Biggest Needs Washington Redskins Have Yet to Address This Offseason
Free agency's first wave has been and gone, and NFL teams are now in full draft mode, but the Washington Redskins already look stronger than last season.
They look more resilient because reinforcements have been added to a wafer-thin defensive line and a deep threat has been signed to replace outgoing DeSean Jackson in the passing game.
Yet, there's still plenty of work for Washington team president Bruce Allen to do this offseason. The work includes bolstering an anaemic ground game so far worryingly overlooked. It's a similar story at inside linebacker where the front seven is missing a natural bruiser to wreck opposing rushing attacks.
Speaking of the rush, Washington needs more oomph in its pass rush. The numbers are there on the edges, but dominant, bluechip talent is in short supply.
Allen's work will also remain incomplete if he neglects to add another receiver to help offset the loss of both Jackson and Pierre Garcon during free agency. Upgrading a capable O-line with a new center also wouldn't hurt.
Read on to find out how the Redskins can still address their remaining needs this offseason.
Inside Linebacker
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Trenches that crumble t the first sign of a decent push is the main reason Washington has struggled stopping the run the last two years. However, not having a formidable thumper at middle linebacker is a close second.
Neither Mason Foster nor Will Compton fit the latter description, and it showed in 2016. The Redskins ranked 24th against the run last season, allowing 119.8 yards per game, according to the league's official website. The same source also revealed how Washington surrendered 12 runs of 20 yards or more.
It's the last statistic that serves as the biggest indictment of Washington's weakness at inside linebacker. Compton and Foster can cry the blues about runners getting to the second level too easily thanks to a weak line, but that many long runs speaks of too many missed tackles by the linebackers.
Considering this problem also hamstrung the team in 2015, when the Redskins ranked seventh-worst against the run, it's more than a little surprising that inside linebacker was ignored at the start of free agency.
Surprise turns into shock when you consider how many quality free agents at the position were available on the market. Yet, for reasons beyond understanding, the Redskins opted not to make moves for tackling machines such as Dont'a Hightower or Lawrence Timmons.
Fortunately for Allen and Co., the time and resources exist for them to make amends. Those resources include Buffalo Bills linebacker Zach Brown and greybeard hitter Daryl Smith.
If the Redskins aren't enthralled by the remaining options in free agency, this year's draft class is rich in middle linebackers. The crop is headed by Alabama's Reuben Foster, a supremely talented player whose controversial dismissal from the combine could see him fall to Washington at the 17th overall pick.
In fact, Robert Klemko of The MMQB has detailed how one team with a top-15 pick has been put off Foster due to a variety of concerns, including his maturity.
If Washington could be satisfied by Foster's potential, he would be a steal at 17. If not, Florida's Jarrad Davis, LSU's Kendell Beckwith and Vanderbilt's Zach Cunningham would each offer an instant upgrade at a position that must be stronger this season.
Washington's additions along the D-line will count for nothing without improved play at inside linebacker.
Pass-Rusher
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Even if the Redskins hadn't recorded a lowly 38 sacks in 2016, they'd still need an infusion of fresh talent for the pass rush. There are obvious holes among the rotation with question marks hovering over several key players.
Those players include Trent Murphy, who finished second on the team in sacks last season. The former Stanford man is set to serve a four-game suspension to start the season, per Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post.
Murphy's suspension isn't the only issue, though. Junior Galette has been kept on for a third year, despite not playing a competitive down for the last two. Achilles injuries have laid him low, and he has a lot to do to prove he can still generate heat consistently.
Speaking of proving consistency, third-year man Preston Smith needs to do just that following some sketchy performances in 2016. He logged a mere 4.5 sacks last season, with just one of those takedowns coming during his final five games.
All of these issues add up to another season of Ryan Kerrigan being a marked man for every offensive line he faces. The Redskins' best pass-rusher needs some help, help that's still available this offseason.
A veteran like 33-year-old Elvis Dumervil would add some playmaking flair off the edge in a situational role. The same is true of a player like flexible rush end Chris Long.
Like the veteran market, the draft also contains a few hidden gems for the Redskins to consider. Both Jordan Willis of Kansas State and Illinois' rush end Dawuane Smoot have the raw and core skills to be honed into disruptive pass-rushers at the pro level.
Washington won't go deep into the postseason without the means to make more big plays in the pass rush in clutch situations.
Wide Receiver
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Signing Terrelle Pryor Sr. on a one-year, cost-effective and generally risk-free deal was a great start to life post-Garcon and Jackson at wide receiver. But it won't be enough to ensure the position remains a strength for the Redskins.
Pryor will go vertical and add big plays, while Jamison Crowder will continue to win from the slot. Yet doubts naturally remain about 2016 first-round pick Josh Doctson, who appeared in just two games during an injury-riddled rookie campaign.
Doubts about Doctson are coupled with Pryor's lack of experience at wideout. He has only played one season at the position. Meanwhile, Ryan Grant boasts some intriguing possession-type skills, but he's caught a mere 39 passes in three seasons.
Victor Cruz or Stevie Johnson would add some veteran skills and big-play dynamism to this rather threadbare rotation, provided they can prove they are healthy. A better option might be to raid a draft class loaded with quality wideouts.
Prospects such as Corey Davis, Juju Smith-Schuster and Curtis Samuel all represent good fits for the type of high-percentage passing game predicated on yards after the catch that head coach Jay Gruden calls in Washington.
There are ample weapons in the Redskins' passing game already when you add tight ends Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis to Pryor and Crowder. However, this platoon of playmakers still needs an X-factor in order to make Washington's air attack truly feared.
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Center
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Kory Lichtensteiger's retirement has only emphasized Washington's obvious need for help at center. So has the team's decision to so far leave John Sullivan on the veteran market.
The weakness in the middle is a shame for an O-line otherwise strong at its key positions. Trent Williams is a capable left tackle, while Brandon Scherff has quickly become a Pro Bowl guard since being drafted fifth-overall in 2015.
However, all good lines are only as stout as the man over the ball. It's therefore a surprise that the Redskins didn't make a move for either JC Tretter or Brian Schwenke during the first wave of free agency.
Instead, Tretter left the Green Bay Packers to join the Cleveland Browns, while Schwenke swapped the Tennessee Titans for AFC South rival the Indianapolis Colts. It leaves the Redskins short of options at this critical spot.
One anchorman who might still help out is former New York Jets Pro Bowler Nick Mangold. The 33-year-old is reportedly a possible target for Washington's NFC East rivals the New York Giants, according to ESPN's The Dan Graca & Willie Colon Show.
Mangold still has the chops to anchor any offensive line. He is also a formidable blocker in the running game, effective enough to help spark immediate improvement in that phase of Washington's offense.
Running Back
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Kirk Cousins and his receivers can't continue to do it all for the Redskins' offense. This unit can be one of the NFL's best if it also boasts the balance offered by a competent running game.
Cousins hasn't had one of those the last two years despite his record-setting performances. Instead, Washington has attempted to stitch together a barely passable ground attack.
Things haven't exactly gone to plan, though. It didn't help when Matt Jones took several steps backward last season after showing some promise as a rookie third-round pick in 2015.
Ball security has become a major issue for former Florida Gators runner Jones. His inability to hold on to the rock saw him benched by Gruden in 2016.
Jones' benching opened the door for undrafted Robert Kelley to take the reins. While he did some commendable work, he lacked the explosion to produce regular big plays in the running game.
To illustrate the point, the Redskins managed just 44 runs of 10 yards or more, according to Sporting Charts. Washington's offense needs to be armed with a rushing attack defenses will fear in 2017.
The best way to create a ground game defenses will have to load the box against would be to sign one of the able veterans left on the market. Landing Jamaal Charles would give the Redskins a bell-cow back who is also lethal as a receiver.
Meanwhile, James Starks remains a more cost-effective option. He's got the blocking skills, pass-catching talent and steady ball security neither Kelley nor Jones possess.
Even a smash-mouth runner like DeAngelo Williams or LeGarrette Blount would add a different dimension to the Redskins' offense.
However, just like most of the positions on this list, the draft class offers a great alternative to free agency. It's a good alternative because there are so many talented backs available through the rounds.
Kareem Hunt, Marlon Mack, Jeremy McNichols and De'Veon Smith are mid- to late-round gems Washington should consider.
Safety
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The addition of journeyman D.J. Swearinger doesn't seem enough to fix Washington's now age-old woes at safety. Nor does switching second-year pro Su'a Cravens to the position on a full-time basis.
It's no doubt why many mock drafts still have the Redskins choosing a safety with the 17th pick. Both Daniel Jeremiah and Chad Reuter of the league's official site have Michigan's box safety Jabrill Peppers headed to Washington.
Fox Sports' Peter Schrager also believes Peppers will take his versatility and range to Redskins Park. He wants to find out how Washington defensive coordinator Greg Manusky would use the 21-year-old.
It's an intriguing question since drafting Peppers would give the Redskins a trio of box-style safeties. If he partnered with Cravens or Swearinger, he would give Washington another force player against the run.
However, it's not clear if either partnership would improve Washington's ability to cover the deep zones. Only an athletic free safety would do that, and there aren't many of those left, although a veteran such as Kendrick Lewis may still be able to help.
The fact is Washington's defense will continue to struggle as long as the safety positions remain this dubious.
At least the front seven looks stronger after free agency. It can look stronger still with one or two more weapons added on the edge and in the middle.
The story is a similar one on offense, where a workhorse back and another receiver would further boost an already quality supporting cast. A little more selective retooling will position the Redskins for a playoff run in 2017.
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