…From the That-didn’t-take-long Dept.: Redskins tight end Chris Cooley and receiver Malcolm Kelly both were impressed by what the’ve seen from quarterback Donovan McNabb, acquired in a trade Sunday, in workouts this week.
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“It’s almost like he’s been here,” said Kelly, who had just come from an on-field session with McNabb and the other quarterbacks and receivers. “It’s almost like he got the playbook when we got it. It’s crazy because he knows everything. He already knows the concepts and he’s just been here for two or three days. You can just tell the way he carries himself and the way he is on the field that he has a lot of confidence in himself. That spreads to the rest of the guys on the field.”
Kelly said he was surprised by McNabb’s demeanor.
“First impression is that he’s a normal guy,” Kelly said. “He’s a lot more laid back than I would have expected. He’s a cool dude. … He has a real strong arm and he’s accurate. It’ll be different.”
Cooley said, “Donovan is outstanding. It feels like he’s been here for a couple years. Instantly he’s a leader. Instantly he knows what it takes to have a team together. He talks with all the guys. I don’t think anyone was worried about his ability to come in and be the quarterback of this team and to fit in. He’s very good with that and he knows what it takes. You like a guy that’s been there, who’s been in five NFC championships.”
…Cooley said he hasn’t spoken with quarterback Jason Campbell, but he did try to call him.
“His voice mailbox is full,” Cooley said.
…Both players also like how the offense is designed to move receivers around, something that didn’t happen as much the past two years under Jim Zorn. Kelly said he noticed the same things Santana Moss talked about last week, that Houston receiver Andre Johnson always seemed to be open in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. Of course, Johnson is pretty darned good, so that is part of the reason.
But they’re hoping another part is the design of the play.
“It causes matchup problems,” Kelly said. “Sometimes you’ll be on the outside and sometimes you get pulled into the slot and lined up against linebackers. It makes it hard for defenses to cover the wide receivers. You look at Houston on tape from last year and… it was hard for the defense to get a good jam on their receivers.”
Cooley said he’ll be used similar to when Joe Gibbs was in charge.
“It puts players in position to win,” he said. “I have a ton of opportunity to move around. The quarterbacks are really liking it. It makes sense, the schemes, which everyone likes.”
…Cooley said his broken ankle is 100 percent.
“I’ve been able to do everything the rest of the guys do,” Cooley said. “I feel good. My ankle feels great. It was tough getting back into shape after sitting around on the couch for a couple months.”
