Coach Mike Shanahan was involved in an on-field collision with cornerback Brandyn Thompson during Monday’s organized team activity inside the Redskins’ indoor practice facility.
Thompson plowed into Shanahan while covering a deep pass intended for wideout Pierre Garcon. Shanahan lay on the ground for a few minutes before walking off the field. Team spokesman Tony Wyllie said Shanahan was “not in a condition” to talk to reporters after practice.
“It was pretty bad looking,” inside linebacker London Fletcher said. “Obviously concerned about his safety. He wasn’t able to brace himself for the collision, either. He had his back to the play, so definitely a very scary feeling for a while out there.”
Because of the rain in Ashburn on Monday, the Redskins held their first OTA of the offseason inside their new practice bubble. With 90 players on the roster, Shanahan prefers to use two fields for practice, but there’s only one inside the bubble.
So Shanahan was caught looking at one half of the field near the right hashmark at the 40-yard line when Thompson barreled into him coming from the other side of midfield.
Trainers and players raced to attend to Shanahan. The scene was frantic for a few moments. A cart drove onto the field, but Shanahan did not use it.
“He showed some toughness,” quarterback Robert Griffin III light-heartedly said. “That’s a [benchmark] of our team.
“It was pretty scary, actually, seeing two guys running full-speed smack dab into your coach. We’re glad he got up, glad he was fine. We hope he’s fine tomorrow, because usually hits like that don’t kick in until the next day.”
Davis changes ways after ban
Tight end Fred Davis said Monday he has stopped smoking marijuana following his four-game suspension at the end of 2011 season.
“Just not be around it, you know? It’s not really that hard,” he said. “You can choose to be around it. It’s just like anything, you just got to make sure you make the right decisions and make the right choices and know the worth of how it is to be in the NFL.”
Davis’ suspension probably cost him significant money on the free agent market this winter.
He led the Redskins in receptions and receiving yards when he was suspended, so he was positioned to command a lucrative long-term contract as an unrestricted free agent. The Redskins, however, made him their franchise player - a commitment of only one year and $5.45 million.
He must prove he can stay clean in order to earn a big contract next offseason.
“I guess the lockout kind of made me a little more free with doing that,” Davis said. “That’s probably what it was, all that free time. But I think now I already realized what’s important.”
New QB excites Fletcher
The Redskins’ aggressive pursuit of a franchise quarterback before the draft helped convince linebacker London Fletcher to re-sign with the team this offseason.
“I’m in my 15th season,” Fletcher, 37, said. “To go into another year with not having a quarterback was not very appealing to me. I’ll tell you that.”
Fletcher believes that quarterback Robert Griffin III can help turn the franchise around, even as a rookie. The additions at wide receiver and the return of Fred Davis fuel his optimism.
“I think I like our talent our football team,” he said.
• Right defensive end Stephen Bowen had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in mid-April. He expects to be fully healthy in a few weeks.
• Cornerback DeAngelo Hall was the only player on the roster who was absent from Monday’s voluntary workout. The reason for his absence was unclear. Shanahan did not speak to reporters.
• Rich Campbell can be reached at rcampbell@washingtontimes.com.
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