Redskins Head Coach Jim Zorn
On the trade for Jason Taylor:
“When the discussion was made at the
administrative level and there was a possibility for a trade, that
gives you hope. Getting it done was another thing. Daniel Snyder and
Vinny Cerrato had to work out the numbers and the details. I feel
very fortunate for them to have worked on getting this trade
completed.”
On Jason Campbell as a pupil:
“He is an excellent pupil. He wants to be good,
he has real talent, and he is very smart in picking up concepts.
Where he wants to improve is playing in a fluid manner and taking
command of the line of scrimmage. He really grinds himself when he
makes a mistake. I need him to push beyond the mistakes and finish
drives in practice and in the games.”
On having all 10 draft picks signed and in
attendance for the start of training camp:
“Having all of our rookies in gives them a chance
to get up to speed quicker. There is no controversy and nobody down
on them. They get to know their teammates better. It helps them
relax and enjoy the ride.”
On Fred Smoot’s return to practice a day after
hurting his ankle:
“He said it was minor. He did a great job and
was going 100 percent.”
On his initial evaluation of Fred Davis from
practice:
“I have seen speed and the ability to change
direction. He needs to get comfortable with our style of offense.
The knowledge of how plays are designed and their rhythm is important
for rookies to understand, and he is on his way to doing that.”
On the development of Colt Brennan:
“He is learning how to be more explosive. He
will not be playing in the shotgun as much. He is learning a
tremendous offense, so he has a long way to go. He is a great study,
loves what he is doing, loves being out here, and the guys will rally
around him, and you will see him throwing the ball in preseason.”
On his initial impression of Devin Thomas and
Malcolm Kelly:
“Both Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly are
explosive off the line of scrimmage. They are powerful, so defensive
backs have to play them perfectly in order to stop them. They are
strong in the upper body, they use their hands well, and when they run
vertically they accelerate away from their defenders. I am excited
about all of their physical capabilities, and they will learn as we
continue to go, but it will take time for them to get it all down.”
Redskins Defensive Coordinator Greg
Blache
On the acquisition of Jason Taylor:
“You have to be excited to get a guy that’s been
a six-time Pro Bowler, a guy with his capability, personality and
background. I think he will be a good addition to our locker room. I
think he will be a good addition to our football team.”
On the loss of Phillip Daniels:
“It is a huge loss. When you lose a guy like
Phillip Daniels you lose not just a player, but you lose the man, you
lose the leader and you lose a friend. I think that it is one of the
hardest things I’ve had to deal with. We will overcome it. The
players will overcome it, but at the same time it is one of the
difficult things I have ever had to deal with.”
On how he is dealing with the injury to
Phillip Daniels:
“He has worked so hard this offseason. The real
tragedy is the injury, but also the amount of effort and work he has
put into being here this year to try and win a championship. To see
him go down the very first day was very difficult. The more you know
this man the harder it is to accept. He brings so much to the table,
to his teammates and into the locker room. He is so unselfish.”
On the news of Jason Taylor coming to the
Redskins:
“His tenacity [is impressive]. He has a great
motor and plays the game with a passion. He goes one hundred
percent. He has toughness. He is a total football player that plays
the run and rushes the passer. He will be a good addition because he
fits the type of guy we look for here. He has the MO of a real nasty
guy that plays the game for sixty minutes.”
On the pairing of Jason Taylor and Andre Carter:
“It is going to create some problems on offense.
One compliments the other and I think that it will be a new dimension
for us. It is one that we are excited about and we are looking
forward to working on. Once we get him in we will go to work on it
and see what is best for them and us. We will come up with a recipe
that will hopefully give us the success that we are looking for.”
On the ability that Jason Taylor has to stop
the run:
“He is still very strong. He is a tough and
disciplined player. I think he is savvy and strong enough. We will
find out as we go into the season. Obviously, we felt strongly enough
about him that we were able to invest the draft picks and the finances
to bring him here.”
Redskins Defensive Line Coach John
Palermo
On Jason Taylor as a player:
“His reputation precedes him. I have seen him
over the years. He is a great football player and asset.
On what makes Taylor so good:
“He has experience, athleticism, and is a proven
pass rusher that has done so consistently over the years. He is also
a quality person.”
On losing two defensive ends on the first day
of training camp:
“It kind of blindsided me. I really got
emotionally attached to Phillip Daniels in a short period of time.
His loss for the season obviously bothers me because he is not only a
great football player, but a great man. When Alex Buzbee got hurt,
his Achilles popped practicing punt protection. I do not know how you
explain things like that, but unfortunately they happened and now we
have to be able to move forward.”
On his initial reaction to the Jason Taylor
trade:
“It is obvious that the better players you have,
the better coach you are. I am still distraught about the injuries to
Phillip Daniels and Alex Buzbee, but we have to move forward. But to
be able to plug someone in that quickly who is such a good player
makes you feel good as a coach.”
Redskins Defensive End Andre Carter
On his reaction to the injury of Philip
Daniels and the acquisition of Jason Taylor:
“The loss of Phillip Daniels was definitely a key
loss, especially how it happened. That is the training camp blues,
unfortunately. Bringing in Jason Taylor is definitely a blessing. It
is another addition to the defensive line that will help us stop the
run and get after the passer. Having him on the other end is a great
deal.”
On what the acquisition of Jason Taylor will
add to the defense:
“That will open things up as far as having the
four-man rush. Throughout the end of the season they were doing a lot
of two-man protection with the tackle and me. Having Jason Taylor on
the other side will open things up for the both of us, as well as the
tackle. Somebody is going to come free and have one-on-one
opportunities versus the pass.”
On if he anticipated the trade being made:
“When something like this goes down, especially
when your main starter gets hurt, you know somebody is coming in. It
is just a matter of who it is.”
On the possibility of switching to left end:
“If that happens, then that would probably be the
coach’s call. I played left side in the past, even though it has been
a few years. It is better to learn now than have to later during the
season. I am just optimistic about it.”
On a player the quality of Jason Taylor coming
to the Redskins:
“Having a guy like Jason Taylor, with the level
of production he has had throughout the years and his leadership, will
be a big boost for us on defense. We are all excited.”
Redskins Defensive End Phillip Daniels
On his initial thoughts at the time of the
injury:
“I knew it was pretty bad. I didn’t know whether
it was a hyperextension or if I hurt something. I really didn’t feel
anything pop. I grabbed it and I had a lot of pain. When I got up
and couldn’t put any pressure on it, I realized it was probably worse
than I thought. Everybody thought it was just an injury that I
usually come back from and that is what I was thinking too. I was
hoping for good news, but it turned out that I tore my ACL.”
On what he thought about when the injury
happened:
“I didn’t have a whole lot of time to think. I
got showered and went straight to the MRI. When I got there I was
hoping for good news. I gathered myself and got a little sleep while
I was in the MRI, but when I came out the look on the doctor’s face
told me a lot. He didn’t want to say anything in front of the guys
that were there. When he came out, I looked at him and asked him how
serious it was and he didn’t say much. I knew right there it was bad
news. In the hallway he told me and I just broke down and cried a
little bit to get that out the way. It’s tough because I went through
this offseason and trained hard. I trained harder than I have ever
trained in my life. This was going to be my year to come out and do
some great things for this team and get this team to the Super Bowl.
It hurts the most that I trained so hard and now it’s gone. I will be
here and be around the guys, coaching them, and helping them out.
It’s good that we have Jason Taylor out there to come in here and take
my place to help this team get to the Super Bowl. Jason is a proven
player who has done a lot of great things in this league and it’s good
that he was sitting there. Dan Snyder [was able to] go out and get
him and help us get to where we need to be.”
On the support he has gotten from his
teammates:
“It means a lot. My teammates are my second
family. I am around these guys most of my life in sports. It hurts
the D-line because I lead all the drills. Demetric Evans said it best
yesterday. When I wasn’t there to lead the drills, it really set in.
The coordinator said he doesn’t usually cry, but I think he shed some
tears yesterday. And I cried so much earlier that I couldn’t cry
anymore. It was one of those things where I am glad my teammates
supported me. I appreciate all the concern and prayers. James Thrash
prayed for me just before I went to the MRI. I thought it was going
to be good news, but it wasn’t. What am I going to do from here? I
am not going anywhere. I am not going to be done. I am still going
to play. I am going to rehab hard and come back. Everybody says that
I am 36 next year, but I am still young and I still feel good. I felt
great going into this year and I am still going to feel great about
rehabbing. Everything I do I do hard. I am going to come out here
and train hard. Whether it’s playing or coaching, we will see.
Hopefully I get another opportunity to finish my career on a high note
and not end it this way. That is the one thing I thought about. Do I
want my career to end this way? I really don’t. But if it does end
this way I have had a great career and I have done a lot of good
things. I am going to trade hard to come back.”
On the news of Jason Taylor coming to the
Redskins:
“It was great to hear that he was coming in here
and helping us out. He is a great pass rusher and was the NFL Player
of the Year a couple of years ago. For him to be sitting out there
was perfect, really. If I had to have anybody to come take my place I
would want a guy like him who is proven and has done some great things
in this league. He can get us to the Super Bowl. I told the guys,
‘Don’t feel sorry for me. The one thing you can do for me is get us
to the Super Bowl and win it and I will be happy.’”
Redskins Offensive Lineman Jon Jansen
On Jason Taylor as a player:
“Jason Taylor is a player that studies the game,
and you cannot just play him one way. That is why he is such a great
player.”
Redskins Fullback Mike Sellers
On the acquisition of Jason Taylor
“We are happy. After Phillip Daniels went down,
we did not know what to expect. We know this will mean more sacks for
us, which will give us a chance to get the offense on the field more
often.”
Redskins Wide Receiver Antwaan Randle
El
On the Jason Taylor trade:
“It means a lot for an offense because he has the
ability to cause turnovers. It helps the team out, and we are happy
we got him.”
On the play of wide receivers Devin Thomas and
Malcolm Kelly:
“Both of them bring speed and an ability to get
the ball when it is in the air. They have responded well when they
have been put in the fire. They have shown up and been where they
were supposed to be.”