Alex Smith Redskins OTAs Presser: Leadership isn't just giving speeches

New Redskins starting QB Alex Smith spoke to reporters after today's OTA practices. You can see a few clips and notes from today's practice here.

Competition:

Getting to know the WRs:

“I think it’s been really good. We’ve had great work. I think we’re ready for this. We were ready for OTAs. We got a lot in, Phase 1 and Phase 2, we got a lot of reps in, QBs and receivers working on timing, so I think we were ready to kind of introduce the defense, and this is the next step in our progression. Talking, communicating as we see things together, reacting, thinking the same way, seeing the same thing, so this certainly is the next step for us in that progression.”

Can't catch a break:

Leadership:

"I think a lot gets made up of leadership in this league, especially with quarterbacks, and I think leadership isn’t just giving speeches and being loud and talking a lot. That’s not my definition of a leader. And, you know what, I think everybody has got it in them and everybody has a different style. I’m not just talking about quarterbacks, every guy in that huddle and I think it’s really just being yourself. I know guys respect work ethic and they respect the guys that are invested and committed, and for me, it’s really just doing that, right? Putting in the time, being myself, getting to know these guys. I think everybody is doing that. That’s the same around the league. There’s so much turnover year-to-year. Really this time of year, you have got to break those things down, get to know each other.”

Andy Reid vs Jay Gruden offense:

“It’s tough to compare. I don’t totally want to get into that. Both from West Coast worlds, so it’s kind of like they are all Latin-based languages, you know, but they are not the same. There are some similarities, structure of the playbook, of how we call things, things like that. There are a lot of similarities but it’s not the same language. I guess that’s the best analogy I can make.”

National Anthem policy:

Offensive tackle injuries:

“Can’t worry about it. This time of year especially, like I said, this is kind of geared toward the skilled guys on both sides of the ball and so we definitely need to take advantage of this time because we do have the advantage. I mean, this is a next-man-up game. That’s the deal, right? These guys have got to get ready in a hurry. You never know. You can’t just rely on, ‘Oh, when we just get these guys back.’ We have got to get these guys up to speed. Next man up and they have to get ready to play.”

Chris Thompson:

“I’ve watched a lot of film. Other than that, like I said, we take advantage of these reps with the guys that are out here, right? The schemes don’t change. Certainly Chris is a special player. When he gets back, we’ll have a chance to kind of dial that in. But conceptually for me, I’m just trying to go out there and execute regardless. The next-guy-in has to go win if coverage dictates that and the concept dictates that, then those guys have got to win and we have got to take advantage of that time right now.”

Push it: