Entering the 2015 season, the Washington Redskins find themselves at a crossroads with a huge question looming about the direction of their franchise. At this point, it’s pretty clear that the immediate future is going to be dictated by the play of Robert Griffin III; his ability to produce on field will play a big part in whether the Redskins fly or die both now and in the immediate future. But there is a bigger and more important force at play in their situation, and that’s head coach Jay Gruden.

At this point, it’s pretty clear what Griffin’s positives and negatives are. The brilliance that was his rookie season has been overshadowed by both injuries and ineffectiveness. Former coach Mike Shanahan can try to dance his way around the blame all he wants, but he is the definition of a square peg in a round hole. Shanahan tried to force Griffin to be something he wasn’t, and entirely too quickly. Shanahan tossing Griffin out there with a clearly busted knee is a major reason why the Redskins are stuck now.

As much of a raw deal it might be for Gruden, his willingness to be flexible is going to directly determine what happens with Griffin and the future of the Redskins. Gruden has to be smart enough to get Griffin back to what he does the best, and not try to drill him face-first into a straight pro-style offense. If a more traditional offense is Griffin’s ultimate end goal in Washington, they need to get him there slowly and surely. Give him 75 percent of his game and make him integrate 25 percent of a new offense in there and see how he does. Let him master that much, then add in some more.

Griffin will either make the steady transition, or he’s going to burn out at some point along the way. Either way, the Redskins get what they really need out of him, and that’s clarity. It’s tough to make decisions on a player of his caliber when you don’t know what his ceilings are. It’s especially tough when you’ve seen what Griffin can do when he’s healthy and confidently running his offense. His game works. It did work.

It might seem like Griffin should be able to run a pro-style offense now, and that’s a perfectly legitimate thought. But if the Redskins want any kind of success with Griffin right here and now, they have to let him play the game he’s comfortable playing. And whether that happens or not falls directly on Gruden’s shoulders. There could still be enough time to salvage Griffin’s career in Washington and make him a functional long-term player. But it’s going to come down to Gruden and what he decides to do. No pressure or anything, but the next five years of the franchise could depend on how he handles Griffin in 2015.

Doug Green is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com covering the Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL.  Follow him on Twitter @DGreenNFL.