Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, July 21, 1994 TAG: 9407250029
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
That was 1964. This morning, the Redskins begin their 32nd - and perhaps last - camp at Dickinson College. With the sweat of two-a-days flows optimism, and the 'Skins have that.
They will need much more. Norv Turner's last game as an assistant coach was on the winning Dallas sideline at Super Bowl XXVIII. He has replaced Richie Petitbon as the Redskins' boss, and for Turner on campus it's so far, so good.
``I found my dorm room, I found the meeting room and I know where the field is,'' Turner said Wednesday after driving in from Redskin Park in Ashburn, Va. ``So, I know where to go.''
That is not to say the offensive whiz Jack Kent Cooke hired to rebuild an imploded franchise knows where he's going. The 'Skins changed coaches and they changed some players.
They didn't change enough of them, and with the NFL's new salary cap of $34.608 million pinching pennies on a franchise that two years ago had the league's highest-paid roster, they can't change much.
As camp begins, Washington looks very much like a 4-12 team again. A couple of weeks ago, this camp-watcher might have said 6-10. Not now.
The top two draft picks remain holdouts. Heath Shuler will be the No.1 quarterback when he signs. Offensive lineman Tre Johnson could be a huge contributor up front, and not just because he weighs 315 pounds.
The Redskins misjudged safety Brad Edwards' stubbornness earlier this week and he walked when asked to take a 65 percent pay cut. When minicamp began in May, the starting safeties were Edwards and Danny Copeland, a very good pair.
Today, they're Darryl Morrison and Keith Taylor. The defensive line is missing tackle Tim Johnson, out for another six weeks with a torn hamstring.
The defensive line starters are Tony Woods, Leonard Marshall, Bobby Wilson and Johnson's replacement, whomever he is. The middle linebacker might be former Phoenix veteran Tyronne Stowe, ahead of Kurt Gouveia.
Offensively, the Redskins might be able to run the ball on anybody. The up-front group, anchored by Jim Lachey and former Cowboy John Gesek, includes Raleigh McKenzie, Ed Simmons, Ray Brown, Mark Schlereth, Vernice Smith and Johnson, the rookie from Temple.
The backs are a very solid unit. Shuler - and John Friesz until the Tennessee draft pick arrives - will have time to throw. The question is whether they'll be able to find an open receiver.
The tallest wideout listed on the Redskins' camp roster is former VMI star Mark Stock, at 6 feet - which he is if you count his helmet. And Stock may not make the club.
Washington is looking at a receiving corps of Desmond Howard, Henry Ellard, rookie Tydus Winans, Stephen Hobbs and Gregory Clifton, who started his college days at VMI before transferring to Johnson C. Smith. Clifton has been impressive in Redskin Park drills in recent months.
With Chip Lohmiller and veteran punter Reggie Roby, the Redskins can kick - which they may be doing quite a bit.
The Redskins ranked 26th among 28 NFL clubs in offense and defense last season. The offense should be better, the defense shouldn't. Defensive coordinator Ron Lynn might have the toughest job in camp, but he's accustomed to that, having joined Turner's staff from the Cincinnati Bungles.
Only Cincy and Indianapolis scored fewer points than Washington last season, so clearly, Turner is the right man in the right place. He said he thinks his club is much better - thanks to free-agent personnel such as linebacker Ken Harvey, tight end Ethan Horton, Gesek and Woods - than it was when he was named Petitbon's successor in February.
Of course, Petitbon said the same thing last year and his most prominent free-agent additions - Al Noga, Carl Banks and Tim McGee - already are Redskins history.
Among the 80 men who start camp in burgundy and gold this morning, only 20 were with the club as recently as three seasons ago, when the Redskins won a Super Bowl. No.58 then was Wilber Marshall. Now, that's Nate Dingle.
The bespectacled Turner stood before the media Wednesday afternoon and some of his remarks were made through rose-colored glasses, although much less so than those answers Joe Gibbs gave here for years.
Then, Turner has good reason for that.
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB