Washington had a tough off-season first changing their longstanding Redskins name after years of pressure to do so.
On top of that, the front office has been dealing with sexual misconduct allegations from many employees that have recently come out and the organization has major issues.
Add to the fact that Washington had the second-fewest wins in the NFL last season.
For 2020 the team will be known as the Washington Football Team, which must have taken forever to come up with. They will have an official name for the 2021 season.
Odds to win NFC East: +1300
Odds to win NFC: +5000
Odds to win Super Bowl: +10000
KEY ADDITIONS
Head coach Ron Rivera was the big addition as well as taking DE Chase Young with the second pick in the draft.
The team was busy signing many free agents including TE Logan Thomas, RB Peyton Marber, CB Kendall Fuller, FS Sean Davis, and G Wes Schweitzer.
KEY LOSSES
Washington lost a couple of QB’s in Colt McCoy and Case Keenum as well as CB Josh Norman. The one loss was perennial Pro Bowl OT Trent Williams, who was not happy in the Nation’s Capital.
SEASON PREVIEW
Rivera has a lot of work to do for a team that scored the fewest points in the league last season and gave up the fifth-most points. former head coach Jack Del Rio takes over as the defensive coordinator.
Dwayne Haskins started nine games last season and showed some flashes of being a legit QB, but he was also behind a line that gave up 50 sacks last season.
Haskins will have the starting job entering the season, but the team also recently got back veteran Alex Smith from his bad leg injury in 2018.
Washington got a good rookie season from WR Terry McLaurin, who led the team with 919 receiving yards, but the WR position is still thin.
YOUNG TALENT
They have young talent in the receiving corps with the likes of Kelvin Harmon and Antonio Gandy-Golden and veteran WR Cody Latimer was also signed in the off-season. Still, the corps lacks a big name, and there is no true #1 guy on the outside.
Adrian Peterson and Derrius Guice will man the backfield and the team is high on rookie pass-catching RB Antonio Gibson.
The defensive line for Washington is solid and with Young, it may take a big step this season. Ryan Kerrigan, Montez Sweat, Jonathan Allen, and Matt Ioannidis make up the front line and Young may be a star and much is expected of the second pick of the last draft.
Kendall Fuller and Ronald Darby were solid additions to the secondary but the LB unit is still a big issue for a team that gave up way too many big plays last season.
While Washington does not play the easiest schedule in their first 12 games they only have two facing teams that made the playoffs last season.
They open the season facing the Eagles in Philadelphia, which is their only NFC East game in their first five games.
Prediction: Washington has young talent on both sides of the ball but many issues as well. Is Haskins their guy? That is one of the main questions, which this season should answer.
Washington has solid coaches and young talent, but it will be a bumpy ride in D.C. for Rivera in his first season with the team that will finish well below .500.