Redskins offseason report: Make-or-break season for Robert Griffin III?
This make-or-break season for the Washington Redskins is all about quarterback Robert Griffin III taking the next step in coach Jay Gruden's quick-rhythm passing offense.
To help RG3 improve as a more conventional pocket passer, consider new general manager Scot McCloughan's first draft a throwback nod to the Redskins' championship past. McCloughan focused on making the team bigger, tougher and stronger in the trenches, beginning with the fifth overall pick, Iowas's Brandon Scherff, who will start at right tackle. Then McCloughan, who places a premium on building through the draft, added fourth-round guard Arie Kouandjio and seventh-round center Austin Reiter.
In a need-based draft, McCloughan gave RG3 everything he needed to improve.
Think of the 2015 Redskins as The Hogs 2.0 (they can only hope) after McCloughan infused the offensive line with the same smash-mouth mentality that helped the Joe Gibbs-coached Redskins win three Super Bowls behind blockers like Joe Jacoby, Jeff Bostic and Russ Grimm.
"Just get back to the old days — the ground-and-pound football, which will open up the passing lanes," 6-5, 319-pound Scherff said. "I think that's what they want to start doing, and that's what we will start doing from Day 1."
NFL DRAFT HUB: Latest NFL Draft mock drafts, news, live picks, grades and analysis.
McCloughan's picks gave new offensive line coach Bill Callahan the resources to revamp a leaky group that allowed 58 sacks last season.
"We want to be able to run the football. It sets up everything else for us," said McCloughan, who seemed to have a solid, meat-and-potatoes first draft. Scherff and second-round pass rusher Preston Smith project as immediate starters.
"I'd be surprised if we look back three years from now and they don't have a minimum of three good, solid starters from this class," ESPN analyst Todd McShay said.
Add that to free agent additions on the defensive side, and the Redskins appear much improved. How that translates in the win column is on Gruden and Griffin.
"It has to register this year for Robert," said personnel executive Doug Williams, MVP of Super Bowl XXII. "With the draft we have a lot of pieces in place that can help this team on offense and defense."
WATCH: NFC burning questions
Quarterback
Since the Redskins picked up the fifth-year option for Griffin III, worth $16.1 million in 2016, it is clear he will have this season to prove he is the franchise's long-term answer and not a one-year wonder. McCloughan is hoping healthy and better-protected RG3 will come closer to replicating his 2012 offensive rookie of the year form. That season, Griffin led the team to the playoffs before tearing an anterior cruciate ligament in a playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks. He dislocated his ankle last season, missing six weeks, and was benched by Gruden, who has been critical of RG3's indecisive play. The post-knee RG3 has gone from rock star to 5-15 with 18 interceptions and 20 touchdown passes over the past two seasons. Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy give Gruden one of the league's deepest quarterback depth charts.
Running back
Alfred Morris is coming off the worst season of his three-year career, falling off the final five games to finish with 1,074 yards and eight touchdowns. He has to run better in the red zone. McCloughan got him the help he badly needed in rookie Matt Jones (6-2, 232 pounds), who, despite coming off two knee surgeries, is a one-cut, downhill runner who fits Callahan's drive-blocking system.
Wide receiver
This position is the team's strong suit. DeSean Jackson delivered as a dynamic, vertical threat, leading the league with a 20.9-yard receiving average. His disappointing six touchdowns are more a reflection of the instability at quarterback. Rookie Jamison Crowder will have a chance to supplant Andre Roberts as slot receiver alongside Jackson and Pierre Garcon, who had 68 catches, 45 below his franchise-record 113 receptions in 2013.
Tight end
Injury-prone Jordan Reed needs to stay on the field and provide more than the 50 catches for 465 yards he produced last season in 11 games. Logan Paulsen is more in-line blocker than pass catcher. Niles Paul is a 'tweener.
Offensive line
In Scherff, Callahan is replicating what the Dallas Cowboys did in last year's draft with guard Zack Martin. Scherff is a tone-setting mauler who will give the Redskins an identity that has been missing and stabilize the right tackle spot. Kouandjio, the younger brother of 2014 second-round pick Cyrus Kouandjio, didn't allow a sack last season at Alabama. Reiter will have a chance to compete for the starting center job. Trent Williams is a three-time Pro Bowler in the final year of a six-year, $60 million deal.
Defensive line
Terrance Knighton considers himself the league's best nose tackle, and McCloughan signed the former Denver Broncos standout to a one-year, $4 million, prove-it deal. Stephen Paea and Ricky Jean-Francois revamp a younger, faster defensive line rotation that includes Chris Baker and Jason Hatcher, a free agent addition last year who struggled. Kedric Golston has emerged as a strong rotational backup.
Linebacker
Ryan Kerrigan led the team with 13½ sacks last season. But Trent Murphy, a second-round pick in 2014, produced just 2½. So McCloughan selected Mississippi State hybrid edge rusher Smith, who had nine sacks and 15 tackles for loss last season, 38th overall. He is tough and instinctive but needs to improve. Perry Riley and Keenan Robinson are solid inside but don't make enough big plays. Fifth-round pick Martrell Spaight adds depth.
Secondary
Free agent addition Chris Culliver likely will compete with Brashaud Breeland and David Amerson to start at cornerback. Veteran corner DeAngelo Hall might move inside. Dashon Goldson and Jeron Johnson are the safeties. Rookie Kyshoen Jarrett should compete for playing time with backups Phillip Thomas and Duke Ihenacho.
Special teams
Crowder seems to be the punt-return upgrade the Redskins sorely needed. He returned four for touchdowns at Duke. Washington has not returned a punt for a TD since 2008. Kai Forbath is a solid kicker who connected on 24 of 27 field goal tries in 2014. Jarrett was an outstanding special-teams player at Virginia Tech. Jarrett, receiver Evan Spencer and Spaight were drafted to bolster coverage units.
Coaching
For the sixth time in the last seven seasons, the Redskins finished last in the NFC East. Gruden showed Griffin the tough love needed to speed up his reads. Now he needs to help RG3 regain lost confidence. After a rough inaugural season, Gruden has more players who fit his program. He'll need to show as much progress as Griffin if he is to turn around a once-proud franchise.