NOTE: Redskins players have Sunday off. NO PRACTICE on Sunday.**
Day Two of Redskins training camp yielded improved competition on the back fields, as nearly twice the number of fans poured into Redskins Park.
The weather was significantly cooler today, allowing coaches to run straight through with no unscheduled water breaks.
Griffin III displayed another weapon in his arsenal today: the hard count. During full-team drills, Griffin III succeeded in drawing multiple defenders offsides with his bark.
Running back Tim Hightower and receiver Leonard Hankerson got more involved with the offense today, showing the ability to make cuts and run at full speed.
Brandon Banks was also more involved with the offense today, making catches in traffic and showing his elusive returner speed after the catch. Head coach Mike Shanahan has made it clear that Banks will need to be an offensive asset in order to make the 53-man roster.
On the defensive side of the ball, the secondary got its first interception of training camp, on a ball tipped by cornerback Kevin Barnes. Barnes missed an easy interception earlier in the practice, but came through with the assist, allowing safety DeJon Gomes a chance to grab the floater.
Secondary coach Raheem Morris has defensive backs chasing down running backs during full-team drills, and pursuing incomplete passes like live fumbles. Morris is known for his aggressive coaching style, and his players said that running to the ball and playing through the whistle are critical to the defense's success.
On special teams, practice featured the debut of the kicking competition and a punting exhibition by Sav Rocca.
Rocca punted into the wind for the most part this afternoon, but showed good height and distance, consistently booting 50-60 yards. Rocca also displayed his trademark hangtime, unoffically averaging upwards of 5.0 seconds.
Each placekicker took six shots at field goals, beginning at 30 yards and working their way back to 48 yards.
The first miss of the kicking competition came from newcomer Neil Rackers, who went wide from 39 yards. Both kickers connected from 42 before coaches lined up the players to distract the kickers from 48.
Both kickers missed the initial 48-yard try, before connecting consecutively on the second try. Shanahan told the media that practice kicks play a role in the competition, but the deciding factor will be performance in the preseason games.
Practice ended with each of the three quarterbacks leading drives downfield, involving three different sets of offense and defense.
Griffin III started things off with an eight-play drive that featured first down completions to Joshua Morgan and Fred Davis. The drive stalled following a "sack" shared by Ryan Kerrigan and Brian Orakpo.
Fellow rookie Kirk Cousins got the second opportunity, starting things off with a 20-yard catch-and-run to Roy Helu Jr. He followed that up with two other first down passes to Banks and Chris Cooley on the drive, before having Helu Jr. bottled up on third down.
Rex Grossman got the final chance of the day, with time ticking down on the practice clock. After an eight-yard rush by Alfred Morris and a seven-yard completion to Paulsen, coaches gave Grossman a chance to air it out downfield. Grossman hit receiver Aldrick Robinson in stride for a 50-yard touchdown pass to end practice.
The Redskins fans in attendance showed their appreciation for the performance, as players stayed late signing autographs.
Next practice open to the public is tomorrow (Saturday) at 3 p.m. Follow live practice updates on Redskins Twitter (@Redskins) and join in the conversation with hashtag #SkinsCamp.
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