The Washington Redskins went 3-13 in 2019. They fired head coach Jay Gruden after an 0-5 start, and interim head coach Bill Callahan was relieved of his duties immediately after the season.
In fact, they already have a replacement in Ron Rivera (a fantastic hiring if you ask me).
However, that’s not what we are here to talk about. We’re here to talk about the biggest takeaways from that 2019 season.
Sure, 3-13 is not good, but there were plenty of positives (and negatives) along the way. Plenty to look back at and use to look forward.
A Lot of Pieces Are Already In Place
The Redskins are 3-13 and haven’t been to the playoffs in a few years now. They really aren’t that far off though.
2019 saw the rise of rookie Terry McLaurin at receiver. Kelvin Harmon and Steven Sims Jr. had great rookie campaigns as well.
Meanwhile, Derrius Guice looked awesome when healthy at running back and Dwayne Haskins looks like he’s growing into the answer at quarterback.
That only really leaves two issues on offense. Clearly, there’s a need for a tight end. Then the offensive line needs some work, but Ereck Flowers was fantastic at left guard, so that might be a long-term solution.
Defensively, Quinton Dunbar was a stud at cornerback in 2019 and the defensive line is superb. They could use some linebackers but Cole Holcomb is solid and Montez Sweat shows a ridiculous amount of potential as a pass rusher.
With a little help in the secondary and Chase Young, this defense could be elite.
Changes Needed To Happen
This is the most obvious one on the list. Fans have known it for years, but it’s finally happened, big changes were needed in the Washington organization.
The Redskins cut ties with Jay Gruden in the middle of the year, and eventually fired Bruce Allen.
With Allen gone, they need to find a new GM. The Redskins had won very little under Allen and with a 3-13 record in 2019, things weren’t exactly looking up.
Apparently, this has opened up the door for a Trent Williams reunion as well.
They Need Depth
I know I said they aren’t that far off, and a lot of the starters do look good. However, Washington is in desperate need of depth.
The Redskins had a ton of injuries in 2019 (what’s new), and were ill equipped for them. When Williams refused to play, they had to get Donald Penn out of retirement. Injuries put them in awkward spots at tight end and receiver too. The cornerbacks were down to the last straw, and any injuries at linebacker would create serious issues.
If Washington wants to compete in the near future, they need to add a lot of depth.
Tress Way is a Superstar
Seriously, Tress Way is a superstar. Yes, he’s a punter and this seems like a weird takeaway, but the Redskins need to hold on to him for as long as they can. They’ve already done that by signing him to a nice long-term deal.
Way can change the game for the Redskins. He helped limit the damage this season by flipping field position countless times.
If Washington can start competing more, his value might not be highlighted as much because he won’t be punting it seven times a game. However, his value will actual skyrocket.
Give Me More Tim Settle
Okay, we’ve already talked about pieces being in place and we’ve already talked about depth. This technically gets into both of those.
McLaurin is a star, Sweat is a star, Dunbar is a star, Da’Ron Payne, Jonathan Allen and Matthew Ioannidis are stars. Not a lot of depth going on thought right? That’s why I said they need to work on it.
Well, the defensive line is the exception. Allen is the leader, and Payne is the young stud. Meanwhile, Ioannidis is extremely underrated, and honestly might be the best of the bunch. However, there’s a fourth member, Tim Settle.
Settle was drafted in 2018, like Payne. He was seen as the late-round project. He plays sparingly, but tends to make pretty big plays when given the chance.
Settle had 14 tackles (two for loss) and two sacks in 2019. That’s despite not even playing in Week 17, and appearing in a small percentage of the team’s defensive snaps.
In fact, Settle played in less than 20% of the defensive snaps more times (four) than he played in one 40% (three times).
When he worked with four defensive linemen, the Redskins looked much more competent defensively.
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