Over the next couple of months, leading up to free agency and the draft, we’ll examine the many question areas on the Redskins’ roster – whether it regards a decision over a player, or unit, or need – each day. This is the first in the series.  When they settled on Jay Gruden as their choice for head coach, Daniel Snyder and Bruce Allen saw him as the perfect person to fix Robert Griffin III following a 2013 campaign marred by the recovery from knee surgery and a nasty divorce with Mike Shanahan. Gruden, they thought, would help Griffin recapture the magic of his rookie year while also helping him further develop into a complete NFL quarterback.  But with a month left in the season, with Griffin having missed time with injury, and then benched for poor play, people in Gruden’s camp said the coach was done with the franchise quarterback. Griffin did eventually return to the lineup because of Colt McCoy’s neck injury and experienced mixed results, winning one game and losing the last.  And here we are, with Griffin as the subject of the Redskins’ biggest question of the offseason.  What should the team do with him, and what kind of role should he have in 2015?  Although Gruden may have wanted to turn the page on Griffin, his bosses weren’t yet ready to turn the page as the season came to an end. Gruden was noncommittal on the quarterback’s future in his final press conference of the season. He said he would meet with Allen and Snyder and determine what they wanted to do at quarterback. So the coach’s thoughts on Griffin at this point remain a mystery.  But a few days later, Allen addressed the media and said that Griffin will benefit from a second season under Gruden. And after getting introduced as general manager 10 days later, Scot McCloughan said that it was too soon to give up on Griffin, citing the quarterback’s talent and accomplishments as a rookie, and the complexity of Gruden’s offense as reasons for his stance.  So, it appears that Griffin will indeed see the fourth and final year of his rookie contract. But plenty of uncertainties remain after that.  Griffin has one more year left on his deal, and he’s due to earn $6.7 million ($3.3 million base, $3.4 signing bonus installment), and all of that money will count against the cap, whether or not he’s on the roster.  The team could pick up the option on his contract for a fifth year, but that would mean committing to pay Griffin at least $15 million (and probably more) in guaranteed money (the exact figures for the 2012 draft class’s fifth-year options have yet to be set by the league).  The Redskins would have to exercise that option by May 3, but it’s hard to imagine them doing so, given Griffin’s injury history and his lack of sustained on-field success. It’s more likely that he enters this final year in a “prove-it” situation, and then the team would revisit his future later.  But should Griffin return as the starting quarterback? Remaining on the roster guarantees him little beyond the paychecks.  Although McCloughan said it’s too soon to give up on Griffin, it doesn’t mean that he sees him as the stone-cold lock as the starter.  But the Redskins do seem committed to helping Griffin, and their other quarterbacks, improve. Hiring Matt Cavanaugh as quarterbacks coach is a step in the right direction. Gruden and offensive coordinator Sean McVay were stretched too thin to give their young passers the proper tutelage, they concluded.  Griffin could, however, face competition for the starting job. Gruden seemed intent on staging a competition this offseason.  ● D.C. Sports Bog: Cooley says competition will be sham, RGIII will win  McCloughan will have final say on personnel, but believes in working with his coach. It’s always possible that he could stress to Gruden the importance of sticking with Griffin as his starter, but that seems unlikely, because the general manager has spoken in general terms about the importance of having competition at every position. And so, a battle for the starting job, featuring Griffin and other contestants, seems likely.  Kirk Cousins remains under contract for another year, and McCoy will be a free agent. Gruden said it’s hard to properly hold a three-way competition for the starting job because there are only so many first-team snaps to go around.  It’s possible that the Redskins try again to trade Cousins. And although Gruden likes McCoy, McCloughan could surmise that other candidates boast more upside.  The free-agent class is expected to feature Mark Sanchez, Brian Hoyer, Michael Vick, Matt Hasselbeck, Jake Locker and Matt Flynn, among others.  Regardless of what Washington does about the other quarterbacks, it’s important for Griffin to spend this offseason studying more video than he has in his life, and working with his private coach, Terry Shea, to sharpen his technique and fundamentals. Then, once offseason practices roll around, Griffin must gear up for the fight of his life, if he expects to have a leg up on the competition when training camp kicks off in July.  Bog: Redskins’ letter to fans omits Griffin among key players  Outsider: Reviewing the Redskins’ wide receivers  Mailbag: On the revamped coaching staff  D.C. Sports Bog: Native American college player opposes name  More NFL: Home page | Sports Bog | Early Lead | Fancy Stats | Fantasy  Follow: @MikeJonesWaPo | @lizclarketweet | @JReidPost | @Insider  Mike Jones covers the Washington Redskins for The Washington Post. When not writing about a Redskins development of some kind – which is rare – he can be found screaming and cheering at one of his kids’ softball, baseball, soccer or basketball games.
The quarterback might be the starter heading into next season, but will he have to fend off competition for the job, or be handed it outright?