Redskins: New Defense More Aggressive

The Washington Redskins had their first of three organized team activities’ (OTAs) sessions for 2015 this week and one of the common themes among defensive players was the new style of defense that new coordinator Joe Barry is bringing to the squad. In talking to the guys that will be playing for the new DC, to a man they felt that the reason the squad would be successful was because of its aggressive style.

While the scheme will remain the base 3-4, players frequently used the work “attack” and “aggressive” in describing it. This is not unusual of course. It’s just that in the past, that aspect of play on the team has mostly been lip service.

Redskins General Manager Scot McCloughan started the process of transforming the squad when he brought players to the team that have been consistently aggressive along the defensive line. That included nose tackle Terrance “Pot Roast” Knighton (Denver Broncos), defensive lineman Stephen Paea (Chicago Bears) and defensive end Ricky Jean-Francois (Indianapolis Colts). He then added some solid veterans in the secondary to take advantage of the added pressure up front by signing cornerback Chris Culliver (San Francisco 49ers) and safeties Dashon Goldson (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and Jeron Johnson (Seattle Seahawks).

These guys have all been working together now with defensive linemen Jason Hatcher, Chris Baker, Kedric Golston; and defensive backs David Amerson, Bashaud Breeland, DeAngelo Hall and Phillip Thomas, for several weeks, culminating in yesterday’s first day of OTAs. The fact that a few of the new free agents came from successful programs should make a difference in the locker room and on the field and in yesterday’s practice, the defensive guys were particularly rowdy. There was as much “commotion” along the front line as there was within the linebacking corps where second year man Trent Murphy and middle linebacker Keenan Robinson were flying around.

“We’re just attacking,” Paea said about what this defense will become in 2015. “We’re the pitcher, we’re not the hitter like in baseball. Even though the offenses are going to run their plays, we’re trying to dictate [what] the result’s going to be so… We’re attacking behind the line of scrimmage. This is our first day today so I feel comfortable [but] I’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Knighton brings with him a working knowledge of how to get to a Super Bowl, having been with the Broncos when they went to the big game in 2013 and his talents on the field are impressive. The man had five sacks in his two years with Denver… not an easy endeavor for a nose tackle who is in there eating up blocks and taking on double coverage from offensive linemen. Watching him in OTAs, one could see how athletic he is for a big man. He — unlike another huge defensive lineman that was here in Washington for a short time (can you say Albert Haynesworth?) — enjoys his job and it shows.

“My specialty is stopping the run,” Knighton told reporters yesterday. “You know, pushing the pocket and we’ve got a lot of guys that can get after the quarterback. But you can’t get after the quarterback unless you stop the run so… That’s my specialty and I feel like I’m the best in the league at doing that at the nose tackle so that’s what I do.”

“Pot Roast” feels like this team can win soon and said as much yesterday. He has brought with him the attitude that, to be a successful unit, the guys within that unit must know each other well. That means hanging out together off of the field and even away from the meeting rooms. Apparently, since he arrived, the defensive line guys have been getting together as much as twice a week to have dinner, watch NBA playoffs or whatever. That’s something that many NFL players feel is important for cohesiveness within a squad.

The idea of a less-than-static squad doesn’t just apply to the defensive line. The guys in the secondary feel like they will be playing with more aggression than previously and again, the idea of Barry pushing them into “attack mode” was brought up by a few of them as well, sometimes unbidden by reporters.

“Things that he [brings] to the table… just [Coach Barry’s] scheme,” Culliver said when asked what made him want to come play in Washington. “It’s a good scheme for DBs to get a lot of hands on balls and, like I said, hopefully we come together as a group and collectively get this thing done.”

Hatcher mentioned yesterday that, between entering a new system last year (having been with the Dallas Cowboys for his previous eight years in the league) and learning Coach Barry’s new twist on the scheme this year, he would be a better player in 2015.

“Just the change of a scheme,” he said. “I can get off the ball and make some plays. Everybody can get off the ball and make some plays. It’s a good deal for [the players] we’ve got.

“We’re going to make more plays in the backfield,” he continued. “We’ll attack more versus holding up offensive linemen and I think we’ve got the personnel to do so versus last year when we just held up linemen and let the linebackers make plays. But, we’re in a more attack-style defense now and it’s going to benefit as well.”

“You said it,” he said. “It’s ‘attack’. It’s attacking. We’re not sitting back, we’re attacking. That’s the difference and I love it.”

Perfecting this new defense will take some time of course. But that is what OTAs and the subsequent minicamps are for. And then… of course, the real work comes in training camp.

In the end, winning is all about one team making more plays than its opposition.

“All the guys have the same mentality of attacking and there’s a lot of competition out there,” Knighton summarized nicely. “So everybody wants to make plays, everybody wants to prove that they can play on the D-line like this. And in order to stay in this group you’re going to have to be a physical person who wants to go out there and make plays.”