Ashburn, Va. — Reviewing the first five games of the Washington Redskins’ 2014 season brought back a sense of déjà vu regarding the many transgressions the organization has made over the years. The truth of the matter is that, at this point, there are several things that need to be fixed before the franchise will really “work” the way the winning franchises do. There are some good things being developed at Redskins Park, no doubt. But there is a lot that needs to be addressed.
One thing that is obvious right now is that this group is not unified, either on the field or upstairs as an organization. It doesn’t appear as if the players on this team all know what their roles are. It also appears that over the past few years there has been a system of favoritism in place that doesn’t help in defining of those roles. The best 11 players on both sides of the ball should be on the field at all cost — period.
A by-product of this lack of unity is a culture that reeks of failure. For two decades the organization has been a laughing stock around the league when it comes to football structure. Granted, this is the second-most profitable team in the NFL so owner Dan Snyder is not feeling badly about making money. The problem or question is this: what is the expense to the fans in this case?
Since this past Monday night’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks, RedskinsNation has wondered what is going on with the team and why nothing has changed with regard to the amount of losses versus wins over the years. Perhaps, because they are so true and are so loyal, they are indirectly responsible.
The Redskins’ organization understands that they have one of the most loyal fan-bases in all of sports. But do they take advantage of these same fans — who they know will never betray them and who will continue to come out and spend money to support them win, lose or draw? The people who love this team are so starved for a winner that they can become delusional after drinking the Kool-Aid that the team pours out annually. Throughout all of the high priced free agent signings, the bad drafting and the bad coaching hires, the fans still show up to sing “Hail to the Redskins.” They continue to support this organization who’s only business model appears to be simply to make money as opposed to winning games. To the powers that be, this model is not broken but actually thriving.
So much money being made begs the question: “Do the Washington Redskins — as an organization — really and truly care about wins and losses?”
Teams in small markets such as the Green Bay Packers’, Pittsburgh Steelers’ and Indianapolis Colts’ define winning as absolute to their loyal fan bases and they justify any moves and transactions that they make on that alone. If a player is not playing well, is getting up in age or is disgruntled; these teams make the tough decision to move on without them. Think Gregg Jennings (receiver, Minnesota Vikings) and Charles Woodson (safety) in Green Bay. In Pittsburgh, do the names James Harrison (LB), Aaron Smith (DE), Hines Ward (receiver) or James Farrior (LB) come to mind?
Need more proof? Hall-of-Famer-in-waiting Peyton Manning (QB) was allowed to leave Indianapolis for the Denver Broncos after a hugely successful career with the team. At the time, some could not understand the move by the franchise’s front office. But the Colts had their eyes set on the signal-caller they wanted for the next 15 years in Andrew Luck and so drafted him first overall in the 2012 NFL Draft.
And how has this move worked out? Luck has taken the Colts to two straight playoff appearances and is one of the game’s best young quarterbacks. 
These were shrewd business moves that were made to preserve winning rather than to make money and increase name branding. The contrast prompts a thought… if the Redskins were to win on a consistent basis, imagine how much money would circulate around the I-495 beltway.
The sad reality is that top decision-makers in this organization are missing badly on areas that need to be addressed in order for the culture — and by default the ratio of wins to losses — to change.
For starters, there has to be a better system in place to evaluate talent. The Redskins’ front office has missed on players that should be on the 53-man roster but are not. There is no excuse to be so unsuccessful on an entire draft round like Washington did in 2008.
In the second round of that year, they selected wide outs Devin Thomas (34th pick overall) and Malcolm Kelly (54th); and tight end Fred Davis (48th). None of these players are on this roster just a mere six years later. Plus, they were all drafted for a position-of-need which shows just how badly the team whiffed given that none of them worked out.
Right now the safety position looks like it was missed in a way eerily similar to the afore-mentioned pass-catchers in that ill-fated 2008 draft.
In 2013, the team selected Phillip Thomas and Bacarri Rambo to be their book-end young safeties of the future. Because of injuries and bad play, they only have Thomas to show on their roster and he is not even on the 53-man roster. He could still become an active player but that doesn’t seem to be in the cards considering the fact that an assortment of safeties have been brought here to replace other starters that have had issues with either suspensions, poor play or injuries. Thomas remains buried on the practice squad.
Over the past seven seasons, the Redskins have only 21 of 58 players drafted in those years on their current roster with four more either on Injured Reserve (two) or on the practice squad (two).
There is no excuse that will soften the blow for a drafted player that doesn’t pan out. When a team drafts guys, they had better-as-hell coach them up because someone in the building thought they were worth using draft picks to get.
Instead, the team adopted a “bring-in-free-agents” approach in order to get better fast which means that the organization works from the outside-in. That is a problem. 
There must be an onus on developing the young talent in the building and re-signing them when they are ready to produce. Far too often this team has brought in free agents that were, for whatever reasons, let go from another team. There is an old adage that says: “There is a reason why someone doesn’t want you.” This organization has to do a better job of evaluating not only their drafted talent but the talent which they have brought in via free agency as well. After all, some of the free agents brought onto the team in lieu of draft picks are a Who’s Who of disasters.
People will never forget the preposterous signings of quarterback Donavan McNabb in 2010 or defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth the previous year. Neither player helped the team the way it thought they would which indicates improper talent evaluation. If anything, those one-time Pro Bowlers didn’t fit the schemes that were being introduced by then-head coach Mike Shanahan.
Not to single out one individual or example but safety Tanard Jackson was another free agent signed by Washington that had issues. There is no doubt he was brought over from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers because of his familiarity with secondary coach Raheem Morris’ system. But he never materialized on the field because of his off-the-field transgressions. He would be suspended twice by the league for substance abuse while with the Bucs and then two more times after he signed with the Redskins. Washington brought him back for one last chance in light of the fact that they had gone through similar situations with other notable high-priced players on their roster. Jackson is still serving his suspension.
Talent evaluation includes the neck and up so assessment of the character the player possesses must be part of the process. It’s not too hard to find out about a player’s past going back even to college. The winning organizations may miss on a few players (no franchise is perfect) but teams still trying to find their way like the Redskins don’t have that luxury. They have to go the extra mile to make sure that there are no potential red flags.
Over the past few years there have been several players from other teams that have been brought in that were straight up terrible. But there have been some — like wide out Pierre Garçon and the recently acquired DeSean Jackson — who are exceptions. These two aren’t the type of players whose skill sets needed to be over evaluated. Recently injured veteran cornerback DeAngelo Hall and free agent defensive lineman Jason Hatcher are two other players who have earned or are earning their money. They were expected to be game changers and were or are. The problem is that there have been other free agents who have been signed above their true market value. Some say Garçon fell into that group as well although, at this point, he has actually been a great return on the investment.
Other players have left Washington over the years and flourished in other locations since that 2008 draft. One example is guard Chad Rinehart who was released by Washington two years after he was selected 96th in the third round of that infamous 2008 NFL Draft. He was picked up by the San Diego chargers and has since become a mainstay on their offensive line.
One glaring positive in place now for the Redskins is head coach Jay Gruden. He is the sixth head coaching hire for Snyder since the owner purchased the team back in 1999.
Gruden has all of the tools to be perfect for this team and the franchise bringing him here should be lauded on a variety of levels.
The Redskins brought in a young, in-with-the-times coach who has had marked success running a high octane, playoff-bound offense. Gruden also comes from a football family: Jim Gruden (his father) is a long-time college and NFL assistant coach and a retired regional scout for the San Francisco 49ers. Jay’s older brother Jon was the head coach of the Oakland Raiders and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He is now a Monday Night Football analyst for ESPN. These family ties will serve the younger Gruden well as he endures the tough times that he is going through now and that could come in the future.
The head coach also seems to be tough but fair. A few players have mentioned that he doesn’t care who they are… he will praise them but also tear into them if needed. This is exactly what this organization needed… a young, hungry coach who wants to prove that he is more than just his famous brothers’ younger brother.
Now, the only thing left to do is to make the sure the guy has the proper resources to be successful.
Let this be added however… it was not a good idea to bring in a new coach with his coaching staff already in place. When Gruden came on board, his entire coaching staff had either been retained from the previous regime or hired/promoted before he was brought on board. This failed with former head coach Jim Zorn and it will fail here if Gruden is not allowed to throw his weight around. He absolutely must be able to make any changes necessary to be competitive on and off of the field.
If a player is not performing then the head coach should be able to sit that person down in favor of another player without interference from the front office. The players’ salary or status should not play a factor into whether he plays or not. And if an assistant coach needs to be removed for schematic differences or because their unit is not getting it done, then Gruden should be able to have some say on what transpires.
Going forward, the team has some key pieces which can be built around that would leave a lot of coaches envious. All teams want a franchise quarterback, a stud running back and a top-flight wide out. The great teams have those and a dominant offensive line. In order for the Redskins to take that next step of maximizing their investments in their skill-set positions, they will have to overhaul their approach to the draft.
No longer can they ignore their biggest weakness: the offensive line. Save for left tackle Trent Williams, who is a perennial Pro Bowler, there may be — at best — one other offensive lineman on this roster who would start for another team in the NFL. Washington drafted tackle Morgan Moses and guard Spencer Long in the third round this year and perhaps they develop into starting players. But when a team is coming off of several years with double digit losses, it can’t wait for second, third and fourth-round draft picks to develop. These players are needed on the field now. If they are not good enough to be then, herein yet again, is another sign of missing in the talent evaluation process.
Bringing in true football minds to complement Gruden and his staff is imperative if this team is to make a return to prominence. Equally important is to reward the “team first” types of players who are great in the locker room as well as in the community. These guys are the lifeline between the organization and the fans. Over the years, Washington has dropped the ball in this area by letting beloved players leave either via free agency or at times flat out releasing them.
Building a winner starts with a self-evaluation year-after-year. It’s not about pushing all that you do well but taking a real hard look at the areas where work and effort are required to get better.
The winning organizations in the NFL (or any profession for that matter) build and invest from the inside out. If this objective can be met with a serious eye to the future, the Washington Redskins can rebound in 2014… with their bright young head coach and the talented pieces upon which he can build a team.