RICHMOND, Va. -- It's downright boring here at Redskins training camp. There are no sideshows. No divisive quarterback controversies. No assistant coaches who detest the head coach. No friction between the players and front office. The owner isn't looking for ways to get rid of the head coach. No percolating dissent.
All of the hallmarks of Redskins summers for the last, oh 20-or-so years -- widespread dysfunction, an undercurrent of the bizarre, infighting or unrest -- are gone. It's just another NFL camp. It's basically all about football. Ho hum. Mundane drills and blocking dummies. Nothing much to see here.
In fact, at the risk of a lightning bolt hitting me from above, I am about the type the following sentence: Washington actually appears to be the most stable of any team in the NFC East after another businesslike offseason.
Marinate on that for a minute.
Of course for this franchise, that's a massive step in the right direction. It's the continuation of a stayed and steady second half of the 2015 season, one that finished with a rare division title. It's yet another tangible sign that this organization is headed in the right direction with general manager Scot McCloughan, as he enters his second season at the helm, and that even better days may be ahead.
Consider that it was slightly less than a year ago that this camp was still mired in chaos over the health and status of defrocked former starting quarterback Robert Griffin III -- recall the contradictory statements about RG3's concussion, including a rare statement from the independent neurologist involved -- but now there's nothing outside of the norm.
When the biggest faux controversy of camp is how or why McCloughan got that bandage on his hand, well, suffice to say there isn't a whole lot off the field to talk about. Guys like defensive lineman Kedric Golston, entering his 11th season in Washington and the longest-tenured player on the club, are walking around pinching themselves.
It's almost too good to be true.
"The great thing about it is, I've been here for a long time, and I've seen some ups and I've seen some downs," said Golston, who has been a willing ambassador for this franchise since being drafted in 2006 and was once against signing every autograph and taking every picture possible after practice Monday.
"And I always wanted to be a part of the solution and not the problem, because I understood that even on those teams where we lost a lot of games and it was super dysfunctional, there were a lot of guys who were true professionals -- Chris Samuels, Randy Thomas, Antwaan Randle El, Cornelius Griffin, Philip Daniels -- a lot of great guys who were truly hard working individuals. So for all the things those guys taught me, I just really wanted to be here when this team was doing good.
"And we took a step in the right direction last year, but it's going to be that much harder to even get to where we were last year, and to become better it's going to take a ton of hard work. But the great thing about it is there are no distractions now, and we can all focus on that one thing. I never understood when I first got in the league, but it literally takes everyone in the organization pulling in the same direction to play at a high level and to compete on a championship level. And I really think that's what we have here now -- everybody going in the same direction and it's all about football. And that's what it takes because it is extremely hard to win in this league."
Things will get more difficult for the Redskins this year, as the schedule is not easy and they face heavier expectations than certainly a year ago. They could end up being a better, more balanced team, and better poised to actually compete for a Super Bowl in the near future, without it being reflected in the standings.
Either way, it appears as if they will win or lose without the circus-like atmosphere that has defined much of owner Daniel Snyder's tenure, and to go as long as they have without any notably odd incidents is an accomplishment in and of itself.
Golston believes the credit for that should be spread around the organization.
"That's Scott and Mr. Snyder, [team president] Bruce [Allen] and the head coach," Golston said, "because they all work super closely together on everything from rosters to practice schedules. So you have to tip your hat to all of them for bringing in the right kind of guys here who are football players.
"There's a difference between just collecting talent, and bringing in football players that are going to help you win football games. And that's what this organization is going and it's fun to come to work and practice in enjoyable because everybody enjoys what they are doing."
Compare the current state of the Redskins with the rest of their division for a moment.
Jerry Jones is under fire and the Cowboys are in a combustible state with so many players suspended and others, like top pick Ezekiel Elliott declined to comment on recent domestic violence allegations.
The Eagles paid big money to three quarterbacks -- none of whom have anything close to a proven NFL winning pedigree -- and are still trying to get out from under the ugly bloodbath between former coach Chip Kelly and everyone else in the organization (most notably the previous and current boss of football operations, Howie Roseman, back after being marginalized by Kelly).
And the Giants just took a page out of Snyder's flawed playbook, circa 2005, by throwing crazy money to a bunch of different position groups in a desperate approach to buy themselves out of a long malaise.
So, yeah, Richmond is a pretty tranquil place compared to everything else going on in the NFC East. Of course, I wouldn't hold a coronation for the 2016 Redskins just yet. And given the track record under Snyder, one can't help but wonder if there is a proverbial cleat out there somewhere still waiting to drop.
But the stink of the ugly Mike Shanahan/RG3 era is over, you can barely remember the carnivorous ending and absurd beginning of the Jim Zorn era, the abrupt departure of Joe Gibbs feels like more than a decade ago. Many forget Steve Spurrier blew through these parts at all and that nasty divorce with Marty Schottenhiemer was eons ago.
Things could still go sideways at some point, but McCloughan has been largely left alone to be the steward of football operations, and the organization is finally in great hands there. The team continues to gradually add good young talent, and while there could be a blow up or two with combative corner Josh Norman and the opposition, this camp is likely to go very much like Washington's offseason: nice and steady and productive.
"The great thing about it was -- obviously the Josh Norman thing fell in everybody's lap with him hitting the open market when he did -- but it's been all about football," Golston said. "And that's what you want it to be about. You want everybody to be talking about the competition that's going to be happening down here at training camp, and it just sets you up to hit the ground running, and not having to deal with any of the other things that have nothing to do with football."
More notes
- There was been lot of speculation -- and some panic -- about first-round pick Josh Doctson and his Achilles, but sources say the team feels good about his ability to get back in the field in a few weeks. He has practiced only once since being selected and the club will continue to be careful with an injury of that nature, but there is definite optimism he will be joining his teammates for practice this month.
- DeAngelo Hall's move to safety could reap some nice rewards. This secondary has been a point of emphasis for the front office for a while, and it will be much better this season and not merely because of the signing of Norman.
- At some point the Redskins could kick the tires on a veteran pass rusher of some sort -- and it's an area they are watching closely, but the report of them talking about Greg Hardy is incorrect, I'm told. Bringing in the troubled former Pro Bowl performer is not something they would consider at this point.
- Second-year running back Matt Jones isn't going to see much of the field if he cannot curb his issues fumbling the football. Running back is one of the more unsettled positions on this roster, but continuing to turn the ball over could be damning for him.
- There has some buzz in coaching circles about Washington's young offensive coordinator Sean McVay. He's going to be a head coach and it could happen faster than many might expect. The way veteran players rave about him and his ability to scheme people into successful situations and to relate with his players -- all point to someone with a very bright future in this game. If this offense continues to grow -- and there are ample weapons for that to occur -- expect to start hearing a lot more chatter about him the next few offseasons. He could be special.
