photo by Brian Murphy

This isn’t breaking news or anything, but Washington Redskins fans love a quarterback controversy. Always have. Always will.

If you’ve been in the D.C. area for football season, you know this.

That being said, if you’re convinced that Jason Campbell was the only reason the Redskins fell apart last season, you’re a sad cliché.

We’ve always felt Campbell was a solid quarterback. In our eyes he’s good, but not great, and with the proper tools around him, is more than capable of getting the job done. But until this point, that was more of a gut feeling than anything else. We didn’t really have any legitimate proof to back up our stance.

That all changed recently when we picked up a copy of the Football Outsiders Almanac 2009. For those not familiar, this book is one of the most ridiculously thorough resources available to fans who really want to learn about football. These guys chart and research everything. If you can dream it up, it’s probably in the book.

We openly admit that we’re homers for Campbell. But the Football Outsiders crew has no such allegiance. If the numbers showed he couldn’t get the job done, they’d have no problem saying so. Even though we’re fans of Campbell, even we were surprised at what we learned.

Here’s what Redskins fans know about last season: Campbell completed 62.3 percent of his passes, threw for 3,245 yards with 13 touchdowns and six interceptions and had a QB rating of 84.3.

Here’s what most fans don’t know about last season (again, courtesy of Football Outsiders Almanac):

1. Campbell’s receivers led the league in dropped passes with 39. We repeat – Redskins receivers dropped more passes than anyone else in football in 2008.
2. Receivers Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El both ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in dropped passes. Moss ranked second with 12 (behind only Cleveland’s Braylon Edwards with 15), while Randle El was tied for ninth with nine drops.
3. Running back Clinton Portis only had six drops. Compared to Moss and Randle El that seems okay, but he was actually third in the league in percentage of dropped passes (17 percent).
4. Campbell was also in the top 10 in the NFL last season in passes defended with 50 – meaning if Campbell threw a “jump ball,” more times than not, the defender beat the receiver on the play.
5. Campbell was sixth best in the league in percentage of overthrown passes. He overthrew his wideouts 18 times, which works out to 3.6 percent. Conversely, Derek Anderson of the Browns overthrew his receivers a league-worst nine percent of the time.
6. Campbell was second best in the NFL in underthrown passes (6.4 percent), trailing only Matt Schaub of the Houston Texans (4.9 percent). It should also be noted that Campbell attempted 126 more passes than the injury-prone Schaub. Oakland’s JaMarcus Russell led the league in underthrown passes (16.5 percent).
7. Campbell was fifth in the NFL in QB hits with 47, and tied for third in quarterback knockdowns with 88. In fact, Campbell got knocked down more than 16 percent of the time he dropped back to pass, which was eighth most in the league.
8. In spite of all of this, Campbell was eighth in the NFL in quarterback accuracy at 85.7. This statistic factors in passes that are not thrown ahead or behind, overthrown or underthrown or out of bounds.

Now let us change gears for a minute.

In the first eight games of 2008, Portis rushed for a league-best 944 yards. He averaged five yards per carry and racked up seven touchdowns. In the second half of the season, Portis rushed for 543 yards at 3.5 yards per carry, and had just two touchdowns. Did Portis suddenly forget how to play the position? Were people calling for Ladell Betts or Rock Cartwright (the Colt Brennan of Redskins running backs) to supplant Portis as the feature back? Of course not.

Most fans understood that the offensive line was so bad down the stretch last season that, many times, Portis had to make magic happen just to get back to the line of scrimmage.

And let’s not forget, Jim Zorn told Sports Illustrated this offseason that he had to change his playing calling last year because he knew there were plays in his playbook that the offensive line simply couldn’t do their job long enough to set up.

People heard those comments and Portis got the benefit of the doubt. But because this town simply cannot help but obsess over a potential quarterback controversy, Campbell never got the same respect (even if he played behind the same putrid offensive line). Here’s how Campbell fared during the same stretch:

In the first eight games, Campbell completed 66 percent of his passes while throwing for 1,754 yards, with eight touchdowns and zero interceptions.

In the final eight games, Campbell completed 59 percent of his passes while throwing for 1,491, with five touchdowns and six interceptions.

What’s more, Campbell’s yards per pass attempt dropped from 7.6 yards the first half of the season to 5.4 yards per attempt down the stretch. That only reinforces our belief that Campbell simply didn’t have enough time to look downfield, so he routinely had to settle with check downs and dump-offs.

So, to recap, because of a substandard offensive line, Campbell faced as much pressure as any quarterback in the league. And yet, statistically speaking, he was one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the NFL. His throws were almost always on target, but Campbell’s receivers dropped more passes than anyone else.

His offensive line failed him. His receivers failed him. And at the end of the day, fans (and even his own front office) figured it was easier to blame Campbell than to admit there are much larger problems with Washington’s offense. It makes sense though. It’s easier (and cheaper) to replace one guy rather than half the offense – even if he’s not the problem.

Our only hope is that after this season, Campbell finds himself in a city where he’s truly appreciated and is surrounded with enough talent to show critics exactly what he’s capable of. Just know that when it happens, we’ll be here saying, “Told you so.”

We’ve said our piece, now let’s open it up to Campbell haters …

photo by Brian Murphy

The moment the Washington Redskins front office opted to select three pass catchers in the same round of the same draft, those individuals knew they would be forever linked.

Should one out of the three – wide receivers Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly, as well as, tight end Fred Davis – go on to greatness, the story of the other two and their wasted potential won’t be far behind. Should two of them become legitimate contributors at the NFL level, the third player’s name will still be mentioned just as often. Like it or not, that’s a fact.

Honestly, Davis probably has it the easiest of the three, playing a position with more perceived depth than Thomas and Kelly. He can take his time to grow into the role and learn from Pro Bowler Chris Cooley and a blue-collar worker like Todd Yoder. But while Davis is able to avoid the spotlight, the same cannot be said of Thomas and Kelly.

That’s because the ‘Skins have needed a legitimate second option at receiver since Santana Moss came to town back in 2005. And truth be told, the issue was there even before that. When was the last time the Redskins had two wide outs finish a season with at least a thousand yards receiving? Sadly, it was 1999, when Michael Westbrook and Albert Connell each had more than 1,100 yards on the year.

So yeah, this town is more than ready for another breakout performance from a Redskins receiver. We caught up with Thomas and Kelly following the preseason opener. Sure, the team got blown out 23-0. But we were interested in talking with Kelly, who had three catches for 25 yards and Thomas, who started the game and had one catch for 12 yards.

Hey Malcolm, before we get started, we’ve got to talk to you about something. We’ve been telling everyone that whenever we’re at practice, you catch absolutely everything thrown your way. Well, your 13-yard catch against the Ravens, when you had to reach up and pluck a floating Todd Collins pass out of the air, was exactly what we’ve been talking about. So thanks for making us sound like we know what the hell we’re talking about.

(Laughs). “It was just a play where I was coming across and, you know, it’s crazy man, because I like balls like that,” Kelly said. “I know if the ball is down here, we both have a chance for it. I have a chance to catch it and he has a chance to knock it away. When the ball is up in the air like that, I don’t know anyone that’s going to jump up there with me to get the ball. When the ball left his hand and I saw how high it was, I had a smile on my face.”

It’s no secret this team is in desperate need of a big-bodied receiver who can make those tough catches. Are you telling us that’s you?

“Oh yeah, oh yeah,” he said. “That’s exactly what they brought me in for. I’m just trying to do whatever they ask me to do. Actually, I’m trying to do even better than what they ask of me.”

And your health, are the knee problems a thing of the past?

“Aww, man, I’m good,” Kelly said. “I’m great actually. I’m feeling good. The hamstring, I got it stretched out before practice. My knee couldn’t feel any better. I just have to stay on the maintenance program that I’m on, man. It’s keeping me healthy.”

Talk to us about Devin Thomas. What are you seeing from him?

“He’s doing his thing,” he said. “I know people always say that we’re in a competition, but honestly, we’re best friends. That’s what it is, man. We both go out there on the field every day because we both want to be good football players, but it’s not a deal where I want to be good and if he drops a pass, I’m back there clapping because I think I’m one step ahead of him. It’s not like that. If both of us can get out there on the field during games, it’ll be that much better. That’s how we feel.”

You’re a professional, and of course you want to play. But the way we see it, if you both do your job, you’re both going to end up on the field …

“Exactly,” Kelly said. “That’s what people have to realize. You know, the more threats you can have out there on the field at one time, the better for the team.”

From there we went to find Thomas, to see if there was any truth to this best friend talk.

“Yeah, man, we’re definitely best friends,’ Thomas said. “We know the situation at second or third receiver or whatever, but really, we just want to be on the field together. We feel like us out there together, makes this offense a viable threat. If he’s making a play or if I’m making a play, we’re happy for each other. We feed off of each other, so anytime that happens it’s great for both of us.”

If you’re both making plays, then we’re fairly sure the team is going to be smart enough to find ways to use you both, right?

“Exactly,” he said. “Coach Zorn realizes that too, and he really wants that to happen for us. As long as we’re both making plays, we’re going to be getting victories. That’s what he’s definitely looking for.

“Malcolm has natural catching ability, and with him being a tall guy, if the quarterback does throw it a little high, he’s got no problem going up and bringing it down,” Thomas continued. “I’m more the speedy guy. I can get the ball in a short space and make something happen. His combination of stretching the field with his catching ability and me being able to squeeze through holes and get extra yardage, man we’re a duel threat.”

We know you hear the whispers that you guys are fragile little snowflakes who are never going to be able to stay healthy …

(Laughs). “You’ve got to understand, its football,” he said. “You can’t predict injuries. I’ve never been injury prone or anything like that. It’s just one of those things, you know. We’re definitely not fragile at all. Both of our games involve being physical, so we’re going to try and break tackles and get extra yardage. Hopefully we’ll be able to erase those thoughts.”

Changing the public perception is very easy to do – just go out and perform. Remember Westbrook and Connell? Yeah, the bar is set so low in Washington, that duo was the last to stand out. Thomas and Kelly have looked much improved from this time last year and if they can both stay healthy, then they’ll be well on their way to erasing those negative perceptions hanging over them.

photo by Brian Murphy

Yes, preseason games are meaningless. That’s something we can all agree on. As soon as the regular season begins, no one remembers how teams fared in the preseason.

But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t watch.

When the Washington Redskins traveled to Baltimore to take on the Ravens last week, it gave ‘Skins fans their first real glimpse into what one might reasonably expect from this year’s rookie class. Until now, these young players have been nothing more than camp fodder – youngsters so green that they don’t even have logos on their helmets yet.

Good, bad or ugly, this game was our first impression of rookies like linebacker Brian Orakpo, defensive back Kevin Barnes and defensive end Jeremy Jarmon. Will each of these three athletes play an integral role on what should be a top 10 defense? Or will this draft class be like 2008’s, which saw the meteoric rise of safety Chris “The Predator” Horton, and not much else?

Horton is actually the perfect example for why fans should tune in for preseason games. Sure he made a name for himself against the New Orleans Saints last September, with two interceptions in his first-career start, but he’d already shown flashes. People tend to forget that “The Predator” first showed what he was capable of in the preseason, when he picked up two sacks against the Indianapolis Colts during the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio. But that kind of individual effort is more than enough reason to tune in during an otherwise meaningless evening.

So while the ‘Skins took a beating, losing 23-0, we were more interested in watching the rookies play and hearing how they thought they fared.

Okay, Mr. Orakpo. You just finished your first preseason game. How’d you do?

“You know, I’m not sure,” Orakpo said. “I’ve got to watch the tape. It was my first preseason game, and I know I made some mental errors and some mistakes, just like anybody would. But overall, if we can just improve on some things – I thought I did some good things and defensively we did some things good, but we can always improve.”

How did you feel in pass-rushing situations?

“I felt pretty comfortable,” he said. “That’s something I know I have an advantage in – coming off the edge and putting pressure on them. That’s somewhere I know I can continue to improve and at linebacker, I can continue to improve as well. I need to be reading stuff and flying around a lot faster, instead of trying to think too much.”

You said you thought you’d be nervous heading into your debut. So be honest, were you?

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Orakpo said. “Once that first drive was over with, it was back to football. This is the NFL, but at the end of the day, it’s just football. After that first series, I was able to stay calm and just play.”

Not to take anything away from Orakpo, but we wanted to touch base with a veteran or two and see what they thought of his first game as a member of the Washington Redskins.

“He did really good,” said defensive end Andre Carter. “He looked really comfortable out there. Whatever he applied on the practice field, he took it to the game. That’s important because, as a rookie, the last thing you want to be is a ‘practice player.’ You’ve got to be able to apply that to gameday situations.”

It looked to us that the Ravens were double teaming Orakpo pretty regularly. Is that what you saw?

“Yeah, they were,” he said. “And that’s great. They were definitely chipping him up a little bit. I don’t want to give him too much credit though, I’m sure it was part of their gameplan.

(Laughs). “No, no, he did good,” Carter continued. “He looked good on the line and also at linebacker. He did really good out there and looked like he belonged.”

Horton also noticed the amount of attention given to Orakpo’s side of the field whenever he put his hand on the ground and lined up at defensive end.

“That says a lot,” Horton said. “Teams have enough film on him from college to know he’s a special player. You pretty much have to double him because he’s so good, chances are, he’s getting a sack.”

Orakpo was among the starters, and although most of them played one series before calling it a night, the former Texas Longhorn standout found himself on the field for much of the first half. During his extended playing time, Orakpo logged two tackles and pressured Ravens quarterback Troy Smith into throwing an incomplete pass, which was enough to make an impression on head coach Jim Zorn.

“I thought he had exceptional speed,” Zorn said. “I thought he played hard. I liked what I saw. I think we got a player there.”

While Orakpo stood out for the right reasons, Barnes wasn’t so lucky. He got caught looking on a double-pump move by Smith, who connected with Justin Harper for a 19-yard touchdown. We caught up with Barnes in the locker room following the game to get his thoughts on game one.

“I feel like I finished harder than I started,” Barnes said. “It was kind of a blur … well, not really a blur out there, but I made a couple of mistakes. I had to rebound, come back and play harder in the second half.

“When you play in practice, everybody’s good,” he said. “But when you play here, everybody’s definitely good – especially playing against a different opponent. Everybody’s out there playing for their job.”

Are you beating yourself up over the touchdown?

“A little bit,” Barnes said. “I made the same mistake a week ago. That’s why I’m so mad at myself. I don’t like to make the same mistakes twice.”

While Barnes was very critical of his performance, Horton was encouraged by what he saw from the rookie.

“This was his first time out there,” he said. “Everybody’s goal is to come out the gate strong, but it doesn’t happen for everyone. Sometimes you’ve got to get a feel for how it is on this level. I think that every week he’s going to get better. He knows he didn’t start well, but he got better. That’s what you want to see from a young guy like him.”

While Orakpo was solid, but unspectacular and Barnes wished he could have a do-over on a couple plays, Jarmon looked right at home seeing live action for the first time in his professional career. He had several quarterback pressures and made a nice play to shed his blocker and batted down a passing attempt.

“I did okay, for a rookie,” Jarmon said. “I went out and felt like I played hard, made some plays. There were some plays that I have to make if I’m going to be able to help our team out this year. You know, I was able to flush the quarterback out a few times. I got my hands on him on three occasions and failed to bring him down. I’m frustrated in that aspect, because I have to capitalize on plays like that.”

“I was getting up the field and the tackle attempted to chop block me,” he said. “He tried to cut my legs out from underneath me and I just used my hands, got him off of me and looked the quarterback right in his eyes. I was able to get both hands on it and it would have been nice to get the interception. That didn’t happen, but it was a good play.”

What can you personally take away from a game like this?

“Our backs were up against the wall,” Jarmon said. “We came into the game and the score was 13-0. It was on us to reserve the field and get our offense better field position. The pressure was on us in the second half to make some plays, and we didn’t make enough plays. We weren’t consistent enough and that’s something in this next week of practice we’re just going to work harder on.”

And what did Carter think of Jarmon’s inaugural performance?

“He’s another guy who is going to be ready to play and help us out,” Carter said. “I don’t know if he’ll be ready to contribute this year or if he’ll be able to learn things from us – like how we run things – to better prepare him for next year. Either way, once he gets on the field, he’s going to be ready to go.”

Overall, what can these kids take away from a game like this?

“It’s always a learning experience,” Carter said. “The good thing about preseason games – they don’t count. It’s just preseason. You’ve got to have short-term memory, which I’m sure they know. And second, you’re not going to get cut after the first preseason game.

Orakpo, Barnes and Jarmon each stood out at times during the Ravens game. Sometimes they were good. Sometimes … not so much. But if each of these rookies uses that experience as a starting point and continues to work hard on and off the field, each of these three players could become regular contributors sooner rather than later.

It’s a good thing each of these rookies will have plenty of time to slowly make the transition though, right?

“Now the second preseason game, that’s when you have to step your game up,” Carter said.

Nevermind.

photo by Brian Murphy

Earlier this week, we posted comments from Washington Redskins defensive end Phillip Daniels about rookie defensive end Jeremy Jarmon, who the team acquired in the supplemental draft.

After Daniels told us he was hopeful he’d be able to sign Jarmon as one of his first clients once he becomes an NFL agent, we wanted to get the rookie’s reaction. We recently caught up with the promising youngster to get his take on that and whatever else was on his mind.

Okay, you’ve been a professional football player for a few weeks now. How are you handling the transition?

“It’s coming well,” Jarmon said. “It’s football. I’m out here trying to get better every single day. Some of the guys are a lot faster [than in college], but the overall speed of the game isn’t necessarily faster. The biggest difference is the pace at which you have to comprehend what’s going on. But I played in the SEC, which is the closest conference you can compare to playing in the NFL. I played against a lot of teams with great size and speed.”

So your head isn’t swimming?

“No, every now and then I get out there and something throws me off,” he said. “But for the most part, I’m just staying focused. At night, before I go to bed, I’m taking mental reps to understand the plays so when the play starts to develop, I know exactly what I need to do.”

You’re so new to town, that folks might not know much about you. What’s the scouting report on Jeremy Jarmon?

“I just think I’m a very versatile player,” Jarmon said. “I think I play with very good leverage, which gives me an advantage against guys that are bigger than me, stronger than me or outweigh me by a lot. I have enough weight to hold my own in the running game, and I think I have the speed of a smaller defensive end to turn the corner. I have a lot of expectations of myself as the season opens up and we begin the preseason. I can’t wait to get going.”

We talked to Phillip Daniels, who stressed he and the veterans got with you on day one to offer their support and veteran perspective. Has that been the case?

“Absolutely,” he said. “They’ve been very generous with that information. I don’t even have to go to them and ask for things. They come to me and say, ‘Hey you did good there’ or “Next time do this.’ In the meeting room or after practice, they’re always pointing out ways I can improve. I’m taking all of that in, and that’s what I’m coming back out here and building on every day.”

He also mentioned that he was hoping to sign you as a client once he became an agent. Have you guys talked about that?

“Yeah, Phil told me that once I got here,” Jarmon said. “He said, ‘Unbelievable. I’ve been scouting you over the past few months and now you’re here.’ You know, it made me feel good to hear that from a guy of Phillip’s caliber. He’s a great guy and a true professional. For a guy like that to have scouted me and to have wanted to represent me, that means a lot to me.”

Jarmon began to catch people’s attention by picking up two sacks during the team’s scrimmage last weekend. Having a chance to finally talk with the guy, we walked away impressed that Jarmon has the right mindset heading into his rookie season, and if he continues to push himself, he could contribute to this defense a lot sooner than people realize.

photos by Brian Murphy

Since his arrival in town, Washington Redskins reserve linebacker Alfred Fincher has been known as a solid, but unspectacular, player who made a name for himself as a dependable special teams guy.

Most casual fans wouldn’t recognize the four-year veteran – even if he walked by them while wearing his jersey. But if Fincher has his way, that will soon change. That’s because the former UConn Husky has followed in the footsteps of Capitals defenseman Mike Green, Chad Ochocinco and half the Wizards by rocking the Mohawk.

There’s just one problem with Fincher’s master plan – he failed to check with his teammates first.

You see, we first noticed Fincher’s new hairstyle last week, and when we broached the topic, he informed us that he’d done it the night before and his teammates had just informed him that there would be a team vote to determine if he’d be allowed to keep his new look.

When we ran into Fincher this past weekend after the scrimmage he still had the Mohawk, so we decided to get to the bottom of things.

Hey Alfred, last time we talked you told us your teammates weren’t on board with the new look and they wanted to put it up to a vote. We see you’re still rocking it, so what happened?

(Laughs). “You’ll have to ask our fearless leader right there,” said Fincher as he gestured towards middle linebacker London Fletcher. “They took a vote on it because the guys were making fun of it a little bit. The vote was – half of them liked it and half of them didn’t believe I did it by myself. But the consensus says, they like it. The bottom line is, I like it, and I’m keeping it.”

So what inspired this new look?

“Nothing man,” he said. “Camp gets routine, so every time camp comes guys keep beards or do something to change it up. I just wanted to change it up a little bit.”

Is this something we’re going to see on you for a while?

“You know what? If I’m feeling it during the season, I just might keep rocking it,” Fincher said. “I’m superstitious a little bit, but we’ll see how it goes.”

After hearing Fincher’s side of the story, we felt obligated to check in with Fletcher.

We were just talking with one of your fellow linebackers about his new hairstyle. What’s your take on it?

(Laughs). “Well, the Mohawk’s not the problem,” said the sage veteran. “It just wasn’t a good one. The barber that he hired wasn’t good. That’s the issue.”

He swears he did it himself …

“It looks like it,” Fletcher said. “Put it this way, if he didn’t do it himself, I’d be disappointed with the way that turned out.”

He admitted the team took a vote on whether it stays or not. How close was it?

“Well, most people thought he could keep it, but that he should be fined,” he said. “A couple guys didn’t want to fine him, but …”

And what’s your take, since you’re a veteran leader on this team?

“Oh, it’s fineable,” Fletcher said, laughing as he walked away.

The moral of the story is simple – sometimes attention ain’t all it’s cracked up to be. You might intend for things to play out one way, but ultimately end up facing a whole new set of consequences. Sure, the Mohawk might get you some notoriety, which is great, so long as you don’t mind donating a few dollars to your teammates.

(Apologies to Dan Steinberg, who has owned the D.C. athlete’s hairstyle beat for years.)

photo by Brian Murphy

The Washington Redskins surprised fans this past offseason when they ventured into the NFL’s supplemental draft for the first time in franchise history by selecting Kentucky defensive end Jeremy Jarmon with a third-round pick.

While many ‘Skins fans knew nothing about the kid and were left scrambling to figure out information about the team’s newest addition, one member of the team’s defensive line was immediately ecstatic.

After receiving a tip, we caught up with Phillip Daniels last week to find out exactly why he was so happy to have Jarmon join the team. It didn’t take long to see we were on to something.

Hey Phil, we wanted to talk to you about Jeremy Jarmon …

“Nice pick,” he said. “Nice pick.”

We heard a little rumor that you had an interest in the kid even before he ended up here. What can you tell us about him?

“You heard I was doing some studying on him,” asked Daniels.

During the offseason, we talked about you possibly becoming an agent once your on-the-field career is done. Now we’re hearing Jarmon might have been on your radar for that very reason. What say you?

“Yeah, he was someone on my radar,” he said. “I told him I did a lot of research on him. I studied him, did a lot of background on him and was going to send him out some information and everything. The next thing I hear, he got suspended and then he’s in the supplemental draft. So yeah, I told him about that and I really felt like I could have got him, helped his career out and helped him to have a long career. But I still got him, so it worked out anyway.”

You said you did your homework, so why don’t you give us a little scouting report on Jarmon. What did you see that caught your eye when you watched him?

“Well, first of all, I knew they had him projected to the third round,” Daniels said. “Going into your senior year, I know that you’re hungry. You know you’re going to get drafted. I figured I could get him picked high in the second round. He’s from Kentucky, in the SEC, and I was also looking at some of his teammates. There’s a corner and a linebacker that are also on my radar …”

So you’re just trying to pick them all off, huh?

(Laughs). “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” he said. “Exactly.”

Okay, back to Jarmon …

“I knew he had seven sacks a couple years ago and he had four last year,” Daniels said. “His skill set – he’s good at rushing the passer. He’s big and physical, kind of like me. He’s a two-way guy. He can play the run – he’s 280 lbs. – and he’s effective as a pass rusher and he’s got good speed. I felt like if we would have gotten him a few workouts before the combine and the pro day, we could have gotten him down to a 4.6 [in the 40-yard dash] and got him ready. Of course, he ended up coming here, so it’s all good. It worked out for me either way because I’m still able to work with him.”

We don’t know if you’ve thought this out, but this kid might ultimately end up taking your job. What say you?

(Laughs). “That’s fine,” he said. “After 14 years man, you know, I need somebody to step up and take that spot. Let me rest a little bit and play behind him. I told him eventually he might be the starter and I might have to back him up, but at the same time, he’s going to have to come out here and learn everything you can from guys like me and Renaldo [Wynn].

Um … did you really offer advice to the guy on how to take your job? What exactly did you say to the kid?

“Don’t feel bad about asking questions,” Daniels said. “Come to us and ask us anything. We’ll help you out – that’s our job. You know, somebody helped us out when we were young, so we want to come out and help him too. If we help him have a long career, then we did our part.”

Walking away we couldn’t help but think that this is yet another reason why covering the ‘Skins is like nothing else in professional sports. The story started with a veteran keeping an eye toward his next career move and ended with the duo unexpectedly becoming teammates. Instead of being disappointed at not being able to sign the rookie as a client, Daniels has gone out of his way to set Jarmon up for success – even if it ultimately comes at his own expense. If that doesn’t say something about the character of the man, then nothing does.

photo by Brian Murphy

During the offseason the Washington Redskins dominated national headlines with their $100 million acquisition of free agent defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. And while that move garnered all the attention, the ‘Skins also moved quickly to lock up another defensive stalwart, inking cornerback DeAngelo Hall to a six-year, $55 million deal.

After joining the team halfway through last season, the playmaking Pro Bowler was just what the doctor ordered – finally giving the team’s secondary someone capable of creating turnovers for the first time since Sean Taylor.

We wanted to catch up with Hall this week to talk about his news of the week, the depth at cornerback and anything else on his mind.

Okay, you’re a week into training camp, how you feeling these days?

“I feel good,” he said. “I feel good. I’m still pushing through a little bit of the conditioning stuff and getting the body used to the movements. Like I said, when I train in the offseason I don’t do too much backpeddling and all that stuff, so this is good for your base to kind of get going. We’re a week down, still feel good.”

We hate to be the ones to bring this up, but you know there are folks out there who are convinced now that you’ve gotten paid, you’re going to be content to sit around and collect a paycheck. What do you have to say to those individuals?

“The critics can kiss my ass,” Hall said.

That’s what we like to hear. Shifting gears, you made a big announcement this week with the launching of your website. What can the fans expect to find on your site?

“A whole bunch of stuff,” he said. “You know, all access to me and what’s going on. Redskins stuff, on and off the field with DHall TV … man, it’s gonna be all access.

Be real with us, is this you, or did you pay some dude to run it for you?

“Nah, this is me,” Hall said. “I’m obviously not a computer major, so I can’t go up there and run the whole website, but I’m definitely hands on with blogging and stuff like that. I’m doing that, videos and stuff. It’s a lot of me on it.”

All of this, it just feels like home for you, right?

“Oh yeah,” he said. “I feel good. I feel good. Like I said, all the critics can wait and see. Just wait and see. We’ve got 16 weeks, four preseason games and I get a good receiver every week. We’ll get a chance to go out there and win games. It’ll definitely be fun. And I’m feeling great, so it’s gonna be real fun.”

We wanted to check in with you and see how the young guys like Justin Tryon and Kevin Barnes are coming along. What are you seeing from them so far?

“They looking good,’ Hall said. “When I came here last year, Tryon was a rookie and I didn’t really know what to expect. But this whole offseason, I’ve been watching him prepare, and then they drafted Barnes, and I’ve been watching him kind of working some of the bugs out and transition from college to the NFL. You know, those guys look good. Those guys look real good. If we need them, I think they can definitely play for us and contribute.”

Okay, everything else aside, how good can this defense be?

“Great isn’t a word I use a lot, but we could definitely be great,” he said. “We could be great. You look at the guys we’ve got and the talent we have, we could be great. But it’s not about on paper or the stats or stuff like that. We’ve got to go out there every Sunday and show everybody what we can do. That’s the bottom line. Until we do it, it really don’t mean too much.”

Well, we’re on record as saying that DeAngelo Hall will be the defensive MVP of the Redskins this year. So make sure you go out there and make us look good.

(Laughs). “Okay, I appreciate it,” Hall said.

As we were wrapping up the interview, Hall decided to go back to something we talked about earlier.

“You had to be there,” Hall said. “You had to be there in Oakland to see just how bad it really was to understand. And here … it’s beautiful. It’s completely different.”

And that pretty much sums up every conversation we’ve had with Hall since he came to D.C. last year. He’s not the cocky coach killer that many worried would negatively influence the locker room when he first arrived. He’s someone who, at just 25, feels lucky to have a second chance to show the world he is among the NFL’s elite, and more than anything, is simply glad to be here in Washington – a place he’s happy to call home.