Thanks, as always, for taking part in the Mailbag, and keep the questions coming. Email me at mike.jones@washpost.com with the subject line of “Mailbag Question,” and we’ll do it all over again next week.

Despite the spin out of Redskin Park, selecting a defensive coordinator seems to be a problem. What is the problem? Lack of long-term contract for Gruden? Lack of talent on the defensive side of the ball? Or overall sense of downward trend of the team with all the important free agents the Redskins have, or all of the above?

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– Allen Norris

Your perception is not off. From what I’ve been able to gather from talking to people familiar with the situation, the Redskins are indeed having a little more trouble than they anticipated landing a desirable defensive coordinator. And, there are a number of factors, but limited talent and questionable long-term stability under Jay Gruden (who is only under contract for the next two seasons and seemingly is entering a make-or-break year) all have something to do with it.

League insiders also say Redskins brass has some interest in keeping outside linebackers coach Greg Manusky (if he doesn’t get the defensive coordinator job himself), inside linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti and Aubrey Pleasant, who served as assistant defensive backs coach under Raheem Morris and Perry Fewell. That is a bit of a deterrent for a coordinator who wants to come in and bring all of his own guys. The Redskins certainly aren’t the most undesirable of destinations. But if you compare the defensive talent of teams like the Rams or Chargers, Washington certainly comes up short. And, even if the Redskins load up on defense in free agency and the draft, whatever coordinator they hire doesn’t have the assurance that he’ll have very much time to right this ship. If the Redskins were to dramatically regress this year, prompting management to move on from Gruden rather than bring him back for the fifth and final year of his contract, that would likely mean cleaning house and parting with the new defensive coordinator as well. So, while every job in the NFL comes with a degree of uncertainty, this position definitely does.

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The Redskins might have miscalculated on this one. It probably would have made more sense to keep Joe Barry and restock the defensive roster first, and then see how things panned out during the season. Then if things went poorly despite some increased promise on that side of the ball, go after a new defensive coordinator.

With lots of coordinators being hired already, who do you think will be a realistic hire & best fit for the Redskins? Do we hire from within or is it best to look for fresh faces on both sides of the ball?

– Callum Wishart

Well, until Gus Bradley accepts a job with some other team, he probably remains the top guy on the Redskins’ wish-list. He has a working relationship with Bruce Allen, Scot McCloughan and Jay Gruden. He has a track record of creative schemes and aggressive play-calling. Outside linebackers coach Greg Manusky seems to be the only in-house candidate, and he has some supporters in the building. But is that the best fit? He definitely is regarded as a good teacher and communicator. But he’ll definitely need an infusion of talent – as would any other defensive coordinator – to have a legitimate chance to improve this unit. The same applies for any other defensive coordinator, really. Again, Bradley isn’t off the table. But it seems like Manusky, or some under-the-radar candidate is more likely at this point.

On offense, I would expect to see an in-house promotion. Quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh has experience as an offensive coordinator, and he is credited with helping the growth of Kirk Cousins. He would probably be a good fit that would help ensure a seamless transition. But I would expect Jay Gruden to reassume play-calling duties. Offensive line coach Bill Callahan is another option, although in this setup, I still would expect Gruden to serve as play-caller.

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What specific steps could be taken to improve the Redskins’ already good offense? Would an elite-drafted back behind our offensive line, improved at the left guard spot, be one way to go? Would adding a true fullback improve the run blocking in the red zone? Is our depth at tackle/center solid enough? Any thoughts?

– Emmett Mosley

The Redskins could probably use a powerful, bruising back to add to the mix. He would complement Rob Kelley and Chris Thompson well, and move the pile in short-yardage and goal-line situations. Matt Jones has size, but that’s not really his running style.

The Redskins’ coaches also need to figure out how to improve their play designs and selections in the red zone. That more than anything will make a difference. This offense has proven it can move the ball, but things fizzle in the red zone for some strange reason. It seems like this is more of an Xs and Os issue than talent, because the Redskins had basically the same unit in 2015 as they did in 2016 and did much better in scoring position. Left guard and center are areas where starters return, but team officials probably would be smart to at least bring in some candidates to compete there to see if they can further improve. Spencer Long could be an answer at center, and he could improve with a full offseason under his belt. But depth at center certainly is an issue. Left guard Shawn Lauvao had mixed results this past year, but remains under contract. Arie Kouandjio wasn’t ready, in the coaches’ eyes, to take over that job. But we’ll see if things change this offseason.

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With free agency roughly 50 days away, when should we start to see announcements that the Skins have re-signed their impending free agents? I would think the coordinators would have to be announced first. For instance, Chris Baker alluded to contract talks at the Caps game with McCloughan. What is your best guess at who is retained?

– Paul McDuffie, Myrtle Beach

I think you’re probably right, that any such moves will not take place until coordinators are in place. Especially on the defensive side of the ball. A new coordinator is going to want to evaluate the pieces he has to work with and give his opinion of who he’d like to have back, and who he would like to replace.

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I wouldn’t expect any real movement until late February or early March on most re-signings. If I had to predict, I’d say Pierre Garcon and Vernon Davis rank among the top-tier priority re-signings. Chris Baker and Duke Ihenacho seem like possibilities. I’d expect Chris Thompson and Will Compton, who are both restricted free agents, to re-sign. It’ll be interesting to see what happens with another restricted free agent in Ty Nsekhe, who could draw some outside interest. Long snapper Nick Sundberg is another guy I would expect them to re-sign. Junior Galette wants to re-sign, and it will not cost the team much to do so given the injuries he’s coming off. Otherwise, the Redskins really need fresh starts at a lot of positions.

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Why would Pierre Garcon or DeSean Jackson come back here if they can get more money elsewhere and be used properly? Here it seems coach speak reigns, where Cousins throws the ball where coverage dictates. If winning is the goal, why do other teams continuously target their playmakers, but the Redskins do not?

– Steve Weaver

Garcon is on record saying he wants to return, and Redskins coaches and Kirk Cousins have continually praised him. He could draw some outside interest, but coming off 1,000-yard season, in which the coaches do a much better job of utilizing him in the second half of the year, it seems like Garcon and the Redskins remain a good fit.

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Jackson doesn’t, however, seem to fit as well. Yes, he brings a great deep threat. But Washington’s offense doesn’t call for as many deep shots as Jackson would like. It’s more quick-hitters and crossing patterns, which fit more with Garcon’s game than Jackson’s. And, since the Redskins can’t afford to bring both back, I do expect Jackson to move on. I can’t tell you why the coaches didn’t target either of those more. At times, they definitely seemed like forgotten men. But, Washington’s offense does feature a lot of weapons (Jordan Reed, Davis, Jamison Crowder as well), and there are only so many balls to go around. Again, the second half of the season seemed to bode well for Garcon, however. He and Josh Doctson, provided he is healthy, could form a good tandem on the outsides with Crowder and Reed underneath and over the middle.

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Email a Redskins question to mike.jones@washpost.com, with the subject “Mailbag question,” and it might be answered next Tuesday.