Five observations from the first day of training camp:
1. The Redskins offensive line remains a question mark, especially the backups. Granted, it’s only one day, but Jeremy Bridges and Mike Williams both struggled. Bridges is not a left tackle and shouldn’t be used there. Williams’ footwork was very rusty. Stephon Heyer is an iffy choice as the starting right tackle. The rest of the starters were fine, especially Chris Samuels, who is noticeably slimmer.
2. Albert Haynesworth is quick. It’s different to see a guy 6-foot-6, 350 pounds tippy-toe his way with finesse through agility drills. And he made one play in 11-on-11 drills where he was in the backfield (shooting past Derrick Dockery) right after the handoff.
3. Malcolm Kelly uses his size well. Kelly does a good job of coming back for passes and extending his arms, making him even tougher to stop on hitches. If he’s healthy, he will help. But that’s a big if.
4. Devin Thomas ran good routes in one-on-one drills. Let’s see how this story line progresses, but it’s a start.
5. The strongside linebacker spot will be interesting to watch. Alfred Fincher worked with the first unit today, with Brian Orakpo still unsigned. Fincher made plays last year, but wasn’t always where he was supposed to be, perhaps a function of his inexperience in the defense. Chris Wilson has drawn praise from the coaches for his transition from end. He did not look as lost as he did during the spring and his footwork appeared better. This could be a patchwork situation.
