ibrahim Posted May 16, 2005 Share Posted May 16, 2005 Picking Up the Pace: OTAs Begin This Week By Gary Fitzgerald Redskins.com May 16, 2005 It's only mid-May, but Redskins Park will take on more of an in-season atmosphere this week as veterans and rookies alike begin more intensive workouts and practice sessions, all in preparation for the 2005 season. Under NFL-sanctioned Organized Team Activities (or OTAs), players come in several days a week and spend time on the practice fields working with coaches, learning play calls and developing bonds with teammates. Joe Gibbs and the Redskins start Organized Team Activities this week. It will also be the first time for the Redskins' coaching staff to watch offensive players go against defensive players, tinker with the lineup and evaluate players in simulated game situations, albeit on the practice fields. "It'll be more competitive," head coach Joe Gibbs said last week. "What you're limited to [the last few weeks] is mostly walk-throughs. When we step up and go to OTAs, the good thing from an offense's perspective is that you'll get different fronts and looks from the defense. You'll have your good receivers going up against good corners now. You'll have offensive linemen getting work against defensive linemen." League rules prohibit players from wearing pads, so there won't be any hitting. But Gibbs emphasized that he expects an increased level of intensity. Since late March, the team has held voluntary off-season workouts at Redskins Park. "We'll have good work [in OTAs]," he said. "Obviously, a lot of it is mental. We'll get everything put in. We're going to go fast and hard with it. We'll try to do a lot more this year than last year, and at a faster pace. "As a coach, you're kind of checking to see how fast guys pick things up--and also their physical conditioning. These are important times for us." Gibbs said he may experiment with a number of changes to an offense that was ranked 30th in 2004--including the shotgun formation. The Hall of Fame head coach has long resisted using the shotgun, but more defenses are using blitzes to pressure quarterbacks and the formation could give passers an extra second to see the field and locate a receiver. "Every year you change and add new stuff, and certainly we have this year," Gibbs said. "Shotgun is probably the thing that will stand out to most people. We'll be taking a long hard look at that." The OTAs will also give coaches their first sustained look at rookies as they go up against more seasoned players. Since completing a post-draft Rookie Camp from April 29-May 1, many rookies have wrapped up their college courses by now and are eligible to participate in the sessions. "It'll be an indoctrination for them," Gibbs said. One potential distraction in the next few weeks could be the status of safety Sean Taylor. Gibbs has called Taylor's absence from voluntary workouts "disappointing," but adds that he expects the second-year player to be on hand for OTAs. It's also uncertain whether Rod Gardner will be in attendance for the OTAs. With the fifth-year wide receiver granted permission to seek a trade, Gibbs has indicated it's unlikely that Gardner will return to the Redskins next season. Still, Gardner remains on the roster until a trade--or some other arrangement--can be consummated. The Redskins will host their only full squad mini-camp on June 17-19 at Redskins Park. The mini-camp will be closed to the public. Link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrfriedm Posted May 16, 2005 Share Posted May 16, 2005 God, Please don't let anybody get hurt. Please let Sean Taylor show up to OTA's and please have him in shape. Please let the team come together as a family and work half as hard as their Head Coach, to put their best on the field each and every week this season. For these things I thank you. Amen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohioskinfan Posted May 16, 2005 Share Posted May 16, 2005 I second that JR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commander Adama Posted May 16, 2005 Share Posted May 16, 2005 Originally posted by jrfriedm God, Please don't let anybody get hurt. Please let Sean Taylor show up to OTA's and please have him in shape. Please let the team come together as a family and work half as hard as their Head Coach, to put their best on the field each and every week this season. For these things I thank you. Amen. You got a witness here. One thing that stood out to me was "Work half as hard as their Head Coach", and if you think about it, you are truly correct. Joe Gibbs is the polar opposite of Steve Spurrier. Spurrier would hardly put any time into coaching, and more oft than not, golfing when he should be studying, while Gibbs is at Redskins Park until at least 2:00am and back in at 6:00am. He even had Heart Surgery the other week, and didn't even miss a beat (No pun intended)! Couple that with Diabetes, but the man just keeps moving ahead. That level of commitment is contagious, and I don't see how players can be around that, and it not rub off on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVAbrendan Posted May 16, 2005 Share Posted May 16, 2005 With this kind of committment, how can the Redskins NOT have a good season. Hard work and determination have to count for something, right?:logo: :helmet: :logo: :helmet: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trez Posted May 16, 2005 Share Posted May 16, 2005 Originally posted by Blue Collar Skins Joe Gibbs is the polar opposite of Steve Spurrier. Spurrier would hardly put any time into coaching, and more oft than not, golfing when he should be studying, while Gibbs is at Redskins Park until at least 2:00am and back in at 6:00am. He even had Heart Surgery the other week, and didn't even miss a beat (No pun intended)! Couple that with Diabetes, but the man just keeps moving ahead. That level of commitment is contagious, and I don't see how players can be around that, and it not rub off on them. Too bad Spurrier and Gibbs had virtually the same record, and Gibbs did it with an easier schedule. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD_washingtonredskins Posted May 16, 2005 Share Posted May 16, 2005 Originally posted by trez Too bad Spurrier and Gibbs had virtually the same record, and Gibbs did it with an easier schedule. Easy tiger, why don't you look at Gibbs' entire body of work before throwing out dumb remarks like that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinsChick36 Posted May 16, 2005 Share Posted May 16, 2005 So when do we find out if ST was there or not? :paranoid: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DieselPwr44 Posted May 16, 2005 Share Posted May 16, 2005 Originally posted by trez Too bad Spurrier and Gibbs had virtually the same record, and Gibbs did it with an easier schedule. :dunce: :troll: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blondie Posted May 16, 2005 Share Posted May 16, 2005 OTAs. It is almost here!!!!!!! Tick.........tick.........tick. Blondie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD_washingtonredskins Posted May 16, 2005 Share Posted May 16, 2005 Originally posted by Blondie OTAs. It is almost here!!!!!!! Tick.........tick.........tick. Blondie Blondie, your post got me more fired up for tonight's episode of 24 with the ticking and tocking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tizzod Posted May 17, 2005 Share Posted May 17, 2005 Originally posted by trez Too bad Spurrier and Gibbs had virtually the same record, and Gibbs did it with an easier schedule. And Gibbs had 12 years off and still did just as well as Spurrier. So don't start with that garbage. Wait until the end of next year before you start spewing nonsense like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCS Posted May 17, 2005 Share Posted May 17, 2005 Ok. Well. Let's get on with it already. taptaptap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky21 Posted May 17, 2005 Share Posted May 17, 2005 Originally posted by SkinsChick36 So when do we find out if ST was there or not? :paranoid: Today. Tuesday May 17th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.