The enthusiasm was apparent on the practice fields as the Washington Redskins kicked off their 2015 training camp. Five players — left tackle Trent Williams, tight end Jordan Reed, outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, offensive lineman Morgan Moses and cornerback DeAngelo Hall — were back on the field having been sidelined during OTAs and minicamps earlier in the offseason.
All of the players were focused but that didn’t mean there wasn’t some horsing around on the field during the morning session at Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Facility. At one point, receiver Andre Roberts made a nice one-handed catch, practically snatching the ball out of cornerback Bashaud Breeland’s hands. Roberts tossed the ball back to sophomore’s hands they walked back from the play and seconds later, the wide out knocked it right back out of Breeland’s hands. They both laughed. Considering the pretty nasty fight those two got into last season, it was interesting to watch the camaraderie.
All five of the returning players worked as much as any other during 7-on-7 walkthroughs and, while it wasn’t full-on hitting, all were moving around well. This was just another step up made this season… a season in which the general focus of coaches and players alike is moving forward successfully.
It was easy to see how glad Hall was to be back out on the field and his return makes for a very competitive secondary.
“To be able to go out after two surgeries and for the doctor to tell me how great I look and as amazing of a recovery as I’ve had so far is a blessing,” Hall said today. “I’m ready to go out here and just have fun.”
Coming off the two Achilles surgeries he had back in 2014, coaches and trainers will certainly be careful about bringing him back. His health one way or the other impacts the entire defensive backfield.
Third-year man David Amerson, Breeland and newly acquired veteran Chris Culliver are all serious contenders for playing time; as well as Trey Wolfe, Justin Rogers; and rookies Tevin Mitchell and Tajh Hasson. But having been in the league as long as he has, Hall is confident that he’ll end up a starter for the team and knows what he needs to make it happen.
“Just keep competing,” he went on. “Show that I can move, I can make every cut. I think the mental side of it is good to go but just going out there and… I’ve got to go out there and show these coaches that I can do it and the first test is today.”
It is often said that a team will take on the identity of its coach and, if the Redskins defense takes on that of new defensive coordinator Joe Barry, they will be nothing if not enthusiastic.
That is not to say the unit has never been excited before but it’s a good thing any time a player wants to play well for his coach. To a man, since the first set of OTAs, every defensive team member I have spoken to has had nothing but praise for their new boss and getting it from them is not like pulling teeth… it is offered up voluntarily.
“Joe B. is a guy who is very energetic, very emotional… loves his guys,” Hall said about his new boss. “I mean, we’re going to fight for him. We’re going to go out there and believe in the defense and try to execute it to the best of our ability.
“Some people don’t like change,” he went on, “but change is always good. Change is good in my opinion and gives everybody a chance to go out there and prove themselves all over again and show what they’re about… this locker room will respond to it.”
As mentioned before, Trent Williams took snaps on the offensive line during the walkthrough, alongside first-round draft pick Brandon Scherff for the first time. The Pro Bowler looked good and moved really well and actually did, as Head Coach Jay Gruden said yesterday during his press conference, look a bit like “a gazelle…” for an offensive lineman, that is. He is looking forward to getting to work.
“We’re extremely excited,” Williams said in response to a question about the high energy and optimism that is so obvious right now. “You know… we’ve got a new team, it’s a bunch of new faces, new coaching in the locker room. We’re getting ready to put it to work, you know? We did a lot of training in the offseason and now we’re going to see where our hard work has put us.”
Williams will be the next priority for Washington in terms of contract signings. He has one year left on his deal and, while he’d like to get a new one done soon, he said that it’s not a source of distraction for him.
After finally getting on the field with Scherff, the vet had high praise for the youngster and expounded on the difficulties of going from college to the pros.
“It’s extremely tough… extremely tough,” he described of playing in the NFL. “O-line in the NFL is a science now. You know, in college it’s just you’re bigger, you’re stronger, you’re going to dominate. But now, in the NFL, you have to perfect your craft. You’ve got to know your weaknesses more than your strengths.
“Brandon, he’ll be fine,” Williams continued. “He’s a very smart player, very mature for his age. So, he’ll come and plug right in. He has a different level of maturity to him. You don’t have to keep coaching him up. If you tell him to do something once, he makes that change and the next play you see, he’s doing exactly what you asked him to do. He’s a good player. Obviously, taken number five overall, everyone knows that so… I’m excited to watch him show you guys the reason he was picked in the Top Five.”
This is obviously a time when it’s easier to be optimistic than after games have been lost or players injured. But with so many wholesale changes to this team, this player enthusiasm is understandable… it even seems different even than last year when so much excitement surrounded the hiring of Gruden. Even talk of the scheme generated some real fervor.
“Did Jay say we’re going to emphasize the run?” quarterback Robert Griffin, III said in a response to a question about whether or not play-action would help him this season. “Then that’s what we’re going to do [laughter ensued]. Remember, Jay said that.
“My thing is as long as the threat of the run is there; it makes the play-action a lot easier. So, I look forward to establishing that threat, not only myself but heavy dosages of [RB Alfred [Morris]. Our line will be ready for that and we’ll be ready for all the play-actions and all of that stuff off it. Coach is never going to pin himself in[to] a corner and say that’s all we’re going to do. But we look forward to it. We just want to be successful. When you have to drop back and pass, you drop back and pass. You can stay within your offense, whatever fabric that coach wants it to be, then that’s what you do. So, like I said, I don’t know what he’s going to run… I just know we’re going to be successful. That’s all I care about.”