7 Changes the Washington Redskins Absolutely Must Make This Offseason
It's sad to say that, even with four games remaining in the 2014 season, the Washington Redskins are preparing for the 2015 offseason. It is about time to look forward to the 2015 offseason, where Washington can right a few of the many wrongs this season has revealed.
Once again, the Redskins are in a position with more questions and problems than answers and solutions.
For a first-time head coach like Jay Gruden, the response to adversity could define his coaching career for better or worse.
As much work as the Redskins have, they cannot think to accomplish it all in one offseason. Between Robert Griffin III’s benching to the defense giving up too many yards and points, there is too much to expect to be fixed immediately.
Here are a few things Washington absolutely has to change in the 2015 offseason.
Hire a Football-Minded General Manager
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Bruce Allen may share his surname with former Redskins head coach George Allen, but make no mistake, he does not come from football. Allen is a numbers guy, a general manager who is good with the salary cap.
The Redskins need a GM who knows football and how to assemble a team.
After years of Vinny Cerrato holding the position closest to GM for close to a decade, playing the role of Dan Snyder's lapdog more than anything else, Allen's presence was refreshing. Still, he didn't wield any personnel power during Mike Shanahan's coaching tenure, nor has he factored into Jay Gruden's tenure.
Allen can be retained to work with the cap, but he should be moved out of the GM position for a proper hire, one that will help build the team as opposed to being the face of the owner's decisions as Allen has quietly become.
They had a potential young candidate in Morocco Brown, who was the Director of Pro Personnel with the Redskins, but he is currently Vice President of Player Personnel with the 7-5 Cleveland Browns.
Perhaps they should hire someone who has worked closely with one of the better GMs in the NFL like Eric DeCosta, who for the past 17 years has worked under Ozzie Newsome with the Baltimore Ravens.
Draft a Safety
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Washington's secondary, as a collective group, is horrendous. The loss of veteran corner DeAngelo Hall hurt the Redskins early but revealed a potential long-term starter in rookie Bashaud Breeland.
The true concern is the safety situation, which is currently one of the worst in the NFL.
Ryan Clark's veteran presence has been vastly outweighed by his inability to fulfill the duties of a free safety. He has lost a step or three in his old age, and simply cannot provide the help in coverage a true free safety would provide.
Brandon Meriweather is a solid strong safety but struggles in coverage as well as being a liability as an open-field tackler.
The Redskins need either an enforcer at strong safety or a center fielder at free safety.
They have Phillip Thomas working at strong safety, but the jury is still out on his long-term potential. The draft holds a number of talented safeties who could be instant starters as well as game-changers for the foreseeable future.
Alabama's Landon Collins and Fresno State's Derron Smith are the top targets at strong and free safety in the 2015 draft class. Either one would be a major upgrade in talent and longevity over the current starters.
Upgrade Offensive Line
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Washington's offensive line has been bad for years. The deficiencies were masked in 2012 because of the creative packages the Redskins ran that generated gaping holes for Alfred Morris to run and ample time for Robert Griffin III to throw.
The Shanahan coaching staff is gone, however, and so is whatever magic that turned the current group of mediocre linemen into a reliable unit.
Everyone, save for Trent Williams, needs to be replaced.
Yes, the Redskins drafted Morgan Moses and Spencer Long to take care of the right side of the line, but they have not shown progress enough to be confident in their abilities as starters.
Unfortunately, it isn't a problem that can be fixed in a single offseason. Nor should it be. The Redskins have to admit to themselves this isn't a one-year rebuild or revamping. They have serious holes along the line which will require dedicating at least one high draft choice to fill, and that's being generous.
The quarterback situation may grab headlines, but the six sacks allowed on Colt McCoy against the Indianapolis Colts showed even a quick-release quarterback isn't safe behind this atrocity the Redskins call an offensive line.
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Fire Jim Haslett
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Injuries have hurt what Jim Haslett is able to do with Washington's defense. The secondary lost DeAngelo Hall, has suffered through poor safety play and inconsistent pass-rush production.
That said, Haslett has been hot and cold with his game plans and schemes, which seem to ignore the personnel available or past success.
Sure, execution on the field is what it all boils down to, but Washington's problems this season have been discipline in its assignments as well as its tackling. As hard-nosed as Haslett has a reputation for being, he hasn't held any of his players accountable for their mistakes, nor has he done anything to correct or remedy the situation.
Moreover, Haslett is a remnant of the previous regime, and the fewer ties to Mike Shanahan the better.
Refine Offensive Approach
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For all of the issues with the offensive line and the quarterback, Jay Gruden’s play-calling has been spotty throughout the season. He has been inconsistent with his use of Alfred Morris and failed to make the best use of his weapons, and his minor alterations to the running game have been a detriment to the offense.
He hasn’t been horrible, but it is apparent he is a first-year head coach.
He is not used to the amount of responsibility the position entails, and he has not been able to catch his breath between the losing season, injuries, quarterback controversy and media firestorms.
In order to fix the offense, Gruden needs to establish the players he wants to use.
Niles Paul emerged as an offensive weapon, yet has been largely forgotten when Jordan Reed has been healthy. Roy Helu could move into the offense on more occasions, taking pressure off of Morris to carry the load as well as getting a dynamic playmaker on the field.
Helu averages 8.4 yards per touch between catches and receptions, which makes him a dangerous weapon for the Redskins offense.
Darrel Young has been relegated to blocking duties at fullback despite being an underrated receiver. He, along with Paul and Helu, is not being utilized as much as he should.
If the Redskins expect to improve their offense, they need to get their role players involved more, particularly when the featured receivers and running backs aren't getting the job done.
Re-Sign Colt McCoy
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Colt McCoy is a free agent after this season and that needs to change immediately.
The Redskins don’t need to ink McCoy to a lengthy, lucrative deal, but they need to have an experienced hand to hone the offensive scheme until the future of the franchise is brought into the fold.
Kirk Cousins is likely to go the way of RGIII after throwing nine interceptions in less than five full games this season.
The pair of third-year quarterbacks will forever be linked as long as they stay in Washington, and neither has stood out in Gruden’s offense, even with the sieve-like offensive line.
McCoy has just two starts and most of a third game under his belt this season and has thrown four touchdowns to one interception. He started slow against both Dallas and Indianapolis this season but was ultimately a positive presence on offense, where Griffin often looked out of sorts and Cousins turned the ball over.
He may not be a long-term solution, but he is much better than his time in Cleveland, and he has shown as much in limited action this season.
If nothing else, retaining McCoy is a means of having some continuity in an offseason that is likely to bring substantial change, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. It is easier to keep McCoy than expect a newcomer to immediately command the huddle.
Move on from Robert Griffin III
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Robert Griffin III is not a bad quarterback. His electric rookie season is evidence enough of that. More importantly, it is evidence of the type of quarterback he is, and that is one that requires a system tailored to his skill set.
Griffin is not a good fit for Jay Gruden’s offense, and rather than trying to force the issue or feign effort to cater to his abilities, the Redskins need to move on from RGIII.
It doesn’t mean Griffin is a bust because he was drafted by the previous regime, who had entirely different designs for his role in the offense. Gruden may not have handled Griffin’s situation in the best way, but he shouldn’t be saddled with another coach’s franchise quarterback.
Beyond the disappointing performance on the field, having to part ways with Griffin means throwing away three first-round picks and a second-round pick since that was the price they paid to draft him in 2012.
If he hangs around in Washington, he will be a distraction, and distractions have become commonplace for the Redskins.
Let Gruden find his quarterback and let Griffin find a better fit to continue his career.
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