Thursday afternoon marked the first full-team practice of Training Camp 2012 at Redskins Park.
Thousands of fans and media turned out for the first chance to see Robert Griffin III in action. His initial appearance drew chants of "R-G-3!" as fans braved a heat index of well over 100 degrees in the afternoon sun.
According to new receiver Pierre Garcon, the offense started practice "stiff." After hauling in a 20-yard pass early in practice, he threw the ball to fans in the crowd, firing up his teammates and fans alike.
Receivers Leonard Hankerson, Joshua Morgan and Chris Cooley operated at full speed, looking comfortable following 2011 season-ending injuries.
Veteran receiver Santana Moss showed off his old speed, scampering for yards after the catch down the sidelines. According to his weigh-in numbers from Wednesday, Moss lost 16 pounds this offseason.
Running back Tim Hightower made his first appearance in full-team drills after a torn ACL ended last season. He and offensive guard Kory Lichtensteiger practiced at full speed with the rest of the offense.
On the defensive side of the ball, everyone got a first look at new linebacker Jonathan Goff, who was limited with an injury during OTA's.
Fans will have the wait for their first glimpse of safety Tanard Jackson, who joins offensive tackle Jammal Brown and running back Tristan Davis on the physically unable to perform list (PUP).
Per NFL rules, players placed on PUP during training camp may be removed from the list at any time up to Week 1. Once the regular season begins, players must remain on the PUP for six weeks.
While there were good plays on both sides of the ball, the defense had a strong showing today, with several near-misses standing out during full-team drills.
The first occurred when cornerback DeAngelo Hall jumped the route on a short pass from Griffin III, nearly coming away with an easy interception and touchdown. As the ball bounced harmlessly to the turf, so did Hall--attoning for his mistake with 10 push-ups.
The other near miss was on a pass from Griffin III to a running back in the flats. With a move reminiscent of last year's season opener against the New York Giants, outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan tipped the pass in the air, but could not locate it for the interception.
There wasn't a particular play on offense that stood out, but Griffin III and Co. did find a rhythm, completing four sideline routes in a row at one point. Griffin III has a strong delivery, allowing him to work the sidelines and out routes with ease.
It was also noteworthy that Griffin III worked under center and out of the shotgun, rolling both to his left and right and throwing on the run.
On special teams, the kicking competition will have to wait for another day, but the punt return candidates got a chance on the JUGGS machine. Incumbent returner Brandon Banks was joined by Terrence Austin, Aldrick Robinson and rookie Richard Crawford.
Following practice, Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan said that he felt "very comfortable" with the state of the team after Day 1. More on that, to follow.
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