By Paul Woody
The safety spots should be among the strengths of the defense. Assistant head coach/defense Gregg Williams will have multiple options. Matt Bowen is ahead of schedule on his recovery and should be near full speed when training camp opens. Williams used Bowen effectively at strong safety. Bowen came off the edge on blitzes and provided high-impact hits in run support. Bowen is best when he's not left in man pass coverage, and Williams used schemes that did not expose Bowen's vulnerabilities. While Bowen was out, Ryan Clark proved to be an excellent backup, moving in and showing excellent recognition and closing ability in run support. Clark will be in the mix again this season. He is a sure tackler who doesn't hesitate to take on interference. He's smart, durable and has excellent recognition of plays. What he does not have is great speed, which also makes him vulnerable in man-to-man coverage.
With Santana Moss under contract, QB Patrick Ramsey and the other quarterbacks now might be able to get some valuable work done toward developing timing with Moss. Moss is expected to be the team's big play receiver. He has quickness and speed, can get off the jam and get downfield. He has good hands and makes catches in clutch situations. Now that he's signed, Moss' next assignment will be to stay healthy through training camp and the season. Good health has been his Achilles' heel so far in his career.
Adding Billy Baber to the mix at tight end makes things interesting. The team lacked a solid backup, and Baber could find his niche in Washington. He's a decent all-around end with the ability to become an effective blocking tight end.
SCOUTING REPORT: Chris
ey had a good season at H-back as a rookie, and he has the potential to be the team's most improved player this season. ey has excellent hands, can slip blocks at the line and has a knack for finding the open spot in zones. He sits down well and provides a good target for quarterbacks. He's especially effective in the red zone, particularly inside the 10. ey is very good at driving defenders into the end zone, pivoting and keeping the defender on his back and making the catch just inside the goal line. At 260 pounds, his size is deceptive. His blocking is improving, especially the use of his hands and keeping his pads square.
MINICAMP MAYHEM: Although it's a long way from tryout player to regular-season contributor, Charles Howard, a defensive end from Florida State, has taken the first step in the journey. Howard showed excellent quickness and good speed in the rookie minicamp. He came in as a tryout player and walked out with a free-agent contract. Howard's effectiveness will be tested when he faces real NFL players. But he might have enough quickness off the edge to merit a long look in training camp. . . .
Jason Campbell also is a long way from earning a starting job, but he at least performed well enough to provide some justification for his selection at No. 25 overall. The former Auburn quarterback had good pocket presence and showed an ability to zip medium-range passes to receivers. He did a good job of understanding pass patterns, finding open receivers in traffic and delivering the ball where the receiver was supposed to be. He impressed the coaching staff with his patience. When something went wrong, he refused to blame the less talented tryout players and took the blame himself.
DEFENSIVE END ANALYSIS: Grade: C. Although they lack pure pass-rushing skills, the starting duo of Renaldo Wynn and Phillip Daniels, and the No.3 man Demetric Evans, never lack for effort. Daniels, if healthy, has the potential to generate some quarterback pressure.
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