So far in 2014, the Washington Redskins have done a great job of adding quality players to the roster. They have retained players that they drafted or who have contributed significantly and so deserve to stay and get paid. It didn’t used to be like that.
Back in the day the team frequently “won” the off-season by spending millions of dollars to sign free agents that had already played their best games or just wanted to get paid. More recently, owner Dan Snyder has learned that this is not a good way to conduct business.
Since 2013 ended and the organization parted ways with former head coach Mike Shanahan and his offspring (Kyle), the team has re-signed, drafted or signed more than 50 players and coaches. Not one of them was a signing like what we saw under former front office executive Vinny Cerrato though. No Albert Haynesworth’s, Deion Sanders’ or Brandon Lloyd’s. This off-season, Vice President Bruce Allen and head coach Jay Gruden have brought in guys like fourth-year guard and former Cleveland Brown Shawn Lauvao and former-Redskin-former-Pittsburgh-Steeler safety Ryan Clark. The closest they have come to “those days” was in the signing of wide receiver DeSean Jackson (formerly with the Philadelphia Eagles) but he is in his prime, not past it, as were guys like Sanders.
Even though 2013 was a season perhaps best forgotten, the Redskins have taken care of their own, keeping much of the coaching staff from 2013 and many of the players whose contracts needed to be renewed. While some would say the defense (specifically) was so forgettable last year that defensive coordinator Jim Haslett should have followed the Shanahans out the door, the former Buffalo Bills’ linebacker has insisted that his hands were tied last season by his former boss. He has said he could not truly call the defense as he wanted to in 2013.
Here is a comprehensive list of the 2014 coach/player transactions so far:
January 2014
New coaches: Jay Gruden (head) Randy Jordan (running backs) and Ike Hilliard (wide receivers), Ben Kotwica (special teams)
Retained coaches: Kirk Olivadotti (linebackers), Raheem Morris (defensive backs) and Jacob Burney (defensive line). Sean McVay (formerly tight ends coach) was promoted to offensive coordinator.
Signed free agents: former Dallas Cowboy offensive linemen Kevin Kowalski and Tevita Stevens; wide out David Gettis, punter Robert Malone, running back Davin Meggett, linebacker Gabe Miller, cornerbacks Ryan Mouton and Peyton Thompson, tight end Richard Quinn all to reserve/future contracts.
Notes: The hiring of Gruden must have been a good thing. There is a noticeably lighter energy in the locker room and players have called him a “player’s coach.” That is good.
After the abysmal performance of the special teams in 2013, the acquisition of Kotwica (who helped develop outstanding New York Jets’ returner Leon Washington and earn his first career Pro Bowl berth) should be great for that unit.
February 2014
New coaches: Bradford Banta (assistant special teams), Shane Day (assistant offensive line & offensive quality control), Jake Peetz (offensive quality control) and Aubrey Pleasant (defensive quality control).
Front Office: Doug Williams (personnel executive)
Retained players: Re-signed defensive lineman Chris Baker (three-year contract)
Notes: Long-time-die-hard Redskins fans love that former Redskins’ Super Bowl-winning quarterback Doug Williams is back in the building.
Chris Baker was a real contributor last season when he filled in for the injured Stephen Bowen. He ended 2013 with 27 tackles and a sack.
March 2014
Franchise Tag: linebacker Brian Orakpo
Retained players: wide receiver Santana Moss, safety Brandon Meriweather, linebacker Perry Riley, Jr. and cornerback E.J. Biggers.
Signed free-agents: offensive linemen Shawn Lauvao and Mike McGlynn, defensive ends Jason Hatcher and Clifton Geathers, linebackers Adam Hayward, Akeem Jordan and Darryl Sharpton, kicker Jake Rogers and cornerback Tracy Porter
Notes: Lauvao and McGlynn add some important veteran depth to the offensive line and should both vie for starting jobs.
Hatcher will bring a pass rush with him to bolster what was a struggle in 2013.
April 2014
Retained players: linebacker Rob Jackson
Signed free-agents: safeties Ryan Clark and Akeem Davis, wide out DeSean Jackson, punter Blake Clingan, quarterback Colt McCoy
Notes: Clark was an integral part of late safety Sean Taylor’s development and a close friend to him. He will bring leadership to a talented but inexperienced unit that needs to really improve in 2014.
Not much needs to be said about D. Jackson. Quarterback Robert Griffin, III will have quality weapons to help him develop in this important year for him.
May 2014
Front office: Bruce Allen promoted to president and general manager
Players retained: linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, safety Tanard Jackson
Signed free-agents: wide receivers Rashad Ross, Lee Doss, Cody Hoffman, Kofi Hughes and Rashad Lawrence, tight end Kevin Perry, running back Silas Redd, quarterback Tommy Rees, defensive lineman Bryan Shepherd, nose tackles Chris Davenport and Robert Thomas
Signed draft picks: offensive linemen Spencer Long and Morgan Moses, linebacker Trent Murphy, cornerback Bashaud Breeland, wide out Ryan Grant, running back Lache Seastrunk, tight end Ted Bolser and place kicker Zach Hocker
Notes: Tanard Jackson hasn’t been on a gridiron in three years but Gruden has said he doesn’t look that way. If he is still as good as he was before his suspension, along with Clark, Meriweather and the talented other youngsters in the secondary, AND with a better pass rush, the defense should be much better in 2014.
By signing their draft picks, the front office is showing an interesting in continuing to build this team from within.
June 2014
Signed free-agents: wide receiver Jerry Rice, Jr. (undrafted rookie)
Note: This is Hall-of-Fame-wide-out Jerry Rice’s son. ‘Nuff said?
Admittedly, former head coach Mike Shanahan made some good moves during his off-seasons in Washington. He typically left New York City every after every NFL draft with more picks than he began with. And he and Bruce Allen never really overpaid players. But some of his selections were strange and some of his off-season decisions questionable, for instance, leaving the quarterback position in the hands of Rex Grossman and John Beck in 2011.
Allen and his personnel team of Scott Campbell and Alex Santos have seen to the depth of the team (note the drafting and signing of six offensive linemen (two of these are proven successful veterans — Shawn Lauvao and Mike McGlynn — and two of them were draft picks) and improvement where needed, i.e. the defensive line (signing Jason Hatcher as well as re-signing Chris Baker).
A big portion of the “winning” that the Redskins are doing now in 2014 has everything to do with the hiring of Jay Gruden and the retention of guys like Perry Riley, Jr. and Santana Moss. These are important guys to the team who have earned the right to be here. They should be – and have been – rewarded.
Hail.
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Note: The following players have been waived, released or had contracts terminated:
Running backs Jawan Jamison and Davin Meggett, defensive end Adam Carriker, tight end Richard Quinn, punter Sav Rocca, center Will Montgomery, linebacker Josh Hull, cornerback Ryan Mouton and Blake Sailors, wide out David Gettis, Kofi Hughes and Josh Bellamy, kicker Jake Rogers, quarterback Rex Grossman