RICHMOND, Virginia -- The Washington Redskins' defense struggled the past two seasons and the frustration on that side of the ball extends even beyond this period. The Redskins haven't finished in the top half of the league in yards or points allowed since 2011 when they were 13th in the former category. And they haven't ended a season ranked in the top 10 in both categories since 2008. There's little wonder why some questions focus on this side of the ball.

Has the redskins defense really made strikes to be better or will they be same mediocre level? #jkmailbag

— Trey Holsten (@t_holsten) August 3, 2017

John Keim: Some years, mediocre would be welcomed. They've made necessary changes, but until they prove it on the field, I would temper expectations. I do believe they'll be better than in 2015 and '16, but the question then becomes: To what degree?

There's still so much more we don't know. It's hard to fully measure safeties in camp because they don't tackle. They also have a better idea of what the offense is going to do on most plays because they've worked against them so much. I can think Su'a Cravens will be a good safety -- but when will that happen? What sort of growing pains must he endure in games first? Even Sean Taylor went through them way back when.

Cornerback Bashaud Breeland hasn't had the sort of camp one would hope after last season. Then again, he looked solid in camp last summer, only to be inconsistent. But, no doubt, Breeland must pick it up a bit in camp. We also don't know if the line will be better -- and, if so, by how much? In 2016, the defense had issues with the details -- players out of gaps; in the wrong spot in coverage; missed tackles. Etc... Those ailments must be corrected.

That said, here’s what I do like about this group:

Energy: It's a younger group and with that comes a different vibe. It's hard to say who will start up front, but suffice to say there will be younger players there. Also, they -- finally -- have young building blocks up front with first-round pick Jonathan Allen and second-year guys such as Matt Ioannidis and Anthony Lanier. Regardless, the back seven likely will have five players -- regardless of who starts inside -- who are 25 or younger. Lineman Ziggy Hood might be the oldest starter at age 30. He's not an all-world talent, but the Redskins retained him because he's a tone-setter in other areas for the line.

Chatter: New safety D.J. Swearinger loves talking, a good and necessary trait in a safety. Players say there's been more emphasis on communication to avoid some of the mishaps that occurred in 2016. They will still exist; they do for pretty much every defense. But the goal is to minimize them. We'll find out later if this is just training camp storylines or legit improvement. It has been emphasized.

Swagger: You can thank Swearinger in part for this; he definitely has some -- and he also plays with a passion that appears to be contagious. So does cornerback Josh Norman. And linebacker Will Compton. It doesn't end there, but the defense should have more of it than in the past. Of course, the way you maintain that swagger is by playing well. The back-end swagger pairs with a front that is workmanlike.

Junior Galette: He doesn't always look dominant, but sometimes that's because he's facing left tackle Trent Williams. But he does look like someone who will help the pass rush after missing the past two seasons with an Achilles injury. He'll increase the passion and energy, too.

The rookies: I don't know when Allen or linebacker Ryan Anderson will start or how big their roles will be initially. But I do like their mindset and approach. Both can play and have shown flashes; both also have work to do. Anderson plays with an edge, which I love. It doesn't end there: seventh-round cornerback Josh Holsey has done a nice job at a position with good depth. We haven't seen cornerback Fabian Moreau or safety Montae Nicholson; I know a few people in the NFL who really liked Moreau coming out of UCLA. It's way too early to know what sort of class it will be, but the first week was a solid one.

Coaching changes: That's not just about Greg Manusky becoming the coordinator. It's about defensive line coach Jim Tomsula and secondary coach Torrian Gray. When Gregg Williams turned around the Redskins' defense under Joe Gibbs, he had a terrific staff. Tomsula has a good reputation and has produced good lines in the past. He has players wondering who will be playing a lot; that keeps competition alive. Unless, of course, he's just not sure. Gray's style fits better with this group than Perry Fewell's did. Players like that Gray will correct them right away; he can often be seen talking with a player about a technique issue (injured safety DeAngelo Hall does, too).

It all sounds good in August. The Redskins need to make sure it sounds even better in December. Lately, that's been the difficult part.