With the CBA ratified, veterans return to field
ASHBURN — Cornerback Josh Wilson got the word, raced to the huddle and celebrated with his new teammates, who already were more than 30 minutes into their practice. His laughter was audible from the sidelines. Finally he and all the other veteran free agents could do more than sit and watch.
And it felt good.
“Oh, man I was ready to go,” Wilson said. “You know at the horse track, they hold the horses back? I was like, let me out of the gates. It was definitely a sigh of relief and a lot of frustration that finally after four and a half months it was like, ‘All right, now we’re back to football.’?”
| Notes |
| » Running back Ryan Torain needed four screws inserted to his left hand and will miss seven to 10 days, coach Mike Shanahan said. Torain fractured his hand in practice Wednesday morning. Torain is unlikely to play in the Aug.?12 preseason opener vs. Pittsburgh. Injuries have slowed Torain since he entered the NFL in 2008, though until now it always has been a leg injury. That’s why Shanahan wanted another veteran in training camp, trading for Arizona’s Tim Hightower on Sunday. |
| » Receiver Malcolm Kelly said he was limited in practice because of a sore right foot. He has been icing it for a few days. “I’ll be out there [Friday],” he said. Tight end Chris Cooley was limited because he had fluid in his left knee. |
| » The Redskins brought in free agent linebacker Lofa Tatupu and cornerback Kelvin Hayden on Thursday. Neither player had signed as of early Thursday night. Tatupu, a former Pro Bowl selection who has spent his career in the 4-3, has been plagued by injuries the past three seasons. Hayden, a four-year starter with Indianapolis, missed the last five games in 2010 with a neck injury. |
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| POSITION REVIEW |
| Running back |
| Tim Hightower |
| Two former scouts differ in their opinion of Hightower. One of the scouts, Dave Razzano, was with Arizona when the Cardinals drafted him in 2008. Razzano’s take: “I don’t think he’s as good as [Roy] Helu. He’s a solid backup. He’s not fast enough to be a front-line guy. Not a real difference maker. He’s durable. He can catch the ball.” But another former NFL scout, Russ Lande, who heads the Sporting News draft coverage said, “Ideally he’s a backup. … But [Mike] Shanahan, almost every back he’s had is someone that would be a backup elsewhere. You don’t need to be a great runner to be productive in his offense.” |
| Roy Helu |
| Though it’s too difficult to gauge how well a running back is doing in camp — see Johnson, Larry, 2010 — some qualities do stand out. For Helu, a fourth-round pick in April, it’s his footwork. And that’s why some scouts are anxious to see him in a stretch zone running system. “If he gets a lane you’ll notice his speed,” offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan said. “He’s a home run hitter.” |
| Evan Royster |
| Of the two rookies, most experts and scouts peg Helu as the one who could contribute this season. Part of the reason: Royster is not a flashy player and lacks breakaway speed. But Royster is Penn State’s all-time leading rusher. “He’s not going to jump off the screen like Helu,” Shanahan said. “But Royster is a very, very good runner. He’s very natural and gets to the right hole. He always finds the right gap to get into.” |
Wilson was one of 16 Redskins who practiced for the first time since signing as free agents. They could not practice until the new collective bargaining agreement was ratified. A 17th free agent, Sav Rocca, remains in Australia, but a team source said he should be in town at some point Saturday.
The Redskins switched their practice from the morning to 4?p.m. Otherwise, the free agent signings had no chance to practice.
A few minutes before 5 p.m. general manager Bruce Allen received a call informing him that the 10-year CBA was ratified. Word spread, and at 4:57 p.m. the free agents joined the work, with five players — Wilson, nose tackle Barry Cofield, end Stephen Bowen, safety Reed Doughty and linebacker Rocky McIntosh — running to join the first-team defense already on the field. Four players joined the offense: tackle Jammal Brown, receiver Santana Moss, running back Tim Hightower and guard Chris Chester.
“We were just sitting over there waiting,” McIntosh said, “?’Can we go yet? Can we go yet? No, no. Oh, now you can go.’ We took it from there.”
Before this point, the group of 16 had to stretch on a separate field and then stood and watched as their teammates went through group drills.
“It was weird because we were caught in limbo,” Bowen said. “After everybody [on the Redskins] agreed to the CBA, we were in the locker room, and they gave us our jerseys. Then they took them away, and then they gave them back. Then we came on the field, and they told us we can’t stretch with the team. I’m just happy it’s finally over.
“It was a little nervous energy because I haven’t played in a while, but after a while it was just ball.”
Shanahan must now spend the next week getting these players in football shape, trying to determine who will be able to play in the preseason opener Aug. 12 vs. Pittsburgh.
“That was a little different,” Shanahan said. “At least for 10 years we don’t have to worry about it.”
