In a Q&A session with Redskins.com on Wednesday, assistant head coach-offense Joe Bugel discussed the contract extension given to left tackle Chris Samuels:
Q: What are your thoughts on the resigning of Chris Samuels on Wednesday?
A: "I think he is in the top echelon of the top four or five left tackles in the National Football League. We definitely want him to graduate as a Washington Redskin and we got our wishes. It is a big day for us because Chris Samuels had an excellent year last year. Being together just one year with him we thought he was a perfect citizen, a guy we wanted to be around, high character, good in the weight room, and he has leadership qualities. We think it is a great move for our organization."
Q: Chris mentioned you needed to break him of some bad habits when you came here last year. How did you break those bad habits?
A: "He bought into that. He was first to admit that he had some bad habits that needed to be corrected. I said it was going to take a lot of work and that I was going to be all over him like a cheap suit and he said no problem. He responded quite well to that kind of coaching: In your face, but not being rude. I said, 'Hey, there are some things that we have to work on' and he bought into it. He came out of college as probably one of the better tackles to ever play the game in college. He is getting back to where he should be right now."
Q: How important is to have him here so that younger players like Derrick Dockery can look to him for guidance:
"Well, it is easier to go home and go to bed at night now that we have Jon Jansen healthy and Chris Samuels on the other side. If we get Ray Brown in the fold, then we have some big sluggers in that offensive line. We feel good about that. I think he is a stabilizing force for Derrick Dockery. I think Derrick Dockery looks up to Chris Samuels. I think when you have a high profile guy like that, a very wealthy guy like that who works hard in the locker room and in the class room, I think kids look up to him and say 'Hey, if I become as good as him maybe I will make a few bucks or so down the road.'"
Q: Does Chris compare to some of your left tackles from the 1980s, such as Jim Lachey or Joe Jacoby:
A: "He's a little different from Jacoby, who was one of the most powerful tackles that we have ever coached right here. He is kind of like Jim Lachey. A great athlete, can pull, run and does everything real well. Jacoby was probably the best tackle as far as lining up and driving you through a wall. It would be tough to ever replace a Joe Jacoby."
Q: What's the health status of Samuels' counterpart on the other side, right tackle Jon Jansen, who is returning from an Achilles injury?
A: "The doctor gave him a 100 percent clearance. He really came through the surgery. He knows he has a lot of work ahead of him. He was really progressing during camp. He was playing at a high level. We felt real good about our two bookends. It was a devastating injury. It takes a year to rehab and he has been given the okay. Knowing Jon he could have probably played the last two games of the year. He was in that good of spirits and that good of health. Looking at him we are awfully glad to have him back not only on the football field but in the locker room as well."
