5 questions facing the Redskins in training camp

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Nothing ever seems to come easy for the Washington Redskins, and that looks to be the case again in an NFC East featuring three teams that fancy themselves as Super Bowl contenders and Dan Snyder's perpetually underachieving collection of clashing personalities.

That's not to say there's no hope in the nation's capital. Though head coach Jay Gruden doesn't necessarily inspire confidence, the addition of keen-eyed talent evaluator Scot McCloughan as general manager has Redskins fans looking ahead to a brighter future.

A strong training camp and preseason could go a long way toward convincing both Redskins fans and the players themselves that this team can hang with its NFC East foes and compete for a playoff spot.

Here are five questions facing the Redskins heading into training camp:

Will it ever happen for RG3?

"Talk small, play big."

That's Robert Griffin III's motto for his fourth and perhaps final season with the Redskins. This is surely Griffin's last chance. If he doesn't seize the opportunity and remain the team's clear-cut starter for the duration of the season, he won't be back in 2016.

Leading the team to the playoffs is probably not the correct goal for Griffin: He needs to provide stable play before he worries about wins. That starts in training camp, where Griffin must prove both that he's on the same page as his coaches, and that he's confident enough to let his instincts and improvisational skills take over at opportune times.

Griffin must also find a way to remain healthy, which means learning to use his unique athletic talents in a way that minimizes the risk of big hits from defenders. Training camp is no substitute for the live fire of the regular season, but Griffin can use his time in camp to develop better self-preservation habits.

How quickly can Brandon Scherff adjust to life on the right?

First-round pick Brandon Scherff played both guard and tackle at Iowa, but many draft analysts said they envisioned him slotting in on the interior of the line as a pro.

The Redskins felt otherwise and instead installed the 6-foot-5, 319-pounder as starting right tackle at OTAs. Scherff reportedly struggled a little on the outside, and whether he can get up to speed quickly in training camp could go a long way in determining what the Redskins can accomplish on offense this season.

With a healthy Trent Williams and Scherff as anchors on the line, the Redskins have the chance to impose their will on a trio of NFL East opponents lacking in elite pass rushers.

If Scherff's struggles continue into the season, it will be more of the same for a Redskins team that hasn't found any consistency on the right side of its line since Jon Jansen left in 2008.

Can Alfred Morris succeed in a power-running scheme?

Alfred Morris has overachieved since entering the NFL, but the former sixth-round pick may face his biggest challenge this season. After three straight 1,000-yard campaigns, Morris will run in a power-running scheme for the first time as a pro.

Morris says he's excited about moving from the zone-heavy scheme, where he saw success, to one predicated on power concepts. "I feel I'm better at downhill plays anyway," he told ESPN recently.

The Redskins are hedging their bets, as is evident from the team's selection of prototypical power runner Matt Jones in the third round of the draft.

Gruden says Morris (who's in the final year of his rookie deal) will remain the feature runner, but it wouldn't be a shock to see the Redskins start to move on if he struggles in the new scheme.

Who will replace Brian Orakpo?

The Redskins had the chance to draft an elite pass-rushing prospect to replace the departed Brian Orakpo and passed, opting instead to use their first-round pick on the offensive line.

That suggests the team feels good about the in-house options for replacing Orakpo's production, even if they failed to do so with Orakpo on injured reserve last season.

Trent Murphy has the inside track to start opposite Ryan Kerrigan, but the 2014 second-rounder was disappointing as a rookie, recording just 2.5 sacks in eight starts. Murphy will be on a short leash and it won't be a surprise if 2015 second-rounder Preston Smith overtakes him on the depth chart.

Regardless of who starts opposite Kerrigan, both Murphy and Smith should see plenty of the field. The Redskins appear intent on getting all three linebackers on the field in nickel sets.

Who will earn the starting job at strong safety?

With Brandon Meriweather finally (and mercifully) out of the picture, the Redskins are seeking a new starter at strong safety. For now, contenders for the job look to be Duke Ihenacho and Jeron Johnson.

Ihenacho spent last season with the Redskins, but appeared in only three games due to injury. Johnson is a free-agent acquisition who didn't see much of the field playing behind Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor in Seattle.

The pair shared snaps at OTAs and this competition looks too close to call entering camp.