Washington Redskins: Inside Moves Stand out on First Day of Minicamp

Tuesday's first minicamp practice could have been a washout for the Washington Redskins, but the team refused to give in to mother nature. While heavy downpours drenched Ashburn, Virginia, the Redskins' spirits were high and their jerseys dry, as they shuffled inside to work out at the team's new indoor (bubble) practice facility.

NFL minicamps are normally a time for newcomers to mesh with veterans, but that has already been the case for Washington, which had nearly a full compliment of players at its Organized Team Activities. 

The following is a synopsis of how the Redskins fared on Tuesday, with input from some of the team's players and coaches, as well as observations from Washington's top NFL beat reporters.

"One thing I won't do is play with fear."

That single comment stood out for Robert Griffin III, as the rookie signal-caller stood tall in a post-minicamp press conference that is available for viewing on Redskins.com. 

RG3 has impressed many of his teammates with a confident style that is a common trait of a poised veteran. He has also fired bullets so hard, he tore up the gloves of one of his wide receivers. But no matter how much praise Griffin receives, he seems determined to earn the respect of his teammates and opponents.

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You have to play fearless, RG3 explained, while clarifying his running style. That doesn't mean I'm going to go try and run over linebackers and safeties, but I'll be smart. If I need to slide, I'll slide. If I need to run out of bounds, I'll run out of bounds. But if it's third-and-3 and a crucial point in the game, don't expect me to be sliding.

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In interview with Mike Florio on ProFootball Talk, CSN Washington blogger Rich Tandler discussed Griffin, his work ethic and the 'ah-ha moments' the young quarterback has had so far.

Like OTAs, minicamps have no contact, so Griffin was free to stand, dance or run without worry. June practices are also vitally important to a team's cohesiveness, as players work hard to get up-to-speed on their playbooks.

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We have to continue to work, said newly acquired free agent receiver Pierre Garcon, in an interview with reporters that was posted as audio on washington.cbslocal.com. 

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Garcon, who previously caught passes from Peyton Manning in Indianapolis, also believes it takes 365 days a year for a team to become great. 

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It's not just 16 weeks of practice. We need all year and you've got to continue to grow. We're trying to build for the future. It's an ongoing process. You're not gonna shock the world the first day. We just got to continue to build, to shock the world later on.  

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According to Redskins.com, "the tempo of the workout was noticeably higher, with more time devoted to full-team drills." Head coach Mike Shanahan also sounded pleased with where his team is at this point of the offseason.

"“I think it’s been great for the players. It’s been great for the coaches,” Shanahan said. "We've got a lot of work done over the last eight weeks.” 

Observations and tweets were also upbeat on the first day of minicamp. Here are a few of them, by various reporters who cover the team.

Shanahan says "without question" he can see #RG3 thinking less from three weeks ago. #redskins - John Keim Tweet (Washington Examiner)

"All 90 players on the Washington Redskins’ roster attended," according to a tweet by Washington Post Football Insider Mark Maske. 

Shanahan says "without question" he can see #RG3 thinking less from three weeks ago. #redskins - John Keim Tweet (Washington Examiner)

"Rookie corner Chase Minnifield performed well Tuesday and continues to look like a wise pickup. He went undrafted after having microfracture surgery on his knee in January, but he hasn't been limited in workouts." - John Keim (Washington Examiner)

CB Josh Wilson, former Terp, cracking on Chase Minnifield: "He didn't go to a top flight university. He went to the University of Virginia." - Rich Campbell Tweet ‏(Washington Times)

Check out some video from the #Redskins' first day of mini-camp today at Redskins Park http://redsk.in/KlCh7L. Redskins Tweet ‏(Redskins.com)

RG3 says he will get together with WRs and throw during the break before training camp #Redskins- George Wallace ‏Tweet (WTOP Radio)

"Wide receiver Leonard Hankerson (hip) went through positional drills and appeared to move with ease as he ran routes and caught passes. He didn’t take part in any team drills, however." - Mike Jones (Washington Post)

Mike Shanahan: Tim Hightower really wants to practice but giving him the 5 to 6 more wks of rest before camp will help him rehab. #Redskins - Grant Paulsen Tweet (‏106.7 The Fan).

RGIII remains unsigned, but not concerned. "Talked to my agent last week. He said don't worry about it so I'm not worried about it." Mike Jones ‏Tweet (Washington Post)

"Griffin closed out practice by completing four of six passes while running the one-minute drill. He completed the first four, then had the fifth broken up in the end zone. On the sixth, with seven seconds left, Griffin backpedaled around the 35-yard line to avoid linebacker Ryan Kerrigan and was intercepted by [DeAngelo] Hall." - Mike Jones (Washington Post)

A picked off pass or two is common for rookie quarterbacks, even for one who dons Superman socks to practice.

Minicamp will continue on Wednesday and conclude Thursday. The Redskins are then off until late July, when the team hosts its final training camp in Ashburn. Next summer, the Redskins will hold their annual camp in Richmond, Virginia.