WELCOME BACK: Running back Ladell Betts took part in his second straight day of practice yesterday after missing more than a week with a strained hamstring. He took part in individual drills Tuesday, then added time in the passing offense yesterday.
Apparently, Betts has been worth the wait. He's listed as the backup for Clinton Portis.
"I love Ladell," said running backs coach Earnest Byner. "He's very gifted. He's got the right temperament and he learns very quickly. When I tell him something, I see it [get done] very quickly with Ladell.
"We don't want to push him too fast, but I am anxious to see him in a game. He has the ability to be an impact player."
In his two seasons with the Redskins, though, Betts has had almost as many injuries as he has had rushing yards. Last year, an elbow injury forced him out of a number of preseason practices and a broken arm limited him to just nine regular-season games.
"The ability to be available is a very important ability to us," Byner said. "We're hoping this is his one injury, and he'll be all right the rest of the year.
"One thing I look for is to see how an injury affects a player mentally. I was injured during my playing career. No one wants to go through that pain. The important thing is how do you come back from that and do you stay mentally fresh while you are injured? I'll be watching Ladell to make sure he's all right in those areas."
INJURY REPORT: The Redskins practiced just once yesterday, and several players still were feeling the effects of Tuesday's physical workouts.
Left offensive tackle Chris Samuels sat out after suffering a mild concussion Tuesday. The Redskins medical staff listed it as a precautionary measure.
Outside linebacker LaVar Arrington had the afternoon off because of a sore knee.
Rookie wide receiver John Standerford was out with an inner-ear infection.
Wide receiver Darnerien McCants has ankle and knee problems, so he had the afternoon off as well.
Middle linebacker Mike Barrow continues to sit out because of patella tendinitis. Barrow does not stand around and watch, though. A member of the training staff puts Barrow through a rigorous workout each practice session.
Still, Barrow has been out a while, and does not seem ready to come back.
"There's a plan there," Redskins coach Joe Gibbs said. "We're beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel."
ROOKIE AWAKENING: H-back Craigey is beginning to make the impact the Redskins expected when they traded a second-round pick in the 2005 draft in order to select him in the third round last spring.
Whether he'll be ready to start when the season begins Sept. 12 is another question, but he certainly appears capable of being a contributor on offense and special teams this season.
"I feel really comfortable in the offense,"
"It's been pretty tough, because there is a ton to learn, especially a ton of different looks that you're going to see from the defense. That's been the biggest thing because you have to be able to pick those things up and make the adjustments."
"He's a smart guy, and he can do a lot of things for us," Gibbs said. "He's a playmaker."
"I thought I would be mostly a blocking H-back," he said. "We're a running team, and I thought I would be lucky when I got some passes thrown my way."
Against Carolina, though,
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