Derek Carrier finding his way with the Redskins

If there was anything the Washington Redskins needed after their preseason campaign, it was a tight end. Or two.

Until then, they had been going down at an alarming rate. After watching starters Niles Paul and Logan Paulsen trot into doctors' offices and come out with frowns and casts, the club went out and fetched Derek Carrier from the 49ers. 

An all-round versatile pass catcher and blocker, Carrier can move in and out of different looks easily, setting blocks for Alfred Morris and making an impact as another target for Kirk Cousins. He played in the Redskins' final two preseason games, starting one, snagging a 13 yard reception and recovering a fumble on special teams.

Ahead of his third pro season, he said he's progressing in his new team's system so far.

"It's going really well," he said. "Every game, every practice, every time I go out on the field, I'm just trying to get better. I'm trying to pick up on little things that I might've missed going through the playbook, and just trying to get better all the time."

Suddenly finding himself in a more prominent role than he had in San Francisco, Carrier says he is learning more of the nuances in the Redskins' playbook that he had the opportunity to learn with his former club.

"It's just a little different how we call things here, and some of the footwork -- the techniques are probably the biggest difference," he said. "Executing those at a high level and being able to do that at a fast pace is probably the biggest thing."

Though they also signed Anthony McCoy, Washington will take only two starting tight ends into Sunday's season opener against the Dolphins, Carrier and Jordan Reed. 

"We just focus on our part," Carrier said. "With not as many guys, you just have to be on top of everything just in case something were to happen. So just being prepared, being focused is key, and then everything will take care of itself."

Gruden likes Brandon Scherff's progress

If you ask Redskins head coach Jay Gruden what he thinks of rookie Brandon Scherff's progress this preseason, you'll get a smile.

"I'm fired up about Brandon," Gruden said. 

"He's going against some pretty good players on the defensive line his first couple of weeks. He's got Aaron Donald with the Rams, [Ndamukong] Suh, possibly could be over there. He's got this [Dolphins tackle Earl] Mitchell guy. He's going to have some great challenges early. We'll see how ready he is."

Washington hosts Miami in their regular season opener on Sept. 13 and St. Louis the following week, two ample opportunities for the rookie to prove or disprove himself in Jay Gruden's eyes.

Change has been the motif of Scherff's brief NFL career. He started at left tackle at Iowa, eventually winning the Outland Trophy. The Redskins, who picked him No. 5 overall in April, switched him to right tackle in OTAs before nudging him over one spot during the preseason.

There was some good, there was some bad.

But more of the former than the latter, if you ask Gruden, who says his rookie's best attribute is versatility and his response to coaching.

"The one thing about him is that I feel like he's a mentally tough, stable human being," he said. "It's one thing to get beat every now and then on a nice swim move or a bull rush or something like that, but to not let it affect your play moving forward is very, very important."

Scherff permitted one sack (against Detroit) and one quarterback hit (against Baltimore) in 77 offensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

"We think that's a great quality that Brandon has," Gruden said. "He's going to get beat from time to time, but he's going to bounce back and keep grinding."

Redskins add TE Anthony McCoy

If there was anything the Washington Redskins needed after their black and blue preseason, it was some tight end depth.

On Labor Day Monday, they added Anthony McCoy to the roster to take up some of that space.

McCoy was a sixth-round pick by the Seahawks in 2010, but was released by the team in an effort to trim their roster to the 53 man mandate last week. The Redskins released cornerback Deshazor Everett to make room for McCoy.

Washington lost starters Niles Paul and Logan Paulsen to ankle and toe injuries, respectively, after their first exhibition game, leaving them with only two starters: the talented, if injury-prone, Jordan Reed and Derek Carrier, the object of a trade with the 49ers.

Reed is more of a receiver than blocker and Carrier is an all-round talent. The team employed tackle Tom Compton in some situations this preseason.

McCoy himself is open to injury, however, missing the past two seasons with torn Achilles tendons suffered in his two previous offseason workouts. He has 31 career receptions for 437 yards and three touchdowns.

Redskins' Kerrigan says knee is working fine

The Washington Redskins had to choose whether they wanted to expose linebacker Ryan Kerrigan's knee to the preseason to get him some real game reps, or to keep him from wear and tear until the regular season began.

They chose the latter, and Kerrigan, for one, thinks it was the right choice.

"In the long run it'll be more beneficial," he said. "Obviously it's good for the knee and even though you don't play a full game, those hits add up. My knee is feeling great right now."

Kerrigan had surgery in May to remove bone spurs from his left knee, keeping him from the team's spring workouts, but he saw some meaningful time in the summer training camp.

"It would get swollen at times, but my range of motion has been strong and good," he said. "That's always the main thing, to make sure it's bending right."

He doesn't think any offseason rust from his absence in the preseason will prevent everything from bending properly when it counts on Sept. 13 against the Miami Dolphins. Even though hitting is at a premium in such circumstances, his 1-on-1 pass rushing drill work in camp has been mostly at full speed, giving him the opportunity to perfect his first moves off the snap and his quickness.

It's that skill in particular his team needs from him the most this season. They lost linebacker Junior Galette for the year after signing him in August, and his cross-field rushing partners include the largely unproven tandem of Trent Murphy and rookie Preston Smith.

For now, Kerrigan is itching for that initial action.

"It's tough to compare it to years past, but I feel good. I feel fine," he said. "I'm ready to get that first hit out of the way. You're always anxious for that."

Colt McCoy told he's the Redskins' No. 2

Though quarterback Robert Griffin III learned on Saturday that he'll be a member of the Washington Redskins' 53 man roster, he also learned he may not be the No. 2 behind Kirk Cousins.

That job belongs to Colt McCoy, according to Albert Breer of NFL Media. Head coach Jay Gruden had been mum from last Monday, when he promoted Cousins, until now as to what the rest of the position depth chart would look like.

It's still unclear to what degree the decision to put McCoy ahead of Griffin is due to the latter's continuing involvement in the league's concussion protocol, or the fact that McCoy, along with Cousins, merely outplayed the former starter in the preseason. The Redskins only looked like a confident, driving force when one of those two were under center, and like a confused blob with Griffin at the helm this summer.

Then again, it could be those millions of dollars. The Redskins would owe Griffin north of $16 million in full should he fall down and not get back up. A backup is theoretically one snap away from being a starter, so the team would prefer Griffin be theoretically two snaps away from the job, doubling their chances to not pay him.

That's enough reason to place McCoy the Texas Longhorn ahead of Griffin the Baylor Bear. But then, there's the more important reason: McCoy is better than Griffin and always has been. 

Redskins will keep RG3 as backup

It looks like Robert Griffin III will be kept around after all.

The former starting quarterback's name was still legible on the 53 man roster when the Washington Redskins made their final cuts on Saturday.

It hasn't felt like that would happen lately. 

After head coach Jay Gruden announced last week that Kirk Cousins would assume the starting quarterback role for the team in the coming regular season, there was more than enough speculation that the man who formerly held that job would not be a part of the organization.

Poor play and a string of injuries had convinced commentators that the former Heisman Trophy winner would finally be discarded from the team he's led the past three seasons.

While many will obviously suspect front office politics for the decision to keep Griffin on the team, the choice is likely football related. Gruden and G.M. Scot McCloughan believe he can still provide some needed skill to the team and is the next-best man up after Kirk Cousins.

Though whether he will be listed as the No. 2 ahead of Colt McCoy remains to be seen.

The major reason why it was believed the team would part ways with Griffin was the $16.1 million option he signed this offseason. Fully guaranteed for injury, should he be hurt in any capacity this season, the Redskins are on the hook for the whole amount. That's an injury that could come not only on the field, but in practice or in the weight room. 

Technically, Griffin is injured. He has a concussion, still going through the league's protocol before he is cleared to play. The Redskins will keep him as the inactive No. 3 until he is cleared.

Redskins' Rashad Ross: I gave my all

Wide receiver Rashad Ross put out his best effort so far to state his case that he should make the Washington Redskins' final 53 man roster.

Ross, cut by the franchise twice before, by the Bears twice, and by the Titans and Chiefs, caught a touchdown from quarterback Colt McCoy in the Redskins' exhibition finale, finishing with 10 receptions for 103 yards against Jacksonville.

But now his fate is out of his control.

"It's really not that nerve racking to me because, at the end of the day, I gave it my all," he said Thursday night. "Whatever happens, happens, so I'll just leave that up to God."

And to head coach Jay Gruden, who said Ross "might be our best kick returner," though added that young receiving talents Andre Roberts and rookie Jamison Crowder could easily handle that work.

"We'd like to have our fifth receiver be a special team demon, like somebody who can run down on kicks," Gruden said. Right now, the duel for that spot is between Ross and Evan Spencer, a rookie from Ohio State. 

Ross sees himself as the best man for the job.

"The work in the return game, that's something else I can do," he said. "I'm not the star receiver, I'm not the No. 1 or No. 2, I'm at the bottom of the list, so special teams is really big for a guy in my position. I've got to work on things like that, that's something I have to do."

The Redskins are likely fielding Jamison Crowder as the No. 5 wide receiver on their depth chart, and will employ him on special teams duties, so Ross' chance of making the cut were slim to begin with. His effort in Thursday's game could make coaches look a second time, but the crowded field ahead of him may preclude his name from the final list.

Bill Polian would be interested in RG3

Ever since Robert Griffin III was demoted to second (or third) on the Redskins' quarterback depth chart on Monday, the critical voices surrounding his NFL future have risen in size and stature.

In times like these, a fella could use a friend. On Wednesday, he found one. Sort of.

Hall of Fame former NFL general manager and current ESPN commentator Bill Polian, speaking with Mike and Mike Radio, said were he still the head of a franchise, he would have his people looking "awfully hard" at acquiring him.

The caveat: keep him out of a West Coast offense.

Polian said the unique style of play in which Griffin excelled at college was bad training for what was to come in the professional ranks, "never having had a playbook, never having had to go through a progression, never having to play in the pocket and go through a third or fourth progression."

Then there were those injuries.

"There was a huge learning curve and that was exacerbated tremendously by the injury," Polian said. "[Former Redskins coach] Mike Shanahan smartly adjusted his offense to that which RGIII could handle in his rookie year. None of that has happened since and therefore he doesn't fit. I would say this: if I were running a club, I'd have my scouts looking awfully hard at what he might be able to do for my club."

Even though Griffin is not a pure pocket passer that likely could not manage a West Coast playbook, Polian seconded the universal consensus that Griffin possesses a rare, natural athletic talent.

"He does still have that unique skill set that's tempered greatly by the injury history," he said. "The injury one has to bother you a great deal, but the bottom line is he's still a supremely talented athlete."

But, as usual, such a deal would come down to money. In particular, the $16.15 million option for next season, fully guaranteed for injury. 

"That's a lot of money to gamble [on a player] who has a significant injury history going all the way back to college," Polian said.

RG3 makes first public comments since being demoted

Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III made his first public comments since being demoted from the starting position in favor of Kirk Cousins this week.

"The one thing you have is your word," Griffin said in a speech after receiving an award for community work in aid of military families on Wednesday.

He received a standing ovation of more than 500 attendees while taking the podium at a team function that commemorated the efforts of members of the team in their charity work in the Washington D.C., area.

Griffin thanked his teammates on that occasion for leading him "in the right direction."

Team owner Daniel Snyder praised Scot McCloughan, his first year general manager, as a man "who bleeds burgundy and gold." In recent days, Snyder has also reportedly given into the repeated demands of those in his front office who handle football operations, including McCloughan and head coach Jay Gruden, that Griffin should start to take a backup role in hopes that the franchise would move on from him altogether.

On Monday, Gruden announced Kirk Cousins would take the starting quarterback position over Robert Griffin III, who the coach said as early as February would hold that job through this coming regular season.

Redskins admit GM's wife sent that tweet

After originally saying that a very controversial tweet from Washington Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan's wife was sent by a fake Twitter feed, the team admitted on Wednesday evening that she did in fact post a derogatory tweet directed to an ESPN journalist.

"I deeply apologize for the disparaging remarks about an ESPN reporter on my personal Twitter account," Jessica McCloughan said in a statment issued by the Redskins to Pro Football Talk.

"The comment was unfounded and inappropriate, and I have the utmost respect for both the reporter and ESPN. I regret that my actions have brought undeserved negative attention to the Redskins organization and its leadership. My comments in no way reflect the opinions or attitudes of the organization and I regret that my behavior has in any way negatively impacted the team and its loyal fan base."

On August 30, Jessica McCloughan posted a tweet to Dianna Russini: "Please tell us how many BJ's you had to give to get this story. And did they laugh at you before or after?"

UPDATE: ESPN released a statement following the team's admission on Wednesday, saying, 

"Dianna is an excellent reporter who should never have to be subjected to such vulgar comments. We are obviously extremely disappointed by today's developments."

Pierre Garcon's thoughts on RG3, Kirk Cousins

If there is anyone who can attest to what Robert Griffin III can and cannot do based purely on experience on and off the field, it's Redskins wide receiver Pierre Garcon.

His first season with the club was Griffin's rookie year, and he had caught passes from him (and others) in good times and bad. 

Based on that time, Garcon still thinks Griffin can be a playmaker "on any team he goes."

"You know, football is all about learning and advancing," Garcon said. "We all come into the league, we're excited, we play well, and then the second year or third year, people start to catch onto you. You have to find other ways to be better and continue to stay better, and keep working hard on what got you there."

The NFL's receptions leader in 2013, Garcon said much of the success or failure of any football player is a combination of those around you and that extra work he puts in himself when no one is watching.

"Sometimes, we all need help coaching, we all need personal help or mental help," he said. "It's all finding what makes you better. And most of the time it's actually film study and, you know, just continue to have that hustle mentality, like [tailback] Alfred Morris does. He definitely can be a great player in this league. But Robert has been a great player himself, already. So he'll definitely be a great player on any team that he goes to and help them out."

Words like that only help to fuel the speculation outside Redskins Park that Griffin's days with the franchise are, indeed, at an end, and that it's only a matter of time when it happens.

Even with Griffin's career in Washington seemingly at an unhappy finish, though, Garcon thinks the future of the franchise would be in good hands.

"Kirk is a very enthusiastic guy," he told SiriusXM NFL Radio. "He commands the huddle, he has a lot of faith in us, that that we can help him do well. He is a natural-born leader, he's definitely been planning for that for a long time. You can tell from what kind of person he is that he's a leader, he's been doing it for a long time and he's excited about the opportunity."

Garcon said he and his teammates on the offensive side of the ball have an obligation to repay that faith.

"We definitely want to keep him excited and never want to, you know, have him lose that faith in himself," he said. "He's definitely ready and eager to get the season started to prove to everybody what he can do."

Why was there no QB competition in Washington?

Washington Redskins head coach Jay Gruden had been adamant that Robert Griffin III would be the starter under center this season from the time of the NFL Combine in February.

So when he announced, suddenly, on Monday that Kirk Cousins would take the quarterbacking duties for the coming season, he was asked why there was no open competition for the job from the start.

Apparently, he just didn't want the trouble.

"I didn't want to come to every press conference and get asked who's starting," he said. "We put it to bed. We named Robert the starter, gave him the first team reps with the guys. . . We just wanted to put all the distractions aside, play football, let these guys go out and compete and they did that."

Maybe so and maybe not so. Questions can get pretty annoying, but that's hardly a reason to not act in the best interest of your football team. 

One would have to admit, though, there was long stretch there during training camp when there was a supreme lack of questions about the quarterback position. Not a single inquiry into who would or would not take snaps for the Redskins in September. And Jay Gruden was in a very good mood during that time.

Had Gruden opened the job to the three-ring circus of Griffin, Cousins, and McCoy, the questions would have come fast and furious. And, we know now, Mr. Gruden doesn't care for a lot of questions.

The real reason for Griffin's early coronation? Likely the white hot fire-breathing dragon that is Daniel Snyder and the eternal torch he still carries for the little, oft-injured signal caller. Which is a good enough reason in some respects. Catering to the wishes of your employer is the number one cause of keeping a job.

But there comes a time when a dutiful employee has to give his boss the sour truth. That truth? That Griffin looked improved upon during camp because no one was coming after him, and that he didn't look so improved when opposing defenses were coming after him.

Gruden and Co. probably did have every intention to give the job to Griffin and let him keep it until that display two Thursdays ago when the Lions pass rushers did to him what lions in the natural world do to antelope. 

Give Snyder credit. He saw the look in his coaches' eyes the following morning, swallowed his pride, and, apparently, gave the OK to move on from the former Heisman Trophy winner.

Whether or not that results in a hike in the interceptions column or the wins column only the quarterback stylings of Kirk Cousins will dictate.

Should it be the former, expect Mr. Gruden to receive more questions.

Jay Gruden likes everything about Colt McCoy

The fourth NFL exhibition game usually is not an occasion most viewers look forward to. Teams sit their starters and mostly field second- and third-string players for the purposes of one final audition and the prevention of injury.

Those auditions seem to be settled for the quarterback position after head coach Jay Gruden named Kirk Cousins the man for the job on Monday.

Which ensures Colt McCoy one entire contest to make his mark on coaches' minds when the Washington Redskins finish their preseason against Jacksonville on Thursday night.

But a serious question raises itself, then. Should McCoy be injured in that game and is unable to play, and with Robert Griffin off the list as he continues to trudge through the NFL concussion protocol, what would Jay Gruden do?

"Yeah, Kirk will have to come in," he said. "Yeah. We're one of the unique teams where we only have two quarterbacks right now with Robert's status unfortunately. We didn't really have time to get a guy in here yesterday and teach him the playbook.

"We needed all the guys that were able to play. We would have had to get another roster spot which we couldn't do, either. I think we'll protect Colt. He'll do a good job staying in there. If something happenes, Kirk will come in there, run the ball and he could still play."

Gruden added that nothing McCoy could do on Thursday would change his opinion of the backup signal caller, of whom he already thinks very highly.

"I don't have any negative impressions on Colt," he said. "He's done everything we have asked him to do. He's a tough, competitive guy and I think he's going to go out and compete like he always does. That's not going to change with Colt.

"He's going to go out and battle and compete. He's not going to have to do anything great to change my view on him. Anything he does, if it's poor, it's not going to change my view on him. I just know he's a great competitor and we're happy to have him on our team."

To what precise degree Gruden is happy with him remains to be seen. He's yet to decide, at least publicly, on whether McCoy would jumpfrog Griffin in the backup quarterback race as the No. 2 behind Cousins. But on Thursday night, at least, he's their No. 1.

Former LB: RG3 would succeed with Chip Kelly

No, Chip Kelly will not consider bringing Robert Griffin III to Philadelphia should the former starting quarterback find himself out of a job in Washington.

But if he did, and he won't, one former Redskins player thinks he would thrive.

"In the right system, I think he could [have success]," former linebacker London Fletcher said on 106.7 FM (Washington). 

"If he got with Chip Kelly, if he got -- Miami does some things, like the Chip Kelly offense. Or even if he goes to a place where the pressure is not -- where you have to come in here and be the guy right away.

"I think he'll have a great second half of his career."

Called "Eagles South" by some, the Miami Dolphins run some of the same formations and offensive packages as Chip Kelly's gang, learned, no doubt, by their current offensive coordinator, former Eagles quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor.

But the import of Griffin into Miami might derail the very expensive plans they seem to have for current starter Ryan Tannehill, wouldn't they?

"I didn't say he was coming in to start right away," Fletcher said. "I said to continue to -- the pressure is not there. Just let him develop, he'll learn. He'll continue to develop as a quarterback, get better pocket awareness, better footwork. He's gonna have a great second career, I believe that. He's too talented. He's too talented of a guy."

Correction: Griffin was a talented guy in college. And Fletcher's insistence that all Griffin needs is more time to develop away from pressure? Those words fall on titillated ears. Apparently those three seasons he's been given the franchise on a silver platter by its naive and clueless owner, and administered by grumbling and morose coaches who knew better, haven't been enough.

Pocket awareness and footwork are not things that Griffin is going to learn in Washington, at least not after his job was taken from him by what head coach Jay Gruden said was better play overall. 

If your job is taken by Kirk Cousins after three years, you're through developing.

Colt McCoy settles into the Redskins depth chart

Coly McCoy held his cards close to his chest on Monday after learning that he was superceded by Kirk Cousins in the quarterback shuffle in Washington.

"I'm just kind of keeping my reaction to myself," he said when asked how he felt about the move.

"I just want to show up every day, put a smile on my face, and be the best version of myself I can be. We've got a great team here, the guys in the locker room are awesome and at the same time I respect my coaches. I'm just going to continue to be who I am, work as hard as I can."

Working hard worked well for him last season when the shoe was on the other foot. McCoy was asked to relieve Kirk Cousins in a game against the Titans after Cousins threw one too many interceptions in relief himself of Robert Griffin III.

And when Griffin failed again in his return in November, it was McCoy who came in rather than Cousins. All told, it was Colt McCoy who quarterbacked the Redskins to two of their four victories.

Now he's on clipboard duty, once again.

"I just come to work, man, do the best I can," he said. "That's kind of how I approach every day. Lots of things going on the last couple of days. But to be honest, my focus is on the knowing that I've got to play the whole [final preseason] game against Jacksonville just kind of watching tape on them and figuring out how we can go out there and play well."

Head coach Jay Gruden has already said that McCoy will play all the team's exhibition finale, but after that, he said, the depth chart was anyone's guess. After Kirk Cousins, who is slotted at second and third is still to be determined. 

"I play with the guys who are out there, hopefully move the ball down the field and finish the preseason on a high note," McCoy said.

Truth be told, the finish of the preseason may not be the last time we see him. The Redskins are in complete disarray at the quarterback position, and if their proclaimed starter can't kick his turnover habit over the course of the year, Jay Gruden will have little trouble looking right over RG3's head and call on No. 16. 

Redskins RB Jones sits second straight day

Backup Redskins rookie running back Matt Jones did not practice on Tuesday for a second straight day, but not because of any injury concerns, according to his head coach.

"Matt just had some rest [and was] going through some treatment," Jay Gruden said. "Obviously, when he gets the ball, he runs very, very hard. He just needed a little bit of extra time, a little extra treatment. But there's no injury there."

Jones missed time in this summer's training camp with a right knee injury, but tallied a touchdown and 139 yards on 20 rushes in three preseason appearances for Washington.

He earned every yard of it, the hard way.

"At the running back position, you do take kind of a beating," the physical rusher said.

Jay Gruden said his plan is to have Jones take a few days off during the season to recover from that beating. Jones is known as a powerful runner and will be inserted as a 3rd-down and late-game back to take some pressure of starter Alfred Morris.

"He had some issues in college," Gruden said in reference to Jones' knee injury concerns at Florida. "We're going to take care of him. He's a very integral part of [our] running game and our success. We want to make sure we have him for 16 weeks and don't burn him out."

But they also don't want to burn him out by using him too little.

"He also needs to get his reps because he's a rookie," Gruden said. "We have to find that happy medium there, get him ready physically, mentally ready to play, but also take care of him."

Pot Roast: Redskins-Kardashians wisecrack "crap"

Redskins nose tackle Terrance Knighton heard what Trevor Matich and Troy Aikman said about his club over the last few days, and he didn't like it.

It all began when Matich made a comparison between the club and the Kardashian family to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Troy Aikman, calling the Texans-Saints game on FOX on Sunday, added his two cents.

"It's pretty bizarre, huh?" the former Cowboys quarterback said. "Someone compared the Redskins to the Kardashians, saying they're the Kardashians of the NFL. I don't think that's fair. I don't think the Kardashians are nearly as dysfunctional."

Knighton, playing his first season with the club as the anchor of what they hope is a much-improved defensive line scheme, shared his feelings about that with the Washington Post.

"It's really crap to me when you hear people say this is like the Kardashians show and all that," he told Dan Steinberg. "That's not in here.

"I mean, I see all the stuff on Twitter -- sources this, sources that -- but that's the outside stuff. We have a culture in this locker room and a unified front where we're not going to let the distractions hurt this team. It's not going to turn into a soap opera.

"This is not the Kardashians show. We're a football team, we're professionals, and we're going to go out there and win some games."

Head coach Jay Gruden announced that Kirk Cousins would be the team's starting quarterback for this coming season after a poor showing from the once-promising Robert Griffin III. Aikman chided the team during a break in Sunday's game when FOX showed a graphic of the Redskins' three quarterback options.

"We're not getting caught up in who's playing quarterback or who's saying what," Knighton said. "That's not my concern. My concern is kicking the center's ass in front of me."

Kirk Cousins era begins in Washington

One couldn't help but notice the presence of a slight smirk on Jay Gruden's face when he made public the decision he and his cohorts have been apparently trying to make for some time. 

He had the look of a man who cleared his conscience.

"Yes, we do have news," the Redskins head coach said on Monday morning. "Kirk Cousins will be the starter for 2015 moving forward."

Taking whatever wind out of Robert Griffin's sails the Detroit Lions didn't already take last Thursday when they most likely made Gruden's decision for him. Sacked three times, hit thrice more, and fumbled twice, Griffin lingered off the gridiron for what may have been his last time as the Redskins' starting quarterback.

All those vague hopes, all those pleasant declarations, the reasoned pleas to improvement all seemed to go up in smoke after what appeared to be the culmination of an illusion. No, he hadn't improved his timing. No, he hadn't stepped up in the pocket. No, he hadn't been making his reads properly. And no, he hadn't "made better decisions."

The same couldn't be said for the other two men Gruden said were still in the midst of an open competition. That competition, seemingly, is over, and Cousins won it.

"When it's all said and done, after all the film we've gone through, after all the offseason activity, all the training camp footage, we feel like at this time, Kirk Cousins gives us the best chance to win and that's where we're going," Gruden said.

"It's Kirk's team."

Which, in the past, had only come true after the man previously whose team it's been was injured and couldn't physically take the field. The presumption had always been that whenever Griffin, the former darling of Redskins owner Daniel Snyder, was able to carry himself onto the field and take snaps, he would do so and Cousins would dutifully go back to his clipboard and ball cap.

But Gruden's announcement on Monday raised the curtain on what looks to be a new era in Washington, one that does not presently include Robert Griffin III as its leader. Though Griffin is still in the midst of the NFL's concussion protocol, Gruden made it clear that the position belonged to Cousins, and that it would "remain" so.

Though the coach was also prudent enough to make plan that Griffin was himself still a Redskin, and that no plans existed for his trade or release. This, Gruden said, was entirely down to what he saw in front of him these last three weeks.

Griffin was slated to start Washington's third exhibition game in Baltimore on Saturday, but an independent, second neurologist reversed the decision made by a first, paving the way for Cousins to lead the first team.

Some early mistakes ensued, including an interception, but so did a touchdown drive, and an overall calmer-looking offensive unit. It was enough for the coach to move all three of his pieces around into an order that didn't exist prior to kickoff.

Gruden doesn't think having three options under center is all that bad.

"It's a good problem to have to have three quarterbacks that are competing and working their butts off and I feel like all three of them are capable quarterbacks," he said. "Some people say when you have three, you don't have one and I disagree with that. We have three good quarterbacks that I feel good about. I just feel like Kirk right now gives us the best chance."

Kirk Cousins named the Redskins' starter

After saying for the several last months that Robert Griffin III was his starting quarterback, Redskins head coach Jay Gruden announced on Monday that Kirk Cousins will take that role heading into the regular season.

Gruden added that Cousins will remain the starter, intimating that Griffin could not re-take the position himself in the future.

That, days after saying the same thing about Griffin.

"Kirk Cousins will be the starter for 2015 moving forward," Gruden said. "It's Kirk's team."

Gruden said Griffin lost his job not because of injury, but because of the improvement he says Cousins had in his performance in training camp and the preseason. Griffin was concussed, the team said, in last Thursday's game against Detroit, but until then had shown little improvement in the areas coaches said he had to show.

He added that Redskins owner Daniel Snyder has not prevented football people in the organization from moving away from Robert Griffin, as was previously reported, and that starting Cousins is a move that his owner supported.

"Mr. Snyder has been nothing but supportive of this football team," Gruden said. "All Mr. Snyder wants to do is win."

Gruden said that Griffin is not currently being shopped for a trade and is not going to be released, though also said that he is yet to decide if he will be the second- or third-string quarterback, ahead of or behind Colt McCoy.

Kirk Cousins said he doesn't view his new job so much as the ending of some process, but the beginning of another one.

"It doesn't feel like a finish line by any means, it feels like the work is still ahead of us," Cousins said. "I go ou t and try to prove myself every time I'm out there."

Daniel Snyder the only thing keeping RG3 around

The only thing keeping quarterback Robert Griffin III a member of the Washington Redskins is owner Daniel Snyder, according to reports.

Football people ranging from front office managers to position coaches have apparently reiterated their interest in moving on from Griffin's quarterbacking services due to the lack of progress they think he has made in his three years under center for the club.

But those repeated requests and pleas have fallen on Snyder's deaf ears.

ESPN reported that the Redskins had been fielding trade offers recently, but to no avail. Which is hardly surprising. Griffin has a guaranteed salary of $3.3 million this season and would be owed $16.1 million next season if he were injured, as per the terms of the fifth-year option the team awarded him with this offseason.

Griffin and injury being two frequent companions in the last three seasons, Washington could find themselves on the hook to pay a fortune to a man who, should that case arise once again, couldn't take a single snap.

That number, and the possibility of it having to be paid, is the lynchpin keeping other teams from listening to those reported offers.

Head coach Jay Gruden has said this entire offseason and exhibition campaign that he would side with Griffin as the primary starter going into the season, but his average performance in camp and the below-average effort he has fielded during his limited playing time already in two games, by those close to the situation, have him re-thinking that plan.

He has already had to publicly refute a report that the team has decided to start Kirk Cousins over Griffin in their first regular season game.

Also, first-year general manager Scot McCloughan has no particular loyalty to Griffin, either. As far as those on the football end are concerned, Cousins and Colt McCoy give the team the superior chance to come out of this season with a decent showing. 

The only one around the franchise, it seems, who doesn't think that is the man who owns it.