The offseason officially complete, coaches and players walked off the sun-drenched, steamy Redskins Park practice fields on Sunday afternoon.
Next time they meet, in late July, it will be the start of training camp.
The Redskins concluded the three-day, full-squad mini-camp with a spirited 75-minute practice. The on-field action consisted of mostly 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 sessions and it seemed there was something to note after every play.
Wide receiver Santana Moss appeared to make a diving catch on the sidelines, right in front of a referee, but the ref signaled incomplete. Moss stood up and yelled, "Oh, come on. Good catch."
Cornerback John Eubanks, an undrafted rookie out of Southern Mississippi, leaped high for an interception. The pass had been tipped at the line of scrimmage, but Eubanks's interception was still an impressive play.
Defensive tackle Kedric Golston, a 6-4, 292-pounder, showcased some hustle, chasing hard after Ladell Betts, who had caught a pass in the backfield and weaved his way downfield.
Wide receiver Brandon Lloyd had several impressive catches, including a touchdown reception in which he shifted inside to get open and beat his defender.
Quarterback Jason Campbell used his scrambling ability to avoid an inside rush and throw a pass downfield to Lloyd, who caught the ball along the sideline, keeping both feet in bounds.
Of course, the mini-camp was as much about teaching and instruction.
When a player made a mistake, they heard about it from coaches on the practice field and in meeting rooms. Example: assistant head coach-defense Gregg Williams yelled at cornerback Chijioke Onyenegecha after the undrafted rookie from Oklahoma yielded a catch to David Patten. Shouted Williams: "Bobby Stoops has a lot more patience than I do," referring to Oklahoma's head coach.
After practice, head coach Joe Gibbs proclaimed it a "productive" mini-camp. He spoke to the players in a team meeting on Sunday morning, encouraging them to stick with their off-season workout regimen.
"We talked for a long time and I told them what our game plan for the break is," Gibbs said. "We talked about a lot of things. A lot of [the off-season work during the next six weeks] is individual and it is [tailored] to players. If they miss some work, they'll have to make it up."
It's only June, of course, but the question had to be asked of Gibbs: Does he have a "gut feeling" on how good this team will be next season?
"No," Gibbs said emphatically, adding a laugh. "I don't think I've ever had a gut feeling about a season, considering the tough schedule we have and what everybody else in the NFC East is doing. It's a tough road. We play a Monday night game, then we have a short work week and go to Dallas. We'll have a huge challenge with our schedule and in the division.
"You always see all kinds of swings with teams in the NFL and you never know what's going to happen because every team is so close."
By and large, coaches and players had a sense of excitement about what lies ahead for the team.
Asked about Super Bowl possibilities, Moss replied: "For every team in the NFL, the first thing they are going to tell you is that the Super bowl is their goal. That's how it's supposed to be. You have to still take into consideration that 32 teams are talking the same noise and only two of them get to go.
"So as long as you are handling your business and preparing yourself to be there, then you can get there. I can't really talk about it, until I'm there."
Defensive end Renaldo Wynn seemed optimistic of the Redskins' chances in 2006, but he stayed focused on getting through training camp first.
"We're going to be very competitive in training camp," Wynn said. "Across the board, this is definitely by far the most talent and the most depth we've had since I've been here. There are some positions at stake and obviously everyone can't come back. But the best guys will be out there--that's the way we'll look at it. It all starts in training camp."
