He has started just seven NFL games, but Reed Doughty is now firmly ensconced as the Redskins' strong safety after the team didn't sign a free agent at the position and didn't take one until the sixth round of last weekend's draft.
"Everybody's very happy with Reed," said Redskins executive vice president Vinny Cerrato, perhaps stating the obvious. "He really came on and played well. He does a good job (covering) the tight ends. He's physical. He does a real good job on special teams. The coaches are very comfortable with Reed as their safety."
It wasn't supposed to be this way. Doughty, a sixth-rounder in 2006 out of Northern Colorado, had seen almost all of his action on special teams until last Nov. 11 when Pro Bowl free safety Sean Taylor was sidelined with a sprained knee against Philadelphia.
Doughty struggled at first after replacing Taylor alongside rookie standout LaRon Landry but played better in his second start, leading the Redskins with nine tackles in a close loss at Tampa Bay.
Two days later, Taylor was dead at 24 after being shot at his home in an aborted burglary. Doughty, who made the team because of his relentless work ethic, became even more dedicated in the wake of the stunning loss of Taylor which made him a starter.
"Sean took my mindset to a whole new level of what I can do conditioning-wise, studying-wise, really putting the time and effort in, wanting the extra reps at practice," Doughty said. "This job is a privilege and I want to take care of this opportunity the best that I possibly can."
The 25-year-old Doughty knows that he can never possibly be the player that Taylor was.
"People saw what could have been with LaRon and Sean," Doughty said. "You were looking at two of the most talented young safeties in the NFL. It's hard for people to go from that to me being a solid player. I'm not Sean. There's a reason he got taken fifth overall. He had the blend of size and speed that really hadn't been seen before. I hope to make a name for myself as a very solid, all-around safety."
That will be easier since the Redskins — after losing out on Will Demps even visiting before he re-signed with Houston — haven't made a move to bring in any free agent safeties including their own Pierson Prioleau or Omar Stoutmire. And sixth-rounder Kareem Moore and seventh-rounder Chris Horton aren't expected to challenge Doughty's job this season.
"I don't look at it like they're handing me the job," said Doughty, who had 56 tackles in the eight games in which he played regularly. "I'm going to try to validate why I got to play (ahead of Prioleau, Stoutmire and holdover Vernon Fox) last year. If I keep improving and play the way that I know I can, I feel I can be the starter."
NOTES, QUOTES
—Free agent signee Jerome Mathis and second-round pick Devin Thomas are both elite kickoff returners. Where does that leave incumbent Rock Cartwright, who just gave Washington its best back-to-back seasons on kickoff returns since Brian Mitchell's 1995-96 output and is also a top special-teams tackler?
"It's just competition for Rock," Cerrato said.
"Maybe they want more speed," speculated Cartwright, whose 23.9-yard career average is a whopping 4.8 yards below that of Mathis. "I ain't really worried about it. They can bring in whoever they want."
—Colt Brennan might have set 31 NCAA records at Hawaii, but he lasted into the sixth round of the draft because the Rainbows' run-and-shoot offense doesn't get much respect and because he had hip surgery on April 7 to repair a slight tear in his labrum that will keep him out until the Redskins open training camp in mid-July.
"Everyone really came after me hard because we didn't have a good bowl game," Brennan said. "I looked at some parallels to get over that. I looked at Peyton Manning. In the last game of his college career, they got blasted by Nebraska and he still got picked first. ... I'm not a quarterback, I'm a football player. I love the game. I'm just a really diverse kid who has a lot of passion who has been through some ups and downs in life who really has a lot to prove and can't wait to show not only the team, but the community that I'm going to be not only a great person, but a great football player."
The latter reference was to Brennan being kicked off Colorado's team after being accused of sexual assault with a female student in 2003. He was cleared of that charge but was convicted of burglary and trespassing.
"As the day was progressing, I was thinking, 'Maybe I'm a free-agent guy ... When I got the phone call, I couldn't have been more excited that I was going to be a Washington Redskin," Brennan said. "I had a great combine and a great pro day (before the tear in his labrum was discovered), but unfortunately there weren't that many teams that wanted to take a chance on me. Washington stepped up and did that and I owe them so much. I can't wait to get out there and show them that it was worth it."
—Redskins coach Jim Zorn isn't worried that Brennan will be too far behind to make the team this season after missing this weekend's minicamp and the organized team activities because of the hip surgery.
"Hopefully Colt will be truly physically ready to start practicing in training camp," Zorn said. "He's not a strong-armed, fireball (passer). The thing that I look for is, 'Can he hit what he's throwing at?' Colt has done that. He's been a 70 percent passer. And he's got the ability to move around. He's got a bit of sidearm release. We'll try to bring that up a little bit. If he understands what's going on, we could hit pretty good on a guy that can come in and support (starter Jason Campbell and veteran backup Todd Collins)."
QUOTE TO NOTE: "There hasn't been a complete changeover. There's some stability, some doing it the way we've been doing it. It's not at all the night and day switch like some teams I've been on. I think it will be a huge help. Instead of rebuilding, we're building on last year's success." — Cornerback Fred Smoot on the change from coach Joe Gibbs to Jim Zorn and the promotion of line coach Greg Blache to defensive coordinator in place of Gregg Williams.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
The Redskins signed 13 undrafted rookies on April 28. The list includes: Iowa State quarterback Bret Meyer; St. Olaf (Minn.) receiver Horace Gant; offensive linemen Shannon Boatman of Florida State, Kerry Brown of Appalachian State, Devin Clark of New Mexico and Kyle Devan of Oregon State; defensive ends Alonzo Dotson of Oklahoma and Doran Smith of Oklahoma State; linebackers Curtis Gatewood of Vanderbilt and Bryan Wilson of Morgan State; Arkansas cornerback Matteral Richardson and safeties Kevin Mitchell of Illinois and Justin Scott of Purdue.
FRANCHISE PLAYER: None
TRANSITION PLAYER: None.
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
—G Rick DeMulling was signed in September, cut in November and re-signed in December. He played sparingly in six games and will only return with a minimum contract.
—LB Randall Godfrey signed in training camp because of his history with assistant head coach Gregg Williams. Godfrey was a solid run defender while starting four games because of injuries to Marcus Washington and Rocky McIntosh. Godfrey, who mulled retirement last year, will be 35 in April and might choose to follow Williams to Jacksonville rather than return to the Redskins.
—TE Brian Kozlowski played in at least parts of the past four years for the Redskins. He was signed during the season in 2006 and 2007. He had one catch in three games last year and with Joe Gibbs gone, maybe the 37-year-old Koz is finally gone for good, too.
—WR Keenan McCardell was the Redskins' 12th-round pick in 1991. He finally made his Washington debut in October 2007. McCardell caught 22 passes in 10 games and doesn't plan to retire at 38. He has experience in the West Coast offense so perhaps new coach Jim Zorn wants him back.
—C/G Mike Pucillo was the extra lineman in jumbo packages in 2006. However, Pucillo's surgically repaired back gave out in him in October and Lorenzo Alexander assumed his old role. Pucillo, who'll be 29 in July, will have to prove he's fully healthy to receive a new contract.
—S Omar Stoutmire played regularly as a backup in 2005 before signing with New Orleans where he started most of 2006. Stoutmire returned in 2007 but was cut and re-signed twice while playing sparingly in three games. Stoutmire will be 34 in July and is probably finished.
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: None.
EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS: None.
PLAYERS ACQUIRED
—WR Jerome Mathis: Not tendered as RFA by Texans; terms unknown.
PLAYERS RE-SIGNED
—LS Ethan Albright: Potential UFA; terms unknown.
—DT Ryan Boschetti: UFA; terms unknown.
—RB Nehemiah Broughton: Not tendered as ERFA; terms unknown.
—RB/KR Rock Cartwright: UFA; $3.55M/3 yrs, $300,000 SB/$300,000 RB; $200,000 RB '09; 2008 cap: $705,000.
—QB Todd Collins: UFA; $9M/3 yrs, $3M SB.
—OT Jason Fabini: UFA; $870,000/1 yr, $40,000 SB; 2008 cap: $485,000.
—P Derrick Frost: UFA; $805,000/1 yr, $200,000 SB.
—K Shaun Suisham: ERFA; terms unknown.
PLAYERS LOST
—QB Mark Brunell: UFA Saints; 2 yrs, $1M SB, other terms unknown.
—WR Reche Caldwell: UFA Rams; $645,000/1 yr, $40,000 SB.
—WR Brandon Lloyd (released; post-June 1 designation).
—CB David Macklin: UFA Rams; $770,000/1 yr, $40,000 SB.
—S Pierson Prioleau: UFA Jaguars; terms unknown.
—OT Kevin Sampson (released/failed physical).
—C Ross Tucker: UFA; retired.
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