After much speculation throughout social media to his whereabouts, the popular Washington Redskins defensive backs coach Torrian Gray has been fired by the team, according to Craig Hoffman of 106.7 the Fan.
According to Hoffman, Gray’s dismissal is part of a much bigger house cleaning on the defensive side of the ball.
Redskins head coach Jay Gruden hinted to changes being made, particularly with the defense.
The speculation of Gray’s status with the Redskins began Tuesday morning when Mike Klis of Denver’s KUSA reported that Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Joe Woods had been in contact with the Redskins, as well as the Jacksonville Jaguars, for their defensive backs coach position.
Gray joined the Redskins in 2017 after being the defensive backs coach for his alma mater Virginia Tech from 2006-2015. There he developed a great deal of defensive backs to make the NFL, including former Redskins slot corner Kendall Fuller, and current Redskins corner Greg Stroman.
The decision to fire Gray won’t be met with much approval from the Washington faithful. Gray did a great job developing the defensive backs in two seasons. Fuller became one of the best young slot corners in a breakthrough season in 2017 before being traded to the Kansas City Chiefs for Alex Smith last January.
A large reason for deciding to move Fuller was Gray’s ability to develop, as Fabian Moreau had a respectable season replacing Fuller in the slot. Gray’s work also showed in Quinton Dunbar who was converted into a corner from wide receiver. Dunbar had made waves in 2017 in cornerback rotation before becoming a starter in 2018 where he flourished before he suffered a shin injury.
Safeties Montae Nicholson and DJ Swearinger also seemed to benefit from being under Gray. Swearinger played at nearly an All-Pro level in 2018, as he set path to finally reach the potential that made him a second-round pick in 2013.
Nonetheless, the house cleaning seems to be the bigger picture. Whether or not that claims defensive coordinator Greg Manusky remains to be seen as the news continues to trickle in about the Redskins coaching staff.
