Since the starting of training camps, TGS has offered up a quick snapshot of every NFL team heading into the 2016 regular season. Today, we finish with the Washington Redskins.
2015 in a nutshell: Despite the fact Football Outsiders determined they were hit harder by injuries than everyone else in football except the Giants, they win 10 games and the NFC East. Kirk Cousins has a breakout season, becoming the franchise quarterback, and the defense is better than expected. Yet they are one-and-done in the playoffs.
Why 2016 could be different: One one hand, they should be healthier. One the other hand, we don’t know for sure that Cousins wasn’t a one-hit wonder in 2015.
Major additions: All-Pro cornerback Josh Norman joins the secondary. And they signed veteran David Bruton, essentially to replace Goldson at safety.
Major losses: Robert Griffin III, Alfred Morris, Terrance Knighton, Dashon Goldson and Keenan Robinson are gone.
Breakout watch: They’re counting on 2015 third-round pick Matt Jones to bust out at running back, but the 23-year-old back is already missing time due to a shoulder injury. So if it’s not Jones, they’re looking for someone to break out in the backfield.
Position to watch: That offensive line showed a lot of progress last year, with youngsters Morgan Moses, Brandon Scherff and Spencer Long doing a great job to complement perennial Pro Bowler Trent Williams. And that was largely without the veteran Kory Lichtensteiger in the middle. With Lichtensteiger back and those other guys (all of whom are 25 or younger) only getting better, this could one of the best two or three lines in football next season.
Prediction: A lot of it depends on Cousins, so this is a tricky one. That said, I think the Cowboys are a better team with a healthy Tony Romo and the Giants might be better with their revamped defense. It’ll be tough to defend that division title. I’m giving them nine wins but leaving them out of the playoffs, but I could easily be wrong here.
