Redskins 2017 was forward progress, and that’s all it had to be

The Redskins would have liked it to be more.

The optimists spoke of another NFC East title in the offseason. The pessimists spoke of a 5-11 season, and another new direction in an era of diversions. In the end, neither prediction was true. The doubters have little reason to keep their sullen expressions. And the believers will have to hold off for another year.

Tomorrow, in the dusk of December, the Redskins’ 2017 comes to close. And on the surface, it feels so much like the others. A team that once had contention in its sights, only to be beaten by the testing battles of professional football. A team that handily finished the Rams and the Raiders, only to have their playoff hopes snuffed by the middling Cowboys.

For yet another year, the Redskins were simply average. They were good sometimes. And they were very bad on other occasions. Their dueling personas leveled out over time, and we were left with the same team we’d seen in recent years. A good team that wasn’t good enough.

Regardless of the result, however, 2017 should not and does not feel the same as the years ahead of it. Positions of need from last offseason are close to being locked down with young talent. The trenches are flush with veteran leadership and tantalizing potential, and the locker room leaders are on track to remain with the team. Kirk Cousins may leave, but even if he does, the roster is shaping up to be a good one, in due time. The coaches still have the confidence of the front office behind them, and with good reason. They didn’t deserve to be judged by 2017. The circumstances did not allow it.

Next: 2018 NFL Draft: Where do the Redskins stack up?

Things are building in Ashburn. The offseason of 2018 may bring monumental change, but regardless of what happens, Washington has a young core that is growing with every passing year. They’ll fight to reach 8-8 against the New York Giants tomorrow, and with the Giants in disarray, such a feat will likely become reality. Some will say 8-8 is a disappointment. Others will say it’s a miracle, with the injuries that have come and gone. But opinions and editorials aside, the Redskins’ 2017 season was forward progress. And that’s all it needed to be.