Shame isn’t only available during the regular season. It’s an option under the white practice bubble at Redskins Park in the second week of June. Cameras may be off, but teammates and coaches are watching. When 311-pound offensive guard Spencer Long catches a touchdown in front of you during a fake field goal, they notice. Afterward, following a defender’s “fat-guy-touchdown” protocol is key. First, deflect as if not understanding the question. Second, turn to the side to stifle laughter. Third, pass the blame.
“That wasn’t my guy,” strong safety Jeron Johnson said. “I was trying to help. I barely hit the ball because, I thought since he was a big guy it would come out. I guess I have to be a little bit more aggressive.”
Long’s surprising score Tuesday during the Washington Redskins’ final open organized team activity launched the linemen into a bevy of belly-bumping celebration. They jumped the best they could.
Johnson went back to his safety spot on the opposite side of the line from where the touchdown was scored. He’s part of a back-end overhaul for a lamentable Redskins defense. There’s a new defensive coordinator (Joe Barry) and new cornerback (Chris Culliver). But, at safety, it’s a full redo.
Johnson signed a two-year deal in the offseason, opting to leave the Seattle Seahawks after four seasons. He was a backup there when the starters were healthy, then an option at strong and even free safety when they were not. He left Seattle with the flat goal of starting for the Redskins, an option he knew was not available in Seattle behind all-pros Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas.
The Redskins also acquired free safety Dashon Goldson for a sixth-round pick in the offseason. Goldson is a 30-year-old, two-time Pro Bowler who was named first-team all-pro in 2012. Goldson was sent out of Tampa Bay to save the Buccaneers money against the salary cap. He’s under contract until 2017, though has received the guaranteed $18 million his original contract called for.The Redskins have flexibility when managing him.
Strong safety Duke Ihenacho, signed then sidelined during last season because of a fractured heel bone, has been starting alongside Goldson in practices open to the media. He is on a one-year deal and grappling with Johnson for the starting strong safety spot.
Also in the mix are holdovers Trenton Robinson and Phillip Thomas.
What’s most clear mid-summer is that the Redskins will have two new safeties. Ryan Clark retired and erratic Brandon Meriweather was not retained. Both currently being out of football explains the success the Redskins had at the position last season.
Johnson and Ihenacho are both California natives who played college football in the Mountain West Conference at the same time. Johnson was at Boise State and Ihenacho at San Jose State. They find themselves sharing time as the Redskins’ starting strong safety through the early practices.
“There’s no animosity,” Ihenacho said. “We understand the nature of the business. We understand it’s competition and somebody has to play. He comes from a winning program and two years ago I came from a winning program.”
“There’s a job on the line and we both want it,” Johnson said.
Ihenacho was cut by the Denver Broncos at the start of last season after previously starting for them. The Redskins, desperate for safety help, claimed him Aug. 31, 2014. His move to Washington was sudden. No training camp, no extended time with the playbook, just sign, practice and go. Ihenacho said he feels that he would have been starting at strong safety by the end of last season if he had not been hurt.
Johnson’s move has been smoother. He settled his housing needs over the phone and email from California, where he spends the offseason, after signing. He was able to come to Virginia before camp started and is learning a playbook that is new, though not radically altered, for everyone on the roster because of the change in defensive coordinator.
“A lot of it is just football at the end of the day,” Johnson said.
Gone is the festive atmosphere of Seattle’s lakeside practices with music pumping and players dancing. Johnson knew only one way of doing things in the NFL prior, and that was the Seahawks’ way. He’s learning how coach Jay Gruden operates and is adapting to the new voices of strength in the lockerroom.
“I’m actually working on getting Jay to play some music at practice,” Johnson said. “He seems like he’s a little into it. We’ll see. It’s a good environment here. You can tell they’re trying to change things around from the previous years.
“I’m still getting a feel for the guys around here. But, for the most part, you’ve got some of the same characters but different names. You got a lot of the same type of people so to say.”
If Johnson is the backup, then the Redskins have a player on the bench who has been to consecutive Super Bowls. If Ihenacho does not start, they have a strong safety who was starter during the regular season and was the Broncos’ starter when the Seahawks beat them in Super Bowl XLVIII. No matter who starts, the Redskins feel they have significant positive change at safety. There’s little option for the position to go in the other direction after last season.
• Todd Dybas can be reached at tdybas@washingtontimes.com.
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