The Washington Redskins were a terror last season when Pierre Garcon was on the field as Robert Griffin III's No. 1 receiver.
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The Redskins went 9-2 with Garcon, who finished with 44 catches for 633 yards and four touchdowns in 10 regular-season starts. Garcon was limited by a torn ligament in his right foot, an injury suffered in the season opener against the New Orleans Saints. He had surgery to repair a shoulder issue this offseason, but he did not surgically repair the foot.
ESPN.com's Dan Graziano wrote Saturday that foot surgery for Garcon was the one move the Redskins needed to make but didn't this offseason. Graziano believes the Redskins could look back on Garcon's rest-and-rehabilitation decision as the team's "biggest regret."
In fairness to Garcon, it wasn't a cut-and-dry option -- there was no guarantee the procedure completely would repair the ligament. Instead, Garcon opted to have special shoes made to help better protect the foot. He said last month on NFL Network's "NFL AM" he has to "learn a lot about my foot and how I run."
If the foot issue flares up again in 2013, the Redskins' offense becomes vulnerable. Josh Morgan, the team's No. 2 wide receiver, doesn't keep defensive coordinators up at night. Fred Davis is a playmaking tight end, but he's coming off surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon.
A healthy RGIII can cover up a lot of blemishes, but Garcon's health is a key plot point for training camp and beyond.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.
