The Redskin Offseason Thread (1 Viewer)

[MLBrandow]

Article by Rich Tandler about Portis getting more receptions this year, something I'd like to see happen.

One facet of the offense that we’re likely to see change this year is the number of passes thrown to running backs. Under Al Saunders’ coaching last year, the Chiefs’ Larry Johnson and Priest Holmes combined to catch 51 very productive passes for 540 yards. One of Holmes catches, as we all remember, was on a screen pass that went for 60 yards and the winning touchdown for Kansas City in their Week 5 victory over Washington.

When Homes was Saunders’ prime back from 2001-2003, he caught 62, 70, and 74 passes so 2005 wasn’t some kind of fluke in regards to the number of balls thrown to the tailback.

Clinton Portis caught just 30 passes for a very pedestrian 7.2-yard average per in 2005. It wasn’t that Joe Gibbs didn’t ever want to throw short; it’s just that the screens went to Santana Moss most of the time. Portis’ catches came on swing and safety valve passes. He rarely had the luxury of having any blockers out in front of him; when he made significant yardage it generally was because he made someone miss. The thought of Portis with the ball in space with Randy Thomas or Derrick Dockery in front of him has to have entered Saunders’ mind frequently in the past few months.

Add to that Saunders’ expressed desire to get Ladell Betts more involved in the offense and the fact that Santana Moss, Brandon Lloyd and Antwaan Randle El have the capability of drawing enough attention from defenders to create some significant space in the underneath portion of the field and passing to Portis and Betts is a very attractive option. We could very well see Portis’ carries drop by 25 or 30 but have his overall productivity increase by him catching a couple of dozen more passes for a 12-yard average.

 

[dgreen]

I believe Dan Snyder's radio stations will launch tomorrow. They will be on 92.7, 94.3, 99.9, and 730 AM in the DC area. I think they'll also have VA Beach and Richmond Stations. The lineup will be the typical ESPN lineup except Larry Michael will have a one-hour show at noon and Riggins and Bram will be on from 4-7.

 

[fatness]

Theater Vision!!! With Jacoby and Mark May...oh, that WAS bad...low-budget bad.

"And yes. And you can have one too."

 

[fatness]

There's a very long article in the Washington Post today about Al Saunders, how he was hired, why he took the job.

Link

During the Washington Redskins' minicamp last month, change could be measured in heart rate and decibels. Reserve tailback Ladell Betts broke through a crease on the right side and raced free. Defensive teammates Sean Taylor and Pierson Prioleau tailed off, conserving energy while preparing for the next mundane repetition.

As Betts dashed near the sideline, he was joined suddenly in full sprint by 59-year-old Al Saunders, the Redskins' new associate head coach in charge of the offense. Saunders ran with Betts, his voice booming. "That's right! We don't stop running hard until you cross that goal line! That's Redskin football! We don't stop! Way to finish! Good job, Ladell!"

Redskins defensive end Renaldo Wynn looked on and said after practice that day: "There are a lot of coaches who tear you down to build you up. Al builds you up to build you up higher."

through Saunders that Coach Joe Gibbs will complete his transition from offensive guru to game-day CEO, high on oversight, low on play-by-play masterminding. Gregg Williams has enjoyed autonomy running the defense since 2004, but for the first time in team history, the primary offensive footprint of a Redskins team coached by Joe Gibbs will not belong to Joe Gibbs.

The 65-year-old Hall of Fame coach sought this transfer of authority since late last season. There was a meeting Jan. 17 at the home of Al and Karen Saunders in Leawood, Kan., a rendezvous so clandestine that Saunders's silence was a condition of the meeting. Gibbs, who had not told his coaches he wanted to hire Saunders for nearly a month, had asked the Kansas City Chiefs for permission to speak to Saunders before the Redskins' first playoff game, according to sources.

Gibbs was direct. Over shrimp and pasta, he told Saunders he needed help. He had underestimated the demands of today's game. His offense was antiquated. Gibbs felt comfortable with Saunders, for the two, Gibbs said, "came from the same coaching tree." As offensive coordinator with the Chiefs, Saunders applied the techniques both had learned under legendary offensive coach Don Coryell in San Diego with the Chargers.

Gibbs offered total offensive control to Saunders. Saunders would call the plays. Gibbs would have input, but would not easily exercise in-game veto power, if at all. Outside of deciding whether to kick a field goal or go for it on fourth down, the game-day offense would belong to Saunders.

Around 1:30 a.m., Saunders drove Gibbs back to the airport. Driving home, Saunders called his agent, Bob LaMonte, in Half Moon Bay, Calif., and told him that, when Gibbs called, to make the deal. He was joining the Redskins.

LaMonte was perplexed. For three weeks, Saunders, widely considered one of the most innovative offensive minds in the NFL, had crisscrossed the country, interviewing only for head coaching jobs. He started in Kansas City, then interviewed in Minnesota, Houston, Oakland and Detroit. He had been a head coach once before, in San Diego, from 1986 to '88. Washington had never appeared on Saunders's radar and yet now was by far the most aggressive team pursuing him.

"Don't we still want to see if there's a head job out there?" LaMonte said he asked Saunders.

"This," he said, "is better than any head coaching job out there."

 

[fatness]

Training Camp!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

July 30 report (I'll just post parts of it)

The press conference began with Joe Gibbs giving an update on Rocky's deal saying that he believes something will get done very soon, but that he didn't want to talk prematurely. He also gave an update as to the health of certain players like Randy Thomas and Casey Rabach. These topics were revisited as the press conference continued. The good news is that everyone seems healthy and he expects everyone to be at camp on time participating tomorrow with the exception of Rocky (till he signs).

I asked Coach Gibbs if Jason Campbell would start any of the preseason games this year since he will be "Getting more work" as reported in previous press conferences during the offseason. Coach Gibbs responded that Jason Campbell will get more work than the other QB's, but that Mark Brunell will be starting all preseason games.

The Redskins are still waiting for a league ruling on Sean Taylor regarding any suspension for his off the field legal issues

Randy Thomas shows no sign of injury ... has impressively healed up and has been running full speed.

There will be only 3 two-a-days and there will be some days where there is a day practice and a night practice, but the basic theory is 1 practice, then 2 practices, then 1 practices etc ...

The players really came through in the offseason workouts and as a result he promised them that he would have the shortest possible training camp that he could manage. This is the primary resason why the Skins are starting so late this year.

The Rocky signing should take place very very soon

we spoke with Bubba Tyer after the press conference and he says that he can't compare the conditioning of the team to that of Carolina (in regards to conditioning and injuries such as Steve Smith), but that the team is in excellent shape, all the treadmill tests and conditioning exams have gone through and that this team is ready to go. When asked specifically about John Hall, he mentioned that he needs to find his groove because he has been getting treatment in the offseason and is starting to kick again, but that he is no longer getting treatment and has been kicking. Overall he was sincerely optimistic.

 

[fatness]

Another July 30 article (I'll just post parts of it)

Gibbs Kicks off Camp at Ease

by John S. Pappas - 07/30/06

At Sunday’s press conference to open Redskins’ Training Camp for 2006 the coach seemed to be a calmer, more sedate man. Gone was the nervous cackle that accompanied past press conferences. Gone was the discomfort and apologetic tone that used to pervade his voice when answering questions about the offense and the team.

Last season’s success of the Redskins and the addition of Associate Head Coach Al Saunders to run the offense appear to have done wonders for a man who has described himself in the past as “worried.”

“I feel much more comfortable then I did the first year,” Gibbs said, “We can build a lot on that. Last year was a tough year. In the middle of the year we were in real trouble and then we turned it around and won six games at the end. We saw leadership with the team. You have a real good feeling about what kind of individuals you have on the team. We are going to lean on them. The coaching staff is going to help them be the best they can be, but certainly for us, sink or swim with your players. I feel good about this group and we love working with them. The off-season is the single best indicator of anything we will do.”

 

[redman]

This is the practice blog from the official Redskins.com site:

Daily Practice Blog: July 31 Training CampJuly 31, 2006By By Gary Fitzgerald Redskins.com's training camp practice blog comes to you as action happens, from the practice fields from Redskins Park. It begins. Training camp is finally underway from Redskins Park, and it starts in searing heat. Players began filing out of the training facility, into the humidity, at about 3:15 p.m. ET. First player out on the field: wide receiver Mike Espy. He was joined shortly by Richard Smith, a fellow receiver and roster hopeful. 3:25 p.m. ET The arrival of Santana Moss and Sean Taylor drew some cheers from the fans assembled along the main practice field at Redskins Park. Taylor raised his helmet high to the air as he headed to practice, to the applause of fans. 3:30 p.m. ET Head coach Joe Gibbs was among the first coaches to arrive on the field, complete with bottle of water and a pen, handy for the autographs he will undoubtedly sign after practice. Fans didn't notice Gibbs at first. The team is practicing on the far field, furthest away from the fans. About five minutes after his arrival, Gibbs walked over to fans, to a roar of applause, and explained, "We're doing a walk-through practice right now, but we'll hold our main practice over here for you so you can see everything better." 3:40 p.m. ET Early word is that wide receiver David Patten has the flu and may not practice. 3:45 p.m. ET The Redskins spent the first 20 minutes of practice on special teams work, under the direction of special teams coordinator Danny Smith. As anyone who has attended a training camp practice can attest, Smith barks out calls to his players and is constantly challenging and motivating his players. It's no different this year. He oversaw some intense punt return drills, with Antwaan Randle El showing off his ability to dart past several defenders before getting tripped up by Khary Campbell. 4:20 p.m. ET Gregg Williams is in mid-season form. After special teams work, the offense and defense shifted to separate fields. The first task for his charges? Up-downs. 40 of them in all. After the last rep, Williams shouted out, "And that's 40. Welcome back." Then, after issuing instructions, players walked toward their position coach. Williams barked, "We don't walk here. We don't walk here." Players broke into a jog. 4:30 p.m. ET Who's here? Hall of Fame running back John Riggins, now of Red Zebra's Triple X ESPN Radio, is on hand, broadcasting live from Redskins Park. Also seen: Redskins great Jim Lachey. The fun has begun. At about the midway point of practice, quarterbacks and wide receivers worked on passing drills at one part of the main field. On the other side, the offensive line and running backs worked against the defense on run plays. Here's a rundown of some of the plays. On the first play of running drills, Clinton Portis ran to the right and burst past a block by Jon Jansen and into open field. Associate head coach-offense Al Saunders raised his arms into the air and raced over to Portis to congratulate him. On another run play, Demetric Evans slowed up running back Ladell Betts, grabbing him by the shoulders. Evans' linemates did the rest, stopping Betts in his tracks. Rookie safety Reed Doughty challenged Rock Cartwright-and Doughty won, standing up the running back and stopping him long enough for Doughty's teammates to swarm around Cartwright. In passing drills, Jason Campbell threw a deep sideline pass to James Thrash, who pulled up ahead of rookie cornerback John Eubanks to haul in the catch. Jesse Lumsden showed solid push running into a pile of linemen. He took on defensive end Nic Clemons and rookie defensive tackles Anthony Montgomery and Vaka Manapunu, pushing the pile back. Not bad for 6-2, 219-pound running back. Robert McCune may have had the best hit of the day so far. The second-year linebacker knocked Lumsden back a few yards on a run to the right. Tight end Mike Sellers departed the practice with what appeared to be cramps. He was carted off the field. Redskins.com will have an update on Sellers' status coming soon. 5:20 p.m. ET Confirmed: Patten is not practicing due to the flu. Also not practicing is defensive tackle Joe Salave'a, who has been excused due to a personal matter. 5:30 p.m. ET Finally, the 11-on-11 drills begin. Here we go...Some highlights: Cornerback Shawn Springs blitzed untouched into the backfield and pressured Mark Brunell into a hurried throw. The pass was incomplete. Linebacker Warrick Holdman penetrated into the backfield to slow down running back Clinton Portis on a carry. "Third-and-2," Gregg Williams shouted to his defense. On the play, fullback Nehemiah Broughton caught a screen pass and weaved his way downfield, with linebacker Chris Clemons on his heels. Clemons eventually pushed Broughton out of bounds, but not before a long gain. Brandon Lloyd displayed his acrobatic skills with an impressive sideline catch right in front of fans. Brunell had to scramble left to avoid pressure, and he fired a dart to Lloyd, who caught the ball falling backwards, with both feet just in bounds. Chris Samuels and Andre Carter could be a matchup to watch all training camp. On one play, Samuels pushed Carter into the backfield as Portis ran to the opposite side of the field. Rocky McIntosh is new here--and even he would admit he has a lot to learn. On one of the last plays of practice, the rookie linebacker was beaten on a short pass to Cartwright, who got a step on McIntosh and ran downfield for a long gain. Kerry Carter broke a tackle by Sean Taylor, who sat on the ground afterwards and applauded the effort of the third-year running back. The team huddled up--signifying the end of the first training camp practice--at midfield. A rendition of "Hail to the Redskins" broke out amongst the fans. 6 p.m. ET Confirmed: Sellers suffered a bout with cramps midway through practice. He is reported to be fine. 6:20 p.m. ET Among the Redskins who signed autographs after practice: Clinton Portis, Adam Archuleta, Jon Jansen and Brandon Lloyd. Head coach Joe Gibbs, as he does every training camp practice, signed autographs for upwards of 20 minutes, before heading to a post-practice interview. 6:30 p.m. ET

 

[fatness]

Snippets from July 31 camp coverage:

Right away I noticed Dave Patten was not in attendance. And as best as I could tell, I never saw Joe Salave’a either. I was told Patten was ill, but never confirmed anything on Big Joe.

edit: Salave’a's mom died so that's why he was not there.

Chris Cooley and Clint Portis are the most loved guys on the team. Every time they touched the ball the place went crazy. But fans aren’t the only ones … on the very first offense versus defense play Portis broke through the line and took off. As he sprinted down the far sideline, Al Saunders began jumping up and down holding both hands straight up to signify touchdown as he screamed for joy. This guy is a trip.

WR Brandon Lloyd makes everything look easy. He rarely looks like he has to work to catch a ball – even if it’s thrown a little off target. Also, WR Jimmy Farris is consistently solid, but never spectacular. Farris did a great job of keeping both feet in bounds and making the catch whenever the ball was thrown his way. He probably won’t make the team, but he’s still busting his tail out there.

One injury note: Mike Sellars was getting worked on halfway through practice. We initially thought it was just cramps or the heat getting to him, but it looked like he was favoring his right ankle and they ended up carting him off more than 50 minutes before practice ended.

Hit of the Day: LB Robert McCune and LB Khary Campbell converging on poor RB Jesse Lumsden for a nice pop. Any momentum Lumsden had when he crossed the line of scrimmage quickly died when they both hit him at the same time. Nice hit from two of the young guys.

Hit of the Day (part two): Safety Adam Archuleta couldn’t resist. WR Santana Moss fully extended in hopes of pulling in a poorly thrown pass on the far sideline. Archuleta could have pulled off, but instead he let Moss know he was there with a little love tap, and knocked him on his tail. Let’s just say if that play happens again during the regular season you can rest assured that Archuleta will knock the wide receiver out.

RB Ladell Betts stood out today. I know they weren’t going full speed, and they were wearing shorts, but Betts did a great job of making people miss. Everything I hear leads me to believe Al Saunders is a big fan of Betts and that he’ll be a bigger part of the offense this year. Nothing I saw today changes that.

That Taylor Jacobs sure is maddening. On one play, he pulls up after 10 yards until Saunders comes sprinting behind him screaming and trying to knock the ball out of his hands. A few plays later, Jacobs saves what would have been an interception by making a nice one-handed catch 20 yards downfield.

I’m a huge fan of QB Mark Brunell, but today wasn’t best day in the NFL. He was clearly rusty from his time off and his passes were not as sharp or accurate as I’m used to seeing from him. Jason Campbell, on the other hand, did well today. Nothing earth shattering, but he did a good job of making quick and sound decisions.

Campbell highlight of the day: during an offense versus defense portion of practice Jason launched about a 40-yard bomb downfield. WR James Thrash positioned himself perfectly and made the catch over CB Shawn Springs.

Two more collisions to report – Phillip Daniels knocked John Jansen on his duff during one on one drills (which earned him a glare from the big offensive lineman), and safety Dennard Wilson put a memorable hit on WR Jimmy Farris.

On one play, Brunell didn’t like what he saw and pulled the ball down. As he began to run, Brandon Lloyd broke free from CB Carlos Rogers and waved his hands to let Brunell know he was open. Brunell saw him and fired a pass to him on the near sideline. Lloyd impressed the hell out of me by digging in his heels as he fell backwards to pull in the catch of the day. He basically “toed the line” in reverse – much harder to do and Lloyd earned a loud roar from the crowd when he was able to make such a nice catch.

 

[fatness]

Redskins.com stuff from July 31 practice

* On the first play of running drills, Clinton Portis ran to the right and burst past a block by Jon Jansen and into open field. Associate head coach-offense Al Saunders raised his arms into the air and raced over to Portis to congratulate him.

* On another run play, Demetric Evans slowed up running back Ladell Betts, grabbing him by the shoulders. Evans' linemates did the rest, stopping Betts in his tracks.

* Rookie safety Reed Doughty challenged Rock Cartwright-and Doughty won, standing up the running back and stopping him long enough for Doughty's teammates to swarm around Cartwright.

* In passing drills, Jason Campbell threw a deep sideline pass to James Thrash, who pulled up ahead of rookie cornerback John Eubanks to haul in the catch.

* Jesse Lumsden showed solid push running into a pile of linemen. He took on defensive end Nic Clemons and rookie defensive tackles Anthony Montgomery and Vaka Manapunu, pushing the pile back. Not bad for 6-2, 219-pound running back.

* Robert McCune may have had the best hit of the day so far. The second-year linebacker knocked Lumsden back a few yards on a run to the right.

Finally, the 11-on-11 drills begin. Here we go...Some highlights:

* Cornerback Shawn Springs blitzed untouched into the backfield and pressured Mark Brunell into a hurried throw. The pass was incomplete.

* Linebacker Warrick Holdman penetrated into the backfield to slow down running back Clinton Portis on a carry.

* "Third-and-2," Gregg Williams shouted to his defense. On the play, fullback Nehemiah Broughton caught a screen pass and weaved his way downfield, with linebacker Chris Clemons on his heels. Clemons eventually pushed Broughton out of bounds, but not before a long gain.

* Brandon Lloyd displayed his acrobatic skills with an impressive sideline catch right in front of fans. Brunell had to scramble left to avoid pressure, and he fired a dart to Lloyd, who caught the ball falling backwards, with both feet just in bounds.

* Chris Samuels and Andre Carter could be a matchup to watch all training camp. On one play, Samuels pushed Carter into the backfield as Portis ran to the opposite side of the field.

* Rocky McIntosh is new here--and even he would admit he has a lot to learn. On one of the last plays of practice, the rookie linebacker was beaten on a short pass to Cartwright, who got a step on McIntosh and ran downfield for a long gain.

* Kerry Carter broke a tackle by Sean Taylor, who sat on the ground afterwards and applauded the effort of the third-year running back.

Confirmed: Sellers suffered a bout with cramps midway through practice. He is reported to be fine.

 

[Sidewinder16]

Snippets from July 31 camp coverage:

Right away I noticed Dave Patten was not in attendance. And as best as I could tell, I never saw Joe Salave’a either. I was told Patten was ill, but never confirmed anything on Big Joe.

David Patten has viral meningitis. He may miss Saturday's scrimmage.Also from the link, some confirmation regarding Lloyd's and Randle El's roles.

It continues to look like newcomer Brandon Lloyd will be the regular wideout opposite Pro Bowler Santana Moss, with fellow newcomer Antwaan Randle El being positioned around the field. Gibbs said he expected Randle El to be a weapon passing, running and returning punts and "he'll be the guy that probably will play a lot of slot stuff, inside receiver, where I think Brandon is more the classic outside receiver."

 

[dgreen]

Snippets from July 31 camp coverage:

Right away I noticed Dave Patten was not in attendance. And as best as I could tell, I never saw Joe Salave’a either. I was told Patten was ill, but never confirmed anything on Big Joe.

David Patten has viral meningitis. He may miss Saturday's scrimmage.

And Joe Salave'a's mom died.

 

[fatness]

Bits from August 1 morning practice

For those who read that Brunell looked off yesterday and became concerned I am happy to report that he looked very sharp this morning and was the best QB on the field. If I had to rank the QB play today I would say Brunell, Campbell, and Collins in order of quality play. Brunell made some very good throws and ones that were not caught appeared catchable from where I stood.

Campbell looked pretty sharp and at least today appeared to be clearly the number 2 guy in terms of depth. He made some good throws but did not seem as quick-minded as Brunell.

Play of the day

Mike sellers was lined up as the runner during an 11-on-11 play. At the snap Sellers was handed off to. The play was designed to go up the middle but Khary Campbell managed to fill the hole as sellers was getting the ball. Campbell never knew what hit him as Sellers flattened him and ran for another 8-1o yards, evoking oohs and aahs from the entire offense.

I love Mike Sellers.

 

[fatness]

August 2 training camp news

Play of the Day

Handoff to CP who then threw a would-be touchdown to #16 Richard Smith.

The defense went on a blitz spree and were effectively stopping the offense for a while during the 11-on-11. The persisted until Mike Espy caught a 40 yard TD. I saw a few plays where the D-line blew up the backfield. Conversely I saw some decent running plays. I've read a lot of your comments about the O-Line play and Rabach specifically.



I will speak out of school and tell you that the local press were not impressed with either Rabach or Molinaro.

Good:



Randy Thomas, he dominated his defenders in the one on one drills even sending a few to the ground. Good to see him back and healthy.

Mike Espy, He was surprisingly the most consistent reciever today and even beat the defense deep for a TD. He would easily make the team if we weren't so deep at WR. Lloyd did well also. Moss had some nice catches but was inconsistent.

Portis, betts, rock, and lumsden all looked pretty good but Portis excited the crowd when he threw threw a TD pass today!



Anthony Montgomery, he manhandled his blockers in the one on one drills, he has great moves, is very powerful and explosive and should make the team. I'm excited about this guy.

Doughty and Archuleta, doughty was on the first team alongside archuleta and both of them were always in great position both against the run and pass.



Carter, you can tell he's excited about being back at DE. He exploded off the blocks and effectively got around his defender.

Brunell, definitley stood out as the starter, most consistent and accurate.

Al Suanders! Very enthusiastic and encouraging. Just a joy to watch! Buges was out there hustlin too, lol.

Bad:

Randle El and Taylor Jacobs, both dropped quite a few easy balls which caused moans from the fans.



Rabach, the guy got manhandled by just about every defender he went up against in the one on ones.

Other than that the rest of the team looked pretty solid

Campbell, He was way off on his throws. He consistently either under threw or overthrew his recievers and he even had and INT! However the kid has amazing zip on his throws.

Defense tonight looked pretty damb good. Mac looked sharp, Taylor was again in great positions to make tackles. Prelou was in today. Looked focused on the field. Arch was running his ### off tonight with also good position for tackles. (Saw his wife there-HOT, no I mean she was ).

A lot of Saunders today yelling and running but thats expected by now. Buges was also running around working with the defensive line. The two who really stood out on the defensive line tonight were definetly Montgomery, and Carter. Both man-handled the offensive line. Beautiful swim move technique by Carter, and Montgomery just bull rushed whom ever was in front of him with ease. I mean like a grown man bullying a kid.

 

[fatness]

August 4 training camp news

Very first thing I notice once I hit the sidelines is two Redskins wearing baseball caps – Carlos Rogers and Ethan Albright. Rogers sat out of practice with a strained back (I believe that’s what they said). Albright is just a long snapper that doesn’t really do much else. Everyone was also happy to see Joe Salave’a back too. His spirits seemed remarkably high for someone who just lost a loved one.

Today was the first time I really noticed Ortega. He gets downfield quickly (for a tight end at least) and seems to have good hands. On one play in particular he hauled in a deep bomb from Jason Campbell for a huge gain. The ball was perfectly placed and Ortega caught it right in stride.

Todd Collins looked sharper than I’ve seen him during minicamp or day one of training camp. But John and I can’t help but notice he doesn’t really ever throw a deep ball. We keep waiting to see how his accuracy is downfield, and he continues to do three-step drops. By the end of 11 on 11 drills the defense seemed to catch onto that a little bit and it looked like they changed their strategy. On one play in particular Ryan Boschetti broke free and got to Collins in a hurry. The QB tried to make something happen, but Boschetti batted the ball away. Great individual effort on the play for Ryan.

Besides Boschetti, the one player who I kept noticing on defense was Renaldo Wynn. He consistently got off that corner quickly and applied pressure in the backfield. Kenny Wright also made a few more plays than I expected.

There was one play where I thought safety Curry Burns might lose his life. Jason Campbell swung the ball out to Mike Sellars who turned and picked up steam as he headed downfield. The nearest person was Burns, a good 15 yards away. Let’s just say that if it were a game situation and Burns had to try and make that open-field tackle it wouldn’t have been pretty.

The most I got to see of Rocky McIntosh was during special teams. He seemed to be in the right place, and he wasn’t getting screamed at by the always vocal Danny Smith, so I would guess that Rocky was happy with his performance today.

And in sharp contrast to the old Steve Spurrier days where offensive playmakers routinely got hung out to dry, on almost every play there appears to be max blocking being setup to try and spring the ballcarrier. Of course, some guys just don’t need blockers – a point made emphatically on one play where Mike Sellars took a shovel pass from Brunell and took off down the field like a demon from hell. I can’t imagine having to be a safety or cornerback who has to take him down at full speed to save a touchdown. He looks amazing. The backup defensive backs also got a lot of work this morning. Kenny Wright stood out, sniffing out a sideline pass, and nearly made a spectacular interception. Finally, Chris Cooley made a beautiful ‘cover of Sports Illustrated’ over the shoulder grab of a Todd Collin’s bomb as practice drew to a close.

As the players left the field today, I made it a point to get to Joe Salave’a first. He’s one of my favorite Redskins, and I wanted to see how he was handling what has to be an excruciatingly tender mix of sadness and joy given recent events in his personal life. He didn’t dodge questions, was extremely upbeat, and clearly glad to be back. I saw the toughness in his face and answers today that made me love him as a blood and guts player last season. When the microphones were off, I told him that the fans were thinking about him. He is a consummate class act. I also got the chance to speak to Andre Carter, a gentle giant who is as personable in spirit as he is fearsome in appearance. We are fortunate to have a guy with his character and playing ability – he’s got lockerroom leader written all over him. He may well turn out to be our biggest off-season acquisition when all is said and done this season.

 

[fatness]

More August 3 training camp news

Mike Sellars had the play of the evening, which if you didn’t see you certainly would have heard – for the second time today, Sellars rumbled up the middle, this time lowering his head and laying a wicked hit on safety Reed Doughty. To Doughty’s credit, although the loud ‘CRRRAAACK’ of the collision elicited some ooh’s and aah’s, he kept his feet under him and absorbed the hit that would’ve leveled a lesser player. And Doughty came back the very next play, busting through and catching Clinton Portis in the backfield.

The only player who really stood out this evening was Mike Espy during the wide receiver drills. He caught everything thrown his way and really impressed me a couple of times by snagging a less-than-perfect pass once or twice.

 

[fatness]

August 4 training camp news

Early on in the seven on seven Mark Brunell made a great lob pass to Chris Cooley in between Pierson Prioleau and Marcus Washington that Cooley just missed. It looked like a great pass, and Cooley made a strong effort, but the duo couldn’t connect. Fortunately for Cooley, he didn’t let it bother him. On the very next play he snuck free from Rocky McIntosh and made a catch for a big gain.

One thing I’ll say about Todd Collins – through minicamp and this week of training camp I have yet to see him throw the ball downfield. Most of what he does is little dinks and dumpoffs. In contrast, Mark Brunell continues to challenge downfield and only settles for the shorter stuff if no one is open. I won’t feel better about Collins until I know he is ready and willing to throw a ball more than 15 yards.

Jason Campbell threw a nice pass to TE Buck Ortega in traffic. Ortega bobbled it for a minute and then held onto it. Once he had control, Ortega headed down the sideline for a decent game and earned praise from Ernest Byner who said “way to get that pad down” to the tight end after he lowered his shoulder on a would-be tackler.

A few plays later Campbell was at it again when he double pumped the ball to buy WR Steven Harris enough time to get open. The pass earned cheers from the sideline and Al Saunders was clearly happy, as he sprinted up to pat Campbell on the helmet after the play.

On the first play Brunell had back under center he made a heck of a pass to Cooley when he tap danced a little and then fired a laser to Cooley who was running down the sideline. For those who weren’t sure, Brunell still has an arm.

During one of the first nine on nine plays Andre Carter blew by Chris Samuels and would have killed whatever QB was in the backfield. This guy is quick and has a nice first step. On the very next play Renaldo Wynn got in the backfield in a hurry and forced Brunell to throw it away.

Apparently that only fired up Brunell though, because on one of the first 11 on 11 plays he made the play of the day. With Carter bearing down on him Brunell composed himself and threw a long bomb to Santana Moss for a 40 yard gain. This naturally made the fans go crazy.

I want to take a moment to say I, personally, am glad the Robert Royal Era has come and gone. It used to drive me crazy watching him drop passes when he was wide open on those short dumpoffs. Well, today Robert Johnson provided a hug target (he’s 6’6”) and caught everything thrown his way. We’re in much better hands with this Robert.

Brunell started off slow, sailing a pass high over Brandon Lloyd’s head down the left sideline. He overthrew the next one as well, although Chris Cooley made a circus attempt to reel the high pass in over the middle. Then Brunell absolutely drilled Cooley in the chest on the next play, drawing some ‘ooh’s’ from the crowd. To answer one lingering question, Brunell can drill the ball when he needs to. On the next attempt, Brunell hooked up with Mike Sellars, who tripped over his own feet and fell down after making the completion, to what looked like relief on the defender’s faces. Apparently, this is the only way to bring Mike Sellars down.

Brunell gave way to Todd Collins. Collins was consistent all day long, and was solid if not impressive. Despite Collin’s supposed comfort with ‘the system’, he seems the most tentative of the 3 main QBs. He frequently ‘hops’ as he looks for the open receiver, and more often than not, dumps off to the short or intermediate receiver.

Kenny Wright made his presence known, absolutely blanketing Santana Moss on one play (something you rarely see occur) and even talking some trash to Moss after the play. That was nice to see. We need some confidence in our defensive backfield. Whatever worries I had about Christian Fauria were unfounded. Theres nothing wrong with him. He had a huge collision with Marcus Washington that turned heads, and even held on to a pass from Brunell in the process. He’s fine. Buck Ortega also showed some toughness today, taking a shot but managing to hold on to a low pass from Jason Campbell.

Newsflash. Robert Johnson eats whatever he wants for breakfast. He’s huge, and made some great plays today. Steven Harris, wide receiver from Arkansas, made a beautiful move on a Campbell pass today, earning kudos and a head-pat from Al Saunders in the process.

As the team moved into 9 on 9 drills, Brunell got warmed up. He zipped an intermediate pass to Moss who made a great gain on the play. Ladell Betts juked Adam Archuleta out of his shorts, and then took him to the ground to accentuate the point. And Warrick Holdman made a great play to bring Ladell down from behind. Then it was the Renaldo Wynn’s time to shine. Wynn tossed his man aside, and would’ve delivered a vicious hit on the QB, had it not been Brunell. On the very next play, he did the exact same thing. Jesse Lumsden had a few nice runs today, including one in which he flew past Khary Campbell like he was standing still. One positive on Todd Collins, he sells the play action extremely well, dropping the ball low on his hip with ease, and making it very difficult to tell whether he still has possession.

One thing both Murphy and I noticed today is just how assertive Mark is in the huddle. It’s a big contrast to Collins and Campbell. Although you can certainly hear both of them as they get behind center, Brunell is barking his cadence like he’s in Giants Stadium late in the 4th quarter. Its impressive. Brunell then made the play of the day, a 40 yd bomb down the side line to Santana Moss which really got the fans going. It should be noted that Andre Carter was within a step of flattening Brunell when he released the ball.

Rock Cartwright also had some late heroics, taking what looked to be a routine end around all the way to the house. Jimmy Farris earned the praise of Al Saunders for throwing a key block that turned a mundane run into something exciting and eliciting shouts from Murphy of ‘Save Farris!’. We really love this kid…and both of us hope he somehow, some way makes this team. Brunell also made another nice completion to Chris Cooley as practice time neared completion. The defense closed the afternoon out with some highlights of its own, with Lemar Marshall pulling in a deflected pass intended for Brandon Lloyd, who had Sean Taylor all over him on the play. Finally, Cedric Killings and Cris Clemons recorded what would’ve been sacks on two Jason Campbell pass plays.

 

[Swing 51]

Washington Picks Off McNair for TDBy Joseph WhiteAssociated PressSaturday, August 5, 2006; 2:24 PMSteve McNair had a rough start in his competitive debut as quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens.McNair's second pass was intercepted by Marcus Washington and returned 39 yards for a touchdown in Saturday's scrimmage against the Washington Redskins.McNair, acquired in an offseason trade to supplant the erratic Kyle Boller, worked 11 plays and completed 5 of 6 passes for 30 yards. His longest completion went for 11 yards to tight end Daniel Wilcox, and he found tight end Todd Heap on back-to-back plays to convert a first down.But the 47,258 fans at FedEx Field were at their loudest when chanting "De-fense!" following two pad-popping tackles by hard-hitting safety Sean Taylor and the interception by Washington, who stepped in front of McNair's short pass over the middle and scampered untouched for the score.McNair's counterpart, Mark Brunell, didn't even take the field during the showcase portion of the scrimmage. Coach Joe Gibbs gave his first-team offense the rest of the day off following the 7-on-7 drills, a disappointment for fans hoping for more than a glimpse of the revamped attack under new offensive coach Al Saunders.Brunell hit tight end Chris Cooley on a deep post pattern during the 7-on-7s, leaving Jason Campbell and Todd Collins, competing for the No. 2 job behind Brunell, to work the 11-on-11 series. Campbell led one scoring drive, capped by a 12-yard run by Canadian running back Jesse Lumsden.Collins led the team into field goal range during one drive, but John Hall missed wide left from 47 yards. Hall, facing competition from Tyler Jones at training camp, also missed from 46 yards and converted from 38 on drives led by fourth-string QB Casey Bramlet.Boller, adjusting to the backup role after three years as a starter, hit tight end Rob Abiamiri for a 4-yard touchdown pass. Drew Olsen found Romby Bryant on a 24-yard strike for other Ravens score.Notes: Ravens RB Mike Anderson left the scrimmage with a mild concussion. Redskins DE Nic Clemons bruised his left knee. ... Redskins RB Ladell Betts (hamstring), CB Carlos Rogers (back spasms) and WR David Patten (recovering from illness) were among the Redskins who did not take part. ... Ravens WR Mark Clayton (hamstring) and LB Dan Cody (ankle) did not play for the Ravens, and offensive coordinator Jim Fassel missed the scrimmage to attend his daughter's wedding.

 

[fatness]

Good news.

Redskins' Taylor fined but not suspended

Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor has been fined but will not be suspended for his no-contest pleas in an assault case in Florida.

The NFL announced Monday that Taylor has been fined four 2005 game checks - which amounts to $71,764 based on a salary of $305,000 - for pleading no contest in June to misdemeanor counts of simple battery and simple assault arising from a dispute over all-terrain vehicles in Miami in 2005.

In a statement, the NFL said Taylor will have the opportunity to earn back a portion of the fine if he complies with specified league requirements. The statement did not list what those requirements are. A league spokesman said he had no further information available.

 

[fatness]

Prediction on Final 53-Man Roster

FINAL 53 MAN ROSTER PREDICTION

OFFENSE

QB’s (3) – Mark Brunell, Jason Campbell, Todd Collins

RB’s (3) – Clinton Portis, Ladell Betts, Jesse Lumsden

FB’s (3) – Mike Sellers, Rock Cartwright, Manuel White Jr,

WR’s (5) – Santana Moss, Brandon Lloyd, Antwaan Randle El, David Patten, James Thrash

TE’s (3) – Chris Cooley, Christian Fauria, Robert Johnson

OL (9) – Chris Samuels, Derrick Dockery, Casey Rabach, Randy Thomas, Jon Jansen, Mike Pucillo, Tyson Walter, Ikechuku Ndukwe, Jonta Woodard,

DEFENSE

DL (8) – Renaldo Wynn, Andre Carter, Cornelius Griffin, Phillip Daniels, Joe Savale’a, Demetric Evans, Anthony Montgomery, Kedrick Golston

LB’s (7) – Marcus Washington, Warrick Holdman, Lemar Marshall, Rocky McIntosh, Chris Clemons, Khary Campbell, Spencer Havner,

CB’s (5) – Shawn Springs, Carlos Rogers, Kenny Wright, Ade Jimoh, Dimitri Patterson

S’s (4) – Sean Taylor, Adam Archuleta, Pierson Prioleau, Reed Doughty

SPECIAL TEAMS

LS (1) – Ethan Albright

K (1) – John Hall

P (1) – David Lonie

Thae article also predicts the last, most difficult cuts, and predicts the practice squad members. Good-bye Taylor Jacobs. Hello Jesse Lumsden.

 

[redman]

Prediction on Final 53-Man Roster

FINAL 53 MAN ROSTER PREDICTION

OFFENSE

QB’s (3) – Mark Brunell, Jason Campbell, Todd Collins

RB’s (3) – Clinton Portis, Ladell Betts, Jesse Lumsden

FB’s (3) – Mike Sellers, Rock Cartwright, Manuel White Jr,

WR’s (5) – Santana Moss, Brandon Lloyd, Antwaan Randle El, David Patten, James Thrash

TE’s (3) – Chris Cooley, Christian Fauria, Robert Johnson

OL (9) – Chris Samuels, Derrick Dockery, Casey Rabach, Randy Thomas, Jon Jansen, Mike Pucillo, Tyson Walter, Ikechuku Ndukwe, Jonta Woodard,

DEFENSE

DL (8) – Renaldo Wynn, Andre Carter, Cornelius Griffin, Phillip Daniels, Joe Savale’a, Demetric Evans, Anthony Montgomery, Kedrick Golston

LB’s (7) – Marcus Washington, Warrick Holdman, Lemar Marshall, Rocky McIntosh, Chris Clemons, Khary Campbell, Spencer Havner,

CB’s (5) – Shawn Springs, Carlos Rogers, Kenny Wright, Ade Jimoh, Dimitri Patterson

S’s (4) – Sean Taylor, Adam Archuleta, Pierson Prioleau, Reed Doughty

SPECIAL TEAMS

LS (1) – Ethan Albright

K (1) – John Hall

P (1) – David Lonie

Thae article also predicts the last, most difficult cuts, and predicts the practice squad members. Good-bye Taylor Jacobs. Hello Jesse Lumsden.

If that prediction's right, then goodbye Nehemiah Broughton.

 

[fatness]

The article says Broughton and White are neck and neck.

This is developing into a really tight competition for the last FB spot. Broughton has shown he has pass catching skills out of the backfield which was a major question mark.

It also confirms what several people were saying during the Ravens scrimmage --- that Molinaro looks bad.

The latest reports from camp and the scrimmage on Saturday left little doubt that Molinaro’s days on this team are numbered. He was plagued by false starts and holding penalties against the Ravens and just doesn’t look like developing into a reliable backup. Woodard still has one hand on the job almost by default if nothing else.

 

[jbz]

http://redskins.torresa.com/videos/video.p...eo=TheFixMobile

 

[fatness]

In addition to looking bad in the scrimmage, Molinaro got hurt in practice yesterday.

Link

it turns out that offensive lineman Jim Molinaro sustained a knee injury during practice and was carted off the field. He is scheduled to have an MRI, team officials said.

 

[Quez]

Good news.

Redskins' Taylor fined but not suspended

Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor has been fined but will not be suspended for his no-contest pleas in an assault case in Florida.

The NFL announced Monday that Taylor has been fined four 2005 game checks - which amounts to $71,764 based on a salary of $305,000 - for pleading no contest in June to misdemeanor counts of simple battery and simple assault arising from a dispute over all-terrain vehicles in Miami in 2005.

In a statement, the NFL said Taylor will have the opportunity to earn back a portion of the fine if he complies with specified league requirements. The statement did not list what those requirements are. A league spokesman said he had no further information available.

 

[redman]

Good news.

Redskins' Taylor fined but not suspended

Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor has been fined but will not be suspended for his no-contest pleas in an assault case in Florida.

The NFL announced Monday that Taylor has been fined four 2005 game checks - which amounts to $71,764 based on a salary of $305,000 - for pleading no contest in June to misdemeanor counts of simple battery and simple assault arising from a dispute over all-terrain vehicles in Miami in 2005.

In a statement, the NFL said Taylor will have the opportunity to earn back a portion of the fine if he complies with specified league requirements. The statement did not list what those requirements are. A league spokesman said he had no further information available.

The key word is "misdemeanor". If the charges had been felonies then you'd definitely would have seen a suspension.

 

[dgreen]

FB’s (3) – Mike Sellers, Rock Cartwright, Manuel White Jr,

I just don't see Rock ever actually playing FB. Has anyone seen anything from him to make you think he can be an effective lead blocker?

 

[redman]

FB’s (3) – Mike Sellers, Rock Cartwright, Manuel White Jr,

I just don't see Rock ever actually playing FB. Has anyone seen anything from him to make you think he can be an effective lead blocker?

If he worked at it, he might be, but to answer your question directly, no, he's shown nothing to date. More to the point, he slimmed down last year to be a ball-carrier, and he's maintained that weight going into this year. He's a HB3 and special teamer, the latter being what keeps him on the roster.

 

[fatness]

Yeah, how the hell can a court find a guy guilty of misdemeanors when he's already been convicted of multiple felonies on the internet. There's no justice.

 

[dgreen]

FB’s (3) – Mike Sellers, Rock Cartwright, Manuel White Jr,

I just don't see Rock ever actually playing FB. Has anyone seen anything from him to make you think he can be an effective lead blocker?

If he worked at it, he might be, but to answer your question directly, no, he's shown nothing to date. More to the point, he slimmed down last year to be a ball-carrier, and he's maintained that weight going into this year. He's a HB3 and special teamer, the latter being what keeps him on the roster.

Yeah, I figured he and Lumsden would fight for the last RB spot. I guess they could keep them both, but that would leave them a little thin at FB.

 

[fatness]

August 8 practice report

Fists were flying at training camp today as two huge linemen teed off on one another.

Mike Sellers caught a ball in the flat and was going up the sideline. As he did he stiff-armed Reed Doughty who was able to maintain his balance. As Sellers went out of bounds Doughty pushed him from behind, knocking him down.

Jon Jansen took issue with this and grabbed and pushed Doughty and sent him off with a bucket-full of curses. Kedric Goldston took issue in turn with Jansen's behavior and within seconds both men were standing toe-to-toe winging big blows.

The fracas was soon cooled down by other players.

• Andre Carter is hands-down faster than all of the other rushers. He has a great burst but has power as well and can bull rush people. He looks special. In fact, in one drill he beat his guy three times running.

• Renaldo Wynn looked good as he beat Chris Pino twice in a row.

• Jon Jansen was beat two plays in succession by DE Joe Sykes. Janses did not look too happy about it, tossing his helmet with a look of frustration.

• Tyson Walter looked good blocking Boschetti, which earned him some praise from Bugel. In fact Walter earned praise a few times from Coach Bugel today.

• Kili Lefotu got praise from Bugel on a play or two.

As the lines were working out the rest of the team was doing 11-on-11 drills that featured running plays. Portis, Cartwright, and Lumsden got the most work. The running game seems to be doing well, although it is hard to tell with the limited contact we see in camp. For instance it may appear a runner blows through a tackle, but we can’t tell if the defender actually tried.

Both Rock and Jesse looked good. I think Jesse is a more exciting runner to watch and with his speed could be a good addition if he makes the squad.

Rock looked like he has all camp, playing very hard and fighting every play.

 

[fatness]

August 9 practice report

This is a short one because of serious health issues.

Goach Gibbs addressed the media a second time tonight in order to report that Kili Lefotu was found unconcious in his dorm room this evening. He was unresponsive and 911 was called. Lefotu was then taken to a local hospital. According to Gibbs, he is currently in the hospital and is responsive. He will be kept overnight for observations and more tests.

The team is taking this very seriously. "You just have to say a prayer here," said Gibbs.

Chris Helein just updated the media about Kili... he is in Loudon Hospital, and nothing has changed with his situation. He is still responsive and will be observed overnight as they work him up.

I hope he's OK

 

[Carter_Can_Fly]

Was watching the Redskins and Ravens scrimmage and Lumsden looked not only quick but very powerful as well. He has little to no fantasy value but could make this squad. Was surprised at his ability to take a hit and keep his feet moving to fight for yards.

 

[redman]

August 9 practice report

This is a short one because of serious health issues.

Goach Gibbs addressed the media a second time tonight in order to report that Kili Lefotu was found unconcious in his dorm room this evening. He was unresponsive and 911 was called. Lefotu was then taken to a local hospital. According to Gibbs, he is currently in the hospital and is responsive. He will be kept overnight for observations and more tests.

The team is taking this very seriously. "You just have to say a prayer here," said Gibbs.

Chris Helein just updated the media about Kili... he is in Loudon Hospital, and nothing has changed with his situation. He is still responsive and will be observed overnight as they work him up.

I hope he's OK

That's friggin scary! He didn't show for a practice and they sent someone to find him and discovered him unconscious.

 

[valhallan]

Like what I saw from Campbell in the scrimmage. As long as they ease him into the role he should turn out just fine. Can't wait to see it!

 

[Lowen1]

So, if this is true:

DEFENSE

DL (8) – Renaldo Wynn, Andre Carter, Cornelius Griffin, Phillip Daniels, Joe Savale’a, Demetric Evans, Anthony Montgomery, Kedrick Golston

It means the 'Skins are keeping the two rookies instead of Ryan Boschetti and Cedrick Killings. I thought both of those guys played pretty well as role players last year.

NFL = not for long

Edit: I read the entire article, and here is the deal with Killings:

Golston has had a very good first week of camp, while Killings looks a little slow and out of shape. This moves Golston into the keeper spot after week one. Many think Williams and Blache won’t keep two rookie backups at DT but that’s not quite right. If they are the best two players for the role, and they can also be covered by the now versatile backup Renaldo Wynn, then why not?

 

[ditka85]

With Saunders calling the plays, how different will the running game be? Can we expect the "Counter-Trey" and other plays to be discarded? Should we see Portis put up numbers more like he did in Denver or Holmes/LJ in KC?

 

[redman]

With Saunders calling the plays, how different will the running game be? Can we expect the "Counter-Trey" and other plays to be discarded? Should we see Portis put up numbers more like he did in Denver or Holmes/LJ in KC?

There was a specific quote from Saunders I read in the last week or so about how he was keeping certain aspects of Gibbs' offense while adding his own, and he specifically mentioned the Counter Trey. It sounds like this is going to be 90% Saunders' offense with some of Gibbs' stuff remaining.

 

[redman]

So, if this is true: DEFENSEDL (8) – Renaldo Wynn, Andre Carter, Cornelius Griffin, Phillip Daniels, Joe Savale’a, Demetric Evans, Anthony Montgomery, Kedrick GolstonIt means the 'Skins are keeping the two rookies instead of Ryan Boschetti and Cedrick Killings. I thought both of those guys played pretty well as role players last year. NFL = not for longEdit: I read the entire article, and here is the deal with Killings:Golston has had a very good first week of camp, while Killings looks a little slow and out of shape. This moves Golston into the keeper spot after week one. Many think Williams and Blache won’t keep two rookie backups at DT but that’s not quite right. If they are the best two players for the role, and they can also be covered by the now versatile backup Renaldo Wynn, then why not?

Both Golston and Montgomery look like future starting caliber DT's, something which you can say neither about Killings or Boschetti. As long as they continue to look good, I'd expect them to stay on the roster.

 

[redman]

GREAT overall summary of the team's direction right now:

ASHBURN, VA. Five observations on the Washington Redskins based on their Aug. 10 practice:

1. Probably the best measure of how the Redskins' new-look offense is coming along under new associate head coach Al Saunders is how it's faring against Washington's defense, among the league's best the past two seasons. So? "It's been a good battle," outside linebacker Marcus Washington says. "I'm not going to declare a winner. I'd like to be biased and say the defense. But they compete. And if you can compete against us you can compete against anybody."

Saunders' scheme is sure to keep other teams' defenses on their toes more than the Redskins' offense did in its first two years with Joe Gibbs calling the shots. Defensive players notice how much more shifting the Redskins do now before the snap, which makes it difficult to set the defense and draw a bead on what the offense is doing. The scheme also does a good job of disguising plays, and the ball is coming out of the quarterbacks' hands more quickly, Redskins' defensive players say, making it difficult to pressure the QB.

"And the thing is," says cornerback Shawn Springs, "if you do commit to pressure, you've gotta be ready to put your cornerbacks on an island against three or four good receivers [santana Moss, offseason pickups Brandon Lloyd and Antwaan Randle El, and David Patten]. It's like what do you do? And if you spread out, they run it with Clinton [Portis]."

Saunders also has added something of an attitude to the Redskins' offense. The Redskins believe they're going to be explosive. The ball was flying all over the field in Thursday afternoon's practice. Clearly Saunders is having fun with all his new toys. The Redskins, if they're able to stay healthy, should be one of the more complete teams in the league this year.

2. Much the way Tony Gonzalez and Priest Holmes starred in Saunders' offense in Kansas City, it looks like the stars of the Redskins' offense are going to be Chris Cooley and Portis. Cooley by all accounts is having a great camp. He had a breakout season last year with 71 catches, but he and Moss were the Redskins' only real threats in the passing game. Now with Lloyd joining Moss on the outside and Randle El in the slot (by the way, Lloyd and Randle El, too, have performed as advertised in camp), Cooley should have lots of room to operate over the middle and underneath. Even with all their weapons, the Redskins spread it around in this scheme, so Cooley could have an even bigger year receiving.

Portis wasn't a really big part of the passing game last season, with 30 receptions. He's never had more than 40 in his four-year career and has only four receiving touchdowns. The plays the Redskins ran for Portis in practice Thursday look a lot like the stuff Holmes used to do in Kansas City, like the swing-screen where Holmes would have a convoy of linemen leading him down the sideline. Portis broke that play for a big gain Thursday.

Portis says he also prefers the runs in Saunders' schemes. Simply put, instead of trying to get everyone blocked the way the Skins' offense used to (which is difficult), now the idea is to get a fit on the key guys up front and leave it to Portis to make a safety or corner miss in the open field. And besides, with all the threats in the passing game, it should be rather difficult, as Springs alluded to, for defenses to key on Portis or any one Redskin for that matter.

3. Washington's defense has been one of the best in football the past two seasons under assistant head coach/coordinator Gregg Williams, ranking ninth in 2005 and third in '04. With their offseason additions, expect the Redskins to finish among the league's best again this year.

Washington has had to overcome lots of injuries on defense the past two years, but Williams believes this time his unit is more prepared thanks to its individual versatility. He acknowledges taking a page out of the New England Patriots' book.

"We've got DBs that can play linebacker positions [sean Taylor, Adam Archuleta], defensive ends that can play linebacker positions [offseason pickup Andre Carter, who's looked great in camp], linebackers that can play defensive end positions [Washington rookie Rocky McIntosh], ends that can move inside and rush [Demetric Evans, Phillip Daniels, Renaldo Wynn]" Williams says. "When you're battling health problems, don't whine and complain. You still have to put a solid defense out there. When you have players who are flexible and can adapt it helps in time of injury."

And certainly it doesn't hurt that the Redskins' defense is being tested daily by Saunders' offense.

4. It's been said plenty of times but it bears repeating: What an advantage the Redskins have with all the money Daniel Snyder is able to spend on his coaching staff. With all due respect to all the fine coaches throughout the league, it's not even debatable who the best-coached team in the league is.

Gibbs' job now is to act as a CEO, keep the pulse of the team, and be the master motivator he is. He can just focus on the Bobbys and Joes. The other guys can handle the X's and O's. Washington has two of the NFL's best offensive and defensive minds in Saunders and Williams, respectively. Both have head coaching experience. Joe Bugel is still coaching the line. Williams now has two former defensive coordinators, Greg Blache and Jerry Gray, on his defensive staff.

Williams says he's never seen Gibbs this relaxed. And Gibbs' lack of ego in stepping back to let Saunders run the offense has had far-reaching effects inside the Redskins' facility. "How can any of us not do the same thing and take one for the team when he asks us?" Williams says. "We have to because we know he'd do it. He's done it. That's what good leaders do."

5. This is clearly a team that has all the pieces in place -- on the field and on the sideline -- to make a Super Bowl run to match another "Offseason Championship" for the franchise. But Portis says the Skins themselves aren't buying into the hype. "We're not giving in to it, the bandwagon riders," Portis says. "The first year, when Coach Gibbs came back, we got caught up in the hype and we got our [tails] kicked. Last year people wrote us off [when Washington started 5-6]. We all know how quickly the outside world can change. We just have it in our minds in that locker room that anything less than a Super Bowl and we'd be cheating ourselves."

Link

 

[redman]

Randy Thomas rehab article from today's Washington Post:

'This Kid Is Extremely Tough'

Redskins' Thomas Has Willed Himself Back From Injury

By Jason La Canfora

Washington Post Staff Writer

Saturday, August 12, 2006; E01

While the Washington Redskins' players, coaches and trainers enjoyed six weeks of freedom before the start of training camp, Randy Thomas's summer vacation consisted of a few days in Virginia Beach -- which he spent representing the team at a July 4 promotion. Thomas spent the rest of the summer pretty much alone at a quiet Redskins Park, rehabilitating from injuries that included a broken leg and a high ankle sprain.

Some weekends, Thomas's family visited from Atlanta; others, he flew down there, all the while maintaining his training regime. The fun-loving guard spent the time with one focus: recovering in time to participate fully when practices began.

It all paid off last week, when Thomas -- to the surprise of teammates and coaches -- was able to take part in every drill of camp, two-a-days included. His first real chance for game action will arrive tomorrow, when Washington opens its exhibition season in Cincinnati. Thomas, 30, hopes it will mark a return to the sparkling form that triggered the Redskins' resurgent rushing game in 2005 and a continuation of what was the best season of his seven-year NFL career.

"This kid is extremely tough, he's highly motivated and he's got a lot of pride in himself," said Bubba Tyer, the Redskins' director of sports medicine. "To his credit, he stayed here when the rest of us left six weeks ago for vacation. Seeing him on the first day of camp, that's what topped it off, because what we saw in [mid-June's] minicamp was there was a little give in the ankle, it wasn't sure.

"All we kept saying was keep practicing and practicing, and he stayed here and ran and slipped into practice [last] Monday and did extremely well. I'm really pleased with him. He's gets the attaboy award."

When Thomas was carted off the field late in the 14th game of last season, Dec. 18 against Dallas, the Redskins' running game soon suffered. His expert pulling technique helped get speedy Clinton Portis outside the tackles during a season in which Portis rushed for a franchise-record 1,516 yards. During Thomas's 14 starts, the Redskins averaged 4.2 yards per carry and 145 rushing yards per game; in four games without him, they averaged 101 yards and 3.6 per carry.

"When you lose someone like that," Coach Joe Gibbs said, "a starter that's one of the key guys emotionally, one of our leaders, I think it hurts a lot. Losing Randy down the stretch was a big deal."

While he was injured, Thomas traveled to road games, urging on teammates from the sideline with his cast and crutches, but that only added to his frustration.

"I'm not a cheerleader; I'm a ballplayer," Thomas said. "It was hard to cheer from the sidelines, but man, that Seattle game [the season-ending 20-10 loss in the playoffs] and the last drive in the fourth quarter, I felt like I could have really helped out. That's in the back of my mind, and I don't want to let the team down again."

Thomas views his speedy recovery -- and the long hours that went into it -- as a new beginning, a call to return to the workout routines that helped get him into the league in the first place as a second-round pick of the Jets in 1999. He refined his footwork with quickness drills. He strengthened his legs and focused on technique.

"I was just working off athletic ability before, and this year I feel stronger," Thomas said. "I actually feel like a rookie again."

Said assistant head coach Joe Bugel, who oversees the offensive line: "I've been totally amazed by him. For him to come back like that and not limp and not show any pain, he's a real warrior. I mean, if that guy's not a Pro Bowl guard, then there are no Pro Bowl guards."

Some teammates feared Thomas risked re-injuring his leg because of his gung-ho attitude. Thomas dismissed such concerns.

"If you sit around and wait for it to heal then you're losing time and reps," Thomas said. "And I'm a different guy. When I come back I like to work it out and not just sit it out. I think I made myself better by getting on the field for [spring practices]. It kind of helped me get through the soreness."

No one was more excited to see Thomas back on the field than associate head coach-offense Al Saunders. In Kansas City, Saunders used two agile guards, Will Shields and Brian Waters, to clear a path for a potent running attack. Thomas fits that mold with his nimble feet, acceleration, power and lateral prowess.

"There are things you can do to help guys in the running game with zone blocking and combination blocking," Saunders said. "But when you're out in space, you've got to do it all for yourself. That's what separates the really good offensive linemen from the guys who are just drive blockers, and Randy has that skill."

Thomas's struggle to overcome the first significant injury of his career has restored more than his physical well-being. Being deprived of his craft during the most important games of his career provided a sense of perspective.

"When I got hurt in a game like that in the fourth quarter, you never think that's going to happen," Thomas said. "But when it's time for me to rest, you rest. You can't worry about it or dwell on it. It's hard to live your life on coulda, woulda, shoulda.

"I respect what happened to me. I don't want to be sitting here saying, 'Oh man, I cried all night.' No. I'm still blessed. I'm here today, and I'm playing football again."

 

[redman]

They aren't an automatic pick for the playoffs and if he's not "the man" they won't even come close to making it there. This team is very thin in the secondary(they are toast if they have to play for an extended period of time without Springs) and along the o and d lines. Definitely not the makings of a champion. With their starters healthy they can compete but all it's going to take is a couple of injuries to send this team into a tailspin. I pick em to finish 3rd or 4th in the division as it is. If they have to go with Betts or Duckett, make that 4th and a losing record.Things are so bad with this team on the O line(talking backups) that they just signed a guy who played for the Texans last year! So, limiting his workload in anticipation of saving him for the playoffs would be foolish. They are far from being a lock to get there and Portis will be the man who gets them there if they make it.

Their chances to make the playoffs and win playoff games are certainly enhanced by a healthy Portis in the lineup, but let's not forget that the names of the last 5 starting RB's for the Super Bowl champions were:Jerome Bettis (34-year old version)Corey DillonAntowain SmithMichael PittmanAntowain SmithThis is not exactly the cream of the RB crop in any of those seasons, even by fantasy football standards. Betts and Duckett are capable IMHO of combining to carry the load if Portis can't. It may not be awe-inspiring, but the team can win games with them. The problems will start, as you have correctly pointed out, if they lost o-linemen to injury or if Brunell is injured. They have the least amount of proven depth at those two places on the roster (along with CB). Help me to understand your criticism of the teams' expenditure of money this offseason? What o-lineman was available for signing in FA that was good enough for them to want to provide good depth, and yet not so good that he wouldn't want to sign elsewhere for a chance to start (which he wouldn't get with this team)? I'm not saying one or several don't exist, I'm just wondering who you have in mind.

My criticism is based on them doing this EVERY friggin year. Had they simply tried to build a team through the draft AND via free agency, they would have more depth. Gibbs is foolishly acting like this is 1983 when he'd get JKC to go out and pay top dollar for backups like Jumpy Gathers. WHat they have done is throw almost all of their cash at a few guys and filled in with bums that have been cut by other teams. Randal El was a bad signing. Guys like him are a dime a dozen. Why pay starter money to a 3rd wr? It's stupid. THey should have gotten a corner or a safety who can cover(Archuletta was almost as big a waste as ARE). And I'll tell you this, the skins could have replaced dockery and made him a backup and gotten Steve Hutchinson for what they paid ARE. You're one of the few skins fans I know that likes what they did in the offseason. Lloyd signing wasn't bad and Carter is alright. Everything else made absolutely no sense. Why let clark go to the SB champs? Good enough for them but not the skins? Ridicuolous. Their spending has already cost them good players(Smoot, CLark and Pierce come to mind) as well as depth. Randal El will make big plays this year. Probably a few more than he did in pitt but he's not worth what they paid for him in the era of the cap.

I understand what you're saying, but let's take a look at particulars. - Hutchinson, as impressive as he is, is an offensive guard. A guard. The 'Skins, between Samuels, Jansen and Thomas have some of the best o-linemen in their conference playing for them, and Dockery and Rabach are solid. Their (starting) line is not their problem on offense, and they certainly shouldn't break the bank on another lineman, however good he is, the way that a team like Minnesota with o-line problems did (remember that Minnesota had to "overpay" him in order to prevent Seattle from matching the offer and killing the deal). - Archuleta was the signing that I was coolest on at the time it happened, but I've warmed up to it. Assuming he's healthy, he will be blitzing a lot in Gregg Williams defense, something that he excels at along with run support. Sean Taylor's talent in coverage frees Archuleta up to be a force "in the box", which is where his talent is anyway. My concern is Archuleta's health, but there's been no sign of any injury since they signed him.- Ryan Clark was a borderline starting safety who was actually out of position as a SS. He's not even a lock to start for Pittsburgh. Ironically, the team didn't sign him because he wanted starting money and they didn't want to pay him that, which is the opposite of what your general criticism is about the team's offseason.- Randle El was probably overpaid when you consider what other teams would fork over for him, but the 'Skins decided that they wanted him to be the slot WR and didn't want him to leave town (to Chicago) without a contract. In all of the criticism that I've ever seen about his supposed mediocrity as a WR, there is no disputing that in the WR3 role he's absolutely superb. What 3rd CB or S is going to keep up with him? He's still young and his explosiveness as a WR and a PR and his abilities to run gadget plays mean he could impact a lot of games. I think that his talent is on the rise. - the signing that I'm the most nervous about is CB Kenny Wright, not because we didn't need depth at CB, but because he has looked terrible in coverage during the preseason even when you account for the vanilla scheme he's been playing in. With Springs out for a few more weeks, he's going to have a target on his back.

 

[Skinsfansince72]

They aren't an automatic pick for the playoffs and if he's not "the man" they won't even come close to making it there. This team is very thin in the secondary(they are toast if they have to play for an extended period of time without Springs) and along the o and d lines. Definitely not the makings of a champion. With their starters healthy they can compete but all it's going to take is a couple of injuries to send this team into a tailspin. I pick em to finish 3rd or 4th in the division as it is. If they have to go with Betts or Duckett, make that 4th and a losing record.Things are so bad with this team on the O line(talking backups) that they just signed a guy who played for the Texans last year! So, limiting his workload in anticipation of saving him for the playoffs would be foolish. They are far from being a lock to get there and Portis will be the man who gets them there if they make it.

Their chances to make the playoffs and win playoff games are certainly enhanced by a healthy Portis in the lineup, but let's not forget that the names of the last 5 starting RB's for the Super Bowl champions were:Jerome Bettis (34-year old version)Corey DillonAntowain SmithMichael PittmanAntowain SmithThis is not exactly the cream of the RB crop in any of those seasons, even by fantasy football standards. Betts and Duckett are capable IMHO of combining to carry the load if Portis can't. It may not be awe-inspiring, but the team can win games with them. The problems will start, as you have correctly pointed out, if they lost o-linemen to injury or if Brunell is injured. They have the least amount of proven depth at those two places on the roster (along with CB). Help me to understand your criticism of the teams' expenditure of money this offseason? What o-lineman was available for signing in FA that was good enough for them to want to provide good depth, and yet not so good that he wouldn't want to sign elsewhere for a chance to start (which he wouldn't get with this team)? I'm not saying one or several don't exist, I'm just wondering who you have in mind.

My criticism is based on them doing this EVERY friggin year. Had they simply tried to build a team through the draft AND via free agency, they would have more depth. Gibbs is foolishly acting like this is 1983 when he'd get JKC to go out and pay top dollar for backups like Jumpy Gathers. WHat they have done is throw almost all of their cash at a few guys and filled in with bums that have been cut by other teams. Randal El was a bad signing. Guys like him are a dime a dozen. Why pay starter money to a 3rd wr? It's stupid. THey should have gotten a corner or a safety who can cover(Archuletta was almost as big a waste as ARE). And I'll tell you this, the skins could have replaced dockery and made him a backup and gotten Steve Hutchinson for what they paid ARE. You're one of the few skins fans I know that likes what they did in the offseason. Lloyd signing wasn't bad and Carter is alright. Everything else made absolutely no sense. Why let clark go to the SB champs? Good enough for them but not the skins? Ridicuolous. Their spending has already cost them good players(Smoot, CLark and Pierce come to mind) as well as depth. Randal El will make big plays this year. Probably a few more than he did in pitt but he's not worth what they paid for him in the era of the cap.

I understand what you're saying, but let's take a look at particulars. - Hutchinson, as impressive as he is, is an offensive guard. A guard. The 'Skins, between Samuels, Jansen and Thomas have some of the best o-linemen in their conference playing for them, and Dockery and Rabach are solid. Their (starting) line is not their problem on offense, and they certainly shouldn't break the bank on another lineman, however good he is, the way that a team like Minnesota with o-line problems did (remember that Minnesota had to "overpay" him in order to prevent Seattle from matching the offer and killing the deal). - Archuleta was the signing that I was coolest on at the time it happened, but I've warmed up to it. Assuming he's healthy, he will be blitzing a lot in Gregg Williams defense, something that he excels at along with run support. Sean Taylor's talent in coverage frees Archuleta up to be a force "in the box", which is where his talent is anyway. My concern is Archuleta's health, but there's been no sign of any injury since they signed him.- Ryan Clark was a borderline starting safety who was actually out of position as a SS. He's not even a lock to start for Pittsburgh. Ironically, the team didn't sign him because he wanted starting money and they didn't want to pay him that, which is the opposite of what your general criticism is about the team's offseason.- Randle El was probably overpaid when you consider what other teams would fork over for him, but the 'Skins decided that they wanted him to be the slot WR and didn't want him to leave town (to Chicago) without a contract. In all of the criticism that I've ever seen about his supposed mediocrity as a WR, there is no disputing that in the WR3 role he's absolutely superb. What 3rd CB or S is going to keep up with him? He's still young and his explosiveness as a WR and a PR and his abilities to run gadget plays mean he could impact a lot of games. I think that his talent is on the rise. - the signing that I'm the most nervous about is CB Kenny Wright, not because we didn't need depth at CB, but because he has looked terrible in coverage during the preseason even when you account for the vanilla scheme he's been playing in. With Springs out for a few more weeks, he's going to have a target on his back.

Hutch signing as a starter makes Dockery a backup. That means depth. Clark wasn't/isn't making what Archuletta makes.Forget the vanilla. Everybody was vanilla. The skins backups and, in some cases, starters, got pushed around in the preseason. Their backups stink. Thankfully they won't ever have to play at the same time but if I'm Brunell, I'm nervous.As for El, who gives a crap if he left town to sign with Chi? His contract is ridiculous for a 3rd wide out. If your argument is that the skins can overpay guys like ARE and not have it burn them, you are high(and I want some of what you got there). It's BEEN costing them for years now. Imagine what a little O line depth would have been like last year after Brown went down. They were relying on an old man and he was good-----until he got hurt. You need to step back and look at the reality that is the SKins. They have a good starting lineup and terrible backups. Look at what happened to Philly last year after they had injuries. They had MORE depth than the Skins do right now and they tanked. Skins, since gibbs arrived as well as before, do not spend wisely.

 

[GRIDIRON ASSASSIN]

The Washington Redskins: The Off-Season Super Bowl Champs

....never helps them too much from Sept - January though....

 

[Hairy Snowman]

The Washington Redskins: The Off-Season Super Bowl Champs

....never helps them too much from Sept - January though....

Season isn't over yet there skippy. Go Bears! -

 

[GRIDIRON ASSASSIN]

The Washington Redskins: The Off-Season Super Bowl Champs

....never helps them too much from Sept - January though....

Season isn't over yet there skippy. Go Bears! -

September and half the games of October certainly are Slappy!They haven't beaten one NFC team yet.