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Taylor making positive moves

By Jody Foldesy
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

From the Sports section

Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor made yet another interception in practice yesterday but did so on the second string, his sterling performance Monday night apparently not enough to bump him to the starting unit.
Andre Lott continued to work with Matt Bowen on the first string. Taylor, the draft's fifth overall pick, was running with the reserves in 9-on-9 drills when he sprinted from the middle of the field to the right sideline and picked off a pass by Patrick Ramsey.
There had been some speculation that Taylor's ascent to the starting lineup might occur this week. After a string of dubious off-field decisions this offseason, Taylor had two interceptions in Washington's 20-17 preseason victory over the Denver Broncos amd ran in the second for a 3-yard touchdown.
"He makes a lot of good plays," coach Joe Gibbs said yesterday. "I'll say this: Last week he practiced good [and] he played good. He keeps doing that, we'll be OK."
Taylor shunned another interview request after practice. He hasn't spoken to the media since signing his seven-year, $18 million contract four days before training camp opened.
Frustration with that deal led him to fire his agent team led by Jeff Moorad. This week Taylor re-signed agent Drew Rosenhaus, whom he had fired shortly after the draft. Taylor also drew a $25,000 fine this summer for skipping a day of the rookie symposium.
Springs sits
Cornerback Shawn Springs, who brought a history of injuries with him to Washington, sat out practice with what he described as tightness in his quadriceps. Springs wasn't concerned, though, saying he might be back on the field today.
"Oh yeah," Springs said. "Or the next day. One of those days. But I'll be fine."
Springs was another Redskins defender who stood out Monday, making an athletic interception of Jake Plummer's pass on Denver's opening series. But Springs has been dogged by injuries in the NFL, playing 93 of 108 possible games in seven seasons with the Seattle Seahawks.
Jansen surgery
Right tackle Jon Jansen underwent surgery to repair his ruptured Achilles' tendon in Charlotte, N.C., and was placed on injured reserve, officially ending his season.
Trainer Bubba Tyer, who accompanied Jansen to Charlotte, said through a team spokesman that the surgery went "very successful." Jansen will be in a cast for about six weeks.
Performing the surgery was Dr. Robert Anderson, who last season operated on Redskins quarterback Patrick Ramsey's foot.
Thomas, Daniels return
The absence of Jansen was somewhat ameliorated by the return of right guard Randy Thomas, who practiced off and on last week while battling a strained muscle in his ribs and knee soreness.
Thomas, who called the rib injury more concerning, didn't feel 100 percent but was eager to add some stability to the hobbled Dirtbags.
"If you're a pro, some things you've got to play through," Thomas said. "Plus, I've got to get back on that line. We've got to solidify our offensive line again."
Also returning was defensive end Phillip Daniels, who tested his strained abdomen with a few individual drills. Afterward he said there was "no pain at all."
Rookie tackle Jim Molinaro suffered heat illness during practice and had to be carted from the field. He later said he was fine.
Extra points
Third-string quarterback Tim Hasselbeck won't get a shot to start over Mark Brunell or Ramsey, but he believes more performances like Monday's -- in which he led two scoring drives, including the game-winner, and posted a 142.9 rating -- will earn him a permanent place in the league.
"Here's the way I look at it," Hasselbeck said. "You get opportunities in this league to play. And if you play well, you'll continue to play. People need players who are going to play well." ...
Gibbs sounds like he'll run another bland attack in Saturday's preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. "You're trying to use good common sense in preseason," Gibbs said. "You're trying to do enough so you can evaluate your players. Obviously you don't want to do anything to jeopardize your regular season."

Redskins linemen sharing attention

By Mark Zuckerman
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

From the Sports section
Mark Zuckerman
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Much as he would like to lament the loss of Jon Jansen for the season, Joe Bugel knows it's not going to bring his trusty starting right tackle back from a ruptured Achilles' tendon.
Nor is it going to help Kenyatta Jones prepare to take over in Jansen's stead.
"Things happen for a reason," said Bugel, the Washington Redskins assistant head coach for offense. "I don't know the reason Jon Jansen got hurt. But right now, Kenyatta has a chance to be a hero on this football team. He has a big pair of shoes to fill, but he can become a hero in this city."
Jones, a fourth-year veteran who started 11 games at right tackle for the New England Patriots in 2002, will get his first test Saturday night when he lines up with the Redskins' first-string offense against the Carolina Panthers. Washington's coaching staff is committed to giving the 25-year-old first crack at winning the job, but the club is also looking at other options should Jones falter.
The first step was yesterday's signing of 41-year-old lineman Ray Brown, a relic from Joe Gibbs' previous coaching stint. Brown, who played for the Redskins from 1989 to 1995 and has started at least 14 games each of the last 11 seasons, will provide depth and veteran leadership at both guard and tackle.
"We just think he's the right kind of guy," Gibbs said. "He's a super person. He worked out for us this morning, and we decided that it was smart for us to sign him."
Brown's return to Washington after nearly a decade away drew plenty of attention at Redskin Park yesterday, but the real spotlight will be on Jones in coming days and weeks.
An afterthought of an acquisition last November, Jones suddenly finds himself starting at one of the most important positions on the field -- the blindside protector for left-handed quarterback Mark Brunell.
It's a challenge Jones sounds ready to accept.
"Despite how it happened, I'm very excited," he said. "Anytime you get an opportunity to start on any NFL team, it's a great pleasure. It's nothing new to me, but it's something new to me in D.C."
The Redskins certainly believe Jones can handle the pressure. Bugel, who knows a thing or two about offensive linemen, has been touting Jones' abilities since minicamp in March.
Bugel had the confidence to start Jones at right guard in place of Randy Thomas, who had a nagging knee injury, for Monday night's Hall of Fame game against the Broncos. And he has the confidence to start Jones at right tackle Saturday against the Panthers, putting him in a one-on-one matchup with Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers.
"He played real good at right guard the other night," Bugel said. "But moving from guard to tackle, you know, it's a different world out there. You're by yourself. ... I think in the first five minutes, we'll find out if Kenyatta can mark that post over there."
Jones' NFL career to date has been marked by promise and wasted opportunities. He won a Super Bowl ring with the Patriots as a rookie in 2001, then became a starter the following year. After undergoing surgery on both knees, he was in line to regain his starting job last October, only to get released following his arrest for assault and battery.
Jones was arrested after throwing a cup of boiling water on his personal assistant, Mark Paul, as the latter sat on a toilet in Jones' home. Jones called the incident a prank gone awry, but Paul pressed charges and in April, Jones wound up receiving one year's probation for the incident.
About a month after getting released by the Patriots, Jones signed with the Redskins, hoping he would get another shot at starting in the NFL.
"It's a great opportunity to re-establish my name and what I can do," he said yesterday. "I was tormented because [Paul] was a friend. It was a hard lesson to learn, but I learned it."
The Redskins will be counting on Jones to hold down the starting right tackle job in Jansen's wake. They'll be counting on Brown to provide veteran leadership for the rest of the offensive line.
After starting all 16 games last season for the Detroit Lions, Brown remained at his Northern California home this summer, hoping to get a call from another NFL club. The Redskins contacted him late Monday night, and by yesterday morning the veteran of 18 professional seasons had impressed club officials enough during a workout to merit a contract.
"I knew I wanted to play football. I just never envisioned this happening," said Brown, who is the third-oldest non-kicker currently playing in the NFL, behind Jerry Rice and Doug Flutie. "I've been through a lot of things, I've seen a lot of things and I'm going to try to share it as much with my teammates as it was shared with me."
The Redskins also tried out two other free-agent linemen yesterday, former Miami Dolphins guard Jamie Nails and former Broncos tackle Blake Brockermeyer. Ultimately, they settled on Brown, who by season's end will be 42 years old.
"He's a huge person. It takes a taxi to get around him," Bugel said. "We always loved him. He's kind of a super special player."

Seen and Heard

From the Sports section

Open camp ends
It was good while it lasted -- and it didn't last long.
A consistently packed Redskins training camp closed to the public after yesterday's afternoon practice.
Coach Joe Gibbs, concerned (we'll call him just a hair shy of "paranoid") about losing any edge, is shutting out fans and reporters so the team can bunker down and start planning more strategy.
Media will be permitted to watch stretching and some individual drills as camp continues the next few weeks. The press is on scout's honor not to reveal how close Kenyatta Jones comes to touching his toes. Gibbs will determine how much of practice is open to reporters on a day-to-day basis.
The crowds the past 1½ weeks never failed to impress, peaking for Saturday's Fan Appreciation Day at nearly 20,000. The smallest estimated crowd was about 1,500 -- larger than all but the biggest days under Steve Spurrier in 2002 and 2003.
It remains to be seen whether the Redskins implement any structural changes to accommodate the current fan interest. The team's headquarters often seemed overwhelmed by spectators in recent weeks, and views for some fans were downright peephole-esque. Club officials already are discussing moving Fan Appreciation Day to FedEx Field, where the lower bowl holds about 40,000.
Gibbs got one final ovation as he walked out to practice yesterday, acknowledging the crowd with a small wave. After the workout, he once again stayed late to sign autographs. He did look exhausted, though, as he conducted his press conference, sounding ready for closed camp to begin.
"I think there's a certain part of football that needs to be sort of locked down, away," Gibbs said.
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Yoink!
Clinton Portis knows how to ham it up for a crowd, and the Redskins' star running back saved his best for the last day of open practices.
Portis sneaked up behind fellow running back Ladell Betts during warmups, motioned for the fans to keep quiet and then yanked Betts' shorts down to his ankles.
The crowd went nuts. Betts' face burned. And Portis casually walked away as though he had no idea what was going on.
Yet another example of Portis' quick first step.

OVERHEARD
"I'm your age."
-- New guard Ray Brown, 41, to former Redskins play-by-play man Frank Herzog, 59.
"That's why we're back -- you miss throwing up."
-- Joe Bugel on how nervous he and Joe Gibbs were before Monday night's game.

BY THE NUMBERS
42
How old Ray Brown will be at season's end.
21
How old rookie safety Sean Taylor will be at season's end.
-- Jody Foldesy and Mark Zuckerman

Yoink!
Clinton Portis knows how to ham it up for a crowd, and the Redskins' star running back saved his best for the last day of open practices.
Portis sneaked up behind fellow running back Ladell Betts during warmups, motioned for the fans to keep quiet and then yanked Betts' shorts down to his ankles.
The crowd went nuts. Betts' face burned. And Portis casually walked away as though he had no idea what was going on.
Yet another example of Portis' quick first step.