Assistant head coach-offense Joe Bugel discussed his new crew of offensive lineman with Redskins.com after a recent training camp practice:
Q: What do you see in this offensive line unit that has you pleased?
A: "I was very pleased with their off-season work habits. Time will tell, but they're good football players. You take Chris Samuels and Jon Jansen, Randy Thomas and Derrick Dockery and Lennie Friedman, that's five real good football players. They are very serious and intense guys. They have a great respect for each other, and that's a real positive. They have a great work ethic and anytime you're around a bunch with a great work ethic, you have a chance to do good things."
Q: Has the offensive line settled on a nickname?
A: "We have to let 'The Hogs' go. I love them--they're my brothers. But now it's the 'Dirtbags.' You have to give the line a little bit of a nickname. We're like mushrooms because we're down in the dark corner of the field practicing by ourselves and nobody loves us. So we gave them a name."
Q: Coach Gibbs says the attitude of the players has been great. Is that your read, too?
A: "The attitude out here is magnificent. This football team wants to win because the expectations here in Washington are extremely high and I think the players understand that."
Q: Speaking of Coach Gibbs, has he changed much since he last coached?
A: "He's a little bit lighter, looks great. He has the same intensity and enthusiasm. That will never change--that's Joe Gibbs. We all came back for the same reason, we all have great respect and loyalty for him. Whereever we were, when he made the phone call, it was a matter of how fast it took to get back. But he looks great, he really does. He's into it."
Q: How has left tackle Chris Samuels performed so far in camp?
A: "He had a tremendous chip on his shoulder because the last couple of years weren't good for him. He had a tremendous offseason. In fact he came into camp under 300 pounds. He's a super, super athlete. Now he's starting to learn what it takes to be a great tackle in this league. He's off to a roaring start right now."
