Building Defense from the Trenches a Smart Start for Redskins' Scot McCloughan

When new Washington Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan said he believes football is a "big man's game," he clearly meant it. He's certainly applied that approach to building a better defense for the 2015 NFL season.

No matter how much the game changes, one thing that stays the same is how the strength of every defense begins in the trenches. That's a timeless axiom McCloughan has smartly applied to this year's free-agency market as an encouraging start to his career in Washington.

For a quick rundown, McCloughan has added a trio of trench warriors in a large-scale makeover of last season's defensive front. Nose tackle Terrance Knighton told ESPN's Josina Anderson he will sign the one-year, $4 million deal the Redskins offered him.

His arrival followed ex-Chicago Bears starter Stephen Paea signing a four-year contract totaling $21 million, including $15 million in guaranteed money, according to ESPN Redskins reporter John Keim.

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Even before free agency began, McCloughan was busy retooling the D-line. He moved quickly to pluck Ricky Jean Francois off the league's scrapheap after offering a three-year, $11.25 million deal, per Jean Francois' agent, Drew Rosenhaus (h/t NFL.com Media Insider Ian Rapoport).

So, McCloughan has added three big bodies with differing skills to turn a threadbare rotation into the strength of Washington's 3-4 scheme. He's done it all for smart, reasonable money, as ESPN 980's Chris Russell detailed:

Filling holes at value is the hallmark of every capable NFL general manager. McCloughan's certainly managed to do that.

Consider that the total paid for the D's trio of new behemoths is probably the same as what the team would pay for a single marquee offensive lineman. Perhaps more pertinently, Washington has welcomed three defensive tackles for a mere fraction of what it cost the Miami Dolphins to bring Ndamukong Suh to the AFC East.

Of the three deals, Knighton's is the one that earns McCloughan the most kudos. Russell noted how the single-season contract is smart for both player and franchise:

B/R writer Mike Freeman quickly praised the signing as an early highlight of this year's market:

Former New England Patriots, Detroit Lions and New York Jets O-lineman Damien Woody was one of many who were quick to endorse the signing as a steal for Washington:

So McCloughan's pleased the money men, the writers and impressed a former pro. But what has his lineman-heavy approach to the start of free agency done for a defense that ranked 30th in points allowed last season?

Everything a defense does begins up front. Specifically, how successfully a defense pressures a passer and shuts down a running game is determined by the talent up front.

A stout line doesn't guarantee a great defense. But not fielding a solid front certainly guarantees a poor unit.

Legendary football writer Paul Zimmerman summed up the dependent relationship between a defense and its line:

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You build a defense with a foundation of ends and tackles and nose guards. You add the linebackers, and you top it off with cornerbacks and safeties. If the foundation cracks, the whole thing comes down, because the line is where it all starts.

(Paul Zimmerman: The New Thinking Man's Guide to Pro Football, page 134, 1984, Simon and Schuster, New York)

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The Redskins seemed to forget that lesson in 2014. The line was a revolving door of disappointing high-priced imports and uninspiring, unheralded rotation players.

Actually, things resembled a scatter-shot approach, rather than a legitimate rotation. It really was a case of throwing as many different combinations together as the mind could think of and hoping something stuck.

But new defensive coordinator Joe Barry's thinking will be clearer in 2015. The best options almost pick themselves.

For instance, this defensive front needs Knighton anchoring things in the middle. His value will be obvious when this team ranks near the top of the charts in run defense.

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Citing ESPN statistics, Keim underlined why it's so important to finally have an imposing run-clogger at the heart of the line:

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With Denver, Knighton’s job was to stop the run, in particular on first down, when teams are more likely to be in their base front. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Broncos were second in the NFL in yards per carry allowed on first down last season. Washington was 20th. 

Why is that an important stat? Six of the top seven teams in this stat won at least 10 games. Only one of the bottom 15 teams won that many -- and seven won six or fewer. To make a difference against the pass, you must first start by putting teams in bad situations on early running downs.

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The arrival of a plugger who will create the "bad situations" Keim referenced is perfectly timed. NFC East rival the Philadelphia Eagles agreed a deal with DeMarco Murray Thursday, per ESPN's Adam Schefter (h/t CSN Washington's Chase Hughes). He'll be joined by Ryan Mathews, according to NFL.com Media Insider Ian Rapoport.

That's a pair of 1,000-yard runners and two of the most talented backs in the NFL the Redskins will have to stop twice a season. It's almost impossible to be too enthusiastic about the Knighton deal.

Having waited since 2010 for a true nose tackle to gobble up double-teams and keep linebackers clean, Knighton's arrival could be the most significant signing the Redskins make this offseason.

With the player dubbed "Pot Roast" on board to fortify the run defense, the pass rush has received a major boost with Paea's arrival. CSN Washington's Tarik El-Bashir detailed the 26-year-old's flair for making life difficult for quarterbacks:

Paea will slot in at one end spot. Along with last season's marquee defensive recruit, Jason Hatcher, he'll give Washington a pair of 3-technique interior pass-rushers on base downs.

The two should face plenty of single blocking with Knighton filling the guard-center-guard box on a regular basis. But Hatcher and Paea should be particularly destructive whenever they kick inside for the four-man front nickel schemes.

Their ability to create inside pressure will increase the pass-rush productivity of a line that offered little in that area during 2014, per El-Bashir:

Of course, every good line needs strength in depth. That's where Jean Francois' true value lies. He can play end, tackle and nose guard, with the latter likely his best position.

While there are reasons to be skeptical about his effectiveness, the ex-San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis Colts lineman brings a wealth of 3-4 experience. That's an overlooked quality next to a pair of recruits who've been 4-3 lifers in the pros.

So in basic terms, McCloughan has added a run-stuffer, a pass-rusher and a versatile swing backup who can flip-flop between end, 3-tech and even play over center.

Barely days into the start of a new league year, the Redskins already boast one of the deeper, more talented D-lines in football. Consider this comparison with last season's rotation a measure of the improvement in talent and options:

2014 Starters	2014 Backups	2015 Starters	2015 Backups
Jason Hatcher	Kedric Golston	Stephen Paea	Ricky Jean Francois
Barry Cofield Jr.	Frank Kearse	Terrance Knighton	Chris Baker
Chris Baker	Stephen Bowen / Jarvis Jenkins	Jason Hatcher	Frank Kearse

Obviously, that's a very cursory look, one missing some roster players. But even with the future of a player like Golston, along with free agents Jarvis Jenkins and Chris Neild, uncertain, 2015's line already looks stronger than 2014's vintage.

That's the best way to build a better defense. Zimmerman knew strength in the trenches is where it all starts on that side of the ball.

It's also the foundation of the best rebuilding jobs.

McCloughan has so far stayed out of the offensive line market, but he may not resist new recruits via the draft. For now, though, acquiring better building blocks to underpin a defense desperately in need of an overhaul is a smart start to constructing a winner in D.C.