Cofield, Bowen bolster Redskins’ pass rush
ASHBURN — The Redskins don’t need them to reach the quarterback. They just need them to make him uncomfortable.
That’s something Washington couldn’t do much of last season. As a result, the Redskins drafted a defensive end and signed a nose tackle and another defensive end.
“We can get to the quarterback a lot better if the guys are pushing the pocket,” linebacker Brian Orakpo said. “At times last year all we were doing was running circles on the quarterback, and they were able to step up. We have some real good forces this year to where they can corral the quarterback.”
It’s not as if the Redskins signed game-changing players in nose tackle Barry Cofield and defensive end Stephen Bowen. They’ve combined for 16 career sacks. The third newcomer up front is rookie Jarvis Jenkins, a second-round pick known for his run defense at Clemson.
| Redskins notes |
| » Mike Shanahan said he moved Mike Sellers from fullback to tight end/H-back because “he’s 270 pounds, has good hands so to play both positions gives us more flexibility.” Mostly, he wants to see how Darrel Young, a converted fullback, and Keiland Williams fare at the position. |
| » The Redskins signed former Virginia quarterback Marc Verica mainly to serve as a passer for just a few days before Kellen Clemens and possibly Rex Grossman arrive. But until then Shanahan wants to reduce the stress on the arms of John Beck and Ben Chappell. |
| POSITION REVIEW |
| Offensive line |
| C Will Montgomery |
| When the Redskins released Casey Rabach, it wasn’t a difficult decision for them to slide the 6-foot-3, 310-pound Montgomery inside. He has started 15 games in his career, though all at guard. He did start 18 games at center in his last two years at Virginia Tech. Montgomery is considered one of the Redskins’ strongest players. It’s noticeable when he gets shoved back, but he is able to recover and anchor. |
| G/T Artis Hicks |
| The 6-4, 318-pound Hicks started 10 games for the Redskins but sat the final five and will need a strong showing to win back his job. The problem: The Redskins just signed Chris Chester to play right guard. Hicks also can play tackle, so his versatility is a bonus. However, Hicks has struggled in the one-on-one drills against defensive linemen. Last season he had a tendency to play too upright, allowing defenders to get their hands in his chest and knock him back. Hicks is tall for an interior player, so if he doesn’t stay low, he has problems. |
| T Selvish Capers |
| The second-year tackle clearly could have used some offseason work. The 6-5, 315-pound Capers spent last season on the practice squad, and though he is athletic, his fundamentals needed to be fixed. That’s what offseason work with the coaches could have helped. Instead of working on them in May and June, he’s doing so now while trying to earn a roster spot. And in the first two days of practice, he hasn’t looked sharp, whether it’s in the one-on-one work or in team sessions. He often gets off-balance or opens his inside shoulder too much, allowing inside pressure. |
But if nothing else they should represent an upgrade — and help free up others. Cofield was a solid tackle in the New York Giants’ 4-3 front for five years. Now he’s being asked to play nose tackle, which he did at Northwestern. At 6-foot-4, 306 pounds he’s not the prototypical nose tackle (though Dallas’ Jay Ratliff is a similar size).
Don’t look at the numbers, Cofield said.
“I’m a little bigger than a lot of people think I am,” said Cofield, who also will play some end. “Just because I was 306 at the [scouting] combine doesn’t mean I’m 306 five years later. … I play with a lot of leverage and technique. A lot of it is just a mindset. If you don’t want to go in there and handle that physicality and do that grunt work, it’s going to be hard for you no matter how big you are.”
Not that he’s about to let anyone know his true poundage.
“A gentlemen never reveals his weight,” he said.
“He’s solid. He does everything right,” defensive coordinator Jim Haslett said. “He’s just a heck of a player, a big powerful guy.”
Bowen already played in a 3-4, having started 11 games the past two years for Dallas. He has just 5.5 career sacks, with 1.5 coming last year in nine starts. The Redskins want him to provide an inside rush, but he also must free up others — notably Orakpo and rookie linebacker Ryan Kerrigan.
“I think I’ll be able to make a lot more plays here,” Bowen said. “I thought it was a perfect fit here, the defense they’re running. And when they signed Cofield, I knew that signing me we’d be going in the right direction.”
The Redskins hope that direction lands them in the opposing backfield.
“Getting both Stephen and Barry were like the one-two punch,” Haslett said. “They’re big guys. They’ll get in the quarterback’s way.”
