Redskins Misc News & Info

[Krusheasy]

roster moves

For Immediate Release

July 27, 2017



REDSKINS MAKE ROSTER MOVES



RICHMOND, Va. – The Washington Redskins announced today that they have made the following roster moves:


The Redskins signed the following free agent:

TE E.J. Bibbs


The Redskins waived the following player with a failed physical designation:

LB Houston Bates

 

[Krusheasy]

gruden presser 1/2

July 27, 2017



Head Coach Jay Gruden



On TE Jordan Reed:

"We’re going to take it slow with Jordan. He’s got an injury to his big toe, and it has affected him the last couple weeks of his working out, getting ready for training camp. So we want to make sure he’s 100 percent before we got him going. He’s going to get some upper body work going and as soon as he gets healthy we’ll let him go. Should be about a week or so, we’re hoping.”


On if the team signed a tight end today:

“Yes, we signed E.J Bibbs today."


On if QB Kirk Cousins is a “system quarterback”:

"I think Kirk would be just fine in any system, yes. We try to tailor our system to our players, but actually I’ve always said it’s about the players not the plays, and they tend to make coaches look good. So Kirk would be just fine anywhere."


On when Reed injured his toe:

"I don’t know, I think it was just a gradual thing. I think he was trying to compensate for his sore toe and he turned his ankle once. I think we just want to make sure we got him right. He looked so good at mandatory training camp and then during the offseason he went down to Miami a little bit and was training and just had a little, small issue with it. You know, we don’t want to push him. We’re going to get a chance to get him with the strength guys and a good week of rehab and then we’ll see where he is in about four or five days."



On how cautious he wants to be with Reed:

“We will be extra cautious with Jordan. Like I said, the way he looked at mandatory camp, the way he played at the end of the year, I think he’s the type of guy that has a great knowledge of the system right now. So I think it’s better safe than sorry with a guy like that, especially with the amount of tension he puts on his feet and ankles with the way he comes in and out of breaks. Let’s make sure we get it 110 percent before he comes back. It could be two days, it could be four days, we’re not sure, but I don’t think it’s a significant injury where anybody should worry. We just want to make sure we get him right, let Vernon [Davis] and Niles [Paul] and Derek Carrier and Sprinkle get a lot of work in and get them ready.”



On if there is a timetable for other players on the PUP list:

“No.”



On the importance of height for a wide receiver:

“That depends on the guy, that depends on the player. There’s been great receivers that aren’t very big that have been very productive. I don’t really care. I do like to have bigger receivers in the red zone here and there to be able to throw some fades, too. What the heck, you know, I love the fade [laughter]. With Josh’s [Doctson’s] size, there’s a lot of room for error when you have a guy who’s 6-foot-5. You can throw the back-shoulder fade, you can throw it over the top, they can go up and get seam-balls. It’s a friendly target, but that has nothing to say that Jamison Crowder can’t do the similar-type things because he’s a great target also. If you run good routes and get separation… I really have no preference. I just want to play the best player and the ones that the quarterback is most comfortable with and understands the system.”



On what WR Jamison Crowder can do on the outside:

“I think that’s part of the reason you miss the guys that we lost, the two starters that we lost, but like I said, when we lined up with Vernon Davis and Jordan Reed at tight end and we had two receivers playing, you’ve got Pierre [Garçon] and DeSean [Jackson], and Jamison’s standing next to me and I’m like, ‘What are you doing here? Get out there.’ So I think now it’s going to be more of an opportunity for him to be out on the field more and make more plays. Now we have [Josh] Doctson, if he’s 100 percent, and Terrelle Pryor, Ryan Grant’s obviously been a major part of our running game and Mo Harris has done a nice job, so we have some great weapons. We just have got to figure out ways to utilize all of them. But Jamison, the more opportunities he gets, the better he’s going to be, and there’s ways to use him in the running game also and there’s also ways to get him outside and inside. He’s just a special guy and special receiver, you know?... We’ve got to spread it around. Jordan Reed is going to get his touches. Chris Thompson is going to get his touches. We’re going to run the ball. Terrelle Pryor, he wants 1,500 yards. Doctson wants the ball. So we’ve got to do the best we can to utilize the talent we have and let the system take care of the plays and Kirk [Cousins] make the decision and understand we have weapons across the board that can make plays.”



On Cousins’ drive:

"I think he has accomplished some great things already, and I think he understands there's a lot more he can do as a quarterback. Just understanding the concepts and the pass protections, the comfort level that he has being behind center with a snap count, all the things that a quarterback has to go through pre-snap and then makes it easier for him to execute post-snap. I think he's just getting better, more comfortable. Obviously we see how accurate he is with the football. He can throw any type of ball you want – a deep ball, a crossing pass, a short pass, he's got great accuracy. But now that he understands the protections, he feels more comfortable in the pocket, the scheme, what plays we like versus what coverage, what audibles we want to get to versus certain blitzes and looks. He's just going to continue to get better and better. We just have to provide him with more information and find out what he can do and what he can't do and just go from there. Not a lot he can't do, really. He's a fun guy to coach and a fun guy to see how much he's grown from year in to year out. From his first year when I had him to now, it's amazing how much better he is."

 

[Krusheasy]

gruden presser 2/2

On if Cousins being on a one-year contract impacts the division of reps:

"We're focused on Kirk. He's our starter and he's going to get all the starter reps. Period. Colt [McCoy] will take advantage of his reps, I'm sure he will. And Nate [Sudfeld] will get a few sprinkled in there. We're trying to develop Nate also for the future. But, this is Kirk's team right now, and it's our job to get him ready for Philadelphia and really surround him and make him feel good about the people around him. Trying to get him used to [Josh] Doctson, get him used to [Terrelle] Pryor, we have some new weapons around him, so it's a matter of getting him ready. But Kirk will get all of them."



On if Cousins can risk some efficiency to create more big plays:

"I think we had a lot of big plays last year. I think we were in the tops of the league almost... So, we do take our shots. I think it's a fine line between taking shots and taking what the defense gives you. I never say a completion is a bad play; all completions are good plays in my opinion. We're keeping the ball moving, keeping the chains moving. We don't want to force the ball down the field, but we do want to take shots. Now we have these big wideouts, now we have got to try to push the envelope a little bit out here at camp, see what they can do as far as going up and getting it against smaller-type defensive backs. Every play is its own entity, I keep telling them, and we'll try to push the envelope with those shot plays, but I'll never fault them for a completion."



On if DL Terrell McClain and DL Stacy McGee have defined roles entering training camp:

“We're not set at all on how we see their roles. We're going to keep probing them, see where they fit best. Base, nickel, how they rush, all that stuff, that's what we're out here for. Same thing with all the new guys we have - Zach Brown, D.J. [Swearinger], Terrelle Pryor - all these guys, we're going to try to find what best suits them and put them in the right situation. But, so far I've been impressed with both of them, now it's a matter of where to put them – inside, what packages they want to be at, nickel, dime, sub, all that stuff. We'll figure it out."



On how his approach to training camp has changed in his fourth year:

"Well, you have a system and a schedule that you want to go by. You’ve got to make sure you hit different phases of game-type situations. So that will all stay the same – the way we install plays, how we teach, it'll kind of stay the same. The first four or five days of practice will be about the same every year, basically, how we install. Once we branch off, we can do more situational work, more red-zone work, more third down work, more move the ball work where they’re unscripted plays, maybe a couple live sessions here and there, see how the team's doing. But really the first four or five days of training camp I think in every pro football team is going to be about the same as far as installing, the types of practices you'll see."



On Defensive Backs Coach Torrian Gray:

“I think he’s been great so far. I think the big thing is, we wanted to get the best technician we could find. I talked to Kendall [Fuller] and he had a lot of good things to say – he played for him at Virginia Tech and Kyshoen Jarrett did also. They both talked to me about him and when they saw that we had an opening, we called him and tried to get him here. He’s everything that we thought as far as teaching technique and I think the players are receptive. He’s learning the defense, he’s feeling his way through there, but what you really want as far as a defensive back coach is technique and fundamentals and he’s as good as anybody that we’ve had here, so it’s good.”



On DL Jonathan Allen:

“Jonathan’s been excellent, man. He works hard, he’s healthy, he’s strong. It’s just a matter of just slowly getting him into the lineup. Right now he’s going with the twos, a little bit with the threes, we’ll get him with some ones here once we get into camp a little bit more. Everything that I’ve seen so far from him from as a person, character standpoint and athletic ability has been what we thought, so he’s going to be great addition for us for a long time. Any time you’ve got a big guy that can rush as a three-technique this day and age, especially third down, that's a huge benefit for us. He also is excellent against the run — I think he proved that at Alabama his last year. He was kind of known as just a pass rusher his junior year and then he came back his senior year and wanted to show people he was really a good run defender and he did that. All-around defensive end, defensive tackle, it’s going to really help us.”



On how he and Senior Vice President of Player Personnel Doug Williams have been interacting:

“I talked to him today! [Laughter] Doug and I have been very close for a long time so we have no problem working together. I love his knowledge of the game — the players that we have, he knows very well so we’re going to work fine together.”



On waiving LB Houston Bates:

“Houston, he’s obviously injured right now and he’s going to hopefully get himself right. Once he gets healthy towards the end of the year, there’s a chance that we could bring him back or next year when he’s 100 percent fully. We needed a spot for the tight end because of Jordan [Reed] and Vernon [Davis] has got a little bit of a tweaked hamstring but he’s going to practice, so we had to make a move unfortunately. Houston was a great leader for us on special teams, a great player for us and hopefully we’ll see him again soon."

 

[Krusheasy]

cousins presser 1/2

July 27, 2017



QB Kirk Cousins



On if there were any misconceptions about him during contract negotiations:

“I don’t think so off the top of my head. I don’t know all the misconceptions that were out there, but I feel good. I’m ready to go. I’ve been feeling good the last several weeks, and I believe we’ve done a good job communicating between myself and the team. We’re all on the same page. We’ve done everything we possibly can do to get that settled and move forward. I think we’re all in a good place right now. We’ve got enough to worry about trying to get our offense playing at the level it’s going to need to have a great season so that I can be back in future years.”



On his reaction to TE Jordan Reed landing on the PUP list:

“Thankfully we’re still about six weeks from Week 1. One thing I learned last year and I said it in OTAs is that while this is really important, Week 1 of the regular season is what really matters, so we’ve just got to get Jordan ready for that.”


On what he wants to see out of the team and out of the offense in training camp:

"Well, it's a process. We're building toward Week 1. We don't need to have everything perfect day one, but, we need to be building, we need to be taking steps. We don't want to repeat mistakes. When mistakes get made, we want to correct them that night in the hotel, learn from them and the next day be that much sharper. That's what it's all about. Just keep stacking the practices on top of meetings on top of walkthroughs, and be a much better football player in early September than we are in early August. That's the way it'll always be and that's why it's a process."



On his approach toward training camp to avoid burning out:

"I think it's just a reminder that this isn't my Super Bowl, if you will. It's a process getting to Week 1, and that becomes what really matters. In the past, training camp was my Super Bowl. I didn't know if I was going to be on the team, if I was going to be the backup, the third-string. So, every day in training camp was determining my future in this league. That's not the case as much. Whereas everyday now in training camp, it's building a foundation that will eventually this season determine my future in this league. So, putting everything in its proper perspective, I think is the adjustment I'm trying to make going from being a backup player to now being a starter."



On changes among the receiving corps and the play caller:

“Turnover is a part of this league. I think about eight out of 32 head coaches get let go every year and players are constantly changing so you’re going to have a lot of attrition. We’ve been fortunate to have some continuity, but this year we do have some changes so we’re going to show, hopefully, that we’re a mature football team and that we handle those changes well and we’re able to keep moving forward in the right direction. I feel good about where we are in terms of talent that’s there on the field and I feel good about Jay calling plays and running this offense. So, there’s enough firepower there and there’s enough people in place that we just have got to fine-tune and all get on the same page and use this time — these next six weeks behind the scenes — to build that so that come Week 1, we’re a well-oiled machine and ready to go.”



On playing on a one-year contract last season:

“I talk about building reps and trying to get better through reps, and I certainly have reps now at playing on a one-year deal, so that helps. I think it was a good season last year — I don’t think it [the contract] played any factor into how I played or how we played. The fact of the matter is so many of my teammates, critical teammates to the success of this team, are also on one-year deals, so we’re kind of all in that boat together, so I think that helps. Hopefully we can all have great years and give the Redskins a lot of options come the offseason."



On what he learned from playing on a one-year contract last season:

“I think the lesson I learned was the same lesson I learned as a senior in high school when I played my high school senior year with zero scholarship offers and the same thing I learned my senior year of college when I played with wondering if I could go to the NFL. If you win football games, everything else takes care of itself and that’s a beautiful thing. So, all we have to do, all I have to do, all anybody with a one-year deal has to do is focus on winning football games, and if you do that there is going to be plenty of opportunities down the road. So my focus never really has to change from that standpoint.”



On self-evaluation from last year:

“I think self-evaluations plays a big role in our development as players. We have to go back and be critical and watch the films and be honest and open to criticism and to take coaching. So absolutely you go back and look at last season and look at where you can improve because you don’t want the mistakes to repeat themselves. So the area that I continue to say, and I’ll maybe sound like a broken record, but I want to be better in situational awareness and if I can do that throughout this season, I think the final result would be an improved player from last year and I think it is my next step in my development.”



On the value of taller receivers:

“Height is an advantage if you can use it to your advantage, I guess. You know, you’ve got to be able to put the ball in the right spot where your guy can catch it, and he’s got to be able to adjust to the football and make those tough catches at a high point. So, that’s what the reps in practice are all about is developing that rapport and learning how to do that very consistently against tight coverage. But, it certainly can be used to our advantage if we get better at it, and well see, you know, if we can do that over the next six weeks.”



On the offensive line:

“I’m really excited about our offensive line. Obviously, as with any position, you’ve got to stay healthy, and you always pray and cross your fingers that guys will stay healthy throughout the season because that gives you your best chance to have a great year, but with the group we have up front, we do feel good. Then when Trent was lost for four games last year and Ty Nsekhe stepped up and just did a phenomenal job, it just gave us even more confidence, and Arie Kouandjio stepped in for Shawn Lauvao against the Eagles late in the year, so, when you have guys who can step in and you can still go win football games, that gives you a lot of confidence. So, we love our group of guys. They’ve got a great identity going with the ‘Hogs 2.0’ and the work they do together in the summer, and the experience they’ve built now… Those guys all hang out together, and they’re all on the same page, so that’s a great comfort to a quarterback, can’t say it enough. Big reason why I love being here, why I love coming to training camp, is to be able to play with those guys on the offensive line.”



On betting on himself:

“That would probably be one of the misconceptions that Michael talked about. I don’t know that I’ve ever bet on myself, I think I’ve bet on the system. It has nothing to do with myself. I’m just going out and playing. There’s never been anything but positive feelings. I’m excited to get to work here. As I’ve said many times my wife and I love it here and we’re in a good place. I’m living the dream being a starting quarterback in the NFL. I’ve got my hands full this season with 16 games. I talk about how in the offseason the ball is in the team’s court, as it is, but from Week 1 to Week 17, the ball’s in my court and I’ve got to go play football well, so that’s where my focus is.”



On maintaining his on-field demeanor despite fielding contract questions:

“It helps that my whole story has been this, going back to high school and college. I was never given the five-star [rating] and the 20 scholarships as a sophomore in high school and just had my whole life planned out for me. Every year it was, ‘I don’t know what’s going to happen. Hopefully I can play well and get that scholarship.’ Then through college it wasn’t like I was a first-team All-American or Heisman trophy finalist. I was always trying to see, ‘Hopefully, I can start’ and then ‘Hopefully I can lead us to a bowl game and a conference championship and hopefully I can get drafted, we’ll see.’ So every year you never had it mapped out. So to be in that role now may feel different, but it really doesn’t to me because that’s been my story all along, and I’ve just learned that’s the way life is. Maybe that’s the way the Lord wants it to be for me, and I’m OK with that. It’s allowed me to trust in Him and have faith in Him and not trust myself so I’m in a good place. I think it’s a healthy place for me to be. It’s worked in the past and hopefully it can work going forward.”

 

[Krusheasy]

cousins presser 2/2

On if he still plans his day in 15-minute increments:

“Well, training camp is so different because the schedule is so different from the regular season. It’s not like I sat down and planned it out for the next three weeks, but certainly when the season comes, I do try to have a very regimented schedule and good allocation of my time. Most of it is the time away from the building that I have got to maximize in terms of seeing the chiropractor and the masseuse and when to use the hyperbaric chamber and when to have the meals and when to have family time. All those things you try to plan out and maximize. Just sat down with Julie the other day before I left for training camp just to talk about when are the best times to do those things and what works for us. We found so much of it was up in the air with the baby on the way. You’ve got to be ready to adjust and in football you have sudden changes all the time, and in life we’re going to have them too. It should be a fun year, but a challenging year as well. So we’ll see where we go.”



On the balance between focusing on improving and the way last season ended:

“I think what it does is it gives us an edge, because we stay humble and hungry because we left the season realizing we do have a long ways to go. We do need to improve if we want to go in the direction that we all believe we can. In that sense we’ll take the silver lining that nobody is content, nobody is entitled, nobody feels like we can rest on what we’ve done in the past. We do feel like a lot rides on this season up ahead. Hopefully, that gives us a sense of urgency all through training camp to be really focused, and as a result gets the best out of every one of us so that our team can play as well as we possibly can.”



On studying various quarterbacks and what he learned from them:

“Being at the Pro Bowl was helpful to be around great players, not just quarterbacks but some of the best defensive players in the NFC, and to practice with them all week and learn from them and watch their habits I think was helpful for me. I’m going to continue to look for examples to follow. There certainly are a group of quarterbacks in their late 30s like Drew [Brees], Tom [Brady], Eli [Manning], Philip Rivers – I’m probably leaving somebody out – but guys that have played as receivers have changed on their team and coaches have changed on their team, they’ve been a steadying force, continuing to produce year in and year out. I think that consistency and that ability to deliver a similar result no matter what’s going on around them, says a lot about them as football players and as people and that’s the kind of continuity and stability we want to have here in Washington. We’re excited, I think the main players and the veterans here are excited to try to create that culture.”



On when he realized the athleticism of WR Terrelle Pryor Sr.:

“The Browns game was the moment when I really did take notice. I was road-tripping from Holland [Michigan] back to Ashburn late last summer and ran into Terrelle at a rest stop in Cleveland. He was in line at Starbucks and he was going back to camp in Cleveland and I was going back to camp here and he stopped me. He had his hood up trying to blend in. He stopped me and I went over and said hello. We obviously both played in the Big 10 and he introduced himself. I was surprised at how big he was then, too, in the line at Starbucks. We met there, and then from there, when I watched him in Week 4 I believe it was against the Browns, I was really impressed with what he was able to do, the separation he was getting, the number of times they went his way and he was still producing. He had a great year last year, we just want to build on that and hopefully give him an opportunity to have even more success this season.”



On driving his van:

“I don’t remember if last year I was taking the van, this year I did take the van. So the van continues to live on… I kind of wondered the same thing if the van sticks out and gives me away when I drive around. I haven’t noticed that yet but it’s been good. Virginia Tire and Auto does all of the work on it so they’re keeping it alive. There’s one right down the street from my townhouse and I go there and they make sure that everything is good, the tires are good so we can stay safe and ready to go. So if I’ve got Virginia Tire and Auto on the deal, then I think the van’s going to last for a long time, we’ll see.”



On recent studies about CTE:

“The CTE study certainly was interesting to read about. The question I would have is what is the statistic for brains not of concerned families that donated them, but of people in general who did not show unique symptoms that made them say ‘We want to see if he has CTE.’ I’d like to know if you just pull 1,000 brains from former NFL players and a certain number of them never had any symptoms of any kind, it’d be interesting to see what percentage of those thousand had an issue and, you know, until we see that data, it's hard to know what the real statistics are, but certainly this past study just brings to light that it is an issue. It's something to be aware of and we as players are doing all we can to wear the best equipment and to play heads up and play smart. The league is, to their credit, doing a good job changing rules and creating a game that is as safe as possible, while still not taking away from what makes football football"



On getting closer and closer to being a father:

“Yeah, it’s going to be a new season with a baby on the way, but we’re excited. A lot of players have done this and I notice Philip Rivers has, I think, eight kids. If he can do it with eight, I better be able to do it with one, no excuses. We’ll see, I tell people, 'Bring it on, here we go.’ Life just keeps going, you can’t stop it and we’re excited. I know Julie’s going to carry a lot of the load in the fall and that’ll help, but she’ll be ready for me to help pick up the slack come the offseason so we’re excited… Double the duty to make up for all the time she puts in this fall, but we’re excited.”


On his confidence heading into this season:

“Well, confidence is a great thing in this league, but you can’t fake it. You know, confidence is as Jay Gruden said last night at our team meeting, he said confidence comes from competence. So you have to know what you’re doing and you have to believe that you can do it to then have the confidence. It took time for me to develop that in this league, but being able to play now through a couple of seasons, that builds confidence and that helps. My teammates do believe in me. They’ve been supportive all the way through. They understand where we are as a team. So that really helps and I can’t say it enough, I really like our locker room, I like our guys. We’ve got some goofy guys on this team but they’re good guys. They’re not about themselves, they’re about the group and I love that. So, I’m excited about the group we have and couldn’t ask for better."

 

[Caliskinsfan]

 

[Caliskinsfan]

From Jerry Brewer...
The Redskins don’t deserve a quarterback as balanced and calm as Kirk Cousins

 

[Caliskinsfan]

 

[Caliskinsfan]

The Redskins have a deep roster — for real this time
By Jerry Brewer

July 30, 2017 at 4:23 PM

RICHMOND — Okay, so you have heard this before. Or something similar. It’s a rite of NFL training camp for the Washington Redskins to make public declarations that they’re more talented than in the past, that this proves they have done good work building the roster and that they will be able to withstand misfortune because of their improved depth.

And then the season starts, things go wrong and holes appear everywhere, inviting water to sink the breathless preseason optimism.

So let me grab a shield before throwing this out one more time. Maybe I should whisper it, too: They’re praising their depth again, and this time, it’s true.

Make them take a lie-detector test. Invite your most skeptical friend over to ask them the toughest questions possible. I’m not willing to say Washington is the most talented team in the league — or even in the top 10. But when I look at the team’s depth — meaning the balanced distribution of talent across the depth chart, the number of legitimate position battles, the breakdown of players capable of making a meaningful contribution on the field — I don’t see a roster anymore that belongs in the bottom half of the NFL. This is an above-average roster. This team isn’t overflowing with talent, but it isn’t three injuries from being in trouble. Consider it functional NFL depth.


Related: For Redskins, turnover in offseason was a good thing

Rookie outside linebacker Ryan Anderson, working on a drill during training camp, could be a foundational player, Jerry Brewer writes, and yet he might not be a starter. (John McDonnell/The Washington Post)
It has taken three sensible, disciplined offseasons to get to this point. Some of the credit belongs to former general manager Scot McCloughan, who enhanced this effort during his two-plus years on the job. But the franchise started making strides before McCloughan arrived, and since he was fired, it has remained committed to a process that involves reasonable drafting, underrated free agent signings and a heavy emphasis on player development. The result is a team that McCloughan would laud as being full of “football players” — good, hard-nosed athletes who love the game. The players aren’t flashy, but they have ability and play with an edge.

The team has gotten away from what hindered it for much of Daniel Snyder’s 18 years as the owner. During his time, Snyder has made plenty of splashy, high-priced signings, but it made the team a top-heavy mess. There was too much pressure on a few stars to mask weaknesses, which hardly ever works in football. Washington was good enough to be intriguing until something went wrong. Then it would crumble because its product was too flimsy.


It’s funny because, even though this team is built in a more sustainable manner, star power might be the thing holding it back. Washington could use a couple more top-50 caliber stars. It has a lot of C-plus players, but to be really good, it could use a few more all-pro talents. That’s an issue to solve in the future, and fortunately, the roster features some young players (Jonathan Allen, for instance) who could develop into such forces. But it goes to show that, even when building the so-called right way, there’s always a need to supplement your approach with other methods. Still, Washington is much better off operating this way.

“We feel really good about the depth that we have on this football team in general, and there will be some great battles,” Coach Jay Gruden said. “It’s our job to make sure we give everybody ample opportunity to make the team and make plays. Special teams will be a big role also. Who performs best on that? If it’s close, the better special teams player will probably win out.”

The advantages of depth are even greater than special teams and intrasquad competition, however. Football has become such a game of multiplicity and speed. Position rotations and subgroups are more important than ever, especially on defense.

Related: Photos: Scenes from Redskins training camp

You could argue that there aren’t 11 defensive starters anymore. Factor in defensive line rotations and personnel adjustments (nickel corner, dime linebacker) on passing downs, and you really need about 15 starting-caliber players. And then you can talk about quality backups.

Su'a Cravens, diving for a pass during training camp, represents the versatility modern NFL defenses must have with the ability to play dime linebacker and either safety spot. (John McDonnell/The Washington Post)
A year ago, Washington didn’t have good depth, but it was improving in that area. The depth was decent enough that outside linebacker Ryan Kerriganplayed the fewest snaps of his career. He played 786 snaps in 2016, which was 71.2 percent of the defensive plays. As a second-year player in 2012, he played 1065 snaps, 99.1 percent of the time. But even with the reduced playing time last season, Kerrigan finished with 11 sacks, the second-highest total of his career, and he was a more consistent factor throughout the 16-game schedule.

Kerrigan, who turns 29 in August, hasn’t missed a game during his six seasons. But as he approaches his 30th birthday and 100th NFL game, it’s vital that Washington continues to take measures to extend his career and put him in the best situations to make disruptive plays. Last season was a positive step. Although Kerrigan takes pride in being available and playing as much as possible, he recognized the advantage of being in a rotation last season.


“I could,” he said. “I know, heading into the latter part of November and into December last year, my body felt a lot fresher than it normally did at that time of year. I could definitely see the benefits of it. It was helping me out to stay a lot fresher down the long haul of the season.”

Over the past two years, I have thought Washington was disturbingly thin in the front seven. The talent on the defensive line was weak, and the linebacker options were suspect. Look at the front-seven options now, and it speaks to how far the team has come. It could have a few legitimate NFL starters on the bench, including rookie outside linebacker Ryan Anderson, who could be a foundational defensive player for the franchise.

Throughout the roster, there are only a couple of areas of significant concern, at least in terms of depth, right now: cornerback (because you can never have enough) and backup center. That doesn’t mean Washington has great talent everywhere. But it has multiple options in most areas that are at least serviceable.

“You look around the different position groups, the different rooms, and you’re like, ‘There’s not really many holes,’ ” Kerrigan said. “We’ve got a lot of depth, a lot of capable guys. I think it shows on the practice field.”

Gruden can look at defensive line coach Jim Tomsula fiddling with options and holding an open competition with his players and joke, “Well, hopefully, there’s a method for Coach Tomsula’s madness right now.”

Later, Gruden added: “We have a lot of good pieces. We just have got to figure out the right ones.”

In the past, Gruden hoped he had good pieces and tried to convince you to believe with him. Now he talks matter-of-factly. Maybe next year, depth won’t even be worth celebrating. Maybe it can become that normal.

 

[Caliskinsfan]

 

[skinsdad62]

they need to continue on this path . lots of d/line work to do

 

[Sportster 72]

So true, football is so specialized these days you need at least 15 guys on either side of ball because of situation substituting. Depth is more needed for much more than injury.

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Some new scouts...

 

[Sportster 72]

I know nothing, hope it is good.

 

[Krusheasy]

gruden presser

August 1, 2017



Head Coach Jay Gruden


On if there is a timeline for TE Jordan Reed to return:

“No, we’re just going to play it by ear, see how he does day to day. Day to day means the better he feels the more chance he has the following day, but we’re not going to rush it.”



On Reed:

“He went down to see a specialist today, so hopefully we’ll have a better indication of where he is.”


On WR Jamison Crowder:

“He has a hamstring [injury] and those things could be a week, could be three days, we’ll see. I think tomorrow we’re just going to do a special team day tomorrow, give him another day of rest and hopefully he’ll be back Thursday maybe, maybe Friday.”



On WR Maurice Harris’ status:

“Same, he’s got a sore knee, a little tendonitis. Hopefully he’ll be back Thursday or Friday.”



On DL Joey Mbu:

“He’s going to practice today, I believe. I think. We’ll see how he feels. You never know.”


On the growth between C Spencer Long and QB Kirk Cousins:

“I think just the offensive line in general, I think Kirk feels great behind those guys. You know, they’ve been together now for some time. Not a lot of turnover other than Spencer coming into center last year. So the guy has done a great job. And communication between center and quarterback is crucial and center and the rest of the offensive line is critical. Like I said yesterday, Spencer has done a much better job with the calls. He’s more comfortable and then Kirk always has the ability to trump him and the communication has been very, very good so far. So just have got to keep it going because on a week-to-week basis, fronts change, blitzes change and you’ve got to be on top of it.”



On if these injuries would be handled differently in the regular season:

“I don’t know. I think you look across the league, you look at injuries, it’s a lot of soft tissue injuries, you know hamstrings, calves or what have you. So it’s just a matter of these guys getting hurt and, you know, when you train in the offseason, in the five weeks they’re off, they go home and they run and they work out, but there’s no substitute for what they do out here – the full-speed bursts, and then they stop and they burst and run. You’re going to have some of those every year. Just hopefully you keep them down to a minimum, and when they do get them, we get them quick and get them rehabbed and get them back on the field as fast as they can. Some of them take more time than others, but I don’t think you’re ever going to totally prevent them any year. They’re going to happen.”



On what S D.J. Swearinger and LB Zach Brown bring to the team:

“Well, we've added a few guys on defense, not only the free agents, but obviously the rookies have done a great job. I think you look at Zach Brown, middle linebacker, he's a good communicator, does a good job, brings a certain energy to the team. D.J. Swearinger brings a swagger that, you know, is very good for everybody. He's a great communicator, he's got great energy. That's what I like the most about him; he gets everybody fired up. He doesn't just get excited when he makes a play, he gets excited when somebody else makes a play. You know, you saw him the other day, yesterday, on the sideline, when the twos were up, somebody got a batted ball and he was running up, running off the field, patting him on the back and all that stuff. So, his energy is contagious, and it's needed. Especially on defense, you’ve got to have that type of energy. And it's not false. It's real. It's great to see.”



On if the draft picks on defense are living up to expectations:

“Well, you see their potential, there's no doubt about it. And how they continue to stack day after day together will determine how they do and how they learn moving forward, then how they perform in a game, whether they stay healthy or not. But obviously Jonathan [Allen], we've talked about, Ryan [Anderson] we've talked about, Josh Harvey-Clemons has done a nice job at linebacker in the dime situations. [Joshua] Holsey has done an excellent job. He's played nickel, he's played corner. He's been fun to watch. There's been a lot of guys that have showed up that we're excited about. But it's about the grind, really. You know, everybody can flash in a practice or two, but now it's about being consistent – doing the right thing over and over again. That's the challenge we have to find out if they can handle.”



On CB Kendall Fuller:

“He just looks healthier. I wouldn't say he looks healthier, he was healthy last year. He was able to play, but I think he's more confident in the injury that he's coming off of. He looks stronger, he looks faster, so it's good to see. He's moving around also, he's playing some nickel, playing some corner, and he's doing a fine job.”



On if the secondary has improved its communication or if Swearinger’s presence just makes it seem that way:

“A little bit of both. I think the emphasis always has to be there in the secondary without a doubt. That’s not really a change, but who’s communicating and are they communicating the right thing, and getting [the message] across to everybody else. D.J. has done a great job of being that leader and communicator. Su’a [Cravens] eventually, hopefully will get to that role. Will Blackmon is doing a good job. We have got to get Montae Nicholson up to speed. He’s just now starting in the walkthroughs, he’s starting to get more and more. [Deshazor] Everett is doing a better job. I think that’s a necessary part of playing a position with the change of strengths and the motions and all that. We just have got to keep them going.”



On where S Su’a Cravens is in his development with recognition:

“He’s doing better. It’s been a short time so far, but since the OTAs he’s continued to progress and keep throwing more at him and challenging him, put more on his plate and see how he can handle it, but I think he feels comfortable back there. He’s a very smart kid. I think he can handle it mentally. Now it’s just a matter of when things are happening fast around him, different route combinations, how he reacts, that will be key. He’s definitely good in run support, good tackler. But getting the right angles in the right gaps, we’ll see if he can do it consistently.”



On S Deshazor Everett:

“He’s another one that came here as a corner and we moved him to safety. We had to find a spot for him because he’s so valuable on special teams. You know, he’s one of our special teams’ best players, most productive players, so we moved him to safety and he’s doing better, he really is. Towards the end of the year last year he got the big pick against Philadelphia and he stated to play a little bit more and more, got some more experience. With a new coordinator, some of the system carries over a little bit but you can see he’s getting more comfortable. We know he can hit, like you said. Now it’s a matter of him playing the half and the post and all that stuff. I like where Deshazor’s going, but I love him on special teams.”



On his comfort level with the specialists:

“We tried [Bashaud] Breeland at kicker yesterday, I don’t know if you saw that or not [laughter]. I feel good about them, really. I think Tress [Way] is an excellent punter, and obviously Hop [Dustin Hopkins], I think he’s a young kid and I think he’s worth having here. I don’t think we really need to bring in a lot of competition, but we have a list of players to bring in if they struggle, just like everybody else at every other position. But I have total confidence that they won’t struggle and they’re going to be a great weapon for us. Hop can bang it, and obviously Tress can change field position for us and he’s very accurate when he’s pooching the punt inside the 10-yard line. Obviously Nick Sundberg is as good a long snapper as there is. He’s very consistent. Knock on wood, we’ve had no issues with this long snapper and I like where they are.”



On which doctor Reed is seeing in Charlotte:

“Anderson.”



On if there’s any particular question he’s tired of answering:

“You know what it is. Contract situations for certain people kind of gets annoying after a while, not saying any names [laughter].”

 

[Krusheasy]

swearinger presser

S D.J. Swearinger


On the defense:

“I feel like we’re making tremendous strides. Every day we’re competing. The defense is getting their hands on the ball, keeping the energy alive, and I like where we’re headed.”


On his role as a tone-setter:

“I have to bring that because I’m a natural born leader. My mom always told me to lead, not to follow. That’s what I’m doing here. We’ve got an excellent opportunity every day, man, when we go out there on that field. It’s a blessing to be out there, so why not give your all, give it high energy and give the energy that feeds off others? That’s what I try to do, and I’ll keep continuing to do that.”


On if he has to get to know the guys to be able to be a leader on a new team:

“For sure, especially the secondary guys. You do have to understand those guys, you have to get with those guys off the field and that’s something I try to do. I try to build that relationship off the field first and once you get out there on the field, it’s all second nature. As long as we’re gelling off the field, on the field it’s easy.”



On wearing the number 36:

“It means a lot, first and foremost, because of my family’s numbers, my dad and two of my uncles’ number. I’ve had the number since ninth grade. My favorite player Sean Taylor wore it here. I want to follow his footsteps. I want to make 36 my number, you know what I’m saying? He definitely wore it well but I definitely want to wear 36 and hold it high.”



On the defense having a good day of practice:

“Anytime you’ve got a live practice, man, it makes both sides better. The defense is out there flying around. It makes the offense like, ‘OK, we’ve got to do something to stop the defense. We’ve got to score on the defense.’ And it makes both sides better. As long as we keep the competitive nature high, both sides will get better and as a team we get better.”



On trash talking and if it serves as motivation:

“It gets us going a lot, man, because like I said, if the offense hears me yelling, once they make a play they want to yell too and it’s a competitive thing. Both sides want to compete better. If you out there dead, man, the intensity is not there. To have fun, you’ve got to have fun, you’ve got to talk trash. You want to see what limits you can push people [to]. When people get mad, they tend to play well. That’s the whole purpose behind that, and it’s all to get better, man.”



On Su’a Cravens’ transition to safety:

“He’s coming along well. He’s a natural athlete. He can do a lot of things well. He’s very athletic, and gets in and out of his breaks. Communication with me and him has been great. We sit next to each other in the meeting room so I try to coach him up on small things that he hasn’t seen in the NFL – playing safety in the NFL. I try to pick his brain, we try to pick each other’s brain and stay communicating, keeping the communication level high.”



On what he has taken from previous teams to prepare for his time with the Redskins:

“It’s been a long journey, these last four years from Houston, Tampa, Arizona to here. I feel like now I’ve finally got a home. I feel like this is home. When I’m out there practicing, it feels great. It feels like I’ve known these guys for the last five years. I definitely feel at home. The previous years have definitely taught me a lot on the field and off the field. I’m just looking forward to continuing this journey.”



On what it means that LB Zach Brown said he was most excited to play with him:

"It means a lot. You know, any time a Pro Bowler says he’s excited to play with you… Zach is a great linebacker. Can’t wait to get out there when everything is all live there against Philly. But Zach is a South Carolina grad as well, so can’t wait to get out there. He makes a lot of plays, he’s a fast guy to the ball, so me and him together, along with the rest of the defense, there’s no ceiling for our defense.”



On if he views not playing safety early in his career as a positive experience:

"I think it was great for me because I learned the linebacker position. I learned how the linebackers fit. I learned how to fit in a different mindset, so it helped me a lot and I wouldn’t take it back at all because playing that position is definitely different from playing safety."



On being reunited with Greenwood High School teammate CB Josh Norman:

“It means a lot, man, it means a lot. We hold Greenwood high. You know, small country town. We’ve got a lot of talent in Greenwood and to have two guys on the same team from Greenwood is amazing, man. I can’t wait to get back out there with Josh and do what we used to do.”



On if he could have imagined playing with Norman in the NFL:

“It’s kind of crazy because I got drafted with a high school teammate in Houston, Sam Montgomery. So, I don’t know how that can happen – I got drafted with a high school teammate and end up coming to play with another high school teammate, which is very rare. But, it happened and it’s a blessing that it happened this way.”



On if his high school team was undefeated:

"We weren't undefeated but our defense was definitely No. 1 every year. We won a state championship in 2006."



On if he likes his role in this defense:

"Yes, for sure. I love this defense, I love where we’re headed with Coach Manusky. We’ve just got to keep taking it one day at a time, get better day-by-day, play-by-play. And the sky is the limit. I’ll definitely be able to make a lot of plays in this defense."



On the number of players drafted from his high school:

"Well, in a five-, six-year span, I think it was six of us that got drafted. Armanti Edwards, Sam Montgomery, me, Josh Norman, Kelcy Quarles and there was one other one that just got drafted too. So we have a lot of talent in the Greenwood area."

 

[Krusheasy]

front office moves

For Immediate Release

August 1, 2017



REDSKINS ANNOUNCE CHANGES TO SCOUTING STAFF



RICHMOND, Va. – The Washington Redskins announced today that they have finalized additions and new assignments for the team’s personnel department for the 2017 season. The new additions and new assignments are as follows:



Brent Caprio* Scouting Assistant

Chuck Cook* College Scout (Midwest)

Harrison Ritcher* BLESTO Scout

Paul Skansi* College Scout (West Coast)

Cole Spencer College Scout (Southeast)

Roger Terry College Scout (Midlands)



* Indicates new hire



Caprio joins the Redskins after spending his first two NFL seasons with the Indianapolis Colts as a scouting assistant from 2015-16. Prior to entering pro football, he also worked in the accounting sector, spending parts of 2014 and 2015 with EY (formerly Ernst & Young). The native of Somers Point, N.J., played quarterback at William & Mary from 2009-13 and earned four consecutive CAA Academic All-Conference honors.



Cook is a veteran of 33 previous NFL seasons. He most recently spent six seasons with the Buffalo Bills from 2011-16. He served in various capacities in his time with the Bills, including two seasons each as Director of College Scouting, as a national scout and as an area scout. A native of Andalusia, Ala., Cook’s personnel background includes stints with the Bills, Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs.



Ritcher is entering his fifth NFL season. He began his career as a recruiting intern at Florida State prior to spending his first four NFL seasons with the Cleveland Browns from 2012-15. Ritcher, a native of Raleigh, N.C., is the son of 16-year NFL veteran Jim Ritcher, who played for the Bills and Falcons from 1980-95.



Skansi is a veteran of 25 previous NFL seasons, including a nine-year playing career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks from 1983-91. The native of Gig Harbor, Wash., most recently spent 16 seasons scouting the Southwest region for the San Diego Chargers from 2000-15. Skansi will assume scouting responsibility on the West Coast from Jim Zeches, who retired this offseason following 44 years in coaching and front office capacities across various levels, including spending the final 12 of his 16 NFL seasons with the Redskins.



Now in his eighth season with the Redskins, Spencer will transition to oversee scouting efforts in the Southeast region. He originally joined the Redskins as an intern in 2010 and had most recently coordinated scouting efforts for the team in the Midwest region.



Terry is in the midst of his third NFL season and will now oversee the team’s scouting in the Midlands area. He initially joined the Redskins in 2015 after working as a recruiting assistant at Ohio State during the 2013-14 seasons, helping the Buckeyes to a Big Ten championship, Sugar Bowl championship and national championship in 2014.

 

[Krusheasy]

 

[Krusheasy]

roster moves

For Immediate Release

July 31, 2017



REDSKINS MAKE ROSTER MOVES



RICHMOND, Va. – The Washington Redskins announced today that they have made the following roster moves:


The Redskins signed the following free agent:

RB Kenny Hilliard


The Redskins waived the following player designated as injured:

RB Keith Marshall

 

[Krusheasy]

gruden presser

August 2, 2017



Head Coach Jay Gruden


On what he has learned about the wide receiver group:

“Well, everybody is just kind of fitting into the system and that’s part of it. I’m trying to see what they’re comfortable with and see how fast they learn and process things. I’ve been impressed so far with all of them. They all bring a different skill set to the table. [Jamison] Crowder has missed the last couple of days but I have a good idea of what he can do. I think [Josh] Doctson is progressing nicely. Obviously Terrelle Pryor has made some splash plays out there and he’s learning the system. The rest of the guys and some of the new guys we’ve got have done a nice job. So we’re just going to keep firing out there, keep throwing the ball – 7-on-7, red zone, third-down drills, and then get them in the game and see how they do.”



On what kind of receiver Josh Doctson can be:

“Well, we drafted him the first round because we thought he could be spectacular. We thought he was the best receiver in the draft and there were some decent receivers in that draft. He’s big, he can run, he judges the ball outstanding, he’s got big strong hands. The big thing is to keep him healthy and hopefully he’ll prove that we made a very good pick last year.”



On how RB Chris Thompson has improved as a runner:

"He’s gotten more opportunities, number one, and he’s stayed healthy. You know, I think that’s the big thing. He’s got very good vision, good patience and then he’s got the burst that you need. He’s also run through some tackles, which is good. Chris’ value obviously is on third down. He’s a great pass protector and he’s very good on the option routes and routes out of the backfield. But when given the opportunity to actually run the ball or get the ball handed off to him, he’s been very productive and it’s not just on outside runs. He’s been good on the inside runs, too. He’s got a low center of gravity, good vision and has great ball security.”



On if there was any hesitancy to stick with LB Junior Galette as he tried to return from two Achilles injuries:

“No, as I hesitate for the answer [laughter]… No, the way he worked to get ready after the first one was pretty impressive. He is ready to go and unfortunately right before training camp he popped the other one. It was just awful for him and to just close the book on him and say goodbye, I just didn’t think would be the right thing to do. Our organization, I think, made a good call and brought him back again and we’re glad we did because he has shown flashes out there, being very explosive and very good."



On how close Galette looks to the player he was before his injuries:

“You’re right, we haven’t seen him a whole lot at full strength. He popped it in the two-minute drill not too long after he was practicing [in 2015]. So unfortunately we haven’t seen him live a whole lot. I remember him in New Orleans, how productive he was and the burst he had and the production that he had. I don’t think he’s that far off quite frankly, I really don’t. I think it’s been quite incredible to see how far he has come in a short period of time with this thing. He’s done an excellent job working. He’s lost a bunch of weight. He’s got a ways to go, he’ll tell you, from a stamina standpoint. You know, he’ll tell you football shape and running on a treadmill and running outside is a little bit different, but he’s getting there and I think he’s going to get there come regular season.”



On how a player considered at the top of his position like T Trent Williams can improve:

“You know what, I don’t know what else he can do. He can always improve. Everybody’s looking to improve. You never stay the same, you either get better or worse and that’s no different for even a great athlete and player like Trent. So you just have got to continue to work and I think the way he works with Coach [Bill] Callahan, he doesn’t take any periods off, he’s always out there with the guys. I think he’s going to get better. He’s lost a little bit of weight and I think he might even be a vegan, whatever that means. The things that he can do with his body and athleticism is incredible. He’s by far I think the best tackle in the league and we’re glad we have him. But it’s also good to see a guy with that type of talent and skill set work as hard as he does. That rubs off on the younger guys, the guys that are up and coming young players. They see a guy like that with much talent, that much production over the years – and Pro Bowls – work that hard, you know, it makes the other guys say, ‘Hey, I better work harder because I’m not as talented as him.’ So it’s great to have him. He’s a great leader and he’s going to keep going.”



On playing Bob Marley songs before walkthrough:

“You guys told me I needed to get some songs on my iPad so I wanted to check it out. I’ve heard some songs before but I just wanted to try to get the team pumped up with a little Bob Marley. I have to turn it off after stretch otherwise Coach Callahan will kill me.”


On dedicating a whole practice to special teams:

“There’s a couple reasons why I want to focus on it. Number one, we can hit all four phases at the same time, and then two, I want to get some of the big guys and skill guys a rest. We went two days in a row pretty hard in pads and very few times do you go three full days in a row in pads. So I thought it was a good time to get some special team work and focus on that. We had a big meeting on special teams last night. Give the big guys a little blow, get them some stretching and let them get a really good lift in there.”


On the chemistry between Rob Kelley, Chris Thompson, Samaje Perine and the group of running backs:

"Yeah, and Mack Brown too, and obviously we just added [Kenny] Hilliard, so I’ve got a good group and it’s led by Randy Jordan. I think he’s an excellent running back coach. He meshes well with those guys. He’s a great teacher of fundamentals and those guys play hard for him. They’re all very unselfish, really. You see Rob Kelley is the first one to congratulate Chris Thompson when he scores, and same thing with Chris and Samaje. They all root for one another and that’s good to see. A lot of times nowadays it’s, ‘I want the ball, I want this, I want this,’ but all of them are very unselfish and they’re willing to do the little things like block downfield and do all the things that are necessary for a successful back. Unselfish, they’re all durable and they’ve all done a good job, and they’re all competing."



On if a back with Perine’s running style can help in the red zone:

"He can. He’s a powerful guy, and a lot of times in the red zone, you’re going to have some unblocked players whether it’s a safety, you might not be able to get the backside linebacker on some of these runs because everybody is so condensed down there, there’s going to be some unblocked players so you better have a back who can run through them or make them miss. We feel like he can do that. He can move the pile, get the tough yards, along with Rob Kelley, and that’s important down there because numbers don’t add up. When the quarterback hands the ball to the back, you’re going to be one or two short possibly in the running game. So you need a guy that’s a big back that can burrow through there and get the tough yards and Samaje and Rob can both do that."


On C Chase Roullier:

“He got some extra work. Spencer [Long] was sick yesterday, he had a little stomach virus and Chase got a lot of work. He’s done a great job, he really has. For a rookie to come in here and handle all the things he has to handle, it’s been very impressive. Chase has got a ways to go obviously but he’s on the right track. He’s a true center. He might have to play a little bit of guard from time to time. If he’s going to dress on game day, he’s going to have to back up guard and center. So, well get him going, but the starting point is to really find a good center. Ronald Patrick also got some extra reps and he did a good job at center also.”


On TE Jordan Reed’s visit to a specialist in North Carolina:

“Nothing earth shattering came out, just a visit over there and checked him out. Everything looked pretty good. It’s just a matter of taking care of him and getting him the right rest and when he’s fully healthy we will get him going.”


On if his outlook has changed for Reed being prepared for the regular season:

“I try not to make an outlook. I said when I first heard about it, I said a couple of days and I was probably was a little eager to say that. So I’m just going to wait and play it by ear and see how he’s doing. Jordan’s pretty good about his body. He’ll be truthful about it. I don’t want to rush him back and have him twist his ankle or hurt his toe again. So we’ll wait until he’s 100 percent. Hopefully it will be before the first game obviously, but it could be next week. We don’t know yet. We’ll just play it by ear.”


On the team’s rule proposal to have touchbacks on kickoffs through the uprights moved to the 20-yard line:

“Well, there are certain things that we don’t all agree on, and I did not agree on that rule. I thought that was kind of silly [laughter]… I’m OK with that rule not being in place. There’s a lot of things that have been proposed around the league. Somebody said they wanted a point for that, too… The rules are fine. I was kind of against it going to the 25 in the first place. But I wasn’t against that rule changing.”