As they have worked to overhaul what was a rather toothless defensive attack in 2014, Redskins Coach Jay Gruden and new coordinator Joe Barry have worked to instill a more aggressive mind-set.
Throughout practices, Barry barks instructions and urges players to increase the level of intensity, pressure the quarterback, strip and pounce on loose balls, and go after interceptions. Every defensive coordinator preaches the importance of all of those factors, but Barry has passionately – and many times demonstratively – tried to hammer those points home.
Gruden, Barry and General Manager Scot McCloughan share the belief that the construction of an aggressive defense begins with the defensive line, and so that area of the unit garnered the most attention from the team’s architects this offseason.