Atogwe’s knowledge is huge boon for Redskins
ASHBURN — O.J. Atogwe’s value didn’t come during the play; it came after. And that’s a big reason he’s in Washington. After watching a receiver break free against fellow safety Chris Horton the other day, Atogwe pulled him aside and dissected what just happened.
He talked about the formation used by the offense. He told Horton how to play it the next time it was used. And Horton walked away smarter than he was before the play.
“Those are the things that helps this defense get better,” Horton said.
Those are the things that Atogwe brings to the Redskins. He might not be a Pro Bowl safety; in fact, he’s never made one. But the Redskins want him to be a leader in the defensive backfield in addition to continuing his knack for creating turnovers.
| Notes |
| » Running back Ryan Torain will have X-rays taken of his left hand after he banged it Wednesday morning. He had to stop practicing after this occurred. Coach Mike Shanahan said it might just be a sprain, but “we take X-rays in case when it’s real sore.” Torain’s injury history is no secret; it’s a big reason the coaches wanted to have another veteran running back on the roster. Torain sat out the afternoon work and declined comment on the injury. |
| » The Redskins still haven’t worn full pads, and there’s a chance it won’t happen for a few more days at least. They’ve been in shells this week, but Shanahan said he wants the team in better football shape before he starts full-pad workouts. “We’re getting in better football shape,” he said. “When I feel we can have more contact, I’ll do that because at certain positions you’re gonna have to do that to evaluate them.” |
| » Quarterback John Beck will now wear No. 12, with Malcolm Kelly switching to 14. Beck said he wore 12 through junior high school, high school and college. |
| SPECIAL TEAMS |
| Brandon Banks |
| Banks did not practice because he said his knee, which required surgery in November, was sore when he woke up this morning. He had some swelling on the knee. “Just giving it some rest. That’s all,” he said. “Anytime you’ve got an injury you’ll be cautious. But I feel like I’m 100 percent or right around there.” Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan said last week that Banks was at full speed. However, there’s a reason the Redskins found other kick returners this offseason in Niles Paul and Josh Wilson. They were brought here to play other positions, but the Redskins have choices, something they really didn’t have before. |
| Sav Rocca |
| Rocca might be here by Monday after solving his work visa problems, coach Mike Shanahan said. Actually, that’s what Shanahan hopes is the case. No, they will not look for another punter. The market wasn’t good before he became available, and it’s still bad. “They can’t keep him there for six or seven months,” Shanahan said. “Eventually they’ll let him go. If not, I told him to get married to an American.” |
| Reed Doughty |
| Doughty signed a three-year deal to return to the Redskins on Wednesday. It does more than add depth at safety. With LaRon Landry nursing a sore Achilles, Doughty will be a quality reserve. But he’ll also be a fixture on special teams as he has been for his first five seasons in Washington. Doughty is one of the more active players on the coverage units. Last season Doughty was third in special teams tackles with 16 and forced a fumble. |
“He’s your coach on the field,” Redskins safeties coach Steve Jackson said. “We haven’t had one of those in a while.”
No, they haven’t. Kareem Moore started at free safety in 2010, but it was only his first season as a starter. In fact, the player Jackson compares Atogwe to is ex-Redskins safety Ryan Clark, who provided similar skills in 2004-05 before leaving via free agency.
Clark’s communication skills helped fellow safety Sean Taylor. And the Redskins hope Atogwe has a similar impact on LaRon Landry and others in the secondary.
“O.J. reminds me a lot of Ryan,” Jackson said. “Very good player. Very smart player, tough player. He can make all the tackles. I like everything about him.”
That’s what comes from starting 75 games in his last five seasons, as Atogwe did with St. Louis before coming to Washington. He has 22 career interceptions and forced 16 fumbles. The Redskins want those skills, too. But another coach on the field, a la London Fletcher, is necessary, too.
Defensive coordinator Jim Haslett, who coached Atogwe for three seasons in St. Louis, knows this well.
“O.J. gives me comfort,” he said. “He settles everybody down.”
Atogwe said he had to grow into this role but knows that “the more you talk the more you know and the more you can get things done.”
What the Redskins also hope is that Atogwe and Landry complement one another. They haven’t had a chance to work together with Landry sidelined with his Achilles. Instead, they’re limited to sitting next to one another in meetings.
But Atogwe has studied Landry on film, trying to get a feel for how he plays.
“We’ll help each other,” Atogwe said. “One reason they brought me here was because I could play off of LaRon. We’ll have a great tandem.”
“The more they play together,” Jackson said, “he’ll know when LaRon is subject to make a mistake, just based on the call. There are certain calls where you can be more aggressive, and LaRon is an aggressive guy, so he’ll probably make an aggressive mistake, and everybody knows it.”
Said Landry: “He’ll let me do what I need to do.”
If he doesn’t, Atogwe can help him figure out why.
