The Washington Redskins have been one of the most newsworthy teams in the NFL this offseason. They have made some moves in free agency, signing new talent. They have let more players go than they've signed, and it seems like they haven't found good replacements for the talent they let walk out the door. They also let go of their GM, who was battling his personal demons as well. Jay Gruden, head coach of the Redskins hasn't said much about the offseason, but at the owners meeting, he had his chance. From his words it seems he is more optimistic than most about the state of the Redskins.
Optimism is key
Jay Gruden is very optimistic when it comes to the Redskins this offseason. He said at the NFL owners' meeting according to ESPN "I'm very optimistic, I know it's not great, but we've had back-to-back winning seasons. There's no reason for us not to be optimistic." Many would beg to differ, as they still need to make sure their franchise QB Kirk Cousins is happy. He was placed under the franchise tag for a second straight season, and many wonder why he hasn't received a long-term deal. Regardless, he will be with the Redskins come training camp.
Gruden is an upbeat guy, and he notices the signings the teams have made. Defense is a strong point of his, so he would appreciate the signing of DJ Swearinger, Terrell McClain, and Stacy McGee.
He's probably wasn't happy about their top two receivers leaving in Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson, but they made up for it by signing Terrelle Pryor Sr. and Brain Quick to deals. Gruden signed a two-year extension, so this might boost his optimism, as he know he won't be out of a job for a while.
Gruden addressed the skepticism around his team and countered it with excitement about the things ahead, saying, "Don't know why everyone is so doom-and-gloom around here.
We're excited. I know our players are going to be excited to work. (ESPN). You can't blame a coach being excited about his team, but there might be such a thing as too much optimism.
Moving ahead
The Redskins have fired their GM Scot McCloghan, as he has struggled with his personal demons. Jay Gruden spoke about that as well, saying he was disappointed in the firing.
According to ESPN, he said, "I was disappointed. I liked Scot. I liked working with Scot. Any time you lose somebody that you become close with, whether it’s a coach or a GM or a player, it’s disappointing. But at the end of the day in pro football, anybody who has been around it long enough understands that change is going to happen. You have to react and adjust to it and move forward with a positive outlook. The Redskins aren't planning to hire a new GM until after the draft, but Gruden's draft responsibilities wouldn't change. Gruden and the team need to move forward, as they are in one of the toughest divisions in football.
Jay Gruden is the only person who has optimism around the Redskins, as they have a lot of issues to handle before training camp. They need to make sure Cousins is happy, and that the newly signed pieces can work within their system. The days for the Redskins are looking dim, but nobody told Gruden that.