Forget Quarterback, Washington Redskins Must Overhaul Defense This Offseason

Maybe quarterback is the most important position in the NFL. Maybe the Washington Redskins will never be a true contender until they find a credible starter under center. Maybe, maybe.

But one thing is certain: As important as the quarterback situation is, the Redskins must completely overhaul their defense this offseason. That process must involve wholesale changes in coaching, personnel and scheme.

Addressing the first of those concerns should be the quickest, easiest decision the Washington hierarchy makes this offseason. Coordinator Jim Haslett has had five seasons to produce a competent defense, and he's never delivered.

The 44-17 loss in the season finale against the Dallas Cowboys could serve as a symbol of everything that's been wrong with the defenses Haslett has stitched together and run during his time in the nation's capital.

His latest vintage was obliterated by Dallas starters in the first half. Statistics from The Washington Post detailed how the Cowboys amassed yards in chunks en route to 27 points before intermission:

It was the last of 16 games worth of examples of how the Redskins defense has been pushed around, out-thought and exposed to big plays.

Apparently, it was too much for head coach Jay Gruden to take, according to NBC4 D.C. reporter Dianna Marie Russini:

The problem is that this is the same Gruden who was keen to retain Haslett last offseason. More worryingly, it's the same Gruden who appears willing to bring Haslett back again next season, per Zac Boyer of The Washington Times:

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I have a lot of respect for what he does as a football coach, so absolutely.

I have, obviously, input and all that stuff, but ultimately, it will come down to, hopefully, a group decision — and one that we can all live with. But it will be a Redskins decision, and we’ll move on.

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It's inexplicable that the idea of retaining Haslett would even be part of the discussion. There are no mitigating circumstances to excuse yet another season of dreadful defense.

There's no denying Haslett has had to contend with injuries this season. But those injures don't explain or excuse everything that's wrong with the dire D currently. They don't explain consistently poor tackling, a lack of discipline and failures to adjust against unfavorable matchups.

All of those things were on display in the season-ending horror show against Dallas. DeMarco Murray's nine-yard touchdown run in the second quarter was the defining illustration of how much this defense has struggled with the basics.

ESPN 980 reporter Chris Russell described the calamity and the carnage:

It doesn't matter who's filling in for injured starters, consistent failures to do the basics right is the fault of coaching and player discipline. That last quality has been missing all season defensively.

It certainly was when Washington defenders incurred bonehead penalties to prolong the drive Murray eventually finished off. Liz Clarke of The Washington Post took note of the latest breakdown in discipline:

Again, these aren't problems tied exclusively to the injuries. Instead, they stem from a failure to set a culture of accountability among the players, a failure to stress fundamentals. 

There are other units around the league that have suffered similar injury problems as Haslett's group has endured. The difference is those units have performed better—units like the San Francisco 49ers (fifth in yards) and the Arizona Cardinals (fifth in points).

The 49ers lost nose tackle Glenn Dorsey and inside linebackers Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman to injury, along with top pass-rusher Aldon Smith to suspension. The Cardinals lost end Darnell Dockett and edge-rusher John Abraham. They entered the season without inside linebacker Daryl Washington, end Calais Campbell and versatile defensive back Tyrann Mathieu.

Yet the Cards and the Niners both played well defensively thanks to expert coaching. Respective coordinators Todd Bowles and Vic Fangio tweaked but didn't entirely change their systems and still helped new faces bed in.

Haslett has never done that because he's never established a consistent, coherent scheme. There's been no base coverage or go-to concept for his players to rely on when things have gotten tough.

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Washington hasn't had a defensive system during Haslett's tenure. Instead, it has merely ran a collection of plays and odd musings from the man wearing the headset.

No actual scheme in place is why players so often have difficulty just lining up. It's why the D often finds itself facing nightmare matchups.

Remember Perry Riley Jr. covering rookie wide receiver Mike Evans against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? That was two weeks before outside pass-rusher Gabe Miller was forced to try and stay with "move" tight end Coby Fleener against the Indianapolis Colts. Of course, the Washington pass defense was burned for a long score on each occasion.

But the real question is what kind of scheme allows a linebacker to be matched up on a wide receiver in the first place? The answer is the kind of incoherent mess that routinely fails to put its best players in a position to make a difference.

The same problem was obvious against the Cowboys. Only Haslett knows why he left David Amerson, the second-year pro who's struggled all season, on Dez Bryant, the Cowboys' best receiver. Bryant burned Amerson for a pair of first-quarter scores.

As no doubt many did, 106.7 The Fan host Grant Paulsen wondered why Haslett didn't match up his best corner on Bryant:

But making it easy for the Cowboys to consistently isolate Bryant on Amerson in the first half was just further proof of how badly this defense has been structured all season.

The Redskins need a shrewd coordinator who will craft a system defined by a core concept. That's the only way to give players a stable framework within which they can succeed.

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Fortunately, there should be plenty of quality candidates to replace Haslett available this offseason. The one name that leaps immediately to mind is New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan.

Actually, that should probably read soon-to-be ex-New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan. He certainly believes he's gone after his team's 4-12 finish, per ESPN New York reporter Rich Cimini: "Ryan told friends he expects to be fired by owner Woody Johnson, league sources said Saturday. Ryan already has begun removing items from his office, a source confirmed to ESPN.com."

While Ryan may have eventually floundered as a head coach, he's always been an exceptional defensive coordinator. His defense features a variety of fronts, including 4-3, 3-4, 46 and multiple-defensive back looks.

But all of the many guises are based on one thing: pressure. Ryan is going to blitz offenses, and he's going to do it from multiple angles with what seems like a cast of thousands.

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press/Associated Press

If not Ryan, then how about giving Wade Phillips a call and trying to coax him out of retirement? You know exactly what you'll get with Phillips.

What you'll get is a 5-2 front that rushes five almost every play with tight man coverage behind the rush. Cover 2 Man will be Phillips' coverage of choice, and his inside linebackers will execute "green dogs" and blitz whenever their man coverage assignments stay in to block.

It's a familiar formula but one Phillips has used to consistently engineer defensive excellence.

But if Phillips isn't deemed the right man, how about finding out what Fangio's plans are? His future will likely hinge on exactly what happens to San Fran head coach Jim Harbaugh.

The 49ers have confirmed Harbaugh won't be back next season, per NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport. But the question is where does he go next?

He's widely tipped to join Michigan, according to CSN Bay Area reporter Dave Feldman:

However, Mark Maske of The Washington Post believes the Oakland Raiders are still in play:

In the aftermath of Harbaugh's exit, Mercury News columnist Tim Kawakami believes D-line coach Jim Tomsula is the favorite to take over:

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It’s not a slam-dunk decision, but all things being equal, there have been signals for almost a year that York and Baalke are intrigued by the thought of Tomsula taking over this team.

The idea: Tomsula can push the 49ers back to way they played in 2011, Harbaugh’s first season–physical offense, strong defense, strong bond in the locker room and a close tie between coach and management.

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That would free up Fangio, assuming Harbaugh doesn't plan on taking him along, who would bring a wealth of 3-4 experience and a sound system to D.C.

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But no matter who's in charge, the personnel has to be upgraded to. That shouldn't be too difficult considering the problems are exactly the same as they were a year ago.

Washington entered this season needing an infusion of talent in the secondary. The team finishes this season still needing talented bodies in the defensive backfield.

That's on Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen, the pair who failed to fix that problem last offseason. The same pair that kept Haslett and secondary coach Raheem Morris in town.

You could make a compelling case for two new starting safeties and at least one cornerback being recruited via free agency and the 2015 NFL draft. That probably represents a dream scenario in the process geared at finally bolstering this defense.

The talent is there along the front seven. Outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, he of the 13.5 sacks in 2014, could be even more destructive with better talent around him and more intelligent coaching.

Kerrigan, along with active inside 'backer Keenan Robinson and linemen Chris Baker and Barry Cofield Jr., form a quartet of players that can act as the foundation of one of the league's better defenses.

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But that foundation will soon be eroded without a determined commitment to changing a culture of failure on defense. The first step toward that change is a new coordinator, one with a proven track record of excellence calling plays.

Any new appointment must then be quality new recruits for the secondary. Only then will Washington be able to field a defense that won't undermine its offense.

The Redskins might even possess a defense that can win a few games next season, instead of losing them before halftime.

All statistics and rankings via NFL.com.