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Washington Redskins offseason activities begin today

By Ian Cummings

BALTIMORE, MD - OCTOBER 9: A Washington Redskins helmet sits on the field prior to the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on October 9, 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Todd Olszewski/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - OCTOBER 9: A Washington Redskins helmet sits on the field prior to the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on October 9, 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Todd Olszewski/Getty Images) /
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The second phase of the offseason is set to begin later today, when the Washington Redskins will travel back to team facilities to start offseason workouts.

Coming off an injury-riddled 7-9 season, the Washington Redskins will work to not only stay healthy this year, but also to improve on what was a promising season before injuries struck and severely handicapped the team.

First, there was the NFL Combine. Then there was free agency. Now, just a little more than a week before the NFL Draft, the Washington Redskins, per the team’s official Twitter feed, will gather to start offseason workouts.

https://twitter.com/Redskins/status/985836151893385216

Workouts are likely to go smoothly. They always do. The offseason is the euphoria period, when every team feels good about their chances come September. So Redskins fans, if you’re looking for a time to be optimistic, this is the time.

Nevertheless, there is reason to believe the Washington Redskins are trending up. Jay Gruden is in his fifth year, allowing for continuity and familiarity. The team has a roster filled with ascending young talent, and they’ve made a number of moves this offseason in order to strengthen the depth of the team, which was a concern in 2017.

Perhaps the largest subplot of the coming offseason workouts is the arrival and acclimation of new additions, most notably quarterback Alex Smith, to the rest of their team mates. New additions include Alex Smith, who was previously mentioned, wide receiver Paul Richardson, edge rusher Pernell McPhee, cornerback Orlando Scandrick, and competition punter Sam Irwin-Hill.

Next: Redskins: 3 prospects to watch in Round 4 of the NFL Draft

There have been no reports suggesting that any new players will be unable to attend offseason workouts, and so all are expected to be there on time and ready to work. Alex Smith, in particular, has already been making himself comfortable in D.C., and when players report to the team later today, expect optimism to hit a peak, as it always does this time of year. Is this season different? Time will tell. There nothing for us to say now. We’ll know long after the players begin their work.

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