Washington Redskins will head to their first training camp workout in Richmond

Washington Redskins After some changes at the top, the Washington Redskins will head to their first training camp workout in Richmond, Va. Washington Redskins on July 24 with plenty to prove. Last year's 3-13 nosedive after a 10-6 record in 2012 led to the dismissal of head coach Mike Shanahan and his son and offensive coordinator Kyle. Washington Redskins Taking their places are Jay Gruden as head coach and Sean McVay as offensive coordinator and they have no prior experience in those respective roles. Washington Redskins Their most conspicuous challenge will be to restore quarterback Robert Griffin III to star status. Heading into camp, Washington Redskins he certainly is the player with the most to prove. Two years ago, the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner/second overall pick in the 2012 draft set rookie quarterback records for passer rating and rushing yards and electrified Washington fans while leading the Redskins to a 10-6 record and their first NFC East title in 13 years. Washington Redskins That season ended with a playoff loss to Seattle in which Griffin tore his right ACL and MCL. Griffin missed the entire offseason, but pushed to be on the field for training camp and to start the season opener after being held out of all four preseason games. He wore a brace to protect his knee for all of 2013 and was never the same dynamic performer that he had been in 2012 before being benched for the final three games by Mike Shanahan to supposedly prevent further hits in a lost season in which Washington would finish 3-13. With his knee healthy and the Shanahans gone, Griffin needs to show that he is more like the dazzling performer he was in 2012 than the lackluster player he was in 2013, or his future and that of the Redskins will be in jeopardy. Washington Redskins Here are other key issues Gruden must address in his first NFL training camp as a head coach: London Fletcher retired after starting every game the past seven seasons while making four Pro Bowls, calling the defensive signals and serving as a captain. Washington Redskins Washington signed free agents Akeem Jordan (98 games, 44 starts), Darryl Sharpton (42 games, 19 starts) and Adam Hayward (107 games, 13 starts), but the leading candidate appears to be Keenan Robinson, Washington Redskins a fourth-round pick out of Texas in 2012. Robinson's rookie year ended with a torn pec on Thanksgiving at Dallas and he missed all of 2013 with a similar injury suffered before preseason began. Washington Redskins However, Robinson spent more time working with the starters in minicamp than any of the newcomers. Washington Redskins The Redskins signed veteran Ryan Clark, which should help at free safety. Washington Redskins And Brandon Meriweather can still play, especially at strong safety, Washington Redskins when he's not costing his team 15 yards or getting suspended. But it's slim pickings after that. Bacarri Rambo struggled as a rookie and has a lot to prove. Washington Redskins Phillip Thomas sustained a Lisfranc injury to his left foot during training camp and that cost him a valuable development season. Washington Redskins The Redskins did not draft a safety, Washington Redskins but cornerback Bashaud Breeland, a fourth-round selection, is versatile enough to move to safety, Washington Redskins.

Redskins injury updates and Thoughts and observations

Receiver DeSean Jackson tweaked his left hamstring, but coach Jay Gruden called it a minor pull. Gruden said Jackson has had a good camp so far and that they just want to make sure he’s “right” when it comes to his health.

Nose tackle Barry Cofield had hernia surgery recently and will miss the rest of the OTA sessions. Gruden said they are hoping to have him full-go by the start of training camp and said, “He should be in good shape.”

Chris Neild and Kedric Golston worked as the first two nose tackles with Cofield out of the lineup.

Receiver Leonard Hankerson also continues to rehab his ACL injury. Both he and cornerback Richard Crawford, who tore multiple ligaments, ran on the side Thursday. Hankerson was not running as fast as he could and still looked affected by his knee. “We don’t want to rush him back,” Gruden said. “Let’s get him back 100 percent, whether the time is the start of training camp, middle of training camp, third game.”

Safety Phillip Thomas is practicing after missing last season with a Lisfranc injury. It can be a tricky injury to recover from, especially if the athlete has surgery, as Thomas did. But Thomas said he feels normal when running on the field.

Defensive end Stephen Bowen, recovering from microfracture surgery, did a little work off to the side. He did not expect to return by now, so his limited work is not a surprise.

Cornerback Tracy Porter, recovering from shoulder surgery, also ran off to the side.

Robert Griffin III worked on being more consistent with his mechanics in the offseason and there was a difference. The past two years his base was wider as the Redskins wanted to shorten the stride. He also got into a habit of holding the ball lower, leading to a longer windup when he threw. but in practice Thursday, Griffin held the ball higher – at the top of the numbers. He also threw with a more narrow base. He likes doing this because he feels more free, giving him the ability to bounce the pocket a little better. Not every quarterback throws with the same base, much like not every hitter uses the same stance at the plate. Griffin also was throwing more over the top; less windup. So the ball came out a little quicker. He was not always accurate, but he was not off as much as he was, say, last summer when coming back in training camp. And keep in mind that even as a rookie in practice Griffin would have off days throwing the ball. regardless, Griffin’s fundamentals were more consistent than they were during the season. The key will be transferring it to the season when it gets chaotic in the pocket.

His weight transfer was different as well; much more quiet but a definite transfer. Saw it on a deep ball to receiver DeSean Jackson. griffin escaped the pocket on one play and looked like he was going to tuck and run. But he pulled up before he crossed the line and hit Pierre Garcon along the sidelines. Keenan Robinson lined up next to Perry Riley with the No. 1 defense. It’s only May, but it’s still telling when considering that he missed all of last season and part of his rookie year. They also signed Darryl Sharpton and Akeem Jordan, who worked with the second team. Adam Hayward also worked some with the second team at inside linebacker.

The linebackers’ versatility will be a huge part of the defense this season, as you would expect. The key is that they now have three outside linebackers – Brian Orakpo,Ryan Kerrigan and Trent Murphy -- who are comfortable with their hands in the dirt, rushing from a two-point stance or dropping into coverage.

Murphy beat Tom Compton during 11-on-11 work with a quick spin move to the inside. For a tall guy, Murphy does a nice job staying low on his spin.

Second-year linebacker Brandon Jenkins was mostly limited to rushing the passer last season, but saw him in coverage some Thursday. Here are the players I saw returning kicks Thursday: Lache Seastrunk, Chris Thompson, Nick Williams, Andre Roberts and Rashad Ross.Chris Baker lined up at left end with the starting defense (keep in mind Stephen Bowen can’t work). Chris Neild was in the middle with Barry Cofield sidelined (hernia surgery) and Jason Hatcher was on the right side.

Rookie corner Bashaud Breeland still needs to be less grabby. Saw him tuggingSantana Moss’ jersey downfield before the veteran caught the ball. Saw Breeland tugging other jerseys as they broke on a route (after the allotted five yards of contact). Not sure all the receivers quite appreciated his hands. Breeland was beaten on a double move by receiver Pierre Garcon. One thing Breeland said he needed to do was to keep his eyes on his man. He lost him this time, peeking too long into the backfield and awaiting a throw that wasn’t coming. Instead, it turned into an easy deep completion.

Maurice Hurt worked at right tackle with the third unit. Josh LeRibeus worked at left guard with the second unit.

Jackson’s speed was evident, especially on an end around. He was in traffic as he ran around the end, on the side opposite the media so it was hard to tell who it was at first. But he was moving at a different speed, which was the first clue as to who it was. Corner Chase Minnifield will get into a lot of tussles this camp – a safe prediction. He nearly got into one with tight end Niles Paul Thursday. Minnifield is physical and feisty and that will never please those running routes in practice. This time, Minnifield was grabbing Paul on the entire route and at the end Paul shoved him. Minnifield bounced up and shoved him back. It didn’t escalate.

Minnifield did pick off a Kirk Cousins pass in zone coverage. Minnifield sank deep on the route and grabbed a pass that was intended for Williams.

It was tough to see running back Chris Thompson’s speed last season, whether in spring, summer or before he was shut down during the season. He was coming off a knee injury. But he’s a year removed from that injury and the speed was more evident. Still worry about his durability, but he looked fast after running with a pass in the open field.

Safety Tanard Jackson ran with the third defense. Corner David Amerson looks more comfortable in press coverage and is using his long arms to his advantage when jamming receivers. Saw him do this a couple times, showing good technique and not getting beat in this look. It’s something he needed to work on as a rookie and I’m sure the learning curve will continue. But with his length and speed it’s a necessary tactic for him to learn. the end