Nearly every NFL team has begun training camp in preparation for the 2014-2015 season, with the exception of Arizona, Carolina, Cleveland, Detroit, Green Bay, Houston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Tennessee. Washington and Baltimore began practicing on July 24 and much news has surfaced from their camps.
The Redskins kicked off day one of their training camp in Richmond, Virginia, but were subjected to rainy conditions. After practice was delayed for 30 minutes, Robert Griffin III and co. took the field to start a new chapter under head coach Jay Gruden who was signed in the offseason. However, things didn't run too smoothly for the team's offense, as they struggled on the first day of camp, only hoping it was because of the rain.
Throughout the offense's morning practice, Griffin III was inaccurate when passing the football and managed to fumble a snap. Additionally, he had two opportunities to connect with newly-acquired receiver DeSean Jackson, but Jackson dropped one of the deep passes and was underthrown on another. These weren't the only issues. Coach Jay Gruden told the Washington Post that the rookie class was 'OK' on the first day and wasn't too enthused by their performances.
"We had a few mental [errors] here and there, but that's to be expected Day 1. It wasn't as crisp as I would've liked - the tempo and all that stuff. But overall, if you're watching the tape - initially, I felt that while watching it out here, I was a little disappointed in the whole thing - but going back and watching it on tape, there were some good things that everybody did," Gruden recalled in this Washington Post article. The Redskins will look to improve on their day one efforts in Richmond on Friday.
Washington's close neighbors, the Baltimore Ravens, also experienced some issues on their first day. Cornerback Aaron Ross, the former New York Giant who the Ravens acquired after a June minicamp tryout, suffered a torn Achilles and will miss the entire season. Ross was expected to play a role in the nickel package along with Dominique Franks, but Ross is now out for the year and Franks failed the team's conditioning test. Additionally, Marlon Brown, the second-year receiver who is expected to have a breakout year, displayed some issues catching the football. With three other rookie receivers competing for a job, Brown could drop on the depth chart if his mistakes begin to mount.
The Ravens also made news early on Friday when it was announced they signed former Giants safety Will Hill, who is suspended for the first six games this year for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Hill is a tremendous athlete that proved his worth last year in the Giants secondary alongside safety Antrel Rolle, but his off the field issues cost him his job in New York. Upon returning from suspension, Hill could make an immediate impact for Baltimore.
Despite some news about slow starts in camp for the Redskins and Ravens, such happenings are normal while teams are working in new players, coaches, and schemes. These two teams are very much so doing that, as they look to improve from last year's absence from the postseason.
