August 1, 2009 Redskins ParkREDSKINS HEAD COACH JIM ZORN
On the defensive being ahead of the offense at this point in training camp:
"Yeah, I would agree with that. We had an excellent practice. I think defensively they were put together with where they were supposed to be, they covered down on our guys very well. We got a few plays in that were promising and then we had a lot of things that we're working on. We ran plays today against our defensive in certain situations that we worked on for the first time. It takes precision by everybody and we're learning. We are further ahead than last year, no question."
On trying to make the offensive line sharper than last year:
"I would say I want to see sharper things, but not because of last year. I want to see them because that is what we have to do. We are working at it. I think I had a little information overload today because we missed our practice yesterday because of the rain. So, we added things into today's practice that was supposed to be ran yesterday so we could run them today. But we were just trying them out today. So we got a little ahead of ourselves because of the lack of practice."
On if the offensive line is where he wants it to be:
"Some of the things, but we're not done yet. We're kind of a work in progress. Our guys are working hard and are going to get better and better as we get more repetitions in. I would say that today is the first day where you can be even more explosive because of the full gear, because of the pads. Now it is like taking a step back before we can take two more forward."
On if he thinks the offense will be up to the level he wants them to be:
"If we stay healthy, our pass protection is going to be better. Our run blocking, I am definitely expecting the same results and us to improve on the pass [protection]."
On players that weren't practicing:
"We took in Rueben Riley, he's an offensive guard, to get some fluids in him. We did the same with Mike Williams, no injury just fluids. The guy that didn't practice today was Eddie Williams, our fullback. His knee caught him and hamstring knotted up on him. I don't think it's a pull but I don't want it to be full blown and him miss two or three weeks, so we gave him a break."
On cornerback Carlos Rogers missing practice:
"Carlos, I don't know if it was a calf or lower leg issue. But nothing is injured."
On tackle Stephon Heyer:
"What I see from him is more confidence in himself. Not trying to think through each situation. He really knows the calls, whose next for him and how he needs to work with the guy next to him. So, what I see from him in the first few days of practice is more confidence. Now, we just put on pads and we have a lot of offense in, in the first few days. That is going to be a major stress with these guys mentally. When you have a lot of stress on you mentally it is hard to really free up physically because you are wondering, 'okay did I hear that right'. There is a lot of vocabulary right now and there are a lot of plays. Hopefully as we go along we will be repeating a lot of the concepts we put in on the first few days so they'll get up to speed."
On if tackle Stephon Heyer has the right tackle position:
"Well, no I think the position is open. I'm not going to make a decision. It will be made as we go along in training camp and as we go along in preseason but I like to wait until preseason games to bless the guy. Not that I am anyone special but were looking for a starter there. We're looking for nine or ten guys and they all have to be able to play when you shove them in. This is the group we're going to go in the season with. The first five, the next guys, we don't know."
On who stepped up in practice today:
"I think Philip Daniels was very sharp today. He is just so smart. I am trying to outsmart him a little bit and he won't be outsmarted, which is a good thing. He is big and strong and is a real leader on the team. I look at London Fletcher as a guy that really stepped up today as well. Getting people in the right spot and the communication. When you look at what some of our DBs did; Justin Tyron had to fill the void of Carlos Rogers and did a great job. DeAngelo Hall, just real active. In the defensive line, if you isolate any one of those guys, they are working hard, learning and reeking havoc in our backfield right now."
