Washington Redskins' Biggest Remaining Offseason Question Marks
Remaining question marks still facing the Washington Redskins could yet derail what should be a season capped by a third trip to the playoffs since 2012. Yet the Redskins will find themselves relying on retread veterans and unproven youngsters making the grade at key positions on both sides of the ball.
The biggest worry among those positions is, not at all surprisingly, the safety berths. Both spots will see new starters for the umpteenth time in the last few years.
There is also likely to be a new regular starter at the heart of the offensive line. Continued uncertainty at center may fatally undermine an otherwise excellent front five.
Speaking of potential issues on offense, the Redskins will be hoping a new-look group of wide receivers can be as good as last season's position unit. Considering 2016's contingent fielded two 1,000-yard pass-catchers, it's going to be a tall order for this year's corps to match them.
Read on for an analysis of Washington's biggest remaining question marks.
1. Are the Safety Spots Any Better?
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It's the big question facing a defense otherwise skilfully retooled this offseason. Yet it has to be asked: are the safety spots going to be any better with D.J. Swearinger and Su'a Cravens starting?
Obviously, the Redskins hope so, but let's face it, Swearinger and Cravens had better make the grade, because none of the team's other ideas at this position have worked.
To sum up the quicksand safety has been built on for the Redskins in recent years, ESPN's John Keim noted how since 2008 "the Redskins have had 24 different players start at least one game at safety. And only six players have started at least 10 games in a season for the Redskins in that time."
So where is the evidence Cravens and Swearinger will stay on the carousel long enough to finally provide some much-needed stability on the back end?
Certainly, the evidence is scant in Swearinger's case, since the free-agent arrival this offseason has played on three teams in four seasons previously. The 25-year-old's curious, crossover style is also a worry.
Swearinger is a free safety, who plays like a box destroyer. He is a downhill hitter, one who can lack range and gamble in coverage.
Despite the obvious reservations, Swearinger recently told CSN Mid-Atlantic's JP Finlay he's confident in his ability to play free safety: "I'm a free safety, I think that fits my body well. As a free safety you got to have the confidence in yourself that you can run with those guys and make plays on those guys."
Frankly, the Redskins need Swearinger to play the deeper role and provide some veteran savvy along the last line of defense. In particular, his experience could be vital for Cravens, who was a mixed bag as a rookie in 2016, but has still been given a full-time role at strong safety.
Cravens was a hybrid a year ago, but he has all the attributes to be a destructive box safety. He hits like a linebacker and has also shown some decent anticipation in underneath coverage.
Washington is betting big on Cravens and Swearinger, who may need a familiar two-deep shell to bring out the best in their partnership this season.
If defensive coordinator Greg Manusky uses simple schemes to keep things in front of this seek-and destroy duo, the Redskins will have an effective safety tandem. Yet if Swearinger and Cravens can't handle the responsibility, things will again get ugly in the secondary.
2. Will New-Look Wide Receiver Corps Be as Good as 2016's Version?
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Replacing DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon was never going to be easy after the prolific duo bolted during free agency. The Redskins' response was an interesting one, though.
In short, the NFC East club doubled down on bigger bodies at the position. In came 6'4", 223-pound Terrelle Pryor, who was soon joined by 6'3" and 218-pounder Brian Quick. Pryor and Quick will work with 6'2" Josh Doctson to give the Redskins a trio of towering targets in the passing game.
The question is will this new-look group be as good as the Jackson and Garcon-led contingent? After all, Jackson is perhaps the best deep threat in football, while Garcon is Mr. Reliable as an option over the middle.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins was a better player for working with Garcon and Jackson, but now the Pro Bowler must get used to the new faces he'll be aiming for this season.
Fortunately, Cousins already appears to have warmed to Pryor, at least based on recent comments, per Brian Tinsman of CBS DC:
"I like it because I’ve never had a conversation with a receiver like I’ve had with him where he said, ‘Yeah, it was two-invert, so I took it to the post. It was quarters on the backside.' He really can see it and he’s going to hold me accountable, so you take the good with the bad. I love it.
"He’s an enthusiastic guy. He’s always wanting to run another route. ‘Let’s try it again, let’s do it again,’ just a positive attitude and he’s been a joy to work with thus far.
"I’m really looking forward to trying to get him as many touches as possible and allow him to impact our team in any way he can."
Cousins' words are encouraging since Pryor is the most intriguing of his new targets. The 27-year-old topped 1,000 yards in his first season as a pro wide receiver in 2016. He has the raw skills to add another dimension to Washington's passing game.
Pryor's best attribute will be his size and penchant for striking in the red zone. CSN Mid-Atlantic's Rich Tandler has already noted how the arrival of bigger receivers like Pryor will prompt more success from the fade patterns head coach Jay Gruden loves to call inside the 20.
It's all fine in theory, but Redskins fans would be foolish to ignore the many lingering questions about this position. Questions like was Pryor's 2016 production a fluke, the product of being the lone standout on a dire Cleveland Browns offense?
The question with Quick is can he finally muster anything close to credible production following five seasons of barely registering with the St. Louis and Los Angeles Rams?
Then there is Doctson, who appeared in just two games as a rookie amid a myriad of injuries. Will he be the player former Washington general manager Scot McCloughan deemed worthy of a first-round pick in 2016? Or will Doctson struggle and condemn the tenure of a GM who missed more than his supporters like to admit during two years at Redskins Park?
At least Washington will be able to rely on one of McCloughan's undoubted successes, 2015 fourth-round pick Jamison Crowder. The former Duke product doesn't boast outstanding size at 5'8" and 182 pounds, but he has emerged as a prolific option from the slot, catching 67 passes for 847 yards in 2016.
It's going to be tough for Crowder, Pryor and Co. to match what Jackson and Garcon offered, but the potential is there if everything goes the way the Redskins have planned.
3. Will Center Be Secure?
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There is going to be no Kory Lichtensteiger or John Sullivan to anchor the offensive line in Washington this season. In other words, there'll be no veteran presence at center.
Instead, converted guard Spencer Long will likely be given every chance to make the job his own. Long has been a steady pro since joining the NFL as a third-round pick in 2014, but he's not a natural fit at the position.
If Long does win the job, it means 2017 sixth-round pick Chase Roullier, a more obvious pivotman, has struggled to impress. Roullier was deemed good enough for the Redskins to trade up for him after he impressed during his final season at Wyoming.
However, if either a former guard or a sixth-round pick win the job, the question is will center be a solid position for the Redskins in 2017? It's difficult to believe it will, something potentially set to undermine an otherwise stout O-line.
Washington boasts quality bookend tackles in Trent Williams and Morgan Moses, while Brandon Scherff is rapidly emerging as a formidable force at right guard. But strength up front is usually underpinned by solid play from a secured middle.
Lichtensteiger had his injury woes, while Sullivan wasn't deemed good enough to keep out of the clutches of ex-Washington offensive coordinator Sean McVay in free agency. Yet the Redskins may sorely miss both players' experience this season.
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4. Can the Running Game Finally Do Its Part?
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Considering the changes at wide receiver, along with the ongoing yet utterly unnecessary uncertainty about Cousins' long-term future, Washington needs its running game to improve mightily in 2017.
Yet it's not clear if the backfield rotation has been boosted enough to finally do its part and shoulder the load on offense.
Granted, the Redskins have scored points for drafting Samaje Perine in the fourth round this year. He is a natural workhorse, who will join 2016 undrafted rookie Rob Kelley and third-down ace Chris Thompson to vie for carries. Unheralded Mack Brown also figures to be in the mix, according to CSN Mid-Atlantic's JP Finlay.
However, there are legitimate question marks about every one of the primary options to lug the rock in 2017. Can Kelley prove a solid first season in the pros was no fluke? Will Perine make a quick adaptation to the big league? Will Thompson be trusted enough to improve on the career-best 68 carries he managed last season, despite his lack of size and greater value in the passing game?
Then there is Brown, who must prove he belongs and can contribute, even though he has just eight carries to his credit as a pro. Of course, the Redskins may still need Brown because Matt Jones' time with the franchise is lurching toward an ugly finish.
Jones, a disappointment after being drafted in the third round in 2015, has been skipping OTAs and is waiting to be traded or released, per Mike Jones of the Washington Post.
Jones' issues with ball security appear to have doomed him in the eyes of Gruden. Yet Washington's offense may miss his acceleration and power if Kelley and Perine can't produce big plays on the ground in 2017.
5. Will a True Bookend for Ryan Kerrigan Finally Emerge?
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The Redskins need a better pass rush after registering just 38 sacks in 2016. Increasing their pressure will depend a lot on finally finding the right bookend for standout outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan.
Fortunately, Washington has as many as four obvious candidates for the role, albeit with troubling question marks about each.
The primary option might be this year's second-round pick, Ryan Anderson. A linchpin of Alabama's smothering defense last season, Anderson is a burly all-rounder at the position.
However, the rookie shouldn't be counted on to be a sack machine, since he's not an exceptional natural pass-rusher, at least according to Mark Bullock of the Washington Post. The numbers support Bullock's view, since Anderson managed 19.5 sacks during four years in Mobile, per cfbstats.com.
If Anderson can't consistently bring the heat, it will increase the importance of Junior Galette, the troubled veteran coming off two missed seasons due to Achilles injuries. In Galette's favor is his history of getting to the quarterback, evidenced by 22 sacks in his final two seasons with the New Orleans Saints.
Galette may have to deliver, at least while Trent Murphy serves a four-game suspension for PED violations to start the new season. Murphy will be missed after his career-high nine sacks in 2016.
Yet while Murphy was making strides, Preston Smith was regressing after a productive rookie campaign in 2015. Smith went from recording eight sacks in his first year to recording just 4.5 last season.
The Redskins need one member of this quartet to ease some of the burden on Kerrigan, who registered 11 sacks in 2016. A quality bookend would free up 2011's first-round pick to do greater damage to offenses.
Generating extra pressure up front would also help hide any obvious deficiencies in the secondary, particularly at safety.
It's something Washington's D' will need on Manusky's watch, according to MMQB's Andy Benoit: "If you’re a straight coverage-based defense, you need dynamic pass rushers. Defensive backs can’t be expected to hold their coverage for more than 3.0 seconds (and 2.5 seconds if it’s a Cover 2-type zone coverage)."
It's time for whichever edge-rusher who is most able to step forward and give Kerrigan the passer-wrecking partner he needs.
6. Will Kirk Cousins' Contract Be Resolved?
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Cousins is about to play his second-straight year under a franchise tag. It's hardly an ideal scenario for a team playing a dangerous game with its Pro-Bowl quality quarterback.
Everyone connected to the franchise would surely breathe a lot easier if Cousins and the Redskins could agree to a new long-term contract.
Fortunately, the Burgundy and Gold has until July 15 to do it, and Cousins recently revealed talks toward that end have been positive, per CSN Mid-Atlantic's JP Finlay : "Deadlines do deals. It's been very positive," he said. Of July 15th, Cousins said, "it will be a telling date, as it was last summer."
Many will rightly be baffled about why Cousins' future is even still a subject for speculation. After all, he's led Washington to an NFC East crown, a playoff berth and back-to-back winning seasons since deservedly taking the starting job off Robert Griffin III in 2015.
To put those achievements into context, this franchise hadn't experienced consecutive winning seasons since 1996-97. Add in a Pro Bowl nod, along with his share of franchise passing records, and Cousins has more than stabilized the position, he's made it a team strength.
Maintaining the strength won't be easy this season, though. Cousins will be throwing to a changed group of wideouts, behind an offensive line suspect in the middle, while leaning on a running game still lacking elite talent.
Faced with this many concerns, the franchise tag seems like one imponderable too many for Cousins in 2017.
There isn't a lot wrong with how the Redskins have retooled their roster this offseason. The Burgundy and Gold revamped a suspect defensive line, added to the pass rush, bolstered their talent at inside linebacker and refreshed at running back.
Yet there are still a few mountain-sized question marks looming over this team with the new season approaching. The onus is on the new faces and incumbents listed here to put it together and make a difference for a Redskins roster good enough to win the NFC East.
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