Washington Redskins: Positive Offseason Moves Shouldn't Appease Fans

The prospect of drafting a quarterback that could finally put an end to the seemingly endless search for a franchise passer should put Washington Redskins fans at ease. Signing a couple of young and talented receivers to give that quarterback some weapons to utilize in his first year is a necessary effort from a front office desperate to keep their jobs.

However encouraging these moves are, Redskins fans are not going to settle for another offseason championship followed by a regular season letdown.

Washington's faithful fans breathed a sigh of relief when they passed on, or were passed on by, Peyton Manning. His leadership may have been an invaluable addition to a desperate franchise, but the risk of injury and poor long-term outlook did little to instill confidence in the potential deal.

Instead of gambling on a weathered veteran, the Redskins decided to bank on a monumental talent in the draft.

After an impressive combine and buzz-worthy pro day, Robert Griffin III looks to be every bit of the franchise quarterback the Redskins traded three first-round picks to move up to pick. He may not have a single NFL pass to his name, but it is hard to argue against the investment in a potential 10-year starter.

Guaranteeing themselves a franchise quarterback was only one part of the offseason plan, and Washington made quick work of filling the need for targets outside.

Pierre Garçon had a career year as a member of the Indianapolis Colts, catching passes from three quarterbacks with as much ability as Manning's left thumb nail. He will likely be the Redskins top receiver this season, and could prove to be worth every penny of the $42.5 million contract he signed.

Redskins fans have a lot of reasons to be happy right now, but if history has taught us anything it is that the afterglow doesn't last forever.

When the team brought back Joe Gibbs, fans were excited for the return of a living legend. After four up-and-down seasons, Gibbs retired again and the Redskins were left without a credible head coach once again.

After two disappointing seasons with the underqualified and overwhelmed Jim Zorn at the helm, the Redskins plucked Mike Shanahan off of the coaching scrap heap.

Fans rejoiced at the hiring of a two-time Super Bowl winning head coach, but were immediately disappointed when Shanahan and GM Bruce Allen traded a second- and conditional third- or fourth-round pick to the Eagles for Donovan McNabb.

McNabb started 12 games for Washington before being benched for the final four games of the season in favor of Rex Grossman.

The 2011 offseason welcomed the necessary additions of Stephen Bowen, Barry Cofield and Josh Wilson to the new 3-4 scheme that struggled the season before.

Keeping with tradition, Shanahan and Co. decided to enter the season with Rex Grossman and John Beck as the only quarterbacks on the roster, with Grossman starting for most of the season.

While it is difficult to find anything to dislike about the acquisitions Washington has made thus far, it is near impossible to find comfort in any of it given the theme of history repeating with this franchise.

The Redskins need to see results right out of the gate, or very early in the season to keep fans happy or at least hopeful. Can Shanahan afford to ease Griffin into the NFL, or will his desire for job security force him to throw Griffin into the fire?

For now, fans can find comfort in the potential for success while preparing to get some bad news in the near future. Like Grossman being named the starter until Griffin is deemed ready by the scrupulous Shanahan.