Washington Redskins: Three reasons the offense will improve in 2018

Offseason Acquisitions

We’ll start with the obvious. The Washington Redskins added quite a bit of firepower to their offensive cast this year, and they have quite a bit of talent coming back as well.

At the skill positions, the most impactful acquisition this offseason was Derrius Guice. A first-round talent out of LSU, Guice has the well-rounded game that all teams look for from their running backs. He can make players miss, he can barrel through contact, and he can work after the catch. The Washington Redskins haven’t had a talent like Guice in a long time, and he should be the perfect compliment for Chris Thompson (I feel like I’ve written that at least 20 times by now).

Guice’s acquisition, however, should not dim the lights shining on Paul Richardson and Trey Quinn, two of the team’s additions at wide receiver. Richardson is a player entering his prime with blazing speed and crisp route running ability, while Quinn is a pro-ready rookie with the positional versatility to give the Washington Redskins security at a position that was severely lacking in that regard last year. The impact of a running back like Guice can’t be overstated. He’ll make every player better, especially the offensive linemen.

Of course, none of these additions matter without a quarterback. And luckily for the Washington Redskins, they found a way to acquire one of those as well. Alex Smith is, at the very least, a lateral move from Kirk Cousins, and if he can uphold his level of play from last year, he’s arguably an upgrade. Smith’s longterm history suggests that he has his limitations, but last year, he reached new heights with his game. He was incredibly efficient throwing on every level, displaying a pinpoint accuracy across the field that not many quarterbacks have.

This pinpoint accuracy has, perhaps, been an underrated aspect of Smith’s game. Smith is very good at putting the ball exactly where it needs to be. He may not be the best velocity thrower, but the NFL is a game of inches, and a pass that is relatively accurate, but an inch or two out of the sweet spot, can throw off a receiver. Good receivers adjust to these passes, but it helps when you have a quarterback who makes the receiver’s job easier.

Alex Smith gives the Washington Redskins exactly that, and with Jay Gruden, a coach who endlessly pestered Kirk Cousins to throw deep, Smith shouldn’t have any trouble. He’s already been gaining chemistry with his deep threats. The hope is that the Washington Redskins’ most important offseason acquisition can pick up where he left off in 2017.