Dissecting Washington Redskins' Best, Worst Positional Units

With free agency and the draft in the rearview mirror, the Washington Redskins roster is beginning to take shape heading into training camp.

In his first season under the helm, new general manager Scot McCloughan has sought to mold the team in the image of the past two franchises he played a part in constructing, the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks.

But while the team's transformation is underway, the stain of a 4-12 season—and ample others that ended short of the postseason—can't be wiped away in one offseason.

With that in mind, let's now dissect Washington's best and worst positional units on each side of the ball.

Worst: Quarterback

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

McCloughan has brought much change to Washington's roster. But being that he was limited by the scarce options available in the draft and free agency, quarterback wasn't one of them.

Each of the three quarterbacks from last season returns. In 2014, with Colt McCoy, Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins shuffling in and out of the lineup, the Skins sported Football Outsiders' 25th-ranked passing offense.

And wouldn't you know it? The quarterback already named as head coach Jay Gruden's starter, Griffin, was the worst of the bunch. He was 40th in the league in QBR with a mark of 30.8, per ESPN.com. As a result, of the 44 quarterbacks who attempted at least 100 passes in 2014, only two were deemed to be worse than RG3 in Football Outsiders' quarterback rankings.

As ESPN.com's John Keim details, the team's hope is that Griffin will show marked improvement in Year 2 under Gruden. He isn't without his doubts, though:

"

What should happen is the run game improves, better passing situations ensue and Griffin benefits because the play-action game should be better. His knowledge of the offense should help, too. The question is: Will that be enough to offset the concerns the football people have about his game? The fear has been that his problems are not related to these other factors as much as they are to his own fundamentals and inability to develop in the basics as a passer. We'll find out.

"

The potential and raw ability for Griffin to succeed may be present. But with his 2016 salary of $16.1 million looming over the team's head, the time has come for him to translate his potential into production.

Best: Receiving Corps

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Not that it altered the bottom line, but the Redskins receiving corps carried the team's passing attack in 2014. At a clip of 7.2 yards per reception, Washington's receivers led the NFL with 2,633 yards after the catch last season, according to SportingCharts.com.

The league's high man in receptions of 40-plus yards, DeSean Jackson spearheaded this unit. He had a team-high 1,169 receiving yards and six touchdowns. With Jackson flanked by the likes of Pierre Garcon, Jordan Reed and Niles Paul, believe it or not, Washington has reason to expect even more from this unit in 2015.

We've already touched on it, but can the team's quarterback play be any worse?

While young on the right side, the offensive line should see improvement as well, with Spencer Long and Brandon Scherff filling in for the overmatched Chris Chester and Tom Compton.

Injuries are always a concern. And as such, the team bolstered its depth by selecting the shifty Jamison Crowder in the fourth round of the draft.

With Crowder and Ryan Grant in tow, the team can show little hesitation in benching free-agent bust Andre Roberts, should he falter this year as he did during his first season in D.C.

A glaring lack of size remains, but as it stands, this positional unit is the team's best on offense.

Worst: Secondary

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

After ending the 2014 campaign as Football Outsiders' 30th-ranked passing defense, the Skins made wholesale changes to their secondary.

In place of Ryan Clark, Tracy Porter and Brandon Meriweather, Chris Culliver, Jeron Johnson and Dashon Goldson now don Washington uniforms.

Culliver is the headliner here. He surrendered an opposing passer rating of 66.5 in 2014, the sixth best in the league, according to Pro Football Focus (h/t Conor Orr of NFL.com). But he's also the lone member of the secondary without question marks.

Which version of Goldson is the team getting? The Pro Bowl performer from San Francisco or the flameout from Tampa Bay?

In the case of Johnson, is he a backup or a starter? With one career start under his belt, he's relatively unknown.

Then there's DeAngelo Hall. He's coming off not one but two surgeries on a torn Achilles. Oh, and let's not forget: He's approaching his 12th NFL season.

The Skins do have young prospects Bashaud Breeland, Kyshoen Jarrett, Tevin Mitchel and the much-maligned David Amerson to draw from as well. But as the team knows full and well after last season's fiasco, coverage lapses and missed assignments are consequences of trotting out inexperienced players.

Has this unit improved its talent base? Yes. Any way you slice it, though, you're still staring at the weak link of the defense.

Best: Defensive Line

Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press

Already a position of strength, the Redskins defensive line received further reinforcements this offseason.

Washington nabbed Ricky Jean-Francois, Stephen Paea and Terrance Knighton in free agency. As it stands, with both Jason Hatcher and Chris Baker returning, the team now has five players up front who started at least 12 games in 2014.

With such depth, Washington is more prepared to handle the injuries that taxed its defensive front just a season ago.

This unit will take on a different look outside the base 3-4 defense—with Ryan Kerrigan and Trent Murphy likely to see snaps at end. But all things considered, after finishing 12th against the run in 2014, the team now has the means to boast an elite run defense in 2015.

The table-setter for the pass rush as well, the defensive line, without a doubt, stands as the Redskins' best positional group on defense.