Ok, this blog has been all web and no log today, so here's a little bit of news that just came over the transom: the Redskins signed two undrafted free agents today, both University of Maryland guys: offensive lineman Andrew Crummey and tight end Jason Goode.

Crummey is 6-foot-5, 301 pounds and was a second-team all-American last fall. Goode is 6-3, 238, and had 36 catches for 401 yards and three TDs in his College Park career. And as a bonus, both players have an extraneous "e" in their last name.

That's it for now ...

JReid reports:

Quarterback Jason Campbell has what the team described as a minor hamstring injury.

"He just felt it grab, it didn't pull all the way," Coach Jim Zorn said yesterday after the last of the team's three organized team activities at Redskins Park. "He was feeling his hamstrings all along, and I think it's because I have him" bending his knees more to stay at one level while dropping back.

Obviously, Zorn was not pleased that Campbell was injured, but "just the fact that different things are happening to his body ..... for me it's good," Zorn said. "He'll regroup. He's not a chronic hamstring-puller in my mind. He's going to be fine." ...

Running back Clinton Portis (minor hip injury) sat out practice. Zorn theorized that the injury could have occurred when Portis and safety LaRon Landry raced against each other Sunday.

The Redskins fired director of security Jon Bean, on Monday, according to team sources, cutting ties with one of the more well-liked people among the coaches and players. Bean's release came one day after rookie tight end Fred Davis went missing on Sunday - including that day's minicamp practice, however, a club official said that any move the team may have made with Bean was unrelated to Davis or any other player.

Several people within Redskins Park believed the timing of the firing was in some way related, given that it came on the heels of this incident, but, again, the team denies that. Bean, reached on his cell phone, declined to comment on anything other than to thank the Redskins for the opportunity to work form them and stating his desire to now "move on." Bean was a police officer in PG County for 25 years and was trusted and respected by the players and coaches he helped protect.

The Redskins stepped up security measures immensely when Joe Gibbs arrived as coach/team president, having more security personnel present as a general matter. Given the heightened awareness to terrorism, etc., the director of security position carries heavy responsibilities on a day-to-day basis and I would imagine the team would not have the position vacant for long.

From JReid:

Wide receiver Antwaan Randle El, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Tuesday, just popped into the Redskins Park media room on crutches. He said the procedure, in which loose cartilage was removed, went well and he hopes to return for the resumption of organized team activities June 2. Have to head to the practice field now. I'll provide more details after today's practice. Oh, excuse me, today's OTA. Later.

First of all, I wanted to take a moment while I can sneak it in to thank all of you who have taken the time to email to wish my family well upon the passing of my mother-in-law, Nan Kelly, last week. You are all far too kind and we greatly appreciate it. Also, wanted to give a huge shout out to the folks at the Washington Post, specifically my editors, Emilio and Cindy, who have been tremendous throughout this ordeal and allowed me to take care of the kids while Lauren traveled to be with her mom a lot the last few months. Nan was like a second mother to me - none of the mother-in-law clichés ever applied - and a very special person who had a way of influencing me in a positive manner seemingly without trying. We all miss her dearly, but know she is in a better place.

While on the topic of family, also wanted to send all of my best to the Snyder family, and I urge you all to do the same through prayer or whatever manner works for you. Cancer is something that touches us all at one time or another - its tentacles unavoidable - and the news about Tanya Snyder's battle with it is saddening. And, of course, we continue to pull for little Micah Doughty, who has proven already to share his father's perseverance and spirit, as he continues to recover from his kidney transplant. Getting to spend time with the Doughty family around Christmas a few years back is something I will always cherish. They could not have been more welcoming and I'll appreciate that.

As for football stuff, I've been pretty immersed in family stuff the past week, but have been able to pick up the phone a time or two. The Redskins front office continues to take shape, and the team recently signed Eric Schaffer, who oversees the salary cap and aids in contract negotiations, to a new deal, according to sources with knowledge of the situation. The Redskins refused to grant permission to New Orleans to interview Schaffer for their cap vacancy earlier this offseason, and he has been one of the longest-serving members of the football operations staff. The Redskins declined to comment on whether or not Louis Riddick received a new deal. The contracts on many scouts and football operations staff are set to expire this summer, and Vinny Cerrato promoted Scott Campbell ahead of Riddick earlier this offseason.

This just in from Jason Reid:

I just got a call from the agent of Redskins tight end Fred Davis, the team's second pick in this year's NFL draft who caused quite a stir by missing the last day of minicamp on Sunday.

Adam Heller of DeBartolo Sports wanted me to know that any rumors about Davis being someplace he shouldn't have been Saturday night are untrue. Heller said Davis was at the team hotel and simply overslept, as the team said on Sunday.

I'm headed to the Comcast SportsNet studios right now to do Washington Post Live and will provide more details later on.

JReid has been trying to send this for about 45 minutes....Computer gods are angry today, my friends....

Starting wide receiver Antwaan Randle El underwent arthroscopic knee surgery yesterday and is expected to return for the Washington Redskins' second session of organized team activities that start in June, Coach Jim Zorn said.
Randle El, who sat out the start of OTAs on Monday because of his knee injury, had what Zorn described as a "fairly minor" procedure to remove floating cartilage in his knee. If there are no complications from the surgery, Randle El should be fully recovered in a few weeks, Zorn said.
The last of this week's three OTAs, which are closed to the public, is scheduled today at Redskins Park. The OTAs, of which there are 11 scheduled, resume June 2. Randle El could take part in the final eight.
"He'll be here for the next set of OTAs," said Zorn, who did not mention Randle El's upcoming surgery in his daily meeting with reporters Monday.
"This should be a three- to four-week deal, I think. I haven't heard any report. This is just what the preliminary thoughts were when they went it."

It's that time of year -- comings and goings farther down on the depth chart, but I know you guys want all the info....
The Redskins announced that they've signed QB Derek Devine, the 6-3, 222-pound former Marshall QB who signed as a rookie free agent with Seattle in 2007 and was released before the season, and safety Patrick Ghee, who also signed as a rookie free agent with the Seahawks in 2007 and was released before the season. Carolina signed him to its practice squad Dec. 26; he played at Wake Forest and is 6-1, 210.
The team also announced that it has released DE Alonzo Dotson, QB Bret Meyer, S Kevin Mitchell, and S Justin Scott.

Jason Reid on the Fred Davis Incident:
Some draft evaluators reported that USC tight end Fred Davis exhibited poor work habits and made questionable decisions at times. But the Redskins considered Davis to be too talented to leave on the board as they prepared to make the 48th overall pick in last weekend's NFL draft.
Questions arose anew about Davis's decision making after he missed the final practice of minicamp on Sunday. The Redskins said Davis simply overslept. Attempts to contact Davis were unsuccessful, but Davis's brother, Kedran, also said that Davis overslept after a late night out on Saturday.
Davis spoke with Coach Jim Zorn on Sunday and apologized for behaving unprofessionally, and the Redskins said the matter would be handled internally. After the Redskins completed their first OTA on Monday at Redskins Park, Vinny Cerrato, Washington's executive vice president of football operations, said that Davis got the message.
"The biggest thing is, as long as they learn from their mistakes, that's the biggest thing," Cerrato said. "The kid felt awful. Jim got a chance to talk to him and Jim's handling it internally. I've talked to his agents and the kid feels horrible, which he should.
"Anytime you miss anything, to me it's important. Especially when you're here to ... he's making his first impression. Do what's right. He made a mistake. Now, he's got to fight back from the mistake."
Although it is only minicamp, Davis impressed when he did participate. He displayed the receiving skills that helped him win the Mackey Award, which is presented to the nation's top tight end, as a senior at USC, making several nifty catches in 7-on-7 passing work.
Cerrato was aware of the talk surrounding Davis before the draft. But USC Coach Pete Carroll, who worked with Cerrato in the San Francisco 49ers' organization, persuaded Cerrato that Davis was the type of player who could help the Redskins.
"We checked him out thoroughly and we were fine with everything," Cerrato said. "I talked to Pete a couple of times. There was never any big issue. I know he missed something and [he was suspended for the 2005 Orange Bowl as a freshman]. I think, a lot of times, you go away from home, you get homesick. He's from Ohio and he went to California.
"Young guy like that in college ... you mature. When he got comfortable with his environment, he matured. He was a freshman. I was homesick when I was a freshman, too. I think it's just a maturation process, a learning process, and he has to learn from his mistakes."

With Jasno out, we thought we'd send a rookie of our own to minicamp...Here's the view through Paul "P-Ten" Tenorio's eyes:

So, Jim Zorn made it through his first minicamp as head coach of the Washington Redskins without getting punched in the face by any reporters, a positive in his opinion but not the only positive to take away from the three days of practice.
Zorn got to work implementing his version of the West Coast offense, and it's obvious it will be an offense that opens things up. Just watching the offense work, whether it was in shadow drills, 7 v. 7s or full team, you could see the differences in philosophy and sense that things will be more "aggressive." By that I mean, well, I'll steal from Antwaan Randle El here, the offense doesn't look like it will be as "handcuffed." At times, there were five receivers running routes -- something that hasn't been seen too often in Washington in recent years. Fred Smoot laughed when asked the last time he saw five receivers running out in front of him. "Hey, man, it's been a while. We didn't do that under Al [Saunders]. But you know, right now we got it going." Center Casey Rabach agreed: "I think we're definitely going to open some stuff up this year, obviously, and get some verticals down the field and hopefully make some big plays."
Zorn was around the quarterbacks for nearly the entire practice, working on different things from drop backs to throwing while rolling out in space, and, of course, the Madden-esque Pilates ball drill. There's no doubt he looks like a great teacher, and those around him have said as much, but it'll be interesting to see how he balances his time with the quarterbacks to take a look at the rest of the team. Zorn conceded that he didn't get a chance to see the linemen work other than when they were in contact drills with the rest of the team, and I'm not sure if he saw much of any of the other individual workouts. It was a minicamp, so this is the time for Zorn to work as much as he can with the QBs, no doubt. Still, how well he manages those duties with his head coaching responsibilities bears watching.
The defense has much less of a learning curve, "we basically just picking up where we left off," Smoot said. And you could see them flying around to the ball at times -- as evidenced with LaRon Landry "chasing down" Clinton Portis from behind on a screen play, or when he nearly crushed Santana Moss as he caught a pass coming across the middle from Jason Campbell. Landry looked very impressive, often nodding his head towards his coaches as if to say "I read that one all the way."
As was written in a notebook today, the thing to keep an eye on will be the defensive line and the health of the veterans. The decision not to draft a defensive end, like Phillip Merling or Calais Campbell, in the higher roundsl means the Redskins are gambling that Daniels, 35, will stay healthy. Daniels sounded confident that he was headed toward a good year (and yes, I know it's just May). He has jumped up nearly 20 pounds, he said it's the first offseason in a while in which he didn't have surgery, and he said he expected to bring enough of a push that he'd be facing lots of double teams. That all sounds well and good, and maybe he will have that type of year, but there is no disputing the fact that this line is getting old and the team will need to find some young players in the mold of Montgomery and Golston during camp. Players like Buzbee and the rookie Rob Jackson will certainly have the opportunity to prove themselves in camp and earn a roster spot.
Of course, the weekend ended with two polar opposite events. First, a fun 40-yard race between two of the most important pieces of the franchise, Portis and Landry, and I think Smoot summed up everyone's relief when he shouted while walking inside, "And we ain't got no pulled hamstring neither."
Then there was the Fred "Without a Trace" Davis drama. It's interesting; certainly, to hear the Redskins say the rookie overslept. While that may be the case, there are questions surrounding the episode. Why didn't his roommate -- whom Davis' brother spoke to -- wake him up? Why did it take so long to locate the kid if he was just oversleeping in his room? Did he request a single room? Obviously, there are probably some parts of the story that are being lost in this whole "he overslept" explanation.
Regardless, the point is: He missed his third day of work as a Washington Redskin. Not the best first impression to make, especially as a high second-round pick. The Redskins have to hope this is just one lapse in judgment, one mistake. And hey, it'll probably be something people look back on and laugh. But it's still something worth discussing and it's something worth keeping an eye on. And yes, I'm sure the rook will be taped to a goalpost as sort of a lesson from the veterans that, "If we have to wake up on time and get here, I don't care if you're on West Coast time, you better be here 20 minutes before me."
All in all, though, I think the Redskins got done what they wanted to get done with three days of practice in early May: They got an opportunity to get players on the field in front of a new coach and let him see exactly what he was working with. They got a chance to install parts of Zorn's West Coast offense. And, as if they didn't already know it, they were reminded that Landry and Portis are fast.
Zorn said the organized team activities, which begin today, will be less intense but are important as the team continues to install his offense. And come training camp, when things really start getting intense, there will be plenty to watch (in case you forgot, stuff like defensive line depth, offensive line depth, wide receiver development, Campbell's growth in the WC offense, punter competition, Zorn's ability to get a handle on everything, etc.).

It's the day after minicamp, the first day of OTAs and we'll have a wrapup and news of the day later...I want to answer quickly a question that came up over the weekend and promptly got lost in the drama surrounding Fred "Without a Trace" Davis. Someone asked why Zorn opted not to have a second minicamp (which is something first-year coaches are allowed to do). Because the Redskins have an extra preseason game, they'll go camp earlier than usual, probably by the third weekend of July.
Here's an item from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette you'll be interested in. Some of this we knew last season:

Clark honors Taylor

Ryan Clark wanted to switch jersey numbers this season, to wear No. 21 in honor of his murdered friend and former teammate, Sean Taylor.

The NFL said no, so Clark must stick with his No. 25 in games, but he has worn No. 21 in minicamp practices this weekend and will continue to do so throughout the 2008 season to honor Taylor.

"I tried to change my number this year, but the NFL wouldn't let me," said Clark, who overcame the loss of his spleen and gall bladder last season to return to the No. 1 spot at free safety this weekend.

"They kind of gave me the run-around about it -- if you do change a number after having it so long and there are jerseys made, you have to buy the other ones. I tried to do that, but they never really got back with me. It is a veteran rule, about having a number for so long. When you go to another team, it's a little different.

"So I'll just wear it in practice."

Clark, who joined the Steelers as an unrestricted free agent in 2006, played two seasons in Washington with Taylor. They both joined the Redskins in 2004 and became starters that season. Clark, as a free agent from the Giants, was the strong safety and Taylor, the Redskins first-round draft pick, was the free safety.

The two hit it off.

"I was a little bit older and I was the first guy he really played with," Clark said. "We became kind of close. He came to my house, met my parents. I met his fiance. Actually, his fiance and my wife are still really good friends."

Taylor was shot during a robbery in his Florida home Nov. 26, 2007, and died the next day. Clark took it hard.

"I did but his daughter's doing well, his fiance's doing well, so, how can I not be OK, you know what I mean? I just generally cared about him. To this day, I still think he was the best defensive back I ever played with, that I ever saw in person."

Clark was twice denied the opportunity to wear the No. 21. Complications from his sickle cell trait in the high altitude in Denver in October caused him to lose his spleen and end his season. A month later, all NFL players wore a No. 21 sticker on their helmets to honor Taylor.

"When everybody got the opportunity to wear the No. 21 on their helmet, I didn't," Clark said. "So it's kind of just my little tribute right now because I didn't get the opportunity."