Redskins Round Table: Training Camp edition

Redskins training camp 2010 has begun and it is already an eventful one. Fans will now begin to see the fruit of the offseason labors of Head Coach Mike Shanahan and General Manager Bruce Allen, who have attempted to revamp the roster to lift the team from its 4-12 finish last year into immediate playoff contention this year.

To get a firm handle on what we should be watching and what we should expect from this training camp, DC Pro Sports Report went to four impeccable sources for Redskins news and insight. We spoke to John Keim of The Examiner, as good a beat reporter as you’ll find in this town; Rick Snider, a must-read columnist for The Examiner; Rich Tandler, an encyclopedic source of Redskins information past and present; and Express Sports Editor Clinton Yates, who knocked my socks off with his knowledge and wit in a podcast we did together earlier this year. Readers of DC Pro Sports Report are familiar with all these guys — we keep going back to them because they’re as good as it gets. We asked each of them 3 questions about the training camp and I think you’ll find their answers fascinating and, sometimes, even surprising.

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As always, their responses are presented in the order we received them. Read on and learn…

JOHN KEIM, Beat reporter for the Washington Examiner

Q1: Which Redskins veteran or veterans do you think are on the hot seat to make the final roster and why?

Malcolm Kelly has to be high on the list if only because he’s been underwhelming his first two seasons. He must improve his route-running and increase the routes where he can make plays. Kelly has the size to help, but he must show that he has more than that. Size alone does not make a good receiver. Not even close. He has shown in the past that he knows how to use his size, but he really hasn’t done a whole lot that makes you think, ‘Hmmm, he could be really good.’ He must show that this summer. There’s a reason the Redskins brought in all these veteran receivers. They’ll either light a fire under the younger guys or they’ll replace them.

Q2: Which unheralded player[s] has the possibility to make a big impact this season and why?

Lorenzo Alexander. He’s gotten some pub this spring because the coaches seem to like him at outside linebacker. But he’s still an unproven player, especially at this position. Alexander is comfortable playing in space and said this spring that might stem from doing so much coverage on special teams. It helps. If Andre Carter struggles to adapt to outside linebacker, then Alexander will be a factor. And don’t forget: in a 3-4 scheme, the outside ‘backers are crucial and will get many chances to make plays.

Q3: How do you expect this training camp to be different from those run by Joe Gibbs and Jim Zorn?

Gibbs’ camps were not as hard as I thought they would be, but they at least were run well. Zorn talked often about improved tempo in practice, but there was a big difference between the tempo of the workouts this spring and those of the past two seasons (even in the regular season). Mike Shanahan demands that his players jog from drill to drill and that they go at game speed. Most coaches do that, but Shanahan has the clout to get them to actually do it. I don’t expect as much hitting as in some camps; Shanahan is from the old 49er way, which means less hitting and more emphasis on perfecting plays/techniques.

RICK SNIDER, Sports columnist and writer for the Washington Examiner

Q1: What is the most important thing the Redskins need to get out of this training camp?

They need Trent WIlliams to prove his fourth overall pick was worthwhile. There’s no working around a left tackle if they stink without sacrificing the tight end or running back so he must man up and do his job. I think he will, though a rookie’s a rookie.

Q2: What is the best move the Redskins made this offseason? What is the worst?

Hiring a general manager was the best move. Even if Bruce Allen might not be the right one, and I’m not saying whether he is, at least they’re setting it up to be a football operation with this move. The worst move? Trading Jason Campbell for 2012 picks. Ridiculous.

Q3: What position on the team is the most unsettled and why?

Receiver. They’re bringing 11 to camp with no real standout.

RICH TANDLER, Beat reporter for Comcast Sports and Real Redskins.com

Q1: What’s the biggest change you’ve noticed between the 2010 Redskins and the 2009 Redskins?

That the players are in awe of their head coach and of their quarterback. Zorn and Campbell were respected and the players liked them as people. But there wasn’t all that much confidence that Zorn could put together a winning game plan or that Campbell could execute it. The proven track records of Shanahan and McNabb carry a lot of weight.

Q2: Who is your sleeper player who will surprise many fans by standing out in training camp and preseason?

Quarterback Rich Bartel has a good arm and reports are that he has a good grasp on the offense. If only because he’s a novelty who fans have never seen before. He could give Colt Brennan a run for his money for the third-QB job.

Q3: What are the 3 biggest areas of concern for the Redskins as they head into training camp?

Receiver–Still not sure how this will shake out. How they line up 1-5 is anyone’s guess. Andre Carter–How well he adjusts to OLB in the 3-4 will be key to how well it works. O-line depth–Mike Williams really provided depth at two positions since if a tackle went down, Hicks probably would slide over.

CLINTON YATES, Sports Editor of Washington Post Express

Q1: Which Redskins veteran do you think is in the most danger of being cut?

This question is a bit of two-parter for me. If referring to ‘veteran that happens to be on the Redskins’ I think the obvious answer is Joey Galloway. Unless he’s significantly faster than Santana Moss (which I doubt) or is willing to just go over the middle to take licks (which Cooley can do), it could be hard for him to make the team. Galloway is effectively Moss with more years on him.

If you’re talking about ‘veterans of this Redskins team’ you’ve got to take a good look at Phillip Daniels. He’s getting somewhat long in the tooth and with the new scheme his style of play might not exactly be precisely what Shanahan is going for. In my opinion in a 3-4, you’ve got to be somewhat of a speed rusher or a behemoth, and Daniels is neither. I certainly don’t think he’s done in the NFL, I just don’t know if he has a place on this team, barring an eye-popping training camp.

Q2: What is the position of greatest need on the team?

To me, the position of biggest need is painfully and clearly at wide receiver. You can go on an on about ‘no offensive line, no offense’ but the fact is that O-linemen don’t score touchdowns. I’m not advocating they should have gone out and made a bunch of moves for a T.O. or anyone else — the guys on the roster simply have to get better considering the draft picks invested. Donovan McNabb doesn’t hurt that cause. But if for whatever reason Thomas or Kelly (or both) can’t figure out what it’s like to be a solid receiver in the league, it could be curtains for this offense. Chris Cooley is not the kind of guy that can lead a passing attack and at this point, I doubt Moss is either. There’s no clear number 1 guy, which is fine as long as the entire stable can contribute.

Q3: What is the most important thing for the Redskins to accomplish in this training camp?

The most important thing for the Redskins to accomplish is a firm sense of belief that they can win games if they play well. Don’t fool yourself, 4-12 is exactly that. Your team sucks at that point, plain and simple. The Redskins have to believe that with their changes, they can be a team that competes week in and week out. Injuries, and schemes aside, I think the biggest thing Shanahan brings to the table is a healthy dose of motivation/fear that can drive guys towards a goal. In the NFL it’s simple, if you don’t believe you can win, you won’t win. If nothing else, this team needs to figure that out before they face any actual opponents.

Well, that’s it for this edition of Redskins Round Table. I hope you enjoyed it and learned a few things, too. DC Pro Sports Report would like to thank Mr Yates, Mr Tandler, Mr Snider and Mr Keim for their insight and participation. These are busy men, but they took some time out for us and our readers and we’re very grateful. We’ll be going back to these guys for plenty of information in the future, so stay tuned to this space for more.

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