Jason Campbell "tweaked" his hamstring at practice and head coach Jim Zorn couldn't be happier. From the article:

"I have him sinking down a little bit," Zorn said. "It’s a change, and so I was kind of excited about it—not that he tweaked his hamstring, but just the fact that different things are happening."

Kind of excited? More like hella excited. That's right... I went with hella.

AOL Fanhouse also has the story. And they lead with "it is a bit unusual when a head coach is actually pleased when he starting quarterback gets hurt." A bit? More like... you guessed it, hella unusual. Now, I understand that Zorn is changing some of the things JC does, especially pre-snap, but it doesn't seem very productive to have him to the point of tweaking his hamstring. I wonder if the QBs in Seattle got injured after working with Zorn...

The article also mentions ARE and his knee's floating-body-freeness. And after a few days, we might have found out what those floating bodies actually were:

Randle El said the knee was swollen after minicamp practice Saturday. An MRI found loose cartilage, possibly the residual effects of getting the knee banged in a couple of games last season, and he had arthroscopic surgery Monday.

Yep, I'm letdown. Floating bodies totally built up for something, well, hella exciting. A lot more exciting things than "loose cartilage" can be described as floating bodies.

Oh, and hella kinda buried in the article was the tidbit about the fact that "running back Clinton Portis sat out with a minor hip flexor strain." Now, it has been suggested that Portis might have hurt himself racing Landry, but, for now at least, I'm not buying it. Even Jason Reid over at the Redskins Insider quotes Zorn as suggesting it was the race, but I still think this is more of a veteran-getting-out-of-the-last-day-of-practice-for-a-while thing than a Landry-ran-me-right-out-of-my-hip thing. Maybe its just me.

That's it for now, enjoy your Mother's Day weekend. (Yes, that was me reminding you to go buy some lame card or flower to appease your mother on the one day a year that she specifically gets to be appeased, despite the fact that we all know that mothers are appeased 24/7/365. And yes, it is a made up holiday, just like Valentine's Day, where you have to buy some worthless piece of crap to somehow "prove" that you care for you mother. But do it anyway because the alternative is so much worse. I mean, I got over it without being bitter about it... and you can to.)

In other injury-related news, SP was finishing up school this week, so I'm sure he's off in some gutter somewheres. Wish him luck.

I bet you're all like WTF, mate? I know I was. But, the surgery was "only" an arthroscopic knee procedure that should allow him to be ready for training camp. I say "only" because knee surgery and wide reciever never go together in a sentence without some pause. I'd prefer my WRs to be knee-scar-free just like I prefer my tits breasts to be scar free. Isn't that right, Tara Reid? (Totally NSFW and definately not safe for after lunch.)

The Yahoo! article mentions that the surgery was to remove a "floating body" that was causing discomfort and was discovered after an MRI. Hmm. Floating body, eh? Must be a technical term. I'm sure if you ask nicely, SP will take a study break and give you a detailed illustration of what, exactly, a "floating body" is. Pins and needles, my friends... I'm on pins and fcuking needles.

I'm very curious about this "floating body" in ARE's knee. I mean... how long has it been there? How did it get there? And is there significant tissue decomposition to prevent identifying the vic or even to recover any evidence? Who has two thumbs and loves his CSI marathons? This guy. (For the record, Horatio then Gil then whatever Gary Sinise's character is named... in that order. You can argue, but it won't do shite matter.)

Anyway, so now ARE's knee is "floating body" free and he should be all put back together again by training camp. Zorn, who knows about "floating bodies" and the like, gave his professional prognosis as "three to four weeks." Zorn continues:

"When they went in, whatever they found they will fix, and we will get him back going," Zorn said.

You know, Danny is really cutting corners. First the offensive coordinator, then the head coach... now he's got Zorn running his arse around giving medical opinions. Talk about scrambling ability. I wonder where all this saved cash is going?

The article finishes with news on Doughty and Golston. Doughty missed practice to be with his son, who is apparently doing much better. Honestly, you can't help but root for this guy. If he's not trying to keep his job, he is off staying with his recovering child. I don't know how he ever sleeps... kinda like Zorn. Hmm.

Golston did not practice because of a sprained ankle suffered over the weekend. Never fear, Dr. House Zorn is on the case:

"His ankle is still swollen, so he can’t run," Zorn said. "No use in getting him out here running around."

Well put. In all my years of writing, I've never found a better way to end than with a quote from someone else. So, we'll end with that. Hit up the comments. I'm out like Tara Reid's plastic surgeon ARE's "floating body" SP's chances at becoming a lawyer a blogger whose analogies have run dry.

It's been a minute since I've done one of these, so here's what is flossing around the Redskins internet world. First up is Chris Mottram over at Mr. Irrelevant, commenting on the Portis/Landry 500:

Portis and Landry had a disagreement during practice over the weekend. The topic of contention: Who is faster. So, they decided to settle the dispute in the safest possible manner: Push their hamstrings to the brink in a meaningless 40-yard race while the Zorn Star was preoccupied with reporters.

Incidentally, Landry jokingly said something inaudible about his hamstring after the race. I don't think he was the least bit serious. I can't join Chris in complaint over the way these guys are treating their bodies, first and foremost because these kinds of things make for great print, and secondly because they aren't playing badminton. (Although with all the hamstring injuries from last year, I can't very well blame Chris for his concern either.)

Per Redskins 360 comes some info on remaining salary cap moneys:

The Redskins' rookie pool is $4.544 million, leaving them with about $3 million to spend on veteran free agents and for a reserve fund to replace players who are injured during the season.

Also, Vinny sets the timeline on when we'll begin negotiations with the rookie class: we'll start next month.

Excellent news per the Official Site on Reed Doughty, who had a good excuse to miss mini camps:

Doughty left Redskins mini-camp on Sunday to go to a local hospital to be with [his son] Micah, who developed a fever over the weekend.

Micah underwent a kidney transplant earlier this year, complicating matters.

It turned out that Micah's fever was unrelated to the transplant. As of Monday afternoon, Micah's condition had improved. He is expected to be released from the hospital in a day or two.

Thrilled that his son is ok. This time last year Micah was battling for his life. I can't imagine (sonless, childless) the stress that puts on a player who is already in an intensely competitive environment. Doughty used it:

The urgency to take care of his son has driven Doughty hard to secure an NFL future.

And used it well. His position with the team 12 months ago was tenuous, and now, as far as I can tell, he's the starting safety. It's probably a misnomer to say that he's filling the shoes of Sean Taylor, as it was really LaRon Landry shifted to Taylor's old position, but Doughty made his way into the depth chart and he's done an admirable job since. I wish him and his family the best.

Ugh, per AOL Fanhouse comes some news on Fred Davis and a dreadful comparison:

The Washington Post's Jason Reid writes that "some draft evaluators reported that USC tight end Fred Davis exhibited poor work habits and made questionable decisions at times." The Redskins considered him too much of a talent to pass up, and three days into his NFL career, Davis missed practice...

In the scheme of things, this is nothing. Of course, that's what people said when Brandon Lloyd first starting acting out.

One can only hope that Davis' acting out is a result of youth that can be fixed with proper coaching. We've got a lot of leaders on this team, one in particular at that position, and hopefully if there are lingering "work habits" issues, they can be hammered out.

Speaking of the leader, he's probably going to become the banner carrier of all bloggers, everywhere. Now that Captain Chaos has joined us in our mother's basement, he's not afraid to take on anyone as a blogger. He's also a lot bigger than most bloggers, so that works too:

PTI talked about my last Yahoo post and I would like to say thanks for not talking too much shit about me on ESPN. I mean come on Tony, I make it to the pro bowl and the least I can get out of you is “a mid-round pick” with a load of sarcasm. Was that because you “hate” bloggers?

It was just a couple of months ago that Michael Wilbon threatened to beat down Dan Steinberg. The full exchange:

MW: You like that? see I'm gonna go South Side on you, Cheeseboy [Dan Steinberg is Cheeseboy], I'm gonna come and beat you down.

Cindy Boren: Nooooo.

MW: And it can be done. So I won't have to blog, I won't have to write about you, I won't have to talk about you. Just a beat down.

TK: That was good

CB: But you're skinny now, you can't beat on people.

TK: He can beat the Cheeseboy.

CB: I don't know....

TK: How big is the Cheeseboy? Wait a second, do I have this wrong, the last time I saw the Cheeseboy--now granted that's a long time ago--he looked like a kid in 'Into the Wild' after a while. He didn't weigh anything. Am I wrong on that?

CB: He's a vegetarian, you know.

MW: He's a what?

CB: A vegetarian.

MW: A sportswriter who's a vegetarian? That's another reason.

TK: Wilbon wants to beat him down.

MW: I'm gonna come beat you down.

Cooley is going to be on Blog Show later today so maybe Dan Steinberg can convince him to return the rhetorical favor. The important thing to remember in all this is that Chris Cooley is still blogging, and therefore all is right in the world.

Jason has the newest Redskins signings:

The Redskins announced that they've signed QB Derek Devine, the 6-3, 222-pound former Marshall QB who signed as a rookie free agent with Seattle in 2007 and was released before the season, and safety Patrick Ghee, who also signed as a rookie free agent with the Seahawks in 2007 and was released before the season.

Camp fodder and I will be impressed if either of them makes it beyond the practice squad. The cuts were Alonzo Dotson, Bret Meyer, Kevin Mitchell, and Justin Scott. Second commenter notes that the two guys signed both heave a Seattle connection.

Hog Heaven's Greg Trippiedi has five Redskins he thinks could breakout in 2008. They are: Landry, Montgomery, Demetric Evans, McIntosh, and Heyer. Not a bad list, though I hope Heyer doesn't breakout in 2008 as that would be contingent on an injury to one of the starters. I think Evans is probably a situational relief rusher and isn't going to develop into more though I hope I'm wrong. Of the five, I like Mt. Gomery to develop the most, so we're quoting on him:

Anthony Montgomery

After Landry, Montgomery’s development is by far the most critical, both on the team level and a personal level. He’s going to be playing the nose position again this year on defense, and he’s surrounded on defense by the following:

3 players who are contributors, but past their prime (Springs, Fletcher, Daniels)
2 players on the back end of their primes (Washington, Griffin)
2 players in their prime, but are coming off career years (Carter, Smoot)
2 players who are young and largely unproven (Doughty, McIntosh)
LaRon Landry

You could throw Montgomery in the young and unproven group, but he’s proven himself, at least at his current role of anchoring at the point of attack. That’s good enough to hold his job. However, if the Redskins are to avoid a collapse of the front seven, they will need the young guy, Montgomery, to improve his game into other areas. He’s got the skills to be a decent pass rusher, and the Redskins need to see that. Otherwise, it’s all about consistency with Montgomery. Can he be an every down player? Or will Phillip Daniels need to spell him on passing downs. He’s in a (restricted) contract year, so 1.5 million dollars depends on it.

Typical Greg Trippiedi, it is excellent, entertaining analysis to get you through the offseason, and there's loads more over at Hog Heaven that I haven't shamelessly ripped to my own site.

I'm studying for my last final (Thursday) for the rest of the day and tomorrow. Entertain yourselves in the comments section here, fanposts on the right, or in fanshots, which are really growing on me. Sometimes a good story speaks for itself and doesn't need my endless pontification, so you'll be seeing me promote a lot of fanshots to the front page since it saves me time while simultaneously getting the word out on stories Redskins fans and reader(s) care about. Have at them. Remember, though, that Fanshots aren't only for links or videos; you can do lists, chats, quotes, or images. Take full advantage.

 

First, in case you missed it, the Redskins started OTAs (Organized Team Activities -- like twister and tag and if no one gets hurt they get capri suns when it is all over with pb and j sammiches (no crusts!!)) sans the rookies. Gary Fitzgerald says:

With the three-day mini-camp over, the Redskins moved right into voluntary Organized Team Activity sessions on Monday.

Gone were the rookies, 23 in all, and tryout players.

Rookies returned to their respective colleges to complete their spring classes. Most will return in early June for a final series of OTA practices.

Word on offense growing pains is that the team is struggling slightly with the apparently long snap counts we plan to employ this coming season. If the Seahawks could make it work at Qwest field under the loudest conditions in the NFL, I have every faith we can make good under Coach Zorn on handling our business at scrimmage. Now, if we could just pipe in some crowd noise...

Kidding. I think piping in crowd noise is chicken poopey strategy for cowards. It is on fans to show up and be loud and make that other guy's quarterback hear your clever wit from the upper deck even if it means scaring the kids and possibly doing permanent damage to your voice box  in the process. Any idiot can operate a noise machine. John Henry beat the steam-drill.

In other good news, Shawn Springs is about. Remember that a year ago Shawn Springs didn't make it back to Redskins camp for voluntary workouts, instead choosing to stay in Arizona. On accident. Because he lost his phone (hey athletes really are like the rest of us!). "That happens." <-- direct quote from Springs. It's a miracle players ever made it to voluntary team meetings before the invention of the cell phone. Did they? I'm just a kid.

Elsewhere, a Jim Zorn quote from the article caught my eye but I want to tread carefully for fear that I'll misintrepret it -- that's common 'round here. To begin with, I was always under the impression that, though everyone knew the game, no one was willing to speak of it. And "the game" is where the player agitates (by, for instance, missing all voluntary team meetings) to get traded. Maybe I'm wrong in that, because we've been blessed (spoiled, lucky?) to have avoided the worst of the emerging normal player negotiation strategy where the best way to increase your paycheck is to decrease your worth to the people currently holding rights. We're especially lucky given that the strategy was made famous by Drew Rosenhaus, and he represents some Redskins. To quote his own website (quoting to elsewhere, mind you):

Wildly successful agent Drew Rosenhaus has never experienced a player holdout he didn't enjoy.

I have a number of concerns with this strategy from a team standpoint, but we'll get to those momentarily. Again, proceeding slowly, I was under the impression that coaches and owners didn't typically even acknowledge this strategy, let alone any of its merits (for the player). And then we get this, from the Gary Fitzgerald
article, emphasis added:

Zorn said he expects players to attend the voluntary OTAs unless they have an excused absence.

He jokingly calls OTA practices "voluntary mandatory."

He added: "These are voluntary, but we've made our points as coaches that we need everybody here. We're not doing anything more or different than other teams. Other teams have OTAs and other teams want their players [to attend] as well.

"If you have a contract issue or you're disgruntled--there are a thousand reasons [to not attend OTAs]. But if you don't show up just because you didn't want to show up, I think that's wrong."

Unfortunately I think he's right. If you do have contract issues than, if you're going to miss anything, it might as well be voluntary workouts. But I'd be more content with new head coach Jim Zorn not being so naked about the entire thing. I'd prefer fire-and-brimstone-you-damn-well-better-show-up else dogs with bees in their mouths that shoot the bees at you when they bark will get you. Then again, maybe that's why I'm not an NFL head coach.

Personally, I have a real problem with players agitating over contracts. If you sign a contract, you should honor it. The typical justification for that move (and admittedly, I'm now in fisticuffs with a straw man, which isn't especially fair to the opposing position) goes something like: Well teams can cut players whenever they want, so why shouldn't players be able to negotiate new contracts?

I'd respond that they negotiated a binding contract that included the terms they, the player (and in most cases, to greater degree, their agents), is now sour on. Teams are indeed free to cut players, but there's nothing preventing players, far as I can tell, from demanding no-cut clauses in their contracts. They don't, obviously, because it would dramatically reduce the amount the other party to the contract was willing to dish out. But practically speaking, players do write into their contracts defenses against arbitrary cuts and general team meanie face cruelty towards the player -- NFL contracts provide guaranteed moneys.

The obvious retort, and I don't much like granting it, is that missing the OTAs isn't messing with the contract and, in any event, teams pony up to the table just as players do, and if they wanted mandatory Team Activities they could force the issue, but don't. Let me make it clear that I'm not suggesting any player, ever, in the history of the sport, has had a contractual responsibility to show up to a voluntary workout. What I am offering is merely a mini-rant against the general strategy of contractual agitation. If you sign a contract, you should honor it. And you should honor not merely the technical word of it, but also its spirit, which includes not seeking a breach. (To [those players who do agitate] credit, I'm sure they could give a deuce about my "respect" but should care about their moral responsibility to their families, who depend on the player's financial compensation.)

But what am I complaining 'bout?

The Redskins had full attendance for Monday's OTA practice.

Hail to that, at least for now.

And by "exclusive" I mean only available to people within traveling distance to a Barnes & Noble and by sneak peak at the Redskins playbook, I really mean probably incorrect interpretation of exactly one play that Jim Zorn ran as quarterback in Seattle circa around 30 years ago.

As you may know, I'm in the process of reading Kenny Mayne's new book, An Incomplete and Inaccurate History of Sports. I'm not yet finished, because I haven't taken enough dumps, but so far so good. It's like diet Dave Barry but with more-betterish anecdotes, because they're sports related and Kenny Mayne is famous (my mom thinks Dave Barry is more famous than Kenny Mayne; also that I'm handsome), at least to people like me who were raised by Sports Center in early 90s. Kenny Mayne is from Seattle, which may help explain this video:

 

 

Mayne's appreciation for Z-Man is sincere, as he's devoted an entire chapter (term is used liberally; this particular "chapter," for instance, is about a page and a half long) to a play called the "Controlled Scramble" frequented by Jim Zorn when he was a QB for the Seahawks. Mayne describes the play thus, though he notes that when he contronted Jim Zorn about the name of the play, it was actually something other than Controlled Scramble, but whatev:

In the early days of the Seahawks, it was nearly a total scramble for Jim Zorn. He had an expansion team's offensive line, and he was constantly trying to come from behind. His ability to throw while on the run wasn't just an asset, it was a necessity. So they wrote up a play that matched his skill set: Controlled Scramble.

The look of the play was utter chaos: Zorn would spring out in one direction while the receivers flowed to that side of the field. Then he would reverse course and drop back even deeper in a rollout to the opposite side of the field. Something like this.

He then attempts to draw the play, and from the drawing it looks like the kind of frankensteinian disaster you wouldn't pick even while drunk in a game of Madden. How/if this play ever succeeded is beyond me. And although I've been told not to do so, I have attempted unsuccessfully to recreate Kenny Mayne's recreation of a sack-waiting-to-happen using Microsoft Paint. The black lines are simply to get more room to write. The green lines are what happens after snap. The blue line is the ball being passed to Steve Largent. I probably fucked uhmm, doodooed? it up, so don't treat the picture as testimony. Enjoy:

[Note by Skin Patrol, 05/05/08 3:41 PM EDT ] Getting the above from my hard drive to this post was taxing on my emotions and my soul. Please enjoy it.

Kenny Mayne continues:

By the time Zorn sprinted one way, then the other, he was a good twenty to wenty-five yards behind the line of scrimmage. (Normal rollouts have the quarterback eight to ten yards behind the line of scrimmage.) While Zorn was rolling right and then back to the left, his future Hall of Fame receiver STeve Largent was doing something similar. He'd open the play split left, run a deep post to the right, then turn himself around into a deep corner on the left (or sometimes break that into an "out" route).

The crowd (and the defense) would think they'd witnessed an incredible impromptu play. What they'd really seen was something else entirely: the illusion of chaos. Zorn and Largent knew where they were going all along.

I'm of the opinion that could be giving Zorn and Largent too much credit, since looking at the play it isn't entirely clear that even the person who wrote it up had that much faith in its success, but if it worked it works. Jason Campbell has the moves to pull off such a play, but I don't know if I have the nerves to watch it. Also he fumbles when sacked, indeed fumbled more last year in 13 starts than Jim Zorn had in 36 starts from 1981-1983.

And we don't have an expansion team's offensive line, rather we have very capable players so long as the injury bug gets pesticided.

I thought it was a cool story. If you were looking for actual news on the Redskins playbook, I imagine we'll have some better info available shortly now that the team has started minicamp. My blogging amigo at Riggo's Rag had this to say in an email:

[The playbook] came out a few days ago that he is giving a thinner version out for minicamp.  The goal is to only give them what they have time to work through during the practices.  And then as they are putting in more of the plays during OTAs and camp, they’ll be given more.  I like the strategy, because it takes pressure off of both Zorn and the players to get it all at once.  Plus, from what I understand, almost all of the running game will be the same as the Gibbs era including nomenclature so the vets know half (or so) of the plays already.

The key, as Kenny Mayne pointed out elsewhere, is keeping pressure of Jim Zorn. From what I've heard, though, Z-Man knows a thing or two about avoiding pressure.

Well, new Head Coach Jim Zorn's first mini-camp went without a hitch... except if you consider one of your brand new rookies over-sleeping a hitch. Taking off from where CaptChaosSidekick begins with his so very minimalist "not a good sign," we dive right into the article:

"Everybody was scouring," coach Jim Zorn said after the practice. "Nobody heard from him, so there was one of two scenarios: either there was some real trouble and we needed to find him, or he screwed up. I haven’t even got to talk to him yet. I know he has been found. I believe it is more in the ‘I screwed up’ category."

That's one way to make a first impression on your new employer. To his credit, Zorn played it off as no big thing... but you have to think that Davis is going to get a firm talking to at the very least. Oh, and its a good thing that it happened in mini-camp... because, uh, I'm sure the veterans on the team will let it go and forget it by training camp. Or, at least by the preseason. Or, at the very latest, never. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that Davis has 50 some odd alarm clocks in his locker at this very moment.

The most interesting (if subtle) part of the article is also from Zorn:

"He just had a setback," the coach said. "Hopefully everybody will learn from the lesson that he is having to learn right now about what it is going to take to get to a place on time, to be responsible."

Now, you could very well read over that as just a slip of the tongue. But I think that was a very deliberate, and very clever, way of warning the whole team that things of this nature won't be tolerated. Young people make silly errors in judgement (like driving drunk into New Mexico with an ex-stripper to pick up what might or might not be her child whom she might or might not have joint custody of and bringing said child back across state lines) and young football players also make the same types of errors in judgement. That's why they're called rookie mistakes. You just hate to see your one freebee burned before the summer. Or before signing a contract even.

In any case, that was the big news of the training camp. That and the Clinton Portis - LaRon Landry footrace. Read more over at Redskins Insider. The winner? Depends on who you ask. Smoot claims Landry... but he's such a DB homer, he can't be trusted. Rock Cartwright called it a very diplomatic tie. (What is this, a montessori pre-school?) The article takes Landry's side. But Zorn was already talking rematch:

They'll race again. I bet it's not over.

By the way, who you got in a 40 yard sprint? Portis is sneeky fast... but Landry's just straight up fast. Oh, and that was right after Zorn denied Portis's request that it count as an OTA. Not on Zorn's watch.

That's it for now. Hit up the comments.

The Sporting Blog, Morning Constitutional: Buzz's Favorite Song

The Redskins started day one of mini camp today (I uhhh... almost missed it) and updates are being posted at light speed by Gary Fitzgerald over at the official site. He does good work and if you take the time to visit, you'll notice, among other things:

• Jersey numbers for some of the new rookies, though caveated with the knowledge that they may change. Good luck numbers? Devin Thomas sports Mark Rypien's 11. Durant Brooks channels 1950s Redskins hero Eddie LeBaron (traitored to Dallas, though) with #14.
• We have three additional tight ends working out with the team on a tryout basis. Uhhhhh. We have Chris Cooley, we drafted Fred Davis, we drafted Tyler Ecker a year ago, Todd Yoder played just fine last year, Mike Sellers does whatever he wants all the time because he's awesome... how many tight ends are we going to need Coach?
• Duran Brooks was the first player on the field. Prediction: Derrick Frost will be the first one off.
• Speaking of Ecker, injuries are keeping him sidelined... again. His future with the team was questionable when we drafted Fred Davis, looked worse when we brought in a bunch of tryout tight ends, and now looks to be in critical condition. Tough break.

[Note by TexSkins, 05/02/08 12:54 PM CDT ] Fitzgerald found out the news on Ecker. From his live blog:

Confirmed from Jim Zorn that Tyler Ecker has re-aggravated his groin. That's why he's not participating in mini-camp.

Not good for his chances to make the team. He must have a very fragile groin. Groin jokes are now strongly encouraged.

I'm sure Gary will keep that thread updated throughout the day, so don't bother waiting around here for the good word. He's there. I'm not.

This one's for Ach; Colt's not participating in minicamp, but that doesn't mean you can't watch him in slow motion with cluster fuck graphics threatening seizures, all put to popular but totally non-topical music. Dude threw a lot of touchdown passes, so the video never actually, uhh, ends. Enjoy: