Greetings from Redskins Training Camp

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Peter King was sent to Ashburn, VA on July 25, 2008 to report on the Redskins’ training camp for SI.com. After reading King’s article, SI editors decided it was insufficient, so they sent me to get the inside report on the Skins’ camp. I took the trip to Redskins’ Park, their year-round training facility, one day after King did. It was Fan Appreciation Day and 28,000 fans showed up to watch the team’s practice. The team warmed up, did some position drills, and then played an intra-squad scrimmage. Basically, the first, second, and third units took turns driving up the field, starting from their own 35. Afterward, many of the players interacted with the fans, signing autographs. I was two yards off the line in endzone the offense was driving away from during the scrimmage but where the offense skill positions did their drills. Here are my observations and thoughts:

Observations/Notes

• Chris Cooley is the fan favorite of the Redskins nation. And rightfully so, as he was one of only two players wearing yellow socks at the practice. It helps your population rating when you are the favorite player of every single female fan. (Cooley is seen right, #47).
  
• I am 5’9” and ¾. Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle El, and Rock Cartwright are all shorter than me. Chris Samuels, Jon Jansen, and Jason Taylor are taller than me. It is really cool seeing these giants playing on the same field as these small dudes.
• Clinton Portis is the star of the team (more eyes on him than anyone else, but not as beloved Cooley) and he acts like it. Portis came out on to the field wearing a Skins baseball cap backwards, put his helmet on for about 15 minutes and then returned to the sideline with the cap. Portis was the only back or receiver to drop a pass in a drill catching balls out of the backfield. He was also the only player wearing a yellow shirt under their jersey (you could see because most players had their jersey tucked up under their shoulder pads). He seemed like the relaxed funny guy you see in interview. He is the Skins' franchise back and he knows it.
• The scrimmage was full contact (except for QBs) and the first big hit really got the fans riled up. Campbell hit Moss on a 5 yard route and three defenders (a linebacker, corner, and safety) converged and crushed Moss. Randle El wisely fell to the ground in a similar situation later in the scrimmage.
• You know the players were going full speed because DT Anthony Montgomery fractured his hand during the scrimmage.
• Most of the studs only took a few reps during the scrimmage and some of them, like Portis and Taylor, didn’t play at all.
• Rookie TE Fred Davis made me regret selecting Jets TE Dustin Keller instead of him in the rookie draft of my dynasty fantasy football league. Davis dropped the only ball thrown to him during the scrimmage but man, he can move. He has that “it.” Some athletes just move different than all the rest: really fast and powerfully but gracefully and with ease. It’s hard to explain, but you know it when you see it. That’s Davis. It will be really cool to see how new Coach Jim Zorn utilizes Davis and Cooley this season and down the road when Davis develops.
• QB Todd Collins led the second team instead of rookie Colt Brennan. At first I was confused why the promising Brennan wouldn’t be the back up, but after watching both, now I understand why Collins is the #2 QB. Collins may not have the physical tools Brennan does, but he moved the ball effectively up the field and didn’t screw up. Brennan struggled to maintain a drive, repeatedly making mistakes. If they were playing full contact with QBs too, Brennan would have been crushed about a quarter of the reps he took. Poor Derek Devine, a QB one year out of Marshall, didn’t even get to take a snap.
• Rock Cartwright signed autographs with his mouth piece in his mouth.
• The coolest piece of memorabilia that I saw at the dozens of stands was a framed photograph of the Redskins “missing man formation,” signed by ever Redskin that was on the field for that play. In the Redskins first defensive play of the game after Taylor’s death, they only sent 10 players on to the field to honor Taylor.
• In his article, King states that he thinks Washington has the best skill players of any team in the NFC East. Dallas is clearly the only other team in the division that could hold that title. Excluding QBs from “skill players,” I think King is right, Washington edges Dallas in that area.

Uniforms

• Like I said, Cooley was one of the only players wearing yellow socks, and they were sweet. The few other players that were wearing socks wore black ones.
• Most players’ helmets had the Redskins’ logo on both sides but some were bare.
• Many of the skill players wore new black and yellow Nike cleats that are very nice. None of the linemen wore these flashy cleats, instead choosing plain black ones.
• Injured rookie wide receivers Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas were wearing sweet practice shorts. Standard NFL issued shorts probably, but still, very cool.
• The Redskins’ fans are pretty rabid. 87% of fans were wearing Redskins paraphernalia and 50% were wearing a jersey.
• Starting QB Jason Campbell is improving but he still has a way to go in earning the trust of Redskins fans. I saw 5 fans wearing Joe Theismann jerseys and one wearing a Mark Brunell. I only saw 4 Campbell uniforms. And I was looking for them too.
• Other former Redskins were well represented by fans wearing their jerseys. I saw multiple people wearing the jerseys of Jon Riggins, Lavar Arrington, and of course, Sean Taylor.
• Fans were also wearing some Redskins players’ jerseys from former teams. I saw a Miami Hurricanes Portis jersey, Miami Dolphins Taylor jersey, and most exciting, a younger kid was wearing a Colt Brennan Hawaii jersey.
• If I had to guess, Cooley and Portis jerseys would be tied with for the most worn by fans.

Play of the Day

• Fourth year receiver Billy McMullen made the most exciting play of the day. McMullen ran a 15 yard post and rose up with the safety and cornerback. Each player had a shot at the ball and McMullen snatched it out of the hands of the safety while still in the air. He came down with the ball, quickly broke away from the two defenders and took it 35 yards to the house, stiff arming another D-back on the way.

Personal Highlights of the Day

• One fan was wearing a blue Seahawks Steve Largent jersey. Awesome.
• I also saw a woman with the most legit mullet ever. I had no idea women could, or would, put their hair into a mullet. Apparently in Virginia they can and do.