Hopes are high for the 2008 Washington Redskins. The club will return all 22 starters from last year's playoff team, providing a solid foundation for what should be an NFC contender. While all the starters on offense and defense will be back, that's not to say there haven't been changes in D.C.
The Washington coaching staff has been completely overhauled. Jim Zorn has replaced Joe Gibbs as head coach, bringing with him a new West Coast offense that's vastly different to the previous offensive schemes. On the other side of the ball, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has also moved on, with former defensive line coach Greg Blanche now calling the shots. Blanche won't be installing a new defensive scheme. He'll merely attempt to streamline the game plan, removing many of Williams' complex but often confusing assortment of personnel and blitz packages.
But at least on the field, the Redskins will be very similar to the team that finished last season 9-7 and earned the sixth seed in the NFC playoffs. Only backups and seldom-used players like Reche Caldwell, David Macklin, Mark Brunell, and Pierson Prioleau have left town over the off-season. And the only new veterans added have been defensive end Erasmus James and safety Stuart Schweigert. The continuity should help the Redskins adapt quickly to the coaching changes, allowing them to hit the ground running in Week One of the regular season. And with the Super Bowl champion New York Giants and the mighty Dallas Cowboys in their division, the Redskins can't afford many losses.
