Camp buzz — July 23, 2008
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by
Robert Janis
Even now the National Football League is limiting rosters to 80 players. That may seem like a lot but in a practice situation you need all the bodies you can get.
For example, Coach Zorn is of the opinion that the limiting of the roster now effects the Redskins in two areas — quarterback and tight end. “We have four quarterbacks but I like to bring five QBs to camp, not just because of the competition but also because we do service a lot of the drill work that goes on with the offensive side. So the four quarterbacks have to service more. Their arms get more tired and if anybody went down with a really sore arm and had to rest a couple of days that would put extra pressure on the rest of the group. The other reason it’s difficult with 80 guys is because it limits our tight end position. We have four guys and nobody can get injured because it just puts extra stress on the rest of the group. We would also like to be able to evaluate more than just a couple guys. The roster limit is just something we have to deal with.”
He is taking the training camp experience to instill the importance of tempo to each and every man on the roster. “When the play starts, I don’t want to see people watching,” said Zorn. “Sometimes guys either hesitate or don’t quite get what they’re supposed to do or where they’re supposed to go, but I just want them to do something. I want them to move, hit something, do something.”
As far as the West Coast Offense is concerned and whether the players are picking it up sufficiently, tight end Chris Cooley said, “I am very impressed with how we have picked up the offense. We have put in quite a bit in the first week. The offense is pretty easy to pick up and we have a basic understanding, but we still have more work to do. It will be a consistent offense. It involves a lot of short catches, and there are a lot of guys on the team that can make plays after them. Based on our personnel, it’s an outstanding offense.”
