Washington Redskins: Biggest Questions Left to Answer Before Start of Season

A franchise long mired in mediocrity, the Washington Redskins' offseason was highlighted by change.

Under new general manager Scot McCloughan, both the coaching staff and the roster of the team were retooled. Bill Callahan, Joe Barry and Chris Culliver highlight some of the team's new additions. 

ESPN's John Keim went as far as to give the team an A-minus grade for its moves this offseason. 

Let's be honest, though. The Redskins seemingly winning the offseason hasn't exactly translated to wins on the gridiron in the past, has it?

While Washington today stands as a more talented team—"on paper"—for anyone to believe its changes will net tangible results, the team has a host of questions it needs answered.

Here are the five biggest questions left to answer before the start of the 2015 season.

Can Robert Griffin III Prosper in Jay Gruden's Offense?

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When haven't questions surrounded Robert Griffin III?

While his recovery from injury was the root of such inquiries in the past, entering the 2015 season, it's now his play on the center stage.

To be kind, his inaugural season running head coach Jay Gruden's offense was an unmitigated disaster.

As if being benched in favor of Colt McCoy wasn't bad enough, Gruden joined Griffin's ever-growing list of critics when he gave an openly harsh critique of Griffin's performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season.

Examining his struggles in 2014, more than anything, it was Griffin's failure to master the rudimentary basics of the quarterback position that did him in. His throwing mechanics, footwork and ability to go through progressions were all problem spots.

Even with Gruden relaying to Paul Woody of the Richmond Times-Dispatch his intent to play to Griffin's strengths—play-action passes and moving outside of the pocket—he will continue to falter if these issues aren't addressed.

Brought aboard as the team's quarterbacks coach, Matt Cavanaugh is the one who'll be tasked with fixing them. Speaking to Zac Boyer of the Washington Times, Cavanaugh gave insight into Griffin's progress in this arena:

"

There’s flashes where he goes on runs of 10, 12, 15 plays where everything is right, and then he’ll slip a little bit, but then he gets back. He now knows when he doesn’t feel comfortable, and he can figure it out watching on tape, so that’s encouraging.

Getting better at anything, you’ve got to be aware of it, and I think he’s become very aware of some of the things that we want him to do a little bit differently—and like I said, he’s been working hard to get better.

"

Although this is a positive omen, the truth is Griffin's progress can't be validated until the games begin.

Did Washington Improve Enough at Safety?

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The exodus of Ryan Clark and Brandon Meriweather gave Washington fans reason to rejoice at the onset of this offseason. When he wasn't missing in action due to injury or suspension, Meriweather was a sieve in coverage.

Clark's final year of his NFL career was marred by missed tackles. He led all safeties with 22 missed tackles, per Pro Football Focus. So in this regard, the sight of a Jeron Johnson or a Dashon Goldson manning the back end of the defense is a welcome one.

However, their arrival doesn't dispel the notion that Washington's safety position is less than promising. With one career start under his belt, Johnson's claim to fame is solely tied to his affiliation with the Seattle Seahawks' Legion of Boom—as a backup!

In the case of Goldson, it's his now-distant past that stands as his lone selling point. A two-time Pro Bowler with the San Francisco 49ers, he was a colossal bust with the Buccaneers. Tampa's return on the $41.2 million contract it doled out to Goldson was one interception and 153 tackles.

Furthermore, akin to Clark, Goldson too was plagued by poor tackling—20 missed tackles to be exact.

Among others, holdovers Duke Ihenacho and Phillip Thomas are in the mix at safety. In particular, with 14 starts under his belt, Ihenacho can't be overlooked as a potential starter.

Ultimately, between Goldson's recent struggles and the limited track record of both Johnson and Ihenacho, there's little certainty in regards to what the team will get from safety position this season.

Who Will Start Opposite Ryan Kerrigan at OLB?

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With Brian Orakpo departing in free agency, the 'Skins have to look to their second-round pick to fill the void he left opposite Ryan Kerrigan. The question is, which one?

After using the 47th overall pick on Trent Murphy in the 2014 NFL draft, the team selected Mississippi State product Preston Smith with the 38th overall pick in this year's draft.

Orakpo's stand-in for eight games in 2014, Murphy is likely to get the first crack at the job. Among outside linebackers, he was Pro Football Focus' sixth-highest graded player against the run in his rookie year.

His success as a pass-rusher is another matter. He mustered just 2.5 sacks and eight quarterback hurries, per Sporting Charts. 

To his credit, Murphy has made it a point to become more explosive and stronger this offseason in an effort to improve in this arena, h/t CSN's Tarik El-Bashir.

Let ESPN's John Keim tell it, though, based on where Murphy was as a pass-rusher in 2014, it's only a matter of time before Smith supplants him in the starting lineup:

"

But the sense I’ve gotten is that Smith will ultimately be the starter. The Redskins really like Smith’s hands, which will help him as a rusher. Murphy struggled as a rusher last season, even late in the year: rounded rushes, getting bumped off stride too often. He rarely threatened the quarterback. It was a definite learning year for Murphy. 

"

It remains to be seen how quickly he'll pick up the NFL game. But with Smith sporting the versatility to rush from the inside as well as the edge, he'll find his way onto the field in certain sub-packages.

With the team again sporting a suspect secondary, it'll be crucial for one of these players, if not both, to exploit the one-on-one matchups they'll receive courtesy of playing with Kerrigan and a bolstered defensive line.

How Will Offensive Line Perform?

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An underwhelming unit for most of the past two seasons, the Redskins offensive line underwent some much-needed changes this offseason.

First came the hiring of Callahan. Behind a homegrown offensive line, the Dallas Cowboys fielded the one of the NFL's top rushing attacks in 2014 under his direction.

Next came some changes on the personnel side of things. Both starters last season, Chris Chester and Tyler Polumbus no longer don Washington uniforms. In their place will be sophomore Spencer Long and No. 5 overall pick Brandon Scherff.

But while both are talented and better fits by virtue of their size, for Callahan's power-running scheme, experience is something both are lacking. The same goes for their cohorts up front.

While Gruden introduced more power plays in the running game in 2014, outside of Shawn Lauvao, the offensive line's comfort zone had long been zone-blocking.

Factoring in the ankle injury currently hampering the team's top offensive lineman, Trent Williams, the state of the team's offensive line has to be in question.

Can DeAngelo Hall Be an Impact Player?

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Even with the addition of Culliver, coming off a campaign in which it finished with Football Outsiders' worst pass defense, Washington is in dire need of improved cornerback play.

Growth from Bashaud Breeland and David Amerson would help in this regard, but ultimately the onus here will fall at the feet, or rather the torn Achilles, of DeAngelo Hall.

On one end, Hall could recapture his 2013 form and give the secondary the playmaker it desperately needs. He had three forced fumbles, four interceptions and 13 passes defensed that season. On the other, well, he could not even make the team.

As Mike Jones of The Washington Post notes, Hall's contract only becomes fully guaranteed if he makes the 53-man roster.

A limited participant at OTAs, Hall's specific role with the team is also in question. Coming off of two surgeries on his Achilles, it remains to be seen if the 31-year old Hall can even stick at cornerback full-time. 

While he stated to CSNWashington.com's Tarik El-Bashir he's physically capable of doing everything, he'll have to prove it on the field.