Mike Shanahan (left) and Bruce Allen (right) at a Redskins practice in 2012.

There seemed to be a light at the end of the tunnel for Redskins fans in late 2009 when then-Redskins general manager Vinny Cerrato resigned. Near the conclusion of that season, Washington hired Bruce Allen, son of former Redskins great George Allen, to take over and help turn the tide. Directly after the season ended, the team hired two-time Super Bowl winner Mike Shanahan as head coach.

The way that Allen and Shanahan work together is slightly different than most other teams’ GM-HC duo. In D.C., Allen makes the football decisions, but Shanahan gives input and has the final say (he is also the vice president of football operations). This design helps the team make decisions in the best interest of the team.

With the new front office in place, Washington would play well for many seasons to come, right? Wrong. They needed a quarterback, and the coach and general manager thought they found theirs when the tandem traded for Donovan McNabb. We all know how that worked out: McNabb was benched for the final three games in 2010 in favor of Rex Grossman and was traded to the Minnesota Vikings after the season.

In 2011, Shanahan and Allen did not draft a quarterback, although there was a plethora of talent (i.e. Andy Dalton, Jake Locker). This led to a quarterback competition between Grossman and John Beck. The latter ended up starting 3 games (0-3) while the former started 13 (5-8).

Despite their rocky first two seasons, there were some positives during that time. The duo had drafted well in 2010 and 2011.

2010 produced products such as Trent Williams in the first round, who is evolving into the best offensive tackle in the game, and Perry Riley in the fourth round, who is now a solid starter at inside linebacker.

Washington’s 2011 draft was also solid. First-round pick Ryan Kerrigan has evolved into a Pro-Bowl outside linebacker. Jarvis Jenkins, Leonard Hankerson, Roy Helu, Jr., Niles Paul, and Evan Royster have all contributed to the team in some way over the last two seasons, all products of this draft class.

The 2012 draft was a different story, and not in a bad way. Allen and Shanahan made the difficult decision to mortgage the future to the rights to draft Baylor QB Robert Griffin III. I’d say that decision has already worked out. Cornerback DeAngelo Hall mentioned that he’d give up first-rounders for the next five years to keep Griffin if the team had to. Alfred Morris was a gem in the sixth round, rushing for a franchise-record 1,613 yards.

Of course, RGIII put up perhaps the greatest seasons ever for a rookie quarterback. However, the lasting impression of his coach after the season was the question as to why he did not pull his quarterback from a game despite being hobbled. People tend to forget that Shanahan is probably one of the 20 best coaches of all-time and he does know what he’s doing. That decision should not stick with Shanahan. He and Bruce Allen expect Griffin back for the start of 2013.

The duo turned its attention to free agency and the upcoming draft after the playoff loss to Seattle. After horrendous secondary play in 2012, the team was looking for defensive backs. Shanahan and Allen found three bright prospects in David Amerson (2nd round), Phillip Thomas (4th round), and Baccari Rambo (6th round).

Shanahan and Allen have done an excellent job growing and developing the team through the draft. Core players such as Robert Griffin III, Alfred Morris, Trent Williams, and Ryan Kerrigan were drafted by the tandem. This is where great teams start – at the core, with an excellent front office, and homegrown talent.

Bruce Allen and Mike Shanahan have been tremendous during their three seasons with the team, despite a shaky start. I’m just glad that Dan Snyder has been sitting back and letting Allen and Shanahan do the dirty work.

Jun 12, 2013; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (left) talks to wide receiver Pierre Garcon (right) during mini camp at Redskins Park. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

Robert Griffin III is a transcendent cultural icon…and a pretty decent quarterback as well. For these reasons, I am writing a weekly Monday column in which I track/stalk his every movement during this highly publicized off-season. Whether he is rehabbing his knee or stretching it on the red carpet, you will find it here.

Week of June 10th

RG3, Redskins Make-A-Wish: Sarah Kogod of The Washington Post details the heart-warming story of the Redskins inviting an eight year old born with a chronic kidney disease to mini-camp. Lateef Brock signed a “one day contract” to spend the day with Griffin and the Redskins at practice. His contract stipulated that he would receive “unlimited candy”, another sign that Bruce Allen has gotten more creative with his salary cap maneuvering. Brock played catch with RG3, and scored a touchdown during practice on a running play. “I feel blessed that he chose me to be the guy he came out to practice with and hung out with,” Griffin said. “I don’t have any kids, but a lot of the coaches do and they say that when you have a kid, you get more sensitive to things that happen with little children.” ESPN filmed the practice and will air it as part of a Make-A-Wish series in August.

“Explosive sprinting:” At practice Tuesday, Griffin showed that he is now able to explosively sprint. In front of reporters and cameras, Griffin participated in sideline-to-sideline sprint drills. Cutting laterally was one of the final remaining hurdles in his recovery from ACL reconstruction in January. This continues the speculation that RG3 will be ready for Redskins camp in July. “I’ve said it a bunch a times- I’m pretty confident I’ll be ready.” Now that he is able to cut, Griffin can now fully focus on returning to game shape.

Tebow: The New England Patriots shocked the world this week by signing quarterback Tim Tebow to a two year contract. Consider RG3 among the people happy for the controversial star. “It’s good that someone stepped up and signed him,” Griffin told reporters Tuesday. “I wish the best for him…I always root for other quarterbacks.” I don’t question Griffin’s sincerity here, but I imagine there are at least a couple other reasons he is happy about the Tebow news:

1) It takes the spotlight off his knee rehab for at least a few minutes.

2) You KNOW Dan Snyder seriously considered bringing in Tebow to sell jerseys. What a nightmare that would have been.

and finally, it’s the RG3 Tweet of the Week:

No matter how old we get we all have a kid in us #TBT http://t.co/xfw8kmK5Bs

— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) June 13, 2013

That is indeed the face of an All-Star.

May 23, 2013; Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan stands on the field during organized team activities at Redskins Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

One of the consensus opinions among football experts following the injury to Robert Griffin III’s knee was that the Redskins’ offense would have to change in 2013. Even if RG3 can return to 100 percent health, the argument goes, having him 120 times run out of the read-option formation puts undue risk on the face of the franchise. Apparently offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan does not agree. In speaking with the media on Wednesday, Shanahan defended the Washington offense, believing that the zone-read style actually protects Griffin better than a traditional offense.

“RG3 stayed healthy last year running the zone read,” Kyle Shanahan said. “So I feel pretty good about that.  You really hope no one gets hurt. It’s hard to control injuries…When you do the zone read, everyone [on the opposing defense] is accounted for. There’s not many free hitters in it.” When asked about the injuries that Griffin sustained during the season (to his head and knee), Kyle believes they were not due to the spread approach. “Not many big hits happened on that. Usually everyone is blocked for. You know who isn’t blocked. Look at the big hits. Look at what plays they were. The three injuries were pass plays. They weren’t the zone read.”

Shanahan’s defense of the read option is both right and wrong. On the one hand, he is correct that the option neutralizes outside linebacker blitzes, preventing heavy pass rushes that could potential blindside a quarterback. The zone read keeps defenders in set lanes, and creates moments of indecision which can paralyze the defensive line. However, Kyle’s assertion that the injuries to RG3 came from “passing plays” is a bit misleading. Both Griffin’s concussion against the Falcons and the initial knee injury against the Ravens came as the quarterback scrambled down the field. Perhaps neither of these plays were designed runs, but it is not fair to attribute the injuries to traditional passing situations.

As dangerous as RG3 is carrying the football, the Redskins would be crazy to repeat the same offense from a year ago. This does not mean the playbook needs to be thrown out completely or that the zone read should be abandoned. However, the Shanahans will be playing with fire if they insist on rushing Griffin with the same frequency as a season ago. One of the ongoing narratives from the offseason is that the coaching staff is not on the same page as Griffin and do not have his best interests (or health) in mind. Kyle’s statement is tone-deaf to these concerns, expressing rigidity and stubbornness about the effectiveness of his system.

As Mark Maske points out, it’s possible that Shanahan is simply hiding his true intentions for the offense to throw off opposing defenses in the fall. Perhaps this is the case. However, considering the Shanahan’s track record, it is not unreasonable to question their attitude about the genius of their system. It would be naive and reckless to put the same pressure on Griffin following major reconstructive surgery. Hopefully the coaching staff recognizes this. Though Griffin has proven he can do it all, he should not have to.