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Jay Gruden praises Josh Norman, knocks rest of Redskins roster

Washington Redskins head coach Jay Gruden has never been one to refrain from the controversial public statement. Just ask former Redskins quarterback and current free agent Robert Griffin III.

It’s certainly a different coaching style — one that has led to a certain amount of success for Gruden during his three-year stint in D.C.

As the Redskins opened training camp, Gruden definitely made sure we all knew he didn’t change during the summer.

There’s two ways to look at this. Gruden was very high in his praise of Pro Bowl cornerback Josh Norman. Why wouldn’t he be? Norman remains one of the top cover guys in the NFL.

The other way to look at this is through a more skeptical lens.

“Josh Norman’s work ethic needs to rub off on other guys.”

That doesn’t sound like a ringing endorsement to the rest of the roster. At the very least, Gruden could be calling out other members of a defense that ranked in the bottom half of the NFL in points allowed last season.

To say that Norman is a fiery competitor would be an understatement. It’s this edge that has helped him become a top-end defensive back in the game. But if his work ethic doesn’t prove to be infectious, it could ultimately lead to the Redskins’ downfall in 2017. Maybe that’s what Gruden himself was getting at.

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