Thanks, as always for taking part, and keep the questions coming! E-mail me at mike.jones@washpost.com with the subject line “Mailbag question,” and we’ll do it all over again next Tuesday.

Here we go!

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The Redskins were able to win the division with a subpar running game, and now with Matt Jones as our lead back, there’s uncertainty of how well he’ll do. Do the Redskins have a good enough chance to repeat as NFC East champs even without the running game, and with the upgrades of our rivals?

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– Roderick Stickley

That’s a really good question. It would seem that Washington’s offense should have the ability to make do if the rushing attack remains the same. Improvements in Kirk Cousins’s game, and a healthy pass-catching unit should help keep the offense clicking, similar to how things went in the second half of last season. But the Redskins want to do more than just make do. They want to be able to dominate, and balance is necessary for that to happen. Far too often last season, Washington found itself in second- and third-and-long situations because of a sputtering rushing attack. That hampered the offense’s ability to extend drives and, of course, score points. So, the Redskins need more from the ground game.

But, more importantly, I think the team’s ability or inability to stop the run will have a greater impact on chances to contend for another division title. You can’t have your defense getting gashed up front and still expect to legitimately compete. At this point, the state of the defensive line is the biggest question that needs solving as Washington tries to replace Terrance Knighton and Jason Hatcher. This year’s slate of opponents features a lot of quality rushing attacks, and so the Redskins certainly will receive a lot of tests in this department.

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On the second day of OTAs, Spencer Long was getting snaps with the second team. Gruden said that Long is getting ready in case Kory Lichtensteiger goes down, does it imply that Josh LeRibeus will not be the swing guard/center? You also reported that Austin Reiter looked better from first impressions at this past rookie minicamp. Is he looking at another year on the practice squad, with Long getting backup center reps?

– Ernest Blakemore

Josh LeRibeus remains under consideration. But I think coaches would like to have more than one option. LeRibeus struggled last season when Lichtensteiger got hurt, and the team had no one else to turn to. Brian de la Puente signed midway through the season, but he didn’t have enough left in the tank to convince coaches that he was an upgrade. Now, by preparing and evaluating Long, coaches are trying to ensure they have some additional options this year, and find out if they have a prospect for future years.

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Reiter has improved both mentally and physically, but it’s hard to say where things stand with him. It’s also hard to say exactly how he’s doing, because these are non-contact practices. So, we’ll have to wait a while longer to learn the answer to this question.

In reference to Su’a Cravens, is it common for a player to learn other positions as he is being asked to do? Would you agree that the team should be grooming him to play strong safety exclusively considering the roster is thin at that position? Or is learning and practicing inside linebacker part of grooming a traditional strong safety? I realize Cravens has been dubbed a hybrid football player but, wouldn’t he be valuable on the field more in base packages than in sub packages?

– Paris Holland, Norfolk, Va.

If Cravens was a traditional strong safety, then yes, it would make sense, although even in those cases, coaches often teach a player both safety positions rather than just one, because they need to understand the responsibilities of both positions in case they are asked to step in. But Cravens isn’t really a strong safety, and he isn’t really a traditional inside linebacker. He’s a ’tweener. He has the ability to do a little bit of everything.

And so, because, depending on the situation, Cravens will be used in a variety of ways, he is now learning both positions so he knows what to do when called upon. It’s very possible that Cravens doesn’t start, but he’ll still be on the field a lot. Washington plays its nickel and dime packages more than its base, truthfully. So, that’s what coaches are preparing Cravens for.

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Is it possible that the coaching staff will replace Pierre Garcon with Josh Doctson by week 1? Garcon is a great leader but tends to have a hard time getting separation. Doctson, DeSean Jackson, Jamison Crowder and Jordan Reed seems like the dream team. What do u think?

– L. Wiks

I really don’t understand fans’ eagerness to push Pierre Garcon out the door. He has done nothing but produce since he signed with Washington four offseasons ago. Whenever given the opportunity, Garcon makes something happen. He’s not used on a lot of deep routes, so he doesn’t often get to show off his speed, but he has no problem getting open on short or intermediate routes either. Last season, he recorded 72 catches on 110 targets. That means he caught 65 percent of the passes that came his way (second-highest clip behind Jordan Reed), and according to sportingcharts.com, Garcon had only one dropped pass in 2015. He averaged a solid 10.8 yards per catch and recorded six touchdown receptions, his most since joining Washington. He makes tough catches in traffic and brings a toughness to the position. Why get rid of that for an unproven rookie? Just because Doctson has great size and athleticism doesn’t mean he’s ready to step in as a starter. And even if Doctson does come in and light it up, given the lack of dependability from Jackson last season as he battled various nagging injuries (and his lack of versatility – he’s really not a threat unless running the deep route), it’s smart to have another veteran to turn to.

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So, having said all that, no. I don’t see Doctson replacing Garcon. There could be plenty of times where they’re on the field together, or times when Garcon is on, and Doctson is off, or Doctson is on, and Garcon is off. There’s nothing wrong with having multiple threats.

We recently saw an “updated height/weight” roster of the Redskins. Is it an update from last year’s roster or is it an update from many years of non-updates? I say from non-updates. Trent Williams supposedly lost a lot of weight last year but weight said 335, and in the last couple days it has said 320. What is your opinion? Also Moses checking in at 337 scares me. Pass blocking against a speed guy at that could spell trouble.

– Bowen Carpenter, Raleigh, N.C.

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Yeah, last year’s figures were out of date. Trent Williams weighed 318 pounds last year. He said last week that he has trimmed some more body fat while also gaining a little more muscle, and he’s now around 320.

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Morgan Moses seemed to move fine last week when we got to see him, although, there’s no contact, so it’s not a complete indication. But he looked like he was of a healthy weight, and basically how he did last year. I’ll try to remember to check in with him tomorrow to see if the 337 is a jump from last year or not.

​To me, there is a serious camp battle emerging for the starting left guard spot. Should we expect the team to just plug Shawn Lauvao back into the starting role, or was Spencer Long’s work there last season strong enough to make him the odds on favorite to start? Also, what we do know about the development of 2015 pick Arie Kouandjio? Has he progressed to where he could be considered a ​serious challenger to start, or is he this generation’s Mo Hurt?

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– Emmett Mosley

Lauvao still has to get healthy so he can compete here. So, it’s hard to say if he’ll battle for that job or not. I do think Long might have the edge because of last season, Lauvao’s health, and the ongoing development of Kouandjio. But that doesn’t mean Kouandjio doesn’t have a shot. He did get some first-team reps at left guard last week. He’s working hard, hoping to force his way into the equation, for sure. I think he can be a player. He’s definitely not the overweight, undisciplined disappointing prospect like 2011 seventh-round pick Maurice Hurt.

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Assuming Reed, Davis, Paul, and Paulsen all make the 53-man roster, do you see the Skins trying to use more two-tight-end looks like in New England? Does this tight end group open up opportunities for the outside wide receivers or vice versa?

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– Ryan Claxton

Not sure if you haven’t been watching the past two years, or what. The Redskins have used two tight ends frequently since Jay Gruden and Sean McVay have directed the offense. Actually, Kyle Shanahan used a lot of two-tight-end packages as well. Gruden and McVay even trot out three tight ends at times.

Whether it was Reed and Derek Carrier, or Reed and Tom Compton, or Reed and Anthony McCoy or Alex Smith, the Redskins had a heavy dose of multiple-tight packages. Gruden likes the versatility that multiple tight ends present. They can run routes (either lined up on the line, in the slot or split out wide), they can serve as extra blockers on the line, they can motion into the backfield and block like a fullback. Now, the second tight end struggled to make much of an impact, and so the return of Niles Paul and Logan Paulsen should help both in the pass and run game. But multiple-tight-end packages are nothing new for the Redskins.

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