Washington Redskins will head to their first training camp workout in Richmond

Washington Redskins After some changes at the top, the Washington Redskins will head to their first training camp workout in Richmond, Va. Washington Redskins on July 24 with plenty to prove. Last year's 3-13 nosedive after a 10-6 record in 2012 led to the dismissal of head coach Mike Shanahan and his son and offensive coordinator Kyle. Washington Redskins Taking their places are Jay Gruden as head coach and Sean McVay as offensive coordinator and they have no prior experience in those respective roles. Washington Redskins Their most conspicuous challenge will be to restore quarterback Robert Griffin III to star status. Heading into camp, Washington Redskins he certainly is the player with the most to prove. Two years ago, the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner/second overall pick in the 2012 draft set rookie quarterback records for passer rating and rushing yards and electrified Washington fans while leading the Redskins to a 10-6 record and their first NFC East title in 13 years. Washington Redskins That season ended with a playoff loss to Seattle in which Griffin tore his right ACL and MCL. Griffin missed the entire offseason, but pushed to be on the field for training camp and to start the season opener after being held out of all four preseason games. He wore a brace to protect his knee for all of 2013 and was never the same dynamic performer that he had been in 2012 before being benched for the final three games by Mike Shanahan to supposedly prevent further hits in a lost season in which Washington would finish 3-13. With his knee healthy and the Shanahans gone, Griffin needs to show that he is more like the dazzling performer he was in 2012 than the lackluster player he was in 2013, or his future and that of the Redskins will be in jeopardy. Washington Redskins Here are other key issues Gruden must address in his first NFL training camp as a head coach: London Fletcher retired after starting every game the past seven seasons while making four Pro Bowls, calling the defensive signals and serving as a captain. Washington Redskins Washington signed free agents Akeem Jordan (98 games, 44 starts), Darryl Sharpton (42 games, 19 starts) and Adam Hayward (107 games, 13 starts), but the leading candidate appears to be Keenan Robinson, Washington Redskins a fourth-round pick out of Texas in 2012. Robinson's rookie year ended with a torn pec on Thanksgiving at Dallas and he missed all of 2013 with a similar injury suffered before preseason began. Washington Redskins However, Robinson spent more time working with the starters in minicamp than any of the newcomers. Washington Redskins The Redskins signed veteran Ryan Clark, which should help at free safety. Washington Redskins And Brandon Meriweather can still play, especially at strong safety, Washington Redskins when he's not costing his team 15 yards or getting suspended. But it's slim pickings after that. Bacarri Rambo struggled as a rookie and has a lot to prove. Washington Redskins Phillip Thomas sustained a Lisfranc injury to his left foot during training camp and that cost him a valuable development season. Washington Redskins The Redskins did not draft a safety, Washington Redskins but cornerback Bashaud Breeland, a fourth-round selection, is versatile enough to move to safety, Washington Redskins.

Ryan Clark

Washington Redskins We will be featuring a different Washington Redskins player each day on this list, staying away from rookies or some second-year players still finding their way. Washington Redskins This will focus primarily on veterans at or near a career crossroads. Washington Redskins Today: safety Ryan Clark.  Any player still in the NFL at age 34 has something to prove (heck, they all do, but stay with me here) and he turns 35 during the season. Can’t imagine anyone ever expected this to be the case way back when he was an undrafted and undersized safety, but Clark developed into an excellent player because of his toughness and smarts. But Pittsburgh let Clark leave, opting for someone younger and faster (Mike Mitchell). Word out of Pittsburgh was Clark had lost a step. That’s not surprising given his age. Clark was never a burner and relied on knowing where to be and when. Clark often lined up a little deeper, sometimes 20-25 yards in certain coverages and depending on the offense, to compensate for any lost steps. A quarterback who throws with anticipation could take advantage of any lost steps. Clark will need help from the pass rush so any slowing down doesn’t become an issue. He did play in the box when warranted and covered backs on occasion. Make the plays that are available. Clark is not and never has been a playmaker. What he has been is a tough-minded, physical and smart player. You can't have a tough defense without such players, and the Redskins did not have enough of them defensively in recent years. The Redskins could have used a guy like that in the secondary for a long time. When watching his tape from last year, it’s evident Clark still likes getting involved in the action, coming up hard against the run, for example. Maybe Pittsburgh saw that less than it had in the past, but compared to what the Redskins have had, it’s an improvement. His intangibles are real and, provided he can still play, he’ll be a leader. That much was evident this spring. But Clark will have to show he can still come up and tackle; he did so for the most part last season (career-high 104 tackles) -- though there were some misses. Washington Redskins How will he handle an offense like Philadelphia's that demands good open-field tackling? Dallas and New York also will use the entire field. The Redskins just need steady, reliable play at safety. Washington Redskins If Clark provides that, he’ll be a good one-year investment. Washington Redskins Starting free safety. Washington Redskins Unless Tanard Jackson shakes off two years of rust and unless Bacarri Rambo improves dramatically, then Clark is the guy. Washington Redskins The other two can’t touch him in intangibles. Washington Redskins The question will be what is the impact on Jackson having missed the past two seasons? Washington Redskins But Clark does well anticipating plays and alerting others as to what might be coming. That helps. Linebacker London Fletcher used to do that, too, Washington Redskins but it was clear in 2013 that he was done. The Redskins hope Clark has one more solid year left, Washington Redskins and he can perhaps mentor some of their younger players, Washington Redskins.