The Redskin Report

UPDATE:  Landry showed up today.  So he only missed one day.  Still no Springs as expected. 

LaRon Landry has picked this football thing up fast.  He gained a starting position on the Redskins defense faster than Sean Taylor or any other rookie this team has signed on the defensive side of the ball.  While he made a few mistakes in his rookie year, for a guy forced to change positions mid-season he had a solid year.  And now he’s decided to begin his sophomore slump early.

Landry is one of two players absent from this week’s OTAs.  The other absentee is Shawn Springs, a veteran guy who knows the ropes and needs the rest to preserve his body for a 16 game season.  Landry on the other hand, is a 2^nd year player who still needs to learn the pro game to be the all-pro safety he’s been projected to become.   With the Redskins having a new defensive coordinator in Greg Blache, missing time in the off-season is not in Landry’s best interest.

I doubt that Landry is going to be out of shape when training camp comes around.  Judging from photos, he’s an obvious gym rat; there is little doubt he’ll be physically ready for camp.  The mental preparation and his ability to become a leader in the secondary are the main questions coming into this season. 

Landry is going to have to learn both safety positions.  Newly signed Stuart Schweigert thinks Landry is going back to the strong safety position, while Reed Doughty likely expects Landry to stay in the free safety role he played late last year.  There is also a leadership void in the secondary with Sean Taylor’s death, a role that the team would like Landry to fill.  By not working with the team in the off-season, he has shown he’s not ready to lead.

It’s a double standard to give Springs a pass for skipping the OTAs while ripping on Landry, but these sessions are much more important for a young player.  With Taylor gone, Landry is now the star of the secondary.  For this team to take the next step Landry needs to have a good year and things aren’t looking so rosy in that department thus far.