Taking a look at each position on the Washington Redskins, how they ended the season and what are key questions for the future. Today: linebacker.
Signed for 2016: Perry Riley Jr., Ryan Kerrigan, Trent Murphy, Preston Smith, Martrell Spaight, Houston Bates, Carlos Fields, Adam Hayward.
Free agents: Keenan Robinson, Mason Foster, Will Compton (exclusive rights), Junior Galette. The Redskins have a right-of-first-refusal on Galette. It would be surprising if he doesn't return.
What went right: The combination of Compton and Foster helped the Redskins play better against the run in the second half of the season. Compton's ability to diagnose plays and communicate with teammates made a difference. Kerrigan finished strong after a slow start, perhaps because of his knee and broken bone in his hand and missing all the preseason games to rest his knee. Riley was starting to play his best ball after Compton entered the lineup. Smith learned how to be a professional and that led to him developing in the second half of the season. He became a stronger pass-rusher, getting better jumps off the ball. He was at his best when not thinking as a rusher and just using his natural skill -- and length -- to win. Eight sacks as a rookie is tremendous. Murphy was a little better than that as a rookie.
What went wrong: Losing Galette before the season was a crusher. He would have provided them the speed they needed, being able to win off the edge but also on stunts inside. Without him, the Redskins had no legitimate pass-rush threat on the right side until much later in the season when Smith started to develop. Robinson and Riley did not work well together -- there were too many times both filled the same gap. Robinson did not progress inside the way Washington would have liked. He didn't just lose his job because of injury. He showed that he could run side-to-side, but there were communication issues that led to mistakes.
Offseason decision: What to do at inside linebacker. The Redskins love Compton and his energy and passion. And they'll always want him around. But don't be surprised if they try to bolster this position in the offseason, whether in free agency or the draft. If they're unable to, then Compton has shown he can help and he definitely adds something. But the entire question for them involving any player is this: Would they be a starter on a top defense? If the answer is no, they'll keep trying to upgrade. Barring a change in thinking, Robinson will not return.
Telling stat: 5.61. Yards per allowed by the Redskins' defense with Robinson and Riley in the game at the same time. It was 3.85 yards per carry with Compton and Foster in the game together.
Stat that must improve: 1.86. That's the average number of yards gained after contact by opposing running backs, ranking the Redskins 29th in the NFL. That figure, combined with allowing 3.09 yards before contact, led to a porous run defense.
Looking ahead: A lot depends on how Galette returns off his Achilles injury. Look for the Redskins to add another pass-rusher to keep building depth in this area -- think of how Seattle, during its Super Bowl trips, could just keep using fresh pass-rushers. Getting a stronger inside pass-rush will help those outside, too. Kerrigan will be around 10 sacks, as always. Smith is the one who bears watching in the offseason, to see how much better he can become. I like where he finished last season, but more work remains. I wonder about Murphy's future: There will be consideration to bulking him up and moving him to the line.
