Washington coach Jim Zorn cut the final minicamp session a half hour short. Seems he didn’t need it.
With a steady cold rain dominating the Sunday morning practice, Zorn eliminated two sessions when realizing veterans ran plays without hesitation. It wasn’t full speed for fear of injuries and not too many passes flew between raindrops, but Zorn’s minicamp was measurably more comfortable than last year’s inaugural.
“Our veterans are much further ahead than they were last year,” he said. “There’s a lot of good things going on. They know what to expect. It was more than 1.0. It was Washington Redskins 2.0, which is pretty good.”
Not that Zorn ran a relaxed camp. But with rain dogging all three days and an extra two dozen invitees hoping for one or two roster spots at training camp, it was hard to focus on the regulars. It was two-sided camp with half of the more than 100 players taking a refresher course while the other half tried to “flash” before Zorn to earn another look.
“There’s always pressure. We put it on ourselves,” Zorn said. “I want the best for the Washington Redskins. Nobody is just out here to run around and go through the motions. I try to observe each one of those draft choices that could participate. Just seeing the speed at which they were working. “
First-rounder Brian Orakpo was noticed by teammates and coaches. He spent his time with the linebackers, making a bid for the strongside job despite also expecting to play defensive end. The lean Texas playmaker learned speed isn’t everything when rebuffed while trying to rush past offensive tackles, but Zorn was impressed with the newcomer’s learning curve.
“It was interesting with Orakpo when [an assistant coach] would tell him to make a correction, the next play he could make that correction,” Zorn said. “He’s going to be a real versatile athlete.”
Orakpo is out for three weeks because rookies can’t return until their school’s semester ends, though veterans continue offseason workouts today. Orakpo conceded the size and speed of teammates surprised him, but the playbook wasn’t a problem.
“It was intense,” he said. “I think I did pretty good getting plays down and knowing my responsibility. I had a few plays I regretted, but it went pretty well. You start your career over again and have to prove yourself again. I’m here to make plays.”
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com or e-mail [email protected]
