Where is the Redskins' defensive strength?

It wouldn't quite qualify as breaking news to note the Redskins weren't scaring many offenses last season. They allowed 35 passing touchdowns, the most in football, and surrendered the third-most points all told per game (24.7). 

Washington placed 20th in football in total yards allowed per game (357) and permitted 107.6 yards every Sunday on the ground. They secured 36 quarterback sacks (nearer to the bottom than the top of the standings), of which a third belonged to Kerrigan (13.5). 

With their struggles against the pass in 2014, it seemed logical that Scot McCloughan, in his first year with the franchise, would get to work on some decent cornerbacks and safety men. That he did, adding Chris Culliver from the 49ers, and Dashon Goldson from Tampa and Jeron Johnson from the Seahawks to fill out the secondary. 

The club drafted Preston Smith for some depth behind Trent Murphy and Keenan Robinson at the right linebacker spot, and Ryan Kerrigan will hold down the left spot in a decent pass rush. Murphy will be watched closely in his second season after a poor effort in the sacks department, the reason he was brought in.


But the game begins and ends, on offense and defense, in the trenches. A secondary and linebacking corps has to be counted on to stop plays because a defensive line first couldn't stop them. So, over a few days in late February and March, McCloughan revamped the Redskins' defensive line. 

Barry Cofield and Stephen Bowen were released and Terrance Knighton and Stephen Paea signed up. Ricky Jean Francois came over from the Colts and Jason Hatcher was retained to likely start at right end. 

"I think the type of guys you see, you see Paea and Ricky Jean Francois, they can get up the field and rush," head coach Jay Gruden said this spring. "They're active, and we're trying to get off the line of scrimmage more so a little bit than play at the line of scrimmage."

Gruden will implement a more attacking front than in seasons past, and will look to Paea and Hatcher to flank a spirited rush for the quarterback. Knighton, nicknamed "Pot Roast" for a reason, will hunker down at the nose position and set himself against running backs in the hole. That domination on the inside will, Redskins coaches hope, propel opponents to venture more attempts to the outside, and into the waiting arms of linebackers with more freedom to impose themselves.

"It would not only affect the running game, passing game," Gruden said. "[But] if you have a penetrating defensive tackle getting into the backfield on pass and run, that would do damage to the offense.

"It frees up the linebackers, obviously, to make plays, and makes people bounce things outside right to Kerrigan," he added. "Which is what we want. It helps out a lot."

Knighton held down the center of the Broncos' defensive front last season in dominating fashion, and Stephen Paea tallied a career-best six sacks as a member of the Chicago Bears.

"To have great depth in rotational defensive linemen and keep them with the day of the no-huddle and different phases of football," Gruden said. "To have different types of defensive linemen will be a benefit to us."

The story of this group, however, is that of a collection of decent talent. Which is, in the words of Jay Gruden, a "good dilemma." 

But that singular personality, that No. 1 guy who is the declared and understood leader in the huddle -- this unit still requires that force. That leader may emerge sometime in the near future, perhaps as early as training camp. Knighton is the likely candidate -- his boisterousness and confidence have already led him to nickname the line "Capitol Punishment" in honor of their hometown.

Knighton will also be motivated, having only the one year his deal calls for to show management his long-term value. A lot of the ability for the Redskins to push upfield and collapse pockets will depend on the pressure to either side of him, something they seem to have answered with the addition of Paea, and what Jason Hatcher can do when healthy. 

The Redskins thought they did good enough in the free agency period to address offensive line needs early in the draft, eventually selecting tackle Brandon Scherff in the first round. I think they were right to do so, considering the skill sets all three players bring to this front, as it stands the best feature of their defense this season.

@MrJamesParks