Tackling Washington Redskins training camp – Day One

On one hand, we shouldn’t overreact to Redskins training camp. Because it’s training camp.

But on the other hand… it’s training camp! It’s the first “football” in almost half a year, and the excitement is mounting for the Redskins 2018 season. The pieces seem to be coming together. But until the real football starts, this excitement has no concrete foundation. On paper, the Washington Redskins can be elite. But it doesn’t matter until it’s on the field.

The Redskins got onto the field today, albeit without pads, and there were some developments as practice went along. Flip through the slides and take a look!

Tackling Training Camp – Day One

Josh Doctson update

A report detailing an MRI done on Josh Doctson’s Achilles sent a shockwave of panic throughout the Redskins fanbase. The first-round receiver’s Achilles has been a major hinderance of his development throughout his career, and it’s only logical to believe that, if there’s an MRI being conducted, then something isn’t right.

But Jay Gruden, in his press conference, stated otherwise. During his conference, available on the Redskins’ official Twitter feed, Gruden said that Doctson’s MRI was only precautionary, and the results revealed no damage or cause for concern. And as you can see in the video below, he participated on the first day of training camp, making a keen sideline grab against Quinton Dunbar, who had good coverage. Doctson looks fine, folks.

Yeah, the route was a tad bit rounded. It’s day one. He’s got the toe-drag swag going for him. Doctson wasn’t the only receiver to make plays today, either. Guys like Brian Quick, Trey Quinn, and Robert Davis all stood out with solid reps. We knew the Redskins’ receiver unit was fairly deep, but today’s practice gave us an exciting glimpse at what that depth could mean. Alex Smith will have a lot of quality weapons at his disposal in Washington. The battle for the final spots at wide receiver will be one of many to watch closely.

There’s also this nugget by Michael Phillips of the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Among other things, Phillips said that Alex Smith throws to Josh Doctson with more anticipation than what had been seen from a certain former Redskins’ quarterback. Josh Doctson’s contested, high-flying style demands that he has some habitual trust from his quarterback. Now it’s Doctson’s job to ensure that Smith’s trust is well-placed.

While we’re talking about Alex Smith…

Alex Smith isn’t just accurate. He is precise. There were a couple throws on the day where he put the ball in the exact window where it needed to be, making it look effortless. The Doctson catch on the previous slide was a perfect throw from Smith, beating sticky coverage from Dunbar, and later on, Smith found Jeremy Sprinkle deep for a score, fitting the ball just over the safety’s head and dropping it into the bread basket.

Paul Richardson, per Kimberly Martin of the Washington Post, said that Smith has a certain touch on the ball, which makes the job easier for the receivers. His leadership style is already being embraced in the locker room as well. Things are looking up for the 34-year old and his new team. Also, check out this parcel of information a fan managed to come across:

I’m not saying Alex Smith is a better thrower than Kirk Cousins, but…

He’s a better thrower than Kirk Cousins.

Injuries getting an early start (?)

Two Redskins’ players suffered injuries today, with the extent of one injury still unclear. Per J.P. Finlay of NBC Sports Mid-Atlantic, Tyler Catalina got twisted up in the trenches and was led off the practice field by a trainer. An update on his condition will be given when available. Catalina gained some starting experience as an undrafted free agent last year, and he should be in the conversation for a key depth spot this year.

The second player who suffered an injury scare was starting linebacker Zach Brown. Early on in practice, Brown hobbled off the field and was given a look by the trainers. They iced him up, and he sat out the remainder of the practice. According to ESPN’s John Keim and several others, the injury is not serious. Brown has a minor quad strain. He should be back on the field, to some capacity, sooner rather than later. Nevertheless, the team will likely be safe with him, as they should. Brown is a key player on an ascending defense, and Phil Taylor, one of the team’s many defensive linemen, was lost for the 2017 season with a quad injury.

Additionally, updates have not yet been given on Joshua Holsey, who started out training camp on the non-football injury list. They have no reason to stash him on injured reserve just yet, but if his recovery drones on long enough (past Week 3 of the preseason), they may be forced to do so, with the depth they have at cornerback.

On the bright side, there were some players with injury histories that stepped onto the field, and remained on the field, for the first day of training camp. Jordan Reed, recovering from a lingering foot injury, looked quick in drills, as did Chris Thompson. Per Lake Lewis Jr. of Redskins Wire, Trent Williams and Morgan Moses joined their team mates on the field as well. The Redskins will undoubtedly play it safe will injuries to key players. But the progress is promising.

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.

Last call for the Derrius Guice hype train

By all accounts, the Redskins needed an upgrade at running back this offseason. And by all accounts, Derrius Guice is that upgrade.

The former LSU running back came into the 2018 NFL Draft as one of the best players available at his position, with 4.49 speed, impressive lateral quickness, and a penchant for withstanding waves and waves of contact.

Despite his skills, Guice slipped to the late second round due to phantom character concerns, where he was snagged by the Redskins. It didn’t take long for the Redskins to realize how much of a steal Guice was. Now, they’re seeing that on the field.

According to Lake Lewis Jr. of the Redskins Wire, Guice “looked solid in his first NFL training camp”, showing off a tenacious, conflict-seeking running style and a surprising ability to catch out of the backfield. He shared first-team reps with Robert Kelley, Samaje Perine, and Chris Thompson. The Redskins seem confident in their running back group and its depth, but Guice should separate himself with time. Chris Thompson is one fellow player who thinks Guice will do that, and more. Here’s what he had to say on the rookie, per ESPN’s John Keim.

"They’re not expecting him to come here and have a 500-yard season. For him, I want 1,000-plus. I want 1,200 to be honest. He probably wants more than that for himself. I love his attitude and approach to the game."

The hype train is getting ready to leave the station. You’re welcome to come aboard.