Moves Washington Redskins Will Regret Not Making This Offseason
Having spent most of this offseason staying patient and making quiet but generally smart moves, there isn't much for the Washington Redskins to regret. But even as the 2015 NFL draft gets closer, it's still possible to examine some decisions the team might've made, options the franchise may regret foregoing.
If there was an obvious drawback to the strategy in free agency, it was the decision not to recruit a few new blockers for a feeble offensive line. While the Redskins avoided the bloated contracts that are often given to veteran trench warriors, they also missed a great chance to upgrade perhaps the weakest unit on the team.
Elsewhere on the veteran market, there's one incumbent player new general manager Scot McCloughan might've been wiser to keep. The decision not to has robbed the third-down offense of a key weapon.
But not every dubious-looking decision exists at the personnel level. Washington took itself out of the running for one of the marquee coordinators available.
If a new-look defense fails to sparkle, that decision will be used as an indictment of McCloughan and head coach Jay Gruden's offseason.
Take a look at all the moves the Redskins may regret not making this offseason.
Recruiting a Center
1 of 5
Seeming content to stand pat with their current options along the O-line is one of the stranger developments of this offseason. After all, the unit surrendered 58 sacks in 2014, the nadir of struggles that are at least five seasons old.
The situation at guard and tackle may be complicated by the presence of 2014 third-round picks Spencer Long and Morgan Moses. Gruden has sounded optimistic that two players who barely saw the field as rookies will do more in year two, per Mike Jones of The Washington Post: "We’re hoping Morgan and Spencer make a great transition into their second year and compete.”
Yet even if they're content at guard and tackle, it was surprising the Redskins didn't pursue a new center.
The team moved Kory Lichtensteiger over the ball to replace Will Montgomery last season. Although he lent more functional play strength to the heart of the line, Lichtensteiger was still guilty of some of the same things that undid Montgomery.
The converted guard often struggled reading blitz pressures and adjusting protection. Lichtensteiger was also frequently rocked back too easily in pass protection. It also doesn't help that the only obvious depth comes from untested Tyler Larsen.
It's not as if there aren't options on the veteran market Washington might have pursued. NFL.com's Dan Hanzus recently put together a team composed of his choice of the best remaining free agents. Hanzus' lineup included Stefen Wisniewski and Chris Myers.
The former is just 26 and at 6'3" and 315 pounds would offer greater power at the pivot than lightweight Lichtensteiger. As for Myers, few anchor men in the league boast his savvy and proficiency for zone-based blocking techniques.
If the strength of an O-line starts in the middle, Washington's front five needs consistent strength and competence over the ball. Lichtensteiger isn't the worst, but it's hard not to feel the team ought to have upgraded.
Re-Signing Roy Helu Jr.
2 of 5
McCloughan missed the chance to keep the running back position a core strength when he chose not to re-sign Roy Helu Jr. It's a decision that's removed a niche weapon from the offense.
Helu offered change-of-pace skills to complement the brutal grinding of lead runner Alfred Morris. But more important, his talent as a receiver was an invaluable part of the passing game.
The 26-year-old offered a crucial checkdown and safety valve. That's something any struggling quarterback needs. Considering this team boasts a trio of strugglers under center, Helu would've remained a major factor.
Washington let its second-leading rusher and fourth-most active receiver walk. It was a strange call considering it wouldn't have cost much to keep 2011's fourth-round pick in D.C.
Mike Jones of The Washington Post detailed how the Oakland Raiders signed Helu to a two-year, $4.1 million contract. The decision became stranger when Silver and Black head coach Jack Del Rio outlined the same role for Helu he operated in with the Redskins: “Roy is a good solid backup running back. He played a third-down role in Washington and a little bit on special teams, and so we see him being able to come in and compete in our backfield.”
So it's not as if Helu bolted because of the lure of more money and extended playing time. For a modest fee, the Redskins could have retained a highly versatile and useful member of their sub-package offense.
Of course, this is a problem that can be rectified during the draft. Gruden is already preparing to find Helu's replacement, per ESPN's John Keim: "It's very deep running back draft in my opinion, and we're excited to add another piece at some point, hopefully. We have seven picks. Hopefully one of them will be a running back, or a free agent to compete. There are some good free agents that haven't been signed yet."
That last line is pretty telling. It's a surprise Washington hasn't taken a closer look at some veteran ball-carriers, even though the team has shown apparent interest in Pierre Thomas, per Keim.
A veteran presence would be welcome because if the alternative to Helu is on the roster, he's not obvious. Silas Redd went undrafted last season and saw limited action with the Burgundy and Gold.
Meanwhile, injuries have limited 2013 fifth-round pick Chris Thompson to just three carries and six catches in two seasons. Gruden intends to give Thompson "first crack" at the third-down role, per Jones.
Going with Thompson is like starting from scratch. At least the team knew what it had in Helu.
There's plenty of inexperience behind Morris. Getting players up to speed may be a bumpy process.
Landing a Marquee Guard
3 of 5
Shunning the top guards in free agency may have saved a penny or two, but it also leaves Washington light inside ahead of a possible switch to a more power-based scheme.
New O-line coach Bill Callahan will help Gruden transition the team to more physical blocking and running. That's how Gruden envisages this season's ground game, according to CSN Washington's Tarik El-Bashir: “The running game he brings to us is a more physical, downhill approach, gap scheme-type runs that we employed some last year, but not as many as we could.”
As Real Redskins' Rich Tandler also noted, it's hard to see how 303-pound veteran right guard Chris Chester fits into that scheme. Signing a bulky road grader in free agency would have answered the problem.
Mike Iupati was a prime candidate as a formidable, drive-blocking force. But the 6'5", 331-pound behemoth joined the Arizona Cardinals instead, on a deal worth at least $40 million, with $22.5 million guaranteed, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Schefter and Jeff Legwold reported how beefy Orlando Franklin took close to $36.5 million over five years, including $20 million guaranteed, to join the San Diego Chargers.
Both of those contracts are certainly on the hefty side. They may not have fit with McCloughan's relatively restrained approach to free agency.
Yet what about the deal James Carpenter received to join the New York Jets? ESPN's Terry Blount noted how the ex-Seattle Seahawks first-round choice signed a four-year, $20 million deal to move to the AFC East.
Carpenter is adept at both zone-based and drive-style blocking, making him a perfect fit for the Redskins. At 6'5" and 321 pounds, he would've brought the bulk Callahan, Gruden and McCloughan want up front.
Now the pressure is on McCloughan to use the draft to retool this O-line. If he can't, a good deal of the enthusiasm created by some of this offseason's other decisions will soon run out.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Signing Curtis Lofton
4 of 5
When the New Orleans Saints dumped Curtis Lofton, he immediately became perhaps the best middle linebacker on the market. He certainly should have become a prime target for a Washington defense needing more talent and experience at the heart of the linebacker corps.
Lofton embodies both of those key qualities. The 28-year-old would have given the Redskins a brainiac in the middle.
He's highly durable, having missed just one game since entering the NFL in 2008. The Redskins need an ever present considering Keenan Robinson has had his share of injury woes.
Speaking of Robinson, his athletic dynamism would benefit from a steady presence alongside him. Lofton would've provided that as a major upgrade on Perry Riley Jr.
Instead, the Raiders plucked a true gem off the market for just $10 million guaranteed over three years. In the process, Washington missed the chance to field one of the league's better duos in the middle.
Now McCloughan will have to use a draft pick to secure a promising talent at a position already blighted by inexperience.
Hiring Wade Phillips to Run the Defense
5 of 5
When Gruden chose Joe Barry over Wade Phillips as his new defensive coordinator, it's fair to say many Washington fans were more than a little underwhelmed. Dan Steinberg of The Washington Post detailed a sample of the dissatisfaction.
For once, it's easy to understand the disgruntled masses in this case. Phillips is one of the leading 3-4 minds in football, a true master of quick turnarounds for defenses, based on attacking schemes players love.
By contrast, Barry's experience includes two years running the defense for the Detroit Lions. Included in that span was the Motor City club's 0-16 season in 2008. Barry's units twice ranked last in the league.
It's difficult to work out exactly why the Redskins were more sold on bringing in Barry than making Phillips an offer he couldn't refuse. That's especially true considering there was interest, per B/R's Jason Cole.
Things get even stranger when you consider the changes Washington has been putting in place defensively this offseason. Gruden stated a new-look scheme will resemble "a shoot-the-gap-type of 3-4, a get-up-the-field-and-rush-them 3-4," per Mike Jones of The Washington Post.
That's exactly the type of defense Phillips has traditionally run. Even many of McCloughan's signings in free agency are geared to the change. Stephen Paea and Rick Jean Francois are quicker defensive tackles acquired to thrive in a one-gap scheme.
The Redskins have opted to run this version of defense without a master of the one-gap 3-4. If Barry doesn't make the grade, fans' patience will be in short supply and the changes on D will count for little.
There isn't much not to like about Washington's general plan this offseason. But overlooking the possibilities on this list could still leave the team stretched, or lacking, in key areas.
If nothing else, passing on some of these decisions has applied a little more pressure to McCloughan's first draft.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
