Jay Gruden began his homework once he learned there was a possibility of bringing Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins. The fifth-year coach started delving into Kansas City tape despite already having a familiarity with Andy Reid’s offense.
Still, he was looking for any extra clue to maximize the talents of the incoming quarterback. Those studies led Gruden to the run-pass option.
The scheme certainly isn’t new and the Redskins have run it in the past. Gruden plans to use it even more.
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“They’re very diverse in what they do with the zone reads and RPOs and all that stuff,” Gruden said, referring to the Chiefs. “So that really appeals to us. It’s another way to get the ball on the perimeter, get the ball to your backs and try to get the numbers in your favor.
“We’ve started that process already. Hopefully start to implement that a little bit more of that in our offense.”
Plenty of teams across the league use the option in a variety of ways and the run-pass version allows the quarterback to read certain defenders or keys and either hand off or throw downfield. The traditional option gives the quarterback a decision to hand off or keep the ball himself to run. The added layer of deception is supposed to spread the defense, preventing it from playing strictly for the run or pass. Overplay either one and the defense can get burned. The goal is to create mismatches and allow skill players to make plays in space.
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Smith, at 6-foot-4, 212 pounds, has always had underrated athleticism and he ran a variation of the spread option in college at Utah under Urban Meyer, leading the 2004 Utes to an undefeated season.
“I like to be kind of that Swiss Army knife and be able to take advantage of a lot of different things,” Smith said.
The Redskins knew the offense needed more this offseason and they traded talented cornerback Kendall Fuller and a third-round pick to solidify the quarterback position. They gave former Seattle Seahawks receiver Paul Richardson a five-year deal at $40 million, including $20 million guaranteed, to lure him in free agency. A running back likely will be added from a deep draft class.
Getting the offensive line and tight end Jordan Reed healthy will be another addition to that side of the ball.
The Redskins ranked 16th last season in both total offense per game (324.9 yards) and points per game (21.4.
Gruden is known for his offensive mind and his scheme helped former quarterback Kirk Cousins throw for more than 4,000 yards in each of the past three seasons. His 2016 campaign earned Cousins a Pro Bowl selection after throwing for a franchise record of 4,917 yards.
“We’ve been pretty good offensively, for the most part,” Gruden said. “We’re always looking for ways to improve. We feel like we have a good foundation in place systematically. Now it’s just ways to branch off of it and make us better. I think Alex gives us that flexibility in order to do that.”
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