ES: Washington Redskins minicamp wrap-up (FINAL)

[themurf]

ES Coverage: Redskins Minicamp 2010

4/18/10

:helmet:

Hello friends, my name is Brian Murphy and I was on hand this morning for the final day of the first minicamp under head coach Mike Shanahan. Due to a larger-than-expected turnout, space was at a premium in the media room, so we had to call an audible and post everything a little later than expected. No worries though.

Now, we all know that with the changing of the guard, there is a completely new tone at Redskins Park with Shanahan and general manager Bruce Allen calling the shots. Players have referred to their new coach as a taskmaster, a disciplinarian and pretty much any other polite way of saying "he's not playing around."

When you take over a 4-12 team with very little in the way of depth, there's plenty of work to be done. Shanahan knows that and is stressing it to his players as well. While it would be foolish to rush to judgment after watching two hours of practice, I can point out that the pace and tempo of his practice seems to be faster than what went on here a year ago.

A year ago you would see several players standing off to the side, seemingly content to do their own thing. Not anymore. Everyone is either in a drill or watching the drill. No one is goofing off with their back to the plays anymore. Again, it's a little thing, but it's noticeable in contrast to what went on during the Jim Zorn era.

As far as players go, you all know that quarterback Jason Campbell, defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth and linebacker Rocky McIntosh are not around. Shanahan spoke after practice and said Campbell is the only guy involved in any sort of trade talks at the moment. This goes with what Adam Schefter said last week about hearing from two different people within the Redskins organization that Haynesworth isn't going anywhere. He's not here, but for now, the team seems content to keep him around. Of course, if the right offer came their way, then I'm sure their mindset could change pretty quickly ...

But enough about those guys. Here's a quicky list of the players who were here, but didn't practice fully:

defensive end/linebacker Andre Carter, defensive lineman Maake Kemoeatu, linebacker Jeremy Jarmon, wide out Santana Moss, offensive lineman Chad Rinehart, tackle Clint Oldenburg and wide out Devin Thomas.

Carter worked off to the side, doing catching drills with one of the coaches. Kemoeatu did stretches, but not much else. Moss and Thomas hung out near the receivers, but were about as involved as I was in the actual drills.

Two guys who were also in attendace, but were not on the roster sheet were wide out Jerry Porter and running back Ryan Torain. Both were considered tryouts and the Redskins PR staff was leery of saying much about them, so don't get too tied to the thought of them rocking the burgundy and gold just yet.

But I will say that Porter looked solid, catching everything thrown his way in individual drills and receiver coach Keenan McCardell had nothing but positive things to say about him after practice.

A few other quick thoughts on today:

- both Clinton Portis and Larry Johnson look slimmer. Obviously I've been around Portis a lot more than Johnson, but both look noticeably slimmer than I remembered. 'Skins fans should be excited at the thought of those two coming into camp in great shape and highly motivated. Say what you will about them off the field (and trust me, I have), but when they're on the field, they both give max effort.

- Portis took first snaps during running back reps, while Johnson went second. Willie Parker was third in the rotation.

- During a drill in which the emphasis was on crisp route running by the running backs, I must have witnessed every running back on the roster drop at least two passes in a row. Like I said, the coaches were more concerned with the route being run rather than the execution of the play, but it was impossible not to notice how many balls hit the field during the drill.

- Donovan McNabb's first big bomb of the day was a beauty. It sailed perfectly 40 yards down the field and was caught by someone named Anthony Armstrong, who alledgedly is a receiver out of West Texas A&M. McNabb's next deep ball was equally as pretty, although DeAngelo Hall made a nice play on the ball to break up what would have been a highlight catch by receiver Malcolm Kelly.

- Those two passes alone showed me enough to be excited for the McNabb era. He throws that deep ball better than anyone we've had around this town in a long, long time.

- Gotta give credit to safety Kareem Moore though for picking off McNabb later on in the same drill. We couldn't see who the intended receiver was because the Redskins players not involved in the play were lined up in a wall conveniently between the media and the play, but Moore clearly read the play and made a better break for the ball than whichever wide out was the intended target.

Otherwise, it was a pretty low-key day. The weather was a little chilly, so the players were in an obvious hurry to get inside as soon as practice ended. That meant there wasn't much in the way of interviews.

I did get a chance to talk to a few guys though. Here's video of Andre Carter talking about rehabbing his injury and his overall thoughts on minicamp in general. And yes, I continue to push my luck with Carter, an athlete I know could snap me in half if he wanted to, by bringing up his pitiful scoop and score attempt against Oakland last season.

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Hopefully this brief recap and video can tide folks over while I post the photos and audio from minicamp. If you have any questions, please feel free to post them. Like I said, a lot of practice was shielded from the media by design, but I will do my best to answer whatever questions you guys might have.

:helmet:

PHOTOS

To see a slideshow of ExtremeSkins photos click HERE

To see the complete set of ExtremeSkins photos click HERE

:helmet:

AUDIO

To listen to comments from Larry Johnson click HERE

To listen to comments from Brian Orakpo click HERE

To listen to comments from receivers coach Keenan McCardell click HERE

[The Rook]

Great stuff, Murf. I really hope we have a place for Andre - he is gold.

Look forward to the pics and interviews.

:helmet:The Rook

[iXiBrianiXi]

Hey Murf, you got any idea why 'Tana and Devin were just kinda hanging around? Seems kind of odd if their not injured.

Oh, and did Laron line up at SS? With Kareem out their? Or was that pick off one where you don't think Landry was in on the play?

[authentic]

great stuff as always bro. If feel so comfortable that we have McNabb. I'm so glad this is one position we don't have to worry about. nice to hear that every one is on board and ready to put work in.

[TK]

How would you compare & contrast how things run between Gibbs' camp & Shanny's camp?

[HapHaszard]

Thanks Murf, and I love your new avatar

[themurf]

Hey Murf, you got any idea why 'Tana and Devin were just kinda hanging around? Seems kind of odd if their not injured.

Oh, and did Laron line up at SS? With Kareem out their? Or was that pick off one where you don't think Landry was in on the play?

I wanted to talk to either Moss or Thomas, but the players were in such a hurry to get off the field and into the warmth of the building that I didn't get to chat with them. The obvious answer is that they're both less than 100 percent, so they were kept out for precautionary reasons.

Sorry to disappoint, but I can't say much on Landry. It was too tough to see through the wall of players to really see who was lining up where in the middle of the field. Linebackers and safeties were the toughest to locate because they were in the middle of the field (directly on the other side of the wall).

great stuff as always bro. If feel so comfortable that we have McNabb. I'm so glad this is one position we don't have to worry about. nice to hear that every one is on board and ready to put work in.

Yeah. Lord knows I've been called a Campbell apologist for a while now, but seeing McNabb connect with ease on those deep passes was a sight for sore eyes. Seriously, just being able to stretch the field and keep defense honest should do wonders for the aging running back rotation.

How would you compare & contrast how things run between Gibbs' camp & Shanny's camp?

That's a much fairer comparison than to put Shanahan's minicamp up against Zorn's. Honestly, this looked a lot like what you saw during the Gibbs regime, although, to be fair, some guys did manage to find goof-off time under Grandpa Gibbs as well.

Everything is very structured. Everything needs to be precise. Attention to detail is a phrase you will hear roughly 8,000 times between now and the end of training camp. Shanahan is very detailed oriented and the guys are going to be held accountable for everything they do (or fail to do) on the playing field.

[CRobi21]

That's a much fairer comparison than to put Shanahan's minicamp up against Zorn's. Honestly, this looked a lot like what you saw during the Gibbs regime, although, to be fair, some guys did manage to find goof-off time under Grandpa Gibbs as well.

Everything is very structured. Everything needs to be precise. Attention to detail is a phrase you will hear roughly 8,000 times between now and the end of training camp. Shanahan is very detailed oriented and the guys are going to be held accountable for everything they do (or fail to do) on the playing field.

:)

Thanks for the write up Murf.

And the pics were beautiful!

[TK]

That's about what I expected. Good to see Shanny didn't disappoint then.

Although I can't wait till they put the pads on have some contact.

[Goaldeje]

Two guys who were also in attendace, but were not on the roster sheet were wide out Jerry Porter and running back Ryan Torain. Both were considered tryouts and the Redskins PR staff was leery of saying much about them, so don't get too tied to the thought of them rocking the burgundy and gold just yet.

Great job, Murph.

Torain is much more interesting to me than Porter is. If memory serves, he was supposed to be a star with the Broncos, but got injured. Anyone else remember this? Wonder if Shanahan just got attached to the kid, or if he sees something McDaniels didn't?

[TheLongshot]

Oh, and did Laron line up at SS? With Kareem out their? Or was that pick off one where you don't think Landry was in on the play?

From what Landry said (From WP):

"The whole thing is different. The 3-4 is way different than a 4-3. Different calls. I'm learning strong safety and free safety. But predominantly I am a strong safety. When the passing strength changes, I'm a free safety, so I need to learn everything. I want to know the whole defense. I want to be a leader back there. More vocal and by my athletic ability. I feel very comfortable in the defense so far. ... Looks like it's gonna be a fun year."

BTW, he claimed that he knew the whole defense last year, so take that for what it is worth.

[TheLongshot]

Torain is much more interesting to me than Porter is. If memory serves, he was supposed to be a star with the Broncos, but got injured. Anyone else remember this? Wonder if Shanahan just got attached to the kid, or if he sees something McDaniels didn't?

Torain got hurt in preseason his rookie year, breaking his elbow. In his first start, he tore his ACL. Apparently he wasn't healthy enough last year and ended up getting released.

Apparently, Shanahan really liked him:

http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_10831570

"He's one of the most gifted running backs I've been around for a long time. He is very similar to Terrell Davis when he came in," Shanahan said Aug. 6, the day Torain was carted off the practice field.

Unfortunately, I keep reading that he has an "upright" running style, which is what I think was Kelvin Bryant's bane and shortened his career.

[Goaldeje]

Torain got hurt in preseason his rookie year, breaking his elbow. In his first start, he tore his ACL. Apparently he wasn't healthy enough last year and ended up getting released.

Apparently, Shanahan really liked him:

http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_10831570

Unfortunately, I keep reading that he has an "upright" running style, which is what I think was Kelvin Bryant's bane and shortened his career.

Yeah, that's what I though, thanks for the research. At this point, he would probably play for peanuts, won't be surprised if we keep him around through camp to see if he can stay healthy and be productive.

I just remember that Shanahan quote and thinking, "wow" at the time.

[c4man5282]

Great stuff as always Murf! Thanks

[Outlaw Torn]

Great recap thanks for keeping us up on whats going on out there.:point2sky

[themurf]

Great job, Murph.

Torain is much more interesting to me than Porter is. If memory serves, he was supposed to be a star with the Broncos, but got injured. Anyone else remember this? Wonder if Shanahan just got attached to the kid, or if he sees something McDaniels didn't?

A guy like Torain, if he sticks, is young and familiar with Shanahan's style of offense. He's not someone I would have thought of, but he's a low-risk, high-reward kind of guy. If you believe, like I do, that the Redskins won't keep all three of their big-name RBs - Clinton Portis, Larry Johnson and Willie Parker - then you've got to think a guy like Torain could end up sneaking onto the roster if he stays healthy, catches a few breaks and takes advantage of his experience with Shanahan, etc.

Of course, that being said, he could leave Redskins Park tomorrow without a contract and that wouldn't surprise me either. If nothing else, he's someone worth watching as the roster continues to evolve.

[Curb Feeler]

I remember Porter when he played high school ball in DC( I think it was Coolidge Sr. High). He can play but in Oakland he seemed to become your typical "diva" WR. Hopefully, he is humble and ready for a new start. He can push Marko Mitchell(wr)for the 4th WR spot.

[jtyler42]

Great job Murph! I as well as others I'm sure appreciate you guys doing this for the board!

I know you said it was to tough to see the LB's, but did you by chance see who was with the starting group? Orakpo, Fletcher, and who else?

Also who was starting at RT?

[NOLASKINSFAN]

Thanks for the write up! We all appreciate the great work!

[iXiBrianiXi]

A guy like Torain, if he sticks, is young and familiar with Shanahan's style of offense. He's not someone I would have thought of, but he's a low-risk, high-reward kind of guy. If you believe, like I do, that the Redskins won't keep all three of their big-name RBs - Clinton Portis, Larry Johnson and Willie Parker - then you've got to think a guy like Torain could end up sneaking onto the roster if he stays healthy, catches a few breaks and takes advantage of his experience with Shanahan, etc.

Of course, that being said, he could leave Redskins Park tomorrow without a contract and that wouldn't surprise me either. If nothing else, he's someone worth watching as the roster continues to evolve.

Did you get any looks at him? I'm kinda curious if he's here to take Alridge's spot. I'm of the belief were going into the season with 4 RB's.

[themurf]

Did you get any looks at him? I'm kinda curious if he's here to take Alridge's spot. I'm of the belief were going into the season with 4 RB's.

I saw Torain throughout practice, but to be completely honest, the running backs weren't doing any drills that were remotely exciting. If you had never seen any of the RBs play before and showed up at practice Sunday, you'd have no clue if any of them could actually play.

They did the one drill where all the coaches were focusing on route running (where everyone kept dropping passes out on a swing route), and then they did some other equally basic stuff. If Torain makes the team, it won't be because of anything we saw on Sunday.

[skinslove<3]

thanks murf!!!

[c4man5282]

Murf, just curious but in the pics of CB15 it looks like he was throwing more over the shoulder than side armed. Is that correct?

Also I noticed CP26 had a new helmet on and was Torrian 38?

[themurf]

Murf, just curious but in the pics of CB15 it looks like he was throwing more over the shoulder than side armed. Is that correct?

Also I noticed CP26 had a new helmet on and was Torrian 38?

I noticed Brennan's delivery was different from last year, but I wasn't sure if it was because those photos were taken while the quarterbacks were loosening up, etc. That's one of the subplots I would have loved to dig deeper into had we been given access to all three days, rather than just Sunday.

And yes, this was Ryan Torain.

[c4man5282]

I noticed Brennan's delivery was different from last year, but I wasn't sure if it was because those photos were taken while the quarterbacks were loosening up, etc. That's one of the subplots I would have loved to dig deeper into had we been given access to all three days, rather than just Sunday.

And yes, this was Ryan Torain.

Thanks Murf!