NFL news roundup: Jay Gruden hired as Redskins head coach

The Washington Redskins have found their head coach, and playoff news dominated the headlines on Thursday.

Jan 9, 2014, 10:06 PM UTC

David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.

The Washington Redskins are moving on from Mike Shanahan and have decided on Jay Gruden to be the team's new head coach.

Gruden spent the last three seasons as offensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals, helping organize a dangerous passing offense with Andy Dalton and A.J. Green that helped the team make the playoffs in three straight years and saw year-over-year improvement.

The new Redskins coach will be tasked with improving quarterback Robert Griffin III, who struggled in his sophomore season. Gruden has an established history with Dalton, which the team will hope translates to Griffin III and return Washington to the playoffs.

Steve Smith suffers setback

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith didn't offer a lot of information following the team's Thursday practice, but made it clear his recovery from a sprained PCL suffered a setback.

Smith has been working the numbers game this week, initially saying he was 60 percent certain to play on Sunday, then upgrading that figure to 71 percent and now reducing it to 57 percent. It’s the Panthers’ first playoff game in five years, and the team is in dire need of his services if it has any chance of winning against San Francisco.

Trent Richardson will get more chances from Colts

Running back Trent Richardson struggled in the Wild Card round when he fumbled early against the Kansas City Chiefs and didn't see the field much after that.

Despite his problems, the Colts are committed to giving him more running opportunities, with offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton telling media he was not punishing Richardson with a lack of carries following the fumble.

Two top underclassmen declare for draft

The NFL Draft is taking shape and two names you'll hear early in May are those of Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Cyrus Kouandjio, both of whom declared on Thursday.

Clinton-Dix is regarded as one of the top safeties in the 2014 class, while Kouandjio should be a top-20 pick at offensive tackle. The two Alabama underclassmen will likely ensure the school finishes with the top draft class for the third year in a row.

Alshon Jeffery replaces Calvin Johnson at Pro Bowl

Chicago Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery was widely believed to be a Pro Bowl snub when rosters were released, but he will have a chance to play in Hawaii anyway. Calvin Johnson is still recovering from a knee injury and Jeffery will take his place.

Jeffery finished with 1,421 yards this season and seven touchdowns, becoming a vital part of the Bears passing offense in 2013.