Tackling Washington Redskins training camp – Day One
By Ian Cummings
Defensive chemistry
By all accounts, the defense had a fine day out on the practice field earlier today, on all three levels.
Per J.P. Finlay of NBC Sports Mid-Atlantic, the defensive line looked exceptionally brisk in early action. He pointed out Daron Payne and Phil Taylor specifically, but noted that the lineman drills as a whole were exciting and heavily contested. Jonathan Allen himself is high on the group as well. He said… well, I’ll let you click the link. Language.
On top of that, the linebacking core and the secondary help their own as well. Even with Zach Brown out for most of the practice, the men in the middle made plays. Josh Harvey-Clemons, still the first linebacker off the bench, caught an interception off a tipped pass, and Shaun Dion Hamilton reportedly looked quick as well.
And the secondary, with all the uncertainty surrounding that unit, looked good as well. Here’s a quote from a practice summary by ESPN’s John Keim:
"Not everything Alex Smith did stood out, but sometimes the coverage prevented anything good from happening. On one pass to Paul Richardson, corner Quinton Dunbar was all over him. Richardson couldn’t get up to get the ball — but safety D.J. Swearinger raced over anyway and batted it away."
It’s only the first day, but with so many new (and healing) pieces on defense, it’s good to see the group meshing so quickly. Quinton Dunbar seems to be filling in nicely at the No. 2 cornerback spot. He took first-team reps almost exclusively.