This is always an exciting time in the NFL. Those watching have witnessed the East-West Shrine and Senior Bowl games. The Combine has been digested and many fans are fantasizing about which good players may be added to their teams through free agency and the upcoming draft.
The Washington Redskins have begun to address their quarterback need by trading a sixth-round draft pick to the Denver Broncos for Case Keenum (and a 2020 seventh-round selection). As well, the team put a huge dent in its safety need by acquiring three-time Pro Bowler Landon Collins.
Getting Collins was a real coup and the fact that the New York Giants did not franchise the former First Team All-Pro is a head-scratcher. Considering Collins’ talent and character, the Redskins’ providence at getting him is extraordinary.
“Yea, very fortunate,” Gruden said of the team getting a franchise player for the second time because of another team’s questionable decisions. “It doesn’t happen very often. You know, you see it happening throughout the league a little bit now but, to have a chance to actually get one is great. You know, you look at how much we’re trying to change from four or five years ago when I first got here… we’re starting to add some pretty good pieces throughout the draft and, you know, Josh [Norman] and obviously now Landon [Collins]. With Daron [Payne], Jonathan Allen and [Matt] Ioannidis; you know, it’s starting to shape up pretty good.”
The Redskins still need to do something about getting a play-making wideout and an edge rusher; and they need to beef up the offensive line depth. This is all even more important since they lost Jamison Crowder, Preston Smith and Ty Nsekhe to free agency. They will do one or all those things via the draft and/or free agency to be sure.
One might think that these position upgrades are the most important thing to head coach Jay Gruden but they are not. While they are crucial to him, there is something more on his mind that might surprise some… although it shouldn’t.
“I think right now,” the coach started saying about moves to be made now that the QB and safety positions have been tackled, “I think we just have to sit down and; A) we have to get…”
But then he stopped midsentence.
“My biggest concern is the guys in the training room still recovering from injuries and getting through OTAs,” he said, abruptly changing gears. “And I know it’s not that big a deal, it’s just OTAs. But we may not be able to have an offensive line [to] line up in mandatory minicamp, you know what I mean? That’s a concern.
“But after the draft we’ll get some guys in here,” he went on. “We’ll be able to line up and do some things. But my biggest concern is getting the guys healthy and making sure they get into training camp 100 percent. Taking care of them. I want to get in to Week 1 of next year with 46 healthy bodies that I know we can count on. That’s my ultimate goal.”
Redskins Nation should be able to understand Gruden’s concerns. The injuries that the Redskins endured both last year and in 2017 were unheard of both in number and in circumstance. And the health problems were even more frustrating because of the promise the team had showed before they occurred. With the talent the team has acquired in recent years, wanting players to stay healthy being Gruden’s No. 1 concern is not at all unreasonable.