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News | Washington Commanders - Commanders.com

Donovan McNabb Training Camp Media Session

On if he misses having offensive tackle Trent Williams on the field:
"Well, I'm sure they're going to handle that situation [Williams' contract]. We've all been through that at some point in our career. I'm sure they'll take care of it and be right in to continue on what he started."

On the benefits of training with receivers during in Arizona:
"It's kind of tough [to see] right now. As this camp continues on, you'll definitely see. I think in our routes there, you can see the timing of us all being able to work well in some of the route combinations that we have. We're going to put it to use out here on the field."

On the difference between training camp and mini-camp or OTAs:
"We're progressing. It's kind of hard to make an assumption or any type of evaluation from today. But tomorrow we start things out and it's going to be exciting."

On the commitment shown by his teammates in training with him in Arizona:
"One thing I tried to do when I first signed here was be here with the guys, and workout with each other and push each other. I think what they saw was a guy that just wants to work hard and just wants to win. Just communicating with those guys, we all had that same attitude and mentality. They came out to Arizona and we continued it on. We worked hard. We pushed each other. And I think we're going to benefit from it being out on the field."

On wide receiver Malcolm Kelly:
"Malcolm's a guy who works extremely hard. He did a great job when he was out in Arizona. I guess there were articles written about him tweaking a hamstring or whatever. He did a pretty good job out on the field today."

On if it feels weird to go through training camp without the Eagles:
"Not really. I've been around these guys for two and a half months or so. It's been an exciting vibe. I'm looking forward to it. I think for all of us, we've been anticipating this opportunity to really get started. After today, hopefully we got this out of our system and we can continue to move forward."

On if he was happy with the tempo of practice:
"Well, I think the tempo was high. Obviously we know about the situation with the weather and the conditions out. And I think everyone was trying to kick the rust off a little bit. When you have practices like this, you obviously can go back and watch the film and learn from your mistakes. But most importantly you can put it behind you and get ready for tomorrow. That's the exciting part about being in training camp. You're going to have some ups and downs. With a day like this, you can come out tomorrow and be able to correct that and try to feed off each day."

On if the tempo was better than the execution at practice:
"It's hard to evaluate a day like this. We go through a whole day of meetings then we come out here for an hour and change to practice flying around. I think things will start to be competitive more tomorrow and as the days continue on. We look forward for tomorrow."

On the future for this team:
"One message I try to send to these guys after being in Philadelphia, obviously the expectations every year are high, and I think you have to make them high. You have to set goals that are high and are attainable for yourself. And for this team, all of us have that same goal and that's to win a Super Bowl. I think in order for us to do that, we have to come out on this field and be very effective in game situation. Be very methodical on the offensive side, defense, everyone reading their keys and doing the right things and playing off of the guy next to you. I think for this team, the attitude is a lot different from what I understand than it has been over the past couple of years. I think when we get a chance to get out on the field, people will begin to see that."

On the difference in atmosphere between Philadelphia and Washington:
"Just from being around the guys, it's an energizing bunch. Obviously they're young, but still, we have a lot of great athletes that are just ready to explode. Given the opportunity and the offensive and defensive scheme, you give them that opportunity to be able to make a lot of plays for you in the game. I think you want to put guys in a position to be successful, and being in this situation, it does remind me of being in Philadelphia. It was an exciting time and it's exciting here. Look at the fans here today. We had hard rain coming down early on, the sun comes out and we got our fans here. Tomorrow's probably going to be a lot more. The vibe is definitely picking up as this day continues on and we want to just display good successful play."

On if he enjoys being the face of a franchise and the responsibilities that come with it:
"There's a lot of responsibility to it. A lot of people would love to be in the position until they're in it. They can't handle it. But I enjoy it. I kind of drive off of it because your guys rely on you. They have that confidence that you're going to get your job done, and they'll do the same. There's a lot that entails being a franchise quarterback as well as the face of the franchise. I understand that and a lot of other guys do as well. So that's why I really take pride in what I do out here on this field as well as when I'm off the field."

On why it was important for him to train with his teammates in Arizona:"It's very important for a team. One way that we kind of utilize that was that it was an opportunity for us to bond a little bit more, work on our chemistry and timing, as well as being off of the field spending some time together getting to know each other on a personal level. I think a lot of times that's something that's kind of the unwritten thing. People don't really want to spend that time doing that and they just get out on the field and think everything's just going to work well."

On the running backs:
"All of them present different features. When you hand the ball off to them, you have that confidence that they're going to break one and make something happen. When you have three guys like that and you have a guy like Clinton [Portis] who has been here and has been very effective and also a Pro Bowler, it makes your job a lot easier. I've been in a situation when I've had a Pro Bowler and an ultimate weapon in the backfield and teams had to gameplan for him. When we played against Clinton, we had to gameplan for him too. You just want to find ways to get the ball in his hands and just watch him work."

On if he connected with the fans:
" This is a team that loves their Redskins. I'm happy to be a part of this team and I'm happy to be here. I want to show them that it was the right move for them and put some wins on the board and put us in a position to get to that ultimate goal."

On the differences in the offensive schemes of Head Coach Mike Shanahan and Philadelphia Eagles Head Coach Andy Reid:
"It's been a drastic change. I think a lot of times that West Coast Offense gets thrown around, but this isn't the West Coast Offense, by no means. It's an opportunity for me to kind of learn something new. Getting an opportunity to watch and see how [Houston Texans quarterback Matt] Schaub had his success, he and Andre Johnson, and the success [Mike Shanahan] had in Denver with the run game, the screen game as well as the nakeds and keeps, and the list goes on. There's a reason why Schaub threw for 4,700-4,800 [yards] last year, a Pro Bowler, with Andre Johnson and things of that nature. When a quarterback has that trust with his receivers, good things happen. I've had it. Obviously for the last year and a half to two years in the past, I think that's something that I look forward to having here."

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