Dodgeball at Practice!

One of the most important skills a quarterback has to have is being able to avoid pressure from defenders, even by making a small move at the last second. Zorn, the genius he is, knows the best way to teach this is with some good old fashioned dodgeball.

In this drill, three quarterbacks and Zorn would form a square around the fourth quarterback, throwing balls the size of linemen at him. The drill concentrated on making quick moves while staying the middle of the square. This helps quarterbacks stay in the pocket instead of running around, possibly into another opponent.

Another important part of the drills was keeping two hands on the ball at all times, which seasoned vets Jason Campbell and Todd Collins did extremely well. Youngsters Colt Brennan and Chase Daniel on the other hand had significant problems with this.

If a ball came close to them, they would sometimes jump and spread their hands a part. Exposing the ball like that in a game could allow a defensive player to strip the ball easily. Every time I see guys going for the quarterback, they are going for that ball first. With the ball out there for the taking, they won't hesitate to get it.

This drill just showed me the big differences between veterans and the young guys. It's the little things like keeping two hands on the ball that lead to victories, or least take them away from you.

New Face at Wide Receiver

The Redskins shook up the race for the fifth wide receiver position Wednesday with the addition of D.J. Hackett.

After Roydell Williams suffered a broken finger, it was important for Vinny Cerrato to bring in a replacement quick. Cerrato had previously looked at Hackett, and this was finally the time to bring him in.

Hackett, 28, is well versed in the West Coast offense, playing in the system during Jim Zorn's last three years in Seattle. This gives him a huge upper hand over his competition, two rookies (one undrafted) who are just learning the offense, all the while adjusting to the speed of the NFL.

With this advantage, Hackett should push for a roster spot. He looked quick at camp, and made some solid catches, even in the rain. He feels at home in this system, which should allow him to relax, go out, and show his stuff.

Backup Quarterback Competition Continues

I got off my couch again on Tuesday to go to another session of Redskins training camp, and was lucky to see one of head coach Jim Zorn's inventive QB drills.

Zorn used a piece of netting with three squares cut in it to work on the quarterbacks accuracy while throwing wide receiver screens. The quarterbacks would snap the ball, and Zorn would instruct them "Left," "Right," or "Center," and the quarterback would have to hit the target.

Of the players vying for the backup position, Colt Brennan by far hit the most targets. He wasn't perfect, but the ones he did miss were only off by a small margin.

Todd Collins had a solid outing, but did little to separate himself from Brennan. He was accurate with the ball, but still hit less targets than Brennan.

Chase Daniel, on the other hand, struggled with this drill. He seldom landed one in a box, and on a few throws missed the net completely.

Zorn seemed to make it clear the rest of practice that Daniel is trailing in the competition, giving him zero snaps during 11 on 11 work. Zorn has praised his work, but it is still clear he has a ways to go.

Who Will Backup Campbell?

As most fans know, this off season brought a lot of turmoil for starting quarterback Jason Campbell. The team tried to replace him twice, giving fans more reason to doubt the quarterback's ability (myself not included). For these nonbelievers, their favorite player to talk about will undoubtedly be Campbell's backup.

Todd Collins is the currently holds this spot, but his position will surely be challenged by youngsters Colt Brennan and Chase Daniel. Saturday, Collins was very precise while executing the offense, but moved noticeably slower than Campbell.

Brennan, who is entering his second season, looked the best of the bunch. He took quick drops, released the ball quickly and was very accurate. Undrafted rookie Daniel seems to have caught on quickly, and was very accurate.

It seems like Brennan could be putting himself in a position to supplant Collins for the spot, but this is still early in camp. Nothing will be decided until head coach Jim Zorn sees them in live action when the bullets are really flying. It will be interesting to see how Zorn splits up snaps the rest of camp, there could definitely be reason to give Brennan a few more reps.

Wide Receivers Battling for 5th Spot

As training camp starts to really get going, there a few positions with some roster spots open. A position where a younger guy stands a chance at earning the spot is as the fifth wide out.

After the release of James Thrash this off season, a huge hole was left and the team brought in several players to challenge for the spot. From what I saw at camp Saturday, rookies Marko Mitchell and Keith Eloi, along with four year veteran Roydell Williams look like they are leading for the spot.

Of this group, Eloi stood apart from the others. He held on to one throw while he was falling, and seemed to run his routes with a little more speed than the others.

This will be a competition worth watching. Last year Vinny Cerrato kept all of his draft choices, so it would seem Mitchell has the inside track to a roster spot, but if Eloi keeps making catches like he did Saturday, they're going to have to take a long look at him.

First Trip to Training Camp

On Saturday, I made my first trip to Ashburn, VA to check out training camp, and I was not disappointed.

It was the first day in full pads, and the players did not hold back. Along the line, players were throwing aggressive blocks, making sure to show their stuff every chance they got. It was good to see Derrick Dockery out with the team again. He looked like his old self, dishing out some of the biggest hits of the day

The most encouraging performance of the day came from Malcolm Kelly, who was bothered by injuries the majority of last season. The second year player made several impressive grabs, including a deep pass from Colt Brennan where Kelly had to twist his body while falling out of bounds to catch the ball. Kelly also used his size to his advantage, leaping for balls during red zone drills.

Overall, I think the team looked crisp. They wasted little time during a practice that lasted over two hours, moving quickly through the drills. The coaches and players seemed very focused, but seemed to go through everything very naturally.

The offense still has a ways to go, but it's only the first day with pads on and they should show progress each day. I'll have more up here as I go to more practices, but expect more in the next few days even if I don't make it out to practice. Lot's of exciting stuff going on, let's hope it turns out well. Until next time...

Hail

Any Shot at the Super Bowl?

So is this finally the year? Will the Redskins finally make the trip fans have been longing to see for so many years? Is the Super Bowl even in their sights?

Well, everyone has a chance at the beginning of the season, so why no the 'Skins? But if they're going to do it, these three things have to happen.

#3 Jason Campbell will have to show improvement

Jason Campbell is entering his second season as the starter under head coach Jim Zorn's version of the West Coast Offense. This will be the first time Campbell will be in the same offense as the starter for two years in a row, and should be ready for a much improved season.

Campbell already knows the offense, allowing him to play and react rather than think everything through. The progress of second year receivers Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas will also be critical to his success, having few reliable receiving options last season.

#2 The defensive has to dominate, especially in the trenches

The saying goes, "Defense wins championships," and Vinny Cerrato has seemingly upgraded a defense that ranked 4th in the league last season. He replaced two injury riddled veterans, Sean Springs and Marcus Washington, with the two highest draft choices the team had.

The defensive line is deeper than it's ever been, with free agents Albert Haynesworth and Renaldo Wynn joining an already formidle group including Andre Carter, Cornelius Griffin, Anothony Montgomery and Kedric Golston. Returning to this group is Phillip Daniels and draft choices Brian Orakpo and Jeremy Jarmon.

With these players rotating in throughout the game, it will be very different for opposing lines to stop them from reaching the quarterback. This will create sacks and turnovers, which could slot this defense at the top of the league.

#1 Clinton Portis and the offensive line have to stay healthy and hungry

With the addition of Derrick Dockery, the left side of the line should definitely be the strength. When Dock last played next to Pro Bowl tackle Chris Samuels, Clinton Portis had had his highest yardage total as a Redskin.

The key for these guys is making it through the season. Playing along the line, injuries are going to happen, but the line slowed down in the second half of last season. They seemed to lose their edge; their hunger. The big guys up front know what happened last year, and seem determined to prove they are better than they appeared last season.

If the 'Skins can pound the ball, and Campbell keeps his throws between 20 and 25 times a game, they could be in a position to any game they enter.