For so many years, life at Redskins Park was so turbulent that no one knew what would happen next. Coaches and players rotated through like campaign workers approaching elections.
But the Washington Redskins ended their third rookie camp under coach Joe Gibbs on Sunday with a sense of certainty. Workouts were so organized that several invited players were sent packing each day because coaches didn’t need a second look. They already knew whether the long shot would realistically rate a chance when training camp opens July 31.
The Redskins have settled into a focused path missing for so many years when four different coaches ran the organization over three years. Mayhem has finally turned into mundane.
When nearly 90 invited rookies joined six draft picks, assistant head coach Gregg Williams felt the personnel department knew his agenda. Williams huddled the scouts after one practice to say thanks for not wasting his time with pointless prospects.
“The acclimation phase is kind of over here,” Williams said. “The organization is really in tune from a personnel department and a coaching department on what kind of players we like having around.”
What’s the Redskins’ prototype player? High production, low maintenance. Maybe not the best 200 pounds on the field, but someone who’s better than his stats.
“Coach Gibbs places a high priority on character and smart, tough players,” Williams said. “You can get by with lesser ability as long as they are smart, tough, have good character and you know they are going to be out there every single day. That is the same kind of people that we have identified bringing in to this mini camp. We want to look at their longevity, trustworthiness, and their accountability in their college ranks, too.”
Translation — Williams was looking for gamers from the crop of undrafted rookies. Tight end Buck Ortega from Miami making a play across the middle. Quarterback Brandon Kirsch of Purdue and receiver Derrick Fenner of Maryland trying to impress. Linebacker Spencer Havner of UCLA crossing the field quickly.
Only one player from the rookie free agent camp stayed with the team last season and even then was off and on the roster a handful of times. The Redskins are settled enough now for coaches to concentrate on finding more of those gems. Williams wanted to see the fire within players before inviting them back.
“Everybody is going to get nicked and injured, but how do they bounce back from it?” he said. “How do they fight through those kind of things? For the most part, every one of these rookies that came out here have had to fight through some type of adversity in their young sports careers. That is going to be the same thing up here. They are going to have to fight through that. We did that last year. We got on a real tough part of the season and we could have folded our tents. But the leadership, because of the character that Joe Gibbs demands around, rose and led us through there.”
It will be a different fall for Washington after reaching the NFC semifinals last year for the first time since 1999. The Redskins are going to need hungry players. Like the ones they just spent the weekend evaluating.
“We are the hunted,” Williams said. “We stepped into the playoff race last year so people are going to peak their interest on us every time they play us.”
Rick Snider has covered local sports for 28 years. Contact him at [email protected].
