By retaining Manusky and inside linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti — and potentially assistant defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant, who remained in negotiations to receive a promotion to defensive backs coach — Redskins officials ensured that the returning players will have coaches who speak a familiar language and already have a good understanding of their strengths and weaknesses.

Players had a great deal of respect for those three coaches. Throughout last season, players, along with team officials and Gruden, praised all three for their strong communication and teaching skills.

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Asked about Manusky on Sunday, linebacker Ryan Kerrigan said, “He just knows [football], and he makes his players understand it, too. Not just knowing our responsibilities but understanding what the call means for the entire defense. [It] makes you a smarter player.”

General Manager Scot McCloughan described Manusky as “probably the best outside linebackers coach in the league” during a talk last season. McCloughan knows Manusky’s work well. The two worked together in San Francisco for three years (2007 to 2009) when McCloughan was in the front office there and Manusky was defensive coordinator. McCloughan was instrumental in bringing Manusky on staff last season when the coach became available after four seasons as Indianapolis’s defensive coordinator.

Manusky and Gruden also developed a strong relationship during the past year, people within the organization say.

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Because of their respect and appreciation for Manusky, Redskins officials opted to keep him even after firing Barry on Jan. 5. They told outside candidates that they wanted to retain him as an outside linebackers coach.

Team brass wanted the same for Olivadotti and Pleasant, the other two assistants retained when Barry, defensive line coach Robb Akey and defensive backs coach Perry Fewell were fired.

Olivadotti has coached with the Redskins for 14 seasons (2000 to 2010 and 2014 to present), serving under eight head coaches. Players and coaches say he has a great football mind and a gift for breaking the game down in digestible bits for young players to help expedite their development.Pleasant just completed his fourth season with the Redskins, spending the past three working with the defensive backs under Raheem Morris and then Fewell.

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Sean McVay and the Rams tried to lure him to Los Angeles, but the Redskins didn’t want to let him get away. If they finalize that deal, the Redskins will expect Pleasant to get more out of young cornerbacks Bashaud Breeland, Quinton Dunbar and Kendall Fuller while also developing converted safety Su’a Cravens.

But most of the pressure will rest on the shoulders of Manusky, a charismatic former NFL linebacker who relentlessly drilled and challenged his players last season. Manusky helped Kerrigan produce one of his best seasons, and Trent Murphy had a career year.

Manusky has to find a way to bring some ferocity to a predominantly toothless unit. The Redskins have ranked 28th in total defense in each of the past two seasons. This past season, Washington ranked 24th in rushing yards allowed, 25th in passing yards allowed, 19th in points allowed, 32nd on third downs, 17th in takeaways and 26th in red-zone touchdowns allowed.

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The Redskins made few game-changing plays on defense. Their defensive line got gashed against the run far too often and also did little to assist in pass rushing. The inside linebackers and outside linebacker Preston Smith could have provided a more consistent impact. And safety has been an area of weakness.

Talent is among Washington’s many problems. People around the NFL said that the shortage of pieces to work with was a factor in the Redskins’ struggles to land their most desired candidates, Gus Bradley and Wade Phillips.

With Bradley going to the Chargers and Phillips to the Rams, the Redskins were left with Manusky, Rob Ryan, Jason Tarver, Dennis Thurman, John Pagano and Mike Pettine to interview. They settled on Manusky largely because of his tough mind-set, one person familiar with the situation said, and because of his preexisting knowledge of the unit.

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Redskins officials need to place a high priority on upgrading the talent on defense, both through free agency and the draft, particularly along the line, at safety and possibly at inside linebacker. But it’s impossible to solve every area of weakness in one offseason.

So it will be on Manusky to find a way to maximize the talent he has to work with, mask the weaknesses and dial up more aggressive schemes to cause the disruption that the defense has lacked. Deficiencies in those three areas were among the biggest criticisms of Barry during his two seasons as coordinator.

Entering the final month of the season, when asked about potential changes on defense, Redskins decision-makers said continuity carried high importance. A switch from Barry would have meant some of Washington’s players would be playing for their third coordinator in four years. They worried that such a move would stunt the growth of younger players. For a while, they leaned toward bringing Barry back, hoping that improved talent would lead to better results.But after assessing the season, Gruden ultimately decided that despite his respect for Barry and their strong friendship, the unit needed a change.

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However, retaining three coaches will keep players from starting over entirely.

Gruden has guided the Redskins to back-to-back winning seasons — a first for the franchise since the 1996 and 1997 campaigns. However, his 2016 squad fell short of the playoffs despite having multiple opportunities to punch its ticket. Shortcomings on defense played a role in a number of losses.

Gruden is entering the fourth season of a five-year contract. It’s believed that he needs a strong 2017 campaign to earn an extension. Dramatic regression could prompt owner Daniel Snyder, team President Bruce Allen and McCloughan to dismiss the coach rather than let him enter a fifth season.

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The uncertainty of Gruden’s future is believed to have been another factor in the lack of desirable outside candidates for Washington’s coordinator job.

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But the Redskins now turn to Manusky to see whether he can help provide the boost they need. In nine seasons as a coordinator, Manusky has never overseen a top-10 defense. His units on average have ranked 18th in total defense and 17th in points allowed. One of his best seasons came in 2014, when the Colts’ defense ranked 11th in the league in total defense, and another came in 2009, when his 49ers unit ranked fourth in the NFL in points allowed.