Washington Redskins: Recapping the Latest Buzz Heading into Training Camp

Perception is reality, apparently. Hopefully, it isn't for the 2015 Washington Redskins. The rebuilding NFC East club will be out to disprove that old saying.

The Burgundy and Gold will be trying to debunk a widely held perception that they still belong in the NFL's basement. It's a view shared by many national pundits, one mostly inspired by the question marks at quarterback.

But if concerns about Robert Griffin III are prompting proclamations of doom for Washington's season, perhaps the quarterback's work with new position coach Matt Cavanaugh can change that perception.

Griffin is apparently already benefiting from Cavanaugh's presence. It's amazing what an actual quarterbacks coach can do for a young signal-caller.

But even Cavanaugh will struggle to help Griffin if the young signal-caller's blindside protector isn't fully healthy. Trent Williams' status as he enters a contract year still recovering from a troublesome ankle injury remains a potential storm cloud over Washington's season.

So do the health and performances of a pair of key defensive veterans. These 30-somethings will either be defining figures on a revamped unit, or symbols of its annual mediocrity.

Let's take a closer look at the latest buzz surrounding the Redskins as the team heads into training camp. 

Trent Williams' Health and Contract

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What started as pain and reduced mobility turned out to be a "torn deltoid ligament" in the ankle of Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams. It's mean the fourth overall pick in 2010 has been limited to just brief and light running so far during offseason workouts, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post.

Jones reports how head coach Jay Gruden has listed "Williams’ health as one of his top concerns entering camp." Gruden's right to be concerned.

Williams has overcome the maturity and concentration issues that stunted some of his early-career development. Now he's the leader of the team's offensive line, and while he still suffers from some lapses in pass protection, the 26-year-old is one of the most dominant run-blockers in the NFL.

Mobility is the key to Williams' game, so that pesky ankle problem really needs to go away, pronto. Not only that, but a fully healthy Williams can get even better in 2015.

He'll have the benefit of working under Bill Callahan, the current dean of NFL offensive line coaches. Williams can learn a lot from Callahan.

In particular, he can pick up plenty of useful pointers by studying how Callahan used Tyron Smith, another exceptional left tackle, with the Dallas Cowboys. Williams will see a tackle who pulled around the corner, as well as stretched into space the way Washington's main man has for the team's zone-based running game.

Callahan can take Williams' game to even greater heights this season. The Redskins just need to hope the peak lasts a little longer than 2015.

That will mean sorting out a new long-term deal for the Pro Bowler sooner, rather than later. Unfortunately, Jones has noted how there's still a long way to go before that bridge can be crossed:

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Williams’s representatives will likely try to land him a contract that resembles or exceeds the the eight-year, $97.6 million deal that Dallas gave Tyron Smith last summer, multiple league insiders believe. Smith’s contract pays him an average of $12.2 million annually.

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Those are certainly hefty numbers to consider carrying, especially for a franchise that also needs to resolve the futures of fellow Pro Bowlers running back Alfred Morris and outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan.

But as Jones also pointed out, it's not as if Washington's roster is brimming with quality alternatives at Williams' position.

If he plays well enough, he'll earn a new deal at least close to the value he wants. Top-notch left tackles are just too important in the modern game.

To collect his money, though, Williams must first get healthy and begin responding to Callahan's coaching. Training camp will provide the ideal opportunity to chart his progress on both fronts.

DeAngelo Hall's Health and Role

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DeAngelo Hall may not be the significant figure he once was in a secondary that used to count him as its only quality performer. The emergence of 2014 fourth-round pick Bashaud Breeland, as well as the arrival of new boy Chris Culliver this offseason, have given Washington more talent and options at cornerback.

But even with the new faces, the Redskins pass defense will be better if it can still count on Hall. Whether or not it can is a tricky question to answer.

The 31-year-old is still rehabbing from tearing the same Achilles twice last season. That's a tough injury for any player, but especially for one on the wrong side of 30.

Maybe that's why Hall is taking things slowly. He made that clear during a recent interview with 106.7 The Fan (h/t CSN Washington's Tarik El-Bashir):

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I haven’t done a whole lot of pounding on it, as far as football movements. I’ve been doing more sprinting straight ahead and side-to-side agility. So to actually get out there and get into football shape and do a lot more football movements, we’ll see how it responds and just kind of play it by ear.

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Hall's status could be a significant factor in determining the rotation at cornerback. If he's fully healthy, he could push for a starting role on the outside.

That would possibly force Breeland to work the inside and slot, a position where his physical approach to coverage would be right at home. Alternatively, a fit-again Hall could become the team's slot corner. He played the role during the 2012 season and enjoyed some solid moments.

If Hall can't mend quickly enough though, 2013 draft flop David Amerson will be forced into a key sub-package role. Playing in the slot would suit his size and need to read quarterbacks and break on the ball.

But given how often Amerson has been beaten during two years as a starter, he probably won't inspire too much confidence as a nickel corner. Ideally then, the Redskins need Hall back up to speed during training camp.

Which Jason Hatcher Will Show Up?

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The presence of Jason Hatcher alone should be enough to guarantee a strong pass rush from Washington's front seven. That was the thinking when the team signed him in 2014, but things certainly didn't turn out that way.

Hatcher registered a mere 5.5 sacks just one season after going to the Pro Bowl as an 11-sack defensive tackle for the Cowboys. Entering his second season wearing burgundy and gold, the question remains, which Hatcher will show up in 2015?

Mike Jones of the Washington Post examined the question from all angles. He detailed how health will be a major factor, pointing out that Hatcher is now stronger one offseason removed from the knee surgery that interrupted the start of his career in D.C.

Jones also noted how the player expects new additions along the front—specifically, D-tackles Stephen Paea and Terrance Knighton—to draw blockers away from him. Along with changes to a scheme he hated in 2014, Hatcher believes he's primed for a bigger year.

But Jones also made sure to cast doubt on the player's confidence. He raised two key points:

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Hatcher is a year older, turning 33 on Monday (July 13). He’s made it through a full 16-game season once since becoming a full-time starter in 2011, so it’s natural to wonder how much Hatcher’s body can handle.

And while Barry’s plans sound good, it remains to be seen if the Redskins will wind up playing the aggressive style that he envisions. Remember, 2014 was supposed to be “Haz unleashed,” where Haslett turned his pass rushers loose to get after quarterbacks relentlessly. In actuality, little changed, and Washington’s pass rush remained ineffective.

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The first concern is a little overblown. A player's years on the clock is one of the most overrated factors in the NFL. It should come as no surprise in a sport where ageism is still an accepted practice.

But consider the number of D-linemen who are still lions in winter. Cory Redding remains one of the most respected and effective interior linemen in football despite being 34.

Age doesn't seem to have slowed down 33-year-old Jared Allen in Chicago. In fact, the veteran is still young at heart enough to switch to outside linebacker in the Bears' new 3-4 scheme, according to ESPN.com's Jeff Dickerson.

It's the same switch that revived 35-year-old Julius Peppers' career during his first season with the Green Bay Packers in 2014. So enough about Hatcher's age.

The significant point Jones has raised concerns putting all the talk about the new scheme into practice. As he pointed out, former coordinator Jim Haslett often talked a big game about turning players loose, but hot air was all it usually amounted to.

New play-caller Joe Barry can't make that mistake. He's got to let his players attack offenses in this version of a one-gap, hybrid 3-4.

That means hitting the attack button and keeping his finger firmly pressed down. If Barry does that, Hatcher will be closer to the destructive force offenses couldn't handle in 2013, and nothing like the shell of a player he was last season.

Former Players Jump to RG3's Defense

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Joe Theismann still believes in Robert Griffin III, even if many fans and pundits don't. Brian Mitchell simply believes the pundits should button it when it comes to the player the Redskins selected second overall in 2012, at least for the moment.

Both former Redskins Super Bowl winners were referring to a ranking of the league's starting quarterbacks put together by MMQB writer Andy Benoit. Griffin was left propping up this ranking, sharing the basement floor with Buffalo's Matt Cassel: "His mobility is not what it once was. That’s an issue, as he has mountains to climb to improve his mechanics and field-reading."

First of all, let's be clear. There's nothing wrong with what Benoit wrote, even if you think the ranking is a little low.

The loss of mobility, prompted by several serious leg injuries, has taken away the X-factor that made Griffin such a threat as a rookie. It was also the extra dimension that masked many of the things Griffin can't do, such as release the ball quickly with accuracy and read a defense.

Where Theismann took exception was with the idea that Griffin, for all his faults, deserved to be ranked lower than rookies Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota. After all, the top two picks in the 2015 NFL draft have yet to play a down of pro ball.

Theismann made his feelings about Benoit's list very clear during an interview with 106.7 The Fan (h/t Scott Allen of the Washington Post):

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I’m thinking, this has no credibility to it whatsoever, because [Mariota and Winston] haven’t even played in the National Football League. So what are you really basing your analysis on? You’re evaluating oranges and apples. Two Heisman Trophy winners in college football, versus football quarterbacks at a professional level. Now, if those two guys weren’t on that list, that list would probably have a little more credibility to me.

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It's not unreasonable to defend a pro starter being shunned in favor of rookies. But no matter how loud Theismann bangs the drum for Griffin, the young signal-caller's weaknesses aren't going away.

Mitchell took a more reasoned view during an appearance on CSN Washington. He feels not enough attention is paid to the other factors around Griffin, such as questionable coaching and dire offensive line play.

This is the party line most often put forward by Griffin's ardent supporters. It's not his fault, it's the failing framework around him.

Yet while there's some merit to this view, especially in terms of the O-line, Griffin has been given more than enough chances to succeed. Predecessor Mike Shanahan and current coach Jay Gruden were considered two of the brightest offensive minds in football before they worked with Griffin.

Are we saying the former Baylor star needs an amalgamation of the minds of Joe Gibbs and late, great duo Bill Walsh and Don Coryell before he succeeds?

Don't forget that few, if any quarterbacks in today's league are surrounded by a supporting cast as talented as the one assembled around Griffin. If you can't win throwing passes to DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, Andre Roberts, Jordan Reed and Niles Paul, while also handing off to Alfred Morris, you can't win.

However you'd rank Griffin, both his critics and fans should agree he's at the ultimate crossroads headed into his fourth season. In one direction lies career ruin and bust status. The other leads to reclamation and proving every doubter (especially yours truly) wrong.

For Griffin to take the second path, the one Washington desperately needs him to take, he'll have to respond to coaching. Specifically, to one coach in particular.

Matt Cavanaugh's Presence Already Helping Griffin

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The light finally went on for Gruden this offseason. He realized it wasn't a healthy balance for a head coach to spend so much time micromanaging his quarterback.

Enter Matt Cavanaugh, one of the most experienced position coaches in the league. He's here to refine the many raw aspects of Griffin's game.

Just by putting some distance between Griffin and Gruden, two figures who didn't exactly get on last season, Cavanaugh is helping. In fact, his close attention has already had a positive effect on Griffin, at least according to Gruden, per Michael Phillips of the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

"Now we have a set of eyes strictly on the quarterback, and I think that’s important," Gruden explained. "Every snap, every handoff, every dropback is being critiqued to make sure we do it the right way, and I think that’s been a big benefit for Robert."

Cavanaugh's main focus has to be arresting the damaging tendencies in Griffin's game. They include holding onto the ball for an age in the pocket, as well as pushing for a big play when steady efficiency is needed.

Cavanaugh believes the talent is there, but the consistency is missing: “There are flashes where he goes on runs of 10, 12, 15 plays where everything’s right, then he’ll slip a little bit.”

Of course, staying healthy would go a long way to improving Griffin's consistency. It's tough to master any position when the learning curve is interrupted so often.

But making good habits such as constant film study, smart game management and quicker release second nature is the real key to any improvement from Griffin. That can only happen through learning by repetition.

Training camp will provide a fascinating window, not only into Cavanaugh's growing influence, but more importantly, on how hard Griffin is actually working to get better.

His progress is key to Washington's season. He still has a long way to go to convince pundits he can be a positive influence for a change.

Pundits Not Impressed by Washington's Rebuilding Efforts

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Not even the arrival of new general manager Scot McCloughan can convince national pundits to believe in a turnaround from the Redskins in 2015. McCloughan's solid and steady first draft hasn't done it. Neither has his smart work recruiting the foundation for a much-improved defense during free agency.

Despite all of these necessary and positive changes, many writers and experts still expect to see Washington at the foot of the NFC East, according to Rick Snider of the Washington Post:

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As training camp nears, Fox Sports ranked the Redskins 26th overall. And that’s the good news.

Other national media polls show little love for those inside the beltway (and we’re not talking about politics). Sports Illustrated and ESPN ranked the Redskins 27th, NFL.com had them 28th and USA Today put them 30th.

And CBS Sports? Dead last.

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Ouch.

As Snider points out, the jaded scribes just can't shake the potential problems at the top. Specifically, they can't believe in Griffin as an effective starting quarterback, or Gruden as a competent sideline general.

Given the debacle that was 2014's 4-12 finish, it's hard to argue with that logic. Gruden did look out of his depth.

His play-calling was dubious at best. He handled the quarterback situation terribly by going through three starters, eroding the confidence of each and publicly taking the face of the franchise to task.

As for Griffin, his issues have already been covered at length throughout this and many, many other articles. Keeping him under center is a major roll of the dice that could stymie an otherwise playoff-worthy team.

But things needn't be all doom and gloom this offseason. Aside from quarterback, the pass offense has top-five talent. That talent won't go away, even if it might need yet another change under center to bring it out.

If Callahan fixes the O-line and revives the running game, the Redskins will boast the kind of balance on offense every team dreams about and no defense wants to deal with.

As for Washington's own D, the talent has been upgraded in almost every key area. This is a unit primed to be much tougher than recent seasons.

The question now becomes what's the realistic expectation for 2015 from within the corridors of power at Redskins Park? Snider dubs this campaign a "salvation-or-see-you-later season for player and coach."

But what does that really mean? Do Gruden and Griffin need to make the playoffs to keep their jobs? Win a championship or go home?

After just seven wins in two years, an 8-8 finish would likely be enough to keep the wolves from the door, as long as hope for the future is visible on the field. Training camp will be the first glimpse of how close these rebuilding Redskins are to taking the necessary first steps forward.