also set tongues wagging.

But Callahan's isn't the only unit under pressure to finally be more than a team liability. Ben Kotwica didn't really revive the special teams as expected in 2014. Yet the ex-New York Jets assistant is confident things will be different this year.

Finally, quarterback Robert Griffin III, the biggest project on the roster, has been taking some positive steps as he enters a make-or-break season in his pro career.

Read on for a breakdown of the main buzz surrounding the Redskins with minicamps in the books. 

Waiting Game May Not Be as Long as Expected for Ryan Grant

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

It's only natural that Ryan Grant is expected to play the proverbial waiting game in D.C. After all, the second-year pro is part of a crowded rotation at wide receiver.

It's a group boasting premier talent in the form of star duo Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson. There's also veteran Andre Roberts, better than his first season wearing burgundy and gold suggested, as well as fourth-round pick Jamison Crowder, to consider.

Yet few players on the team have enjoyed as successful an offseason as former Tulane standout Grant. The fifth-round pick in 2014 has particularly impressed Jay Gruden.

Washington's young head coach has been effusive in his praise for Grant, even suggesting he won't hesitate to favor him over more marquee names, per ESPN reporter John Keim:

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But I won’t hesitate one bit whether he’s our starting Z, starting X, starting inside player, what have you. I think as a wide receiver he’s very polished and he’s just waiting his turn. He is ready to go, though. I promise you that. I love Ryan Grant and what he is and what he’s about.

"

Keim highlighted how Gruden has been won over by Grant's natural knack for baffling coverage with clever routes. His breaks feature multiple moves and adjustments, specifically, the kind of cuts that leave cornerbacks snatching at air.

But despite how impressive he's been, Keim still thinks Grant will have to wait. It's a view shared by Real Redskins blogger Rich Tandler. Both cite the depth of talent in front of him as the main reason Grant still needs to be patient.

While the position is loaded, Grant has certainly shaved minutes off his waiting time. His talent for getting open over the middle and presenting an easy target for quick throws can be invaluable to a young and struggling quarterback like Griffin.

That last point really can't be stressed enough. Grant may never make it as a starter in D.C., but he can and should carve a niche as a reliable possession receiver.

Given how much he's impressed during offseason workouts, his wait for more playing time won't be as long as many seem to think.

Kotwica Sees Continuity and New Blood as Keys to Special Teams Improvement

David Seelig/Associated Press

OK, so the slide title is a glaring contradiction in terms, but entering his second season in charge, special teams boss Ben Kotwica likes what he has. He also likes what he's been given by new general manager Scot McCloughan.

Kotwica likes the continuity incumbents Adam Hayward, Niles Paul, Trenton Robinson and Akeem Davis provide, according to CSN Washington reporter Tarik El-Bashir. Half of that quartet were brought back during free agency and, along with Hayward's return from injury, Kotwica sees their experience as the key to expanding his schemes this year:

"

A lot of the terminology is familiar to a lot of the guys, so you don’t have to have to spend as much time on the introductory level stuff, in whatever phase. And so you can now get to the graduate-level stuff, as far alignment and technique and responsibility and getting more into the weeds of what you’re trying to do.

"

But Kotwica is also eager to welcome new faces such as veteran safety Jeron Johnson, along with rookies Martrell Spaight, Kyshoen Jarrett, Preston Smith, Evan Spencer and Crowder.

Kotwica has been talking up the qualities the younger players have added to his unit, per El-Bashir:

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The returner, Crowder, has done a nice job of catching the ball. Martrell Spaight has done a really good job. Preston Smith, too.

"

A mixture of experience and the exuberance of youth is good for any area of the team. But it does require crafting the appropriate balance, something Kotwica has to get right this year.

The special teams were only a shade above their usual dire standard during the first season under his watch. Coverage was an issue, while the return game continued to lack fizz, making fans long for the days when Brian Mitchell was fielding kicks.

Crowder may yet be able to solve the latter problem. He was a competent punt returner at Duke. It would also help if pocket-edition pace merchant Chris Thompson could stay healthy and add another option.

As for coverage, keeping Hayward off the treatment table will be a key. So will strong contributions from Spaight, Jarrett and Spencer, players McCloughan drafted with their expertise on special teams in mind.

Generating big plays in football's third phase is a vital asset for any rebuilding team hoping to produce a quick turnaround. With one mediocre year under its belt, Kotwica's refreshed unit has to deliver in 2015.

Which Cook Do You Trust?

Richard Lipski/Associated Press

So, who exactly will call the plays for the Redskins in 2015? Whatever you do, don't ask Gruden to explain it. Not unless you actually want a headache.

Here's the coach breaking down how he sees things working between himself, offensive coordinator Sean McVay and Callahan, per Michael Phillips of the Richmond Times-Dispatch: 

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I might ask for, 'Hey, what’s your best run here,’ and Coach Callahan will be the guy that will devise the running game, game plan-wise. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he’s calling the majority of the runs on game day.

"

Callahan having a big say over the running game is nothing new. It's how things worked for him with the Dallas Cowboys last season. His cooperation with Scott Linehan certainly produced good results, as the Cowboys topped the league's rushing charts and returned to the playoffs.

He's already setting the direction for this season's ground game, according to Real Redskins blogger Rich Tandler:

"

I think when you have balance in your running game, whether it’s the gap scheme, the zone scheme, using your draws, using wide zones, or tight zones, or whatever that may be I think it just keeps the defense off balance and it plays to your players’ strengths.

"

Of course, a certain amount of delegation is not only expected, but also welcome, at least in terms of conceptual design. It doesn't exactly take a major leap of faith to believe that many assistants who favor certain aspects of the game can design individual plays their teams will find useful.

But it's equally easy to be more trusting of the security provided by a coherent direction set by one voice. A committee approach is fine when things are going well, but when they're not, will all those voices still be singing from the same hymn sheet?

It's hard to believe they will. So Callahan's role, extended beyond your average line coach's purview, could prove more of a hindrance than a boost.

So far, not so good.

Here's Gruden on how things will work with McVay, also per Phillips:

"

Whether he calls 50 percent, I call 50 percent, he calls 80 percent or 20 percent doesn’t matter as long as we agree during the week on our plan, that this is how we’re going to attack, and these are the situations we’re going to call certain plays.

So I feel very confident in him calling plays, and obviously I feel confident in me calling plays.

"

Confused? Imagine how Griffin is going to feel.

Too many voices could be a major problem for a quarterback who needs to clear the clutter and keep things simple in 2015. As Tandler wisely noted: "you have to wonder what will happen with so many cooks in the kitchen."

Based on last season, perhaps the real question to ponder is which of the three proposed puppet masters do you trust? Gruden's pass-happy play-calling didn't exactly endear him to many in Washington last season.

Meanwhile, 29-year-old McVay's inexperience is rightly considered a concern. As for Callahan, remember he was stripped of his play-calling duties in Dallas for a reason. 

Bill Callahan Leaving No Stone Unturned Up Front

Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press

Of all the moves McCloughan and Gruden have made this offseason, bringing Callahan on board could yet prove the most significant. If perhaps the best line coach in football can significantly improve one of the league's worst front fives, Washington will go from a losing team to a contender in the NFC East.

It's not hyperbole to suppose Callahan's impact could be that significant. Improved play in the trenches will revive a potentially dominant running game. A better ground attack will ease the pressure on Griffin and give defenses too many weapons to account for.

It's a rosy scenario, but one entirely dependent on how quickly Callahan can mold an imposing group. Fortunately, he's leaving no stone unturned in his quest.

The starting group has already been reshaped for the new coach. Drafting Brandon Scherff fifth overall, along with elevating Spencer Long to replace Chris Chester, have ensured a new-look right side.

Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams, beefy guard Shawn Lauvao and scrappy center Kory Lichtensteiger complete the unit. But Callahan isn't limiting his work to the starters.

He's put a lot of time into adding flexibility to the depth chart. Liz Clarke of the Washington Post has reported how Callahan has been "cross-training" a host of guards at center.

Flexibility is a key trait all depth O-linemen must possess. Not only does it mean having to carry fewer road-graders on the final roster, it also increases the possible combinations Callahan can employ as he seeks the right formula.

The thoroughness of Callahan's work should surprise no-one. It's been a hallmark of how he's approached his job since arriving in Washington.

Todd Dybas of the Washington Times noted how hard Callahan has worked linemen during minicamps:

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Callahan’s hard-driving style embraces a simple core concept: Work, followed by more work, until it no longer feels like work.

"

Callahan's fidelity to detail and demand for perfection have added a new sheen of professionalism to a position group allowed to slip into disrepair during recent seasons. The Redskins are finally taking getting better up front seriously.

Griffin Making Small Steps Toward Progress, Working Well with Matt Cavanaugh

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Everything hinges on Griffin's progress this season. Thankfully, he's making small steps toward progress in the right areas.

Speaking of small steps, that's just what new quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh wants to see. He's wisely focusing on Griffin's mechanics, according to CBS DC reporter and 106.7 The Fan co-host Brian McNally:

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According to Cavanaugh, Griffin has a long stride. Sometimes when he moves around in the pocket it is difficult for him to re-set and keep his mechanics sound. He’s worked with Griffin all spring to focus on setting himself again and then delivering the ball in rhythm. That comes naturally for some quarterbacks. For others, they have to drill it constantly to make it stick.

"

What's great about that description is how it reveals the emphasis Cavanaugh is being allowed to place on the basics. That's the only place to start with a quarterback who needs building from the ground up.

Before deciphering playbooks and coverages, Griffin has to get his stance, foot placement and delivery right. It's a long process, but learning by rote is the only way to make good habits in those areas second nature.

Nobody can deny Griffin's natural athletic talent. But his problems are deeply rooted in shoddy technique. Raw athleticism earned Griffin the Heisman Trophy when he was at Baylor. But it will never be enough to win as a quarterback at the pro level.

That Cavanaugh is spending so much time on mechanics is evidence that the Redskins finally understand they didn't draft a franchise quarterback in 2012. Instead, they traded away the farm for a project.

Salvaging that project means doing the dirty work to get the elementary stuff right. Just by working on these pointers, Cavanaugh is already earning his keep as one of the best additions to the team this offseason.

His approach is already bearing fruit, although with the obvious caveat that it's coming in a non-competitive environment. McNally noted how Griffin was "excellent" during one particular practice.

One great practice doesn't make a competent quarterback. But Griffin's development will be a long journey, one that has to begin somewhere. His offseason work with Cavanaugh is the most appropriate starting point.

The post-minicamps buzz shows the rebuilding Redskins making a strong commitment to getting better at their weakest positions. Improvements from the special teams, along the O-line and at quarterback can make this team a winner ahead of schedule in 2015.