Shanahan praises QB for work in minicamp
ASHBURN — The gold shoes gave him away, but so, too, did a few other things. They were the sort of things that caused Washington to fall in love long ago. Like the footwork. And the arm that zipped passes around the field. Robert Griffin III did exactly what he should have during the conclusion of the Redskins’ three-day minicamp. He stood out.
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And at the end, coach Mike Shan?ahan wasted no time by declaring the obvious:
“He’s the starter,” Shanahan said. “Period.”
That, of course, is not surprising given what the Redskins surrendered to get Griffin. It’s difficult to predict what any player will do based on how they fared in a situation in which they were surrounded by 61 other rookies. Players wore shorts and helmets but no pads.
But that didn’t mean Griffin couldn’t impress anyone. His ball was lively and accurate. He tapped helmets and slapped backsides of teammates after good plays.
“He was great,” Shanahan said. “You can see what an incredible athlete he is. I was impressed because the first day we didn’t have one bust with the formation or play call. I don’t think I ever had that in any minicamp I was involved with.
“The reason we gave up what we [did to get him] is he can do some things that I believe no one has done.”
Shanahan certainly appeared smitten during his 29-minute press conference after the fifth and final practice of the weekend. He wasn’t alone.
“He already knew the damn playbook,” third-round pick Josh LeRibeus said. “That very first day he was throwing them, it looked like he was hitting all the receivers. Even if he didn’t know all the plays, he pulled it off great.”
“It’s more than the arm. It’s his composure,” said receiver Aldrick Robinson, who was allowed to work out because he spent all but one game on the practice squad in 2011. “He’s so relaxed out there. He knows the situation he’s in, and his attitude about the game is good.”
Griffin’s first weekend was spent learning more of the playbook, studying film of his first five workouts as well as other quarterbacks who have played in this system or a similar one — from Matt Schaub to Donovan McNabb and even Sage Rosenfels and Drew Brees. He also spent time talking with Shanahan, who analyzed rookie quarterbacks over the last 15 years, seeking clues why they succeeded — or failed.
And it was spent learning new teammates. Or at least some of them considering the majority of players won’t be around.
“It’ll be different once we get back next week with everybody here,” Griffin said. “You go from being top dog at your college to bottom of the barrel at the pros, even if you are supposed to be the starting quarterback. I can’t come in flamboyant. Come in, earn the guys respect.
“You have to be the same. Of course, it’s easier with a bunch of rookies. The veterans are trying to tape you to goal posts and pour water on you. But the veterans know they brought certain guys in to do certain things, so they expect you to come out and do your job.”
