Winners and Losers of Washington Redskins' Offseason So Far
Being surrounded by new faces determines the winners from the Washington Redskins' offseason so far.
A pair of assistant coaches have been awarded with exciting personnel, while the team's newest wide receiver will surely benefit from working with a better quarterback and a stronger supporting cast.
Of course, some of Washington's additions spell trouble for several members of the roster. Specifically, a pair of edge-rushers should be worried about what the team did in the 2017 NFL draft.
Similarly, the Burgundy and Gold's work in the free-agent market makes the future appear bleak for at least one veteran defensive back.
Speaking of a bleak future, one running back's days with the team are likely to be numbered after another option was added in the draft.
Find out who are the obvious winners and losers from the Redskins' offseason so far.
Winner: Jim Tomsula
1 of 8
Jim Tomsula's reputation as a defensive line guru was already secure. However, he would have had to work a minor miracle to fashion a credible front three out of the group he initially inherited when he was hired in January.
Fortunately for Tomsula, he can thank his new employers for providing him with several promising pieces to work with. Not only did free-agency dollars yield Terrell McClain and Stacy McGee, the Redskins also got a first-round steal when they took Jonathan Allen off the board with the 17th overall pick in the draft.
Allen has already said how much he's looking forward to benefiting from Tomsula's tutelage, per Nora Princiotti of the Washington Times: "He's been a great coach the two days that I've worked with him. I can't even imagine what we can get into this year."
Tomsula has to be overjoyed with the new personnel and the possibilities to build a formidable defensive front in year one. After all, the 49-year-old built his reputation by crafting fearsome D-lines for the San Francisco 49ers.
It's important to remember the talent he worked with, though. Trench warriors such as Justin Smith, Glenn Dorsey and Aubrayo Franklin helped make Tomsula's job easier.
Imagine the results he will be able to produce with McGee, McClain and Allen.
Washington's D-line has been one of the league's worst the last two years and was the main reason this team has been consistently trampled over on the ground. Having Tomsula work with exciting new talent makes it easy to believe this unit will instantly become a team strength.
Winner: Ryan Kerrigan
2 of 8
Tomsula isn't the only member of the Redskins who is sure to receive a boost from the changes up front. An improved defensive line is likely to make Ryan Kerrigan an even bigger threat off the edge.
No. 91 is already the Redskins' most prolific outside pass-rusher; the team's first-round pick in 2011 logged 11 sacks behind a porous D-line in 2016.
Although he has been a consistent performer since entering the league, last season was only Kerrigan's second with double-digit sacks. It's easy to believe the former Purdue star will make it three now that Allen, McClain and Co. are around to absorb more double-team blocks.
Kerrigan already has the benefit of rushing over right tackles, usually the weakest pass-blocker(s) on a team. Add a player up front who can carry his own threat by creating pressure, and the 28-year-old will be set for his most prolific season taking down quarterbacks yet.
Losers: Trent Murphy and Preston Smith
3 of 8
Trent Murphy and Preston Smith have been on the losing end of this offseason, and the Redskins sent a message when they drafted Alabama outside linebacker Ryan Anderson in the second round.
The message was clear: This team lacks confidence in many of its incumbent options on the edge. Couple selecting Anderson with the decision to give Junior Galette another contract, despite two season-ending Achilles injuries, and it's obvious there isn't much faith in Smith and Murphy.
Of the two, Smith should be most concerned. After all, Murphy is coming off a career-best nine sacks in 2016. Were it not for his four-game suspension to start the new season, 2014's second-round pick would surely be a feature of the pass-rushing rotation.
As it is, Murphy could not have picked a worse time to be unavailable, considering how a new-look defensive line would make his job easier. However, his natural versatility means he should still be a useful sub-package weapon once he returns.
It could be a different story for Smith, though, following a dismal second season. He followed his eight sacks as a rookie in 2015 with just 4.5 takedowns last season.
The player has already set himself a challenge to finish plays more often in his third year, per JP Finlay of the RedskinsTalk podcast (h/t Peter Hailey of CSN Mid-Atlantic):
"It's like you work hard to get a sack, and sometimes, OK, you get there, and the quarterback's throwing the ball while he's falling or even though you're attached to him. It's frustrating, and that's pretty much my whole [2016] season; it was a frustrating season. Because I can get there. It wasn't a problem of getting there."
It's a commendable aim, but Smith has to be on the field regularly to make it happen. With Anderson, Galette and a returning Murphy ahead of him, the 24-year-old is going to find it tough to get the reps he needs.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Winner: Greg Manusky
4 of 8
The Redskins have done all they can to make Greg Manusky's turn as defensive coordinator a successful one. His primary task is to call a more aggressive, attacking scheme than the one predecessor Joe Barry implemented.
The influx of new weapons for Manusky's front seven has made the process easier. Not only have Allen, McClain and McGee been added up front, while Anderson will boost the pass rush, but Zach Brown is a major upgrade at inside linebacker.
In many ways, players determine schemes, and Manusky wouldn't be able to get more aggressive without the players to make it happen. A more marauding D-line should shut down the running game and give him more chances to be creative with his sub-package defenses.
It's in sub-package situations where Manusky will have to prove his worth. Having Anderson, Brown, Kerrigan, Galette and Murphy working behind Allen and others will give him greater range to attack offenses.
Manusky has everything he needs to quickly fashion a top-10 defense. Jerry Brewer of the Washington Post added: "Although the job description still requires some masking, Manusky's task is to teach and elevate as quickly as possible. And he doesn't have to provide elementary lessons. He has a more advanced group."
An offseason of smart recruitment on this side of the ball has been a win for Manusky, although it means he will have little excuse for failing to deliver fast results.
Loser: DeAngelo Hall
5 of 8
It almost defies belief DeAngelo Hall is still on the roster. He's 33, coming off a raft of injuries and sits far down the depth chart at two positions in the secondary.
Hall is still hanging on but surely by no more than his fingernails. The veteran has made a mere 13 starts in the last three seasons, having failed to register a single interception in the same time frame.
Hall is no longer a credible option at cornerback, where Bashaud Breeland and Josh Norman are locks as the starters. The Redskins clearly don't consider him a possibility as a third or sub-package corner. Why else would they have selected Kendall Fuller and Fabian Moreau in the last two drafts?
Matters get worse for Hall at safety, where he was once a prime candidate to play the free role. Yet it spoke volumes about the Redskins' belief in Hall when they signed D.J. Swearinger, a journeyman who has played on three teams in four years and may be better at strong safety.
If there is going to be a high-profile release before final cuts, it would be a shock if it weren't Hall.
Winner: Terrelle Pryor
6 of 8
Arguably no player won more this offseason than Terrelle Pryor. Joining the Redskins will be a major fillip for the career of a player who had already revived his fortunes by switching from quarterback to wide receiver.
Pryor's one year as a wideout led to a 1,000-yard season, and the numbers came on the Cleveland Browns, the worst team in football in 2016.
Pryor thrived despite being surrounded by mediocre weapons and catching passes from seven different quarterbacks. It will be a new world for him in Washington, where he arrived as the clear No. 1 receiver after Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson left town.
He will also get to work with a Pro Bowl quarterback in Kirk Cousins and can count on facing lots of single coverage, since the Redskins boast a supporting cast dynamic enough to take attention away from him. Teams won't be able to double Pryor with Jamison Crowder, Jordan Reed, Vernon Davis and Chris Thompson on the field.
If Josh Doctson—a disappointment as a first-round pick in 2016—comes good, Pryor will have even more freedom to gash coverage. In this context, Pryor looks primed to prove his 1,000-yard debut as a receiver was no fluke.
His chances increase when you consider the 27-year-old will be getting coaching from Ike Hilliard. The one-time first-round pick for the New York Giants in 1997 has become one of the NFL's best receiver coaches since hanging up his cleats.
Pryor is under no small pressure to prove he is more than a one-hit wonder as a wideout. Yet the Redskins have everything in place to help him become a Pro Bowler at the position.
If so, Pryor can expect to quickly turn the one-year deal he signed in March into a lucrative long-term contract next offseason.
Loser: Matt Jones
7 of 8
If no player won more from this offseason than Pryor, tno member of the Redskins lost more than Matt Jones. He's gone from once-touted potential starter to the edge of the abyss in two years.
Granted, Jones' chances of regaining the starting job at running back were already slim. They couldn't be anything else after head coach Jay Gruden benched him last season for consistent fumbling issues.
Things got worse for Jones when undrafted rookie Rob Kelley took the job and ran with it in 2016. Then Washington selected Samaje Perine in the fourth round of this year's draft, amid reports Jones would be traded.
Jones' status has unravelled further since the draft. The 2015 third-round pick has skipped OTAs angling for a release or trade, per ESPN's John Keim. It's no surprise he wants out when he has been told he's fifth on the depth chart, per NFL Network's Michael Silver.
Offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh recently said Kelley will remain the starter, per the Washington Post's Liz Clarke. Add in the decision to draft Perine, as well as re-signing Thompson, and it's obvious Jones' status won't improve anytime soon.
Winner: Morgan Moses
8 of 8
Morgan Moses' stock is at an all-time high headed into the 2017 season. The 26-year-old will enter the new campaign armed with a lucrative contract and will play alongside a Pro Bowl-level talent. He'll also continue to receive tutoring from one of the NFL's best line coaches.
Moses proved his rise has been a rapid one since being drafted in the third round in 2014. He has settled sufficiently enough into the right tackle role to merit a five-year contract extension worth close to $10 million a year.
His new deal is just reward for a player who has developed well on the watch of noted line guru Bill Callahan. The latter's decision to shun a role as offensive coordinator is great news for Moses and the rest of Washington's front five.
Callahan's staying in charge of the line means Moses can expect to continue improving into one of football's best at his position. He will also be helped by playing next to guard Brandon Scherff, who is quickly becoming a formidable presence since being drafted fifth overall in 2015.
Things are looking up for Moses, as well as several member of the roster, including Kerrigan. Meanwhile, Hall, Jones, Smith and those who have lost out this offseason may naturally make way for the new talents like Pryor who have been added at more than one key position.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
