Redskins News

"Rookie safety Kareem Moore spent Wednesday afternoon's special teams practice holding a tackling bag and standing on the sidelines, another precious opportunity passing him by. Moore, a Redskins' sixth-round draft pick, has not practiced since Sunday, when his bulky and bothersome left knee began to trouble him again. The Nicholls State product - who missed all of organized team activities after having the knee scoped - was held out of workouts Wednesday, watching with the injured joint in a brace. "It swelled up a little bit, and they didn't want me to be pounding on it," Moore said. "That's just one of the setbacks I am going to have sometimes from pounding." Moore hasn't been full speed ..."

"Two teammates suffered season-ending injuries. A storm cut short a practice. Heat and humidity turned the other workouts into oppressive sweatfests. Randy Thomas and Jon Jansen aren't complaining. They're simply glad to be back on the football field again, playing together as the right side of the Washington Redskins' offensive line. "I love playing with Randy," Jansen said. "We have a great time out there. I love playing next to a guy who loves the game of football. It makes it fun to be out here." The Redskins counted on Thomas and Jansen to form a strong and enduring combination at right guard and right tackle when they signed Thomas in 2003. The reality has been a different experience ..."

"After Wednesday morning's workout, Todd Collins peeled off his shoulder pads and played catch with Derek Devine, one of the rookie quarterbacks in the Redskins' training camp. It was just a brief throwing session, the two sweaty passers lobbing the ball back and forth as their teammates headed for the air-conditioned locker room. And what priceless lesson was Collins imparting to this kid who would love to have his job? "We were just working on turning the ball over," he said, "having the point come down [so it's easier for the receiver to catch]. I enjoy doing that. I remember being a rookie myself and how hard it was at first. You're used to being The Guy, and now you're in there for two ..."

"With fans eager to cheer at Redskins Park, wide receiver Santana Moss put on a show. The crowd erupted Monday when Moss made several impressive catches on deep balls from quarterback Jason Campbell as Coach Jim Zorn unveiled new elements of his West Coast offense. After being slowed because of groin, heel and hamstring injuries last season, Moss, the Redskins' top wide receiver, said he is sound physically and excited about the potential of Washington's wideouts. Veterans Antwaan Randle El and James Thrash also are back, and the unit received a much-needed infusion of size and potential when the Redskins selected Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly with two of their top three draft picks. Zorn ..."

"Coach Jim Zorn said running back Clinton Portis is not likely to see any action in the team's preseason opener Aug. 3 against Indianapolis. Portis didn't play in any preseason games last season because of a knee injury and separated his shoulder in 2006's first exhibition contest. Portis stepped on another player's foot and rolled his ankle during the morning session Tuesday but returned to work in the afternoon. He even had to absorb the hit of camp so far when H.B. Blades and Marcus Washington knocked him to the ground."

"Jason Taylor's new NFL life began Tuesday morning with a new number and a new jersey but the same old shoes and the same old weather. Apparently, the former Dolphins star didn't just bring his orange shoes with him from Miami but the daily downpour as well. Taylor's first Redskins practice was cut about a half-hour short when the rain and the threat of lightning passed through Ashburn. "That's nothing new to me," Taylor said. "Coming from Miami, it rains every day, so it was nice to see that nothing's changed up here." Not exactly. After 11 seasons and six Pro Bowl selections wearing No. 99 in aqua, Taylor sported No. 55 in burgundy when he took the field. Fellow defensive end Andre ..."

"The Redskins enter this season with questions of age and health looming over the unit. All of this season's projected starters are 30 or older, and all are coming off of some medical procedure, save for center Casey Rabach, 30. "As we get close to the preseason, and start putting the game [plans] together, we will discuss . . . very specifically not only when, but how many plays" the starting line takes part in, Coach Jim Zorn said. "All those things will be discussed, and who fits with who. With an 80-man roster [the NFL's new mandatory limit for training camp], it makes it much more difficult for us as coaches to find that right combination, and even older veterans have to play a little ..."

"Jason Taylor wore a different uniform today with a different number and worked alongside different teammates in his first practice as a member of the Washington Redskins. But Taylor felt right at home when the morning practice ended early because of a thunderstorm. "That's nothing new to me," Taylor said afterwards, without mentioning to the D.C. media that the Dolphins built a practice bubble three years ago for this very reason. "It was nice to see that nothing has changed up here." Taylor, traded to Washington on Sunday for two draft picks, stepped on a football field at 8:30 a.m. today for the first time since the Dolphins' Dec. 30 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. ..."

"Jason Taylor characterized his split from the Dolphins as amicable as he was officially introduced as the newest member of the Washington Redskins. The defensive end, who was acquired from Miami for two draft picks the day before, arrived in town Monday and underwent a physical. The Redskins gave the Dolphins a second-round pick in 2009 and a sixth-round choice in 2010 for Taylor, who had been with Miami for all of his 11 NFL seasons. "As an athlete, you want to win," Taylor said. "The reason I play the game is to win, and I think the organization here and the Washington Redskins give me a great chance to win this year.""

"Jason Taylor is one of the good guys. He has done much for the South Florida community in terms of charitable work, and was a star athlete of the highest rank for more than a decade from his defensive end/outside linebacker position with the Miami Dolphins. He is personable and engaging in conversation off the field, and a fierce competitor well-respected by teammates and opponents alike on it. But let's also remember how Taylor - both by word and deed - pushed for the trade the Dolphins made Sunday night in sending him to the Washington Redskins. He wanted out."

"The cameras stopped clicking. The glitzy introduction had ended. And now, in a much quieter moment, Redskins defensive end Jason Taylor was standing outside the doors of his new team's training facility Monday, about to hop into a gold Chevy Tahoe that would whisk him to a place where he would attend his first team meeting. ''I feel like we're sending you off to your first day of school,'' said Seth Levit, the person largely responsible for the success of Taylor's charitable foundation in South Florida. Taylor's agent, Gary Wichard, joked: ``It's like you're back at Akron!''"

"Standing so close to three Super Bowl trophies he's longed to caress, former Dolphins defensive star Jason Taylor on Monday bade farewell to Miami and hello to the Washington Redskins, his new employer since Sunday's stunning trade. Taylor, acquired by the Redskins for a second-round draft pick next season and a sixth-rounder in 2010, continued to deny any rift existed between him and Bill Parcells, the Dolphins' vice president of football operations, over Taylor's participation in the Dancing with the Stars television show. "There was no animosity, no hard feelings, no negativity," said Taylor during a news conference Monday at Redskins training facilities in Ashburn, Va. "The ..."

"He tried so hard. But the more the square-shouldered gentleman infused humor with humility -- the more he kept flashing the telegenic smile and saying all the right things about putting football before "Hancock II," about the "privilege and honor" of playing in the NFL, how he planned to make owner Daniel Snyder and executive vice president Vinny Cerrato "look like geniuses" for gambling on a 33-year-old career-long Dolphin who had spent time in Bill Parcells's doghouse -- the more it became clear: The Redskins didn't trade for one of the NFL's elite defensive ends Sunday night; they traded for an ambassador, someone who could start the healing for everything that has ailed this ..."

"Jason Taylor plans to complete the remainder of his contract, he said yesterday, changing his mind about considering retirement at the end of the season after speaking with Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder. At his introductory news conference at Redskins Park, Taylor -- acquired Sunday from the Miami Dolphins for a second-round pick in 2009 and a sixth-round pick in 2010 -- acknowledged he had contemplated walking away from football after completing his 12th season. But Taylor told Snyder, executive vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato and Coach Jim Zorn that he will play beyond this season."

"London Fletcher learned Jason Taylor would become his teammate when a news ticker scrolled across his television screen Sunday night. First, the news revealed the Washington Redskins were interested in Taylor. It didn't take long before the scroll confirmed the team had acquired him. In the span of a few minutes, a day Coach Jim Zorn labeled a "tragedy" was transformed by headline news. "It created a lot of buzz," said Fletcher, a linebacker. "You don't often add a perennial Pro Bowl, all-pro player. I mean, this guy was the NFL defensive player of the year two years ago on a team that didn't do very well.""

"Quarterback Jason Campbell said he was disappointed in his performance the first two days of training camp. "I'm just not playing my type of ball right now," he said. "I know I can play at a high level if I play my type of ball, but I'm not doing that right now. I'm putting pressure on myself. I'm just trying to please everybody instead of just playing, just being myself and letting go. "I know I'm a good quarterback. I know I don't have anything to prove. I've just got to go let go, go out there and have fun. Just play the game. You play your best when you're just playing loose and having fun. Just don't worry about a whole lot of things. Don't worry about what people think.""

"Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Taylor will be on the field with the Washington Redskins for the first time this morning, with coaches and teammates envisioning his presence ultimately elevating all aspects of a defense long in need of a strong pass rusher. Taylor traveled from Miami to Redskins Park yesterday and joined his teammates for evening meetings after a wild two days. Taylor, the NFL defensive player of the year in 2006, ended his 11-year tenure with the Dolphins on Sunday, when the Redskins acquired him for two draft picks."

"Jason Taylor is a Washington Redskin. That didn't take long once NFL training camps began to open, now, did it? The Dolphins traded Taylor in a hurry Sunday night for a second-round pick in the NFL Draft next year and a sixth-round pick in the NFL Draft the year after that. Right. They didn't get much. The Dolphins, of course, will counter with the fact that Taylor, a Pro Bowl defensive end, was a third-round pick by Miami once upon a time. They'll further counter that star linebacker Zach Thomas - now gone to the Dallas Cowboys for a bowl of TexMex cooking goodies - was a fifth-round Miami pick once upon a time, too. Let 'em talk."

"It would be very easy to rip Jason Taylor right now. It would be easy to presume one of the first thoughts the now former Miami Dolphins defensive end had when he found out he was being traded to the Washington Redskins was to wonder how soon he could set up lunch with one of owner Daniel Snyder's good friends -- Tom Cruise. Because it's no secret Taylor has his eye on Hollywood. Just like it was no secret the last thing he wanted to do in 2008 was put on a Dolphins uniform again. I understand what Jason was doing. He didn't want to look like the bad guy who didn't want to go through another rebuilding project in Miami and wanted to go play for a winner. Blame him for that, or ..."

"The drama of whether Jason Taylor would be a Miami Dolphin in 2008 played itself out for seven months. But in the end, it only took a couple of hours -- and a couple of Washington Redskins defensive ends getting carted off the practice field Sunday -- for Taylor's time in Miami to come to an official end. Miami traded the six-time Pro Bowler to the Redskins Sunday for a second-round pick in 2009 and a sixth-rounder in 2010. He is expected to report for training camp today."

"Jason Taylor is leaving the only NFL team he has known, his wish to be traded to a contender granted Sunday. The Washington Redskins gave the Dolphins a second-round pick in 2009 and a sixth-round selection in 2010 to acquire the six-time Pro Bowler, who had spent 11 seasons anchoring the Dolphins' defense."

"The Dolphins rid themselves of their biggest offseason headache and what promised to be training camp's most uncomfortable drama. Jason Taylor is gone to the Washington Redskins in a trade. And yes, that means the 2008 Dolphins suddenly got a whole lot less talented Sunday in the hour or so Redskins executive vice president Vinny Cerrato said it took his team to work a trade. Gone is the team's most productive defensive player the past 11 seasons. Gone is the consistent pressure he generates against opposing quarterbacks. Gone is Miami's biggest-name player."

"It was smart and it was sad, all at once, the Sunday evening trade that all of a sudden turned Jason Taylor into a former Miami Dolphin. Just like that. Eleven NFL seasons of No. 99, instantly put to past tense. The pragmatic side of the mind argues with irrefutable logic that the deal is good for Miami. The Washington Redskins are giving in return a second-round draft pick in 2009 and throwing in a sixth-rounder the year after. And that seems more than fair for a soon-34-year-old defensive end who wanted out of here and who -- smitten by Dancing With the Stars and dreams of Hollywood -- seemed about done with football, anyway. And surely a Miami team bent on rebuilding, after six ..."

"Jason Taylor is leaving the only NFL team he has known, his wish to be traded to a contender granted Sunday. The Washington Redskins gave the Dolphins a second-round pick in 2009 and a sixth-round selection in 2010 to acquire the six-time Pro Bowler, who had spent 11 seasons anchoring the Dolphins' defense. "We're fortunate there was a guy that caliber on the market when somebody got hurt," Redskins executive vice president Vinny Cerrato said. "Normally, in most years, there's not a guy of that caliber on the market.""

"His grandfather sat at a Smith-Corona typewriter each New Year's Day and pecked out annual goals that he'd then read to the family. Jason Taylor inherited that idea. He arrived as a no-name Dolphins rookie in 1997 and wrote three goals on an index card that he leaned against his nightstand lamp. That way, he saw them first thing in the morning and last thing at night: 1. Make the team. 2. Improve each day. 3. Start on opening day. Let's remember that today. Let's remember how his Dolphin time began as we get swamped by its ending. Let's note how Taylor achieved those early goals, then added bigger ones each year. Become the team's Most Valuable Player? Lead the franchise in ..."

"At sunrise, it was still an unresolved mess that had lasted months and appeared destined to last even longer. At sunset, it was done. And one of the greatest defensive players in Dolphins history was gone. The long, twisted soap opera involving Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor rapidly cleaned itself up Sunday when a perfect suitor, the Redskins, suddenly were desperate for the Pro Bowler's skills after a severe injury to one of their own. As a result, Miami got its price, receiving a second-round pick in 2009 and a sixth-round pick in 2010 for Taylor. And Taylor got his wish, landing with a playoff contender in a major market."

"Talk about a dramatic first day of training camp. Less than seven hours after losing starting defensive end Phillip Daniels for the season with a torn ACL during the first practice, the Washington Redskins filled that void - and then some - by acquiring six-time Pro Bowl end Jason Taylor from the Miami Dolphins. "We had to act after losing Phillip," said Redskins executive vice president Vinny Cerrato, adding that he hadn't talked to the Dolphins less than two hours before engineering the trade in which he gave them a second-round pick in the 2009 draft and a sixth-rounder in 2010. "We're fortunate that a guy of his caliber was on the market. The timing was right.""

"After defensive ends Phillip Daniels and Alex Buzbee suffered season-ending injuries yesterday at Redskins Park, cornerback Fred Smoot also went down with a left ankle injury. But fortunately for the Redskins, Smoot suffered only a sprain and could miss less than a week. "I love sprained ankles now," Coach Jim Zorn said. With cornerback Carlos Rogers limited to individual work while recovering from reconstructive knee surgery last year, the Redskins lacked depth at the position beginning camp and are relying on Smoot and Shawn Springs until Rogers can contribute to the rotation later."

"The Washington Redskins traded for Miami Dolphins Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Taylor last night, just hours after losing starting left end Phillip Daniels and reserve end Alex Buzbee to season-ending injuries on the first day of training camp. Vinny Cerrato, Washington's executive vice president of football operations, dealt a second-round pick in 2009 and a sixth-round pick in 2010 to acquire Taylor, a perennial Pro Bowler and former defensive player of the year who was engaged in a public spat with the Dolphins after skipping offseason workouts to participate on "Dancing With the Stars.""

"Bill Parcells made the boldest move yet in his remaking of the Miami Dolphins, shipping the team’s best player, defensive end Jason Taylor, to the Washington Redskins on Sunday for a second-round draft pick in 2009 and a sixth-rounder in 2010."

"The end of the Jason Taylor has arrived. The Dolphins have agreed to terms with the Washington Redskins for a second-round pick and a sixth-round pick, two sources told The Miami Herald. Taylor, perhaps the greatest defensive player in team history, is expected to arrive in Washington at some point Monday for the team's training camp. The rapidly moving negotiations were the result of a severe knee injury suffered by Redskins defensive end Phillip Daniels."

"Redskins defensive end Phillip Daniels suffered an injury Sunday to his anterior cruciate knee ligament, according to a source, a potentially season-ending injury that could lead to Jason Taylor coming to Washington. Daniels hurt the knee during the team's first practice. He tried to jump over a teammate and came down on his knee. Daniels had to be carted off the field. Preliminary reports from the initial MRI indicated damage to the ACL and possibly more, according to a source. Following the morning practice, the Redskins started working on trade discussions to replace him. According to another source, talks are underway with the Miami Dolphins for Taylor, who started the offseason by ..."

"Everybody has questions. How soon can quarterbacks Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco start in Atlanta and Baltimore? Where does Brett Favre play in 2008, if he plays at all? Is there another team such as the New York Giants that will come out of the shadows at playoff time to seize the Super Bowl? There are no ready answers in July and August. Training camp is a time to grind, but it's also a time for optimism. Let's set the stage for the NFL's 89th season."

"On the last day of a recent charity golf event in Seattle, a man who had an anecdote to share about Washington Redskins Coach Jim Zorn approached quarterback Jason Campbell as he prepared to tee off. Campbell politely interrupted the enthusiastic man after only a few words because others had told him similar stories often that weekend. Although Campbell was aware that Zorn, a former Seahawks player and coach, was among Seattle's most popular sports figures, he said he did not realize how much Zorn is respected in the community. After the experience on his trip, and having worked with Zorn throughout the offseason, Campbell is convinced that Zorn is the right person to get the most out of ..."

"The Washington Redskins signed the last of their draft picks yesterday, agreeing to a four-year deal with tight end Fred Davis. Davis, a second-round pick out of Southern Cal, will earn a maximum of $3.5 million over the contract, with $1.8 million in signing bonus. Davis was one of 10 draft picks to sign before the start of training camp practice today."

"As the dying rays of the evening sun drop behind the Olympic Mountains, a light goes on in a studio of a little public radio station down on Dexter Avenue. The night belongs to DJ Riz. And the music he sends into the inky sky flows in curious ways: from funk to soul to jazz to Neil Diamond to Death Cab for Cutie to places he will not know because DJ Riz has no playlist, no boundaries. The howl of the wind and the splatter of the rain will take the beat where it needs to go. And so they are together again in that late-night darkness: the new coach of the Washington Redskins and his favorite radio voice. Midnight looms, the office back at Redskins Park is still, just Jim Zorn, a computer and ..."

"Yes, the Bears have some issues as they head into training camp this week. But they are not alone. Each of the 32 teams in the NFL will be trying to answer deep questions, tie together loose ends and bury ghosts of the past. Here is a look at the other 31:"

"There are advantages to not having a first-round choice in the NFL Draft. Teams don't spend as much on rookies and don't usually have to worry about holdouts. The Washington Redskins made sure Friday that their top selection, second-round receiver Devin Thomas, would be on the field when training camp starts Sunday, signing the 34th pick to a four-year, $4.833 million contract that includes $2.373 million guaranteed. Washington's first choice in 2007, safety LaRon Landry, who went sixth overall, missed the start of camp last summer before signing a five-year, $41.5 million deal that included $17.5 million guaranteed."

"Shawn Springs was suffocating. His father was in a coma in Texas. His stepmother had had cancer diagnosed. He and his wife had separated, their 1-year-old son leaving with her. So he backpedaled. He stopped answering most phone calls and for a few months he left home rarely unless it was for a workout. At his most despondent, the cornerback considered retiring from the Washington Redskins, walking away from $5 million this season, and maybe becoming a teacher or buying land and building a house near his family in Dallas."

"Three days before the Washington Redskins open training camp, another link to their glory days of the 1980s and early 1990s is gone. Longtime assistant coach Don Breaux retired Thursday because of a heart condition... When new coach Norv Turner cleaned house in 1994, Breaux moved on to the New York Jets as tight ends coach and then worked in that capacity for the Carolina Panthers from 1995 to 2002. Breaux returned to the Redskins in 2004 under his former boss, Joe Gibbs. While he had the title of offensive coordinator, Gibbs (2004-05) and associate head coach Al Saunders (2006-07) designed the offense. Breaux's main responsibilities were in game-planning."

"As the Redskins begin their first training camp Sunday under new coach Jim Zorn, one player he can rely on is Cooley, who has become one of the Redskins' faces because of his production (231 career catches and 27 touchdowns), contract (his six-year deal starts this season) and personality (approachable for fans, interesting practice-uniform choices and occasional wild haircut). In a franchise accustomed to roster turnover, coaching turmoil and general tumult, Cooley wants to remain a constant."

"Ryan O'Halloran breaks down a position each day heading into the start of Washington Redskins training camp Sunday. Wednesday - Receivers/tight ends."

"The Redskins signed sixth-round draft choice Colt Brennan on Monday to a four-year contract that includes a $96,800 signing bonus. The former Hawaii star is favored to beat out Derek Devine in the competition for the No. 3 quarterback job behind starter Jason Campbell and veteran backup Todd Collins."

"Brett Favre wants to end his four-month retirement. The Green Bay Packers, who handed the starting job to three-year quarterback-in-waiting Aaron Rodgers in March, have told the NFL's all-time leading passer he can return but only as a backup. In response, Packers fans are demanding No. 4's return to the No. 1 job. How to resolve this mess surrounding the NFL's only publicly owned franchise and its longtime icon? How about a trade to a team that has gone eight seasons without a Pro Bowl quarterback, has an inexperienced starter who grew up idolizing his fellow Mississippian and has an owner with an expansive checkbook? Yes, the Washington Redskins. Envisioning Brett in burgundy yet?"

"Colt Brennan, a record-setting quarterback drafted out of Hawaii, agreed to contract terms with the Washington Redskins, the team announced yesterday. Brennan will receive a signing bonus of less than $100,000 as part of a standard four-year contract for rookies, said a source familiar with the negotiations who requested anonymity because the contract had not been signed. Brennan will earn $295,000 this season, $385,000 the second season, $470,000 the third and $555,000 the fourth."

"With the players due on the field for the start of training camp at Redskin Park in just nine days, the Washington Redskins agreed to terms on Friday on four-year contracts with two more of their 10 draft choices. Second-round receiver Malcolm Kelly will receive a signing bonus of $1.655 million while sixth-rounder punter Durant Brooks will receive $116,450. Kelly, who left Oklahoma a year early after catching 111 passes for 1,814 yards and 19 touchdowns the past two seasons, could play a critical role in the red zone for the Redskins because at 6-foot-4, he's six inches taller than incumbent starters Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El."

"The last thing the NFL needs right now is Terry Bradshaw prattling on about using steroids - any kind of steroids - in the 1970s. The Spygate scandal, after all, continues to reverberate like a helmet-to-helmet hit, and hardly a day goes by, it seems, when some player, past or present, doesn't wind up in the poky. The league has been only too happy in recent years to let baseball look like the one with the performance-enhancing-drug problem. But now here comes Chatty Terry talking on Dan Patrick's radio show about using steroids to hasten the healing process - but not, he claimed, "to get bigger and stronger and faster.""

"When the pads go on and the hitting begins next month, look for the young guns to draw the most fire. If quarterback is the most demanding position in any team sport, inexperienced passers face the toughest challenge of all - especially if the franchises they represent are poised to make some noise. Oakland's JaMarcus Russell and Kansas City's Brodie Croyle won't be under that degree of pressure because the Raiders and Chiefs are afterthoughts behind San Diego in the AFC West. But for Trent Edwards, Jason Campbell, Matt Leinart and Tarvaris Jackson, fans and teammates are ready to analyze every training camp snap to judge whether these young quarterbacks are the real deal or merely ..."

"Two of Washington Redskins coach Jim Zorn's daughters, Dani and Sarah, and his son, Isaac, occupy the top floor of his home in Mercer Island, Wash., near Seattle. In the basement are Kramer and Kelly Largent, sons of Zorn's best friend and former Seahawks teammate, Steve Largent. Isaac is 13 and the others are in their 20s, creating a scenario fraught with real comedy potential - "Friends II," maybe, or a new version of "Upstairs, Downstairs" or something Seinfeldian (especially with a Kramer). "It's hilarious, really," Zorn said."

"The Lions lost -- again. We know, we know. It's no surprise. But it turns out this was an upset. The Lions' mascot Roary, a No. 1 seed, lost to eighth-seeded Chief Zee of the Washington Redskins in a CBSsportsline.com fan poll tournament. Roary lost, 55%-45% out of 9,247 votes."