*FAN SUBMISSION by David Cabrera of Silver Spring, MD.*
December 30, 2013 may be the first step in the Washington D.C. football franchise turning a corner. Whether that corner turns towards the familiar bowels of futility for another decade or it carries the franchise back to immediate prominence remains to be seen.
One should lean towards a result somewhere in the middle.
Courtesy: CBS Local Washington
Mike Shanahan was fired Monday after four seasons. Three out of the four seasons ended in double digit loss campaigns. This year’s closing act of the Shanahan era was the worst one yet. Star quarterback Robert Griffin III came back too early from reconstructive knee surgery and regressed immensely. The defense, again, was one of the league’s worst. Rifts between Shanahan, Griffin and owner Daniel Snyder got played out for the whole county to see. Worst of all, seeing the end of the winding tunnel of a disappointing season, the players quit on their head coach during the second half of the season. All that equaled a 3-13 finish; the NFC East dungeon welcoming back Washington with open arms.
With Shanahan gone from the team, the next step for general manager Bruce Allen and other decision heads in the organization is player personnel. On offense, there are some players that can help key a turnaround. Even though Griffin struggled mightily all season long, he will have a full offseason to understand the game and potentially get back to his 2012 form (or better). Alfred Morris is one of the top running backs in the league that no one talks about. Pierre Garcon proved to be a capable number one wide out when he wasn’t pouting or kicking footballs into the stands. Trent Williams was a Pro Bowler again and has provided steady play at the left tackle position. Jordan Reed had a strong rookie campaign, becoming a safety valve for Griffin and made fans forget Fred Davis was on the team. One issue of concern, however, for Allen and Co. is the porous offensive line (all except for Williams).
On its seven game winning streak to close out the 2012-2013 season, Washington’s offensive line dominated the line of scrimmage, operating the zone running scheme and pistol offense to perfection. Then in 2013, that dominance vanished. Almost every game this season saw Griffin or Kirk Cousins on their backsides; battered and bruised for four quarters. Morris, while he did get over 1,000 yards for the second straight season, struggled to find creases to run through all season. The line issues may not be fixed quickly through free agency and the Draft. Fans may have to pray on that one.
A part of the team that is in probably worse shape is the defense. Where to even begin with that group. The defensive line surely missed Adam Carriker, who was out the entire year with a quadriceps injury. Middle linebacker London Fletcher finally looked like he was 37 years old. The secondary could not cover anyone and saw a variety of starting lineups with regard to the safety positions. The positives for this group, especially the past two years, have to be at linebacker where Ryan Kerrigan and Perry Riley Jr. continued to raise their level of play. Getting Brian Orakpo, who is a free agent at the end of this season, back will huge and should be one of the team’s top offseason priorities.
One thing that the defense could and should do is switch back to a traditional 4-3 defense. Washington, should they get Orakpo back, would have him and Kerrigan on opposite sides of the line with their hand in the dirt for every down. That is a scary proposition for 31 NFL teams and their offensive linemen. Riley could potentially play middle linebacker or one of the outside linebacker positions, but with his ability to cover all the skill positions and play close to the line, playing middle would be the best bet for him. The other two linebacker positions could be filled through free agency and the Draft; guys who can cover all the skill positions and be able to rush the quarterback. A lot of decisions to be made there.
Washington is going to struggle a lot the next two or three years. Maybe not double digits in the loss column every year type of struggling. Whoever the new coach may be, he must realize that this is a rebuilding project. They shouldn’t talk about restoring the team’s glory or promise a Super Bowl in their first press conference. That’s been done before. They should talk about how the team will be formed in their image; that insubordination and a lack of effort that has defined the franchise for over two decades will cease. Coaches like Belichick, Harbaugh (both of them) and Tomlin do a great job of telling it like it is and running their organizations with iron clad fists. Their players play and speak in their image. Those franchises, the Patriots, Ravens, 49ers and Steelers, have been to Super Bowls. Hopefully Snyder doesn’t go for the flashy college coach to please his star quarterback or an assistant coach that is in way over their head. With Snyder, it’s anybody’s guess.
And so begins another offseason in Ashburn, Va., one where the corner has yet to be turned.
