Washington Redskins defensive coordinator Jim Haslett said free safety Oshiomogho Atogwe will return to the starting lineup after missing the last two games with knee and toe injuries. Meanwhile, starting strong safety LaRon Landry said he expects to play as well.

Atogwe practiced fully Wednesday without suffering a setback and was expected to practice Thursday.

“O.J. will play this week,” Haslett said of Atogwe. “We feel good about that. Just [being able] to see him at full speed….”

Atogwe signed with the Redskins as a free agent during the offseason and has started six of the team’s nine games (missing one with a knee injury and two more after aggravating the same knee and hurting his toe). He has recorded 28 tackles and an interception.

Landry said he will play Sunday despite missing Wednesday’s practice with soreness in his left Achilles’ tendon. Yesterday marked was the second straight Wednesday that Landry didn’t practice, but he said he was just playing it safe.

“As of right now, just precautionary. I feel comfortable about this week and going into this Sunday’s game. Worst case scenario, they’ve got [rookie DeJon Gomes] backing me up, and he’s been doing a phenomenal job. But I feel comfortable with myself and the gameplan.”

The Redskins’ patched up defensive backfield faces a stern test from the Ravens’ talented stable of receivers.

With O.J. Atogwe and Josh Wilson returned to the lineup, Washington are close to full strength in the secondary. The unit will need to be at its best to counter the threat posed by Anquan Boldin and Lee Evans.

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco may not be the most accurate passer in the game, but he is one of the league’s best when it comes to delivering the deep ball.

The Redskins have looked vulnerable to the long pass play during preseason. Jim Haslett’s coverage schemes will need to look a lot more convincing tonight.

The regular season is fast approaching and tonight is another chance for the Redskins to demonstrate their offseason improvements versus respected opposition.

The first team units may get more playing time, so this evening’s contest should provide a more accurate depiction of the Redskins’ progression. 

NFL.com reports that quarterback John Beck worked extensively with the first team during practice on Sunday. Recovering from a groin injury, Beck is anxious to see action in the Redskins’ second exhibition game against the Indianapolis Colts.

It will be important for Beck to do all he can to take the field against the Colts. Rex Grossman’s strong showing against the Pittsburgh Steelers has given him the early edge in the Redskins’ quarterback battle.

Grossman delivered a smart and efficient performance against the Steelers, completing an impressive 19 out of 26 passes for over 200 yards.

Grossman’s familiarity with the system of offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and greater pro experience makes him seem like a safer option than Beck.

It says something about the uncertainty surrounding Beck that many Redskins fans would probably feel more comfortable with Grossman under center, but Mike Shanahan has praised Beck’s qualities more than once during the offseason.

The Redskins head coach will be eager to see what the offense is capable of with Beck calling the signals.

Beck will need to demonstrate that he can protect the football and play within the system as coaches will want to know how quickly Beck can establish a credible rapport with his receivers.

The Colts provide a good test for Beck. Their Cover 2 schemes will force the inexperienced trigger man to make sensible decisions with the football.

Quarterback remains the biggest question mark for the Redskins heading into the new season. Failure to resolve the issue will undermine whatever improvements the team has made along the offensive line, in the running game or on defense.

In the seasons that immediately followed the previous two work stoppages in the NFL history books, the Washington Redskins won the Super Bowl both times. I hope you didn’t stop reading at the end of that sentence and empty your bank account on the ‘Skins in Vegas, because the third labor battle will not be as charming for fans of the Hogs.

On the bright side, there’s a lot to be upbeat about in Washington. The team rid themselves of two massive headaches in the condensed offseason, sending washed-up, overpaid quarterback Donovan McNabb to Minnesota and lazy, overpaid defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth to New England.

It was the epitome of addition by subtraction, as the locker room is a much healthier, happier place with those two mistakes out of sight and out of mind. The ‘Skins also worked some addition by addition, re-tooling a defense that is on the right track.

But despite being a free agency winner and having a generally positive offseason, Mike Shanahan’s boys still have a long way to go.

2010 in a nutshell: They start strong, but don’t win a game in regulation after Week 7, finishing 6-10 and in last place in the NFC East for the third consecutive season.

Three predictions for 2011:

1. The defense will be much better: The numbers weren’t pretty in 2010. They finished 31st in total defense, 31st against the pass and 26th against the run, but I’d still consider them to be a unit that bent without always breaking. Ultimately, three division winners — Indy, Philly and Seattle — surrendered as many as or more points than the ‘Skins did last season. Consider, too, that it was the defense’s first campaign adjusting to Jim Haslett’s 3-4 formation — something that usually takes a year or two.

2. They’ll make a lot more plays: Again, we’re really focusing on the defense here. In fact, it might be better to consider this prediction 2-A. The team did a great job improving the personnel on that side of the football this offseason. O.J. Atogwe and Josh Wilson are upgrades and should complement DeAngelo Hall, LaRon Landry, Reed Doughty and Chris Horton in a deep secondary. Free agent acquisitions Stephen Bowen and Barry Cofield will boost the defensive line (watch out for Jarvis Jenkins, too) and rookie Ryan Kerrigan should make the linebacking corps better. If Brian Orakpo can continue to progress into a star, there’ll be a lot of big plays coming from this defense.

3. They’ll have a hard time scoring points: Okay, I got the good news out of the way, now it’s time for the bad news: Rex Grossman is battling John Beck for the starting quarterback job. It’s really disappointing that Shanahan and the front office neglected to address the quarterback situation in the offseason, but now they’re sending those guys out there to work behind a young and mistake-prone offensive line, throw to a batch of unproven receivers and hand off to the likes of Tim Hightower, Ryan Helu and Ryan Torain. From afar, it appears the offense is in complete disarray.

The final word(s): I think they’re on the right track, but there are far too many holes that still have to be filled and the roster is quite young for a team trying to prepare in an abbreviated offseason. Plus, the rest of the division is just too good. They’ll be a 6-10 or 7-9 team once again.

With the Philadelphia Eagles more jacked than Chris Evans in Captain America, poised to take control of the NFC East in 2011, Washington Redskins quarterback Rex Grossman had no choice but to remind everyone of who the team to beat really is.

The Redskins?

Really, the team that went 6-10 last season and parted with its starting quarterback this offseason, that team?

The same team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2007; the team that is just 12-28 over its last 40 games?

It goes without saying that Grossman’s comments represent the feeling of almost every player on a mediocre ball club in preseason.

He isn’t the only Redskins quarterback, or player for that matter , ho expects to contend in 2011. Football players are confident men who don’t hope to win, but expect to.

But after Grossman delivered this gem in an interview with Comcast SportsNet on Tuesday at Redskins training camp, we have little choice but to put Rex and the ‘Skins back in their place:

“Nobody’s talking about us. That’s right where we want to be. You look at us from top to bottom out here, there’s a bunch of great players. And we don’t need people saying we’re the best right now, but when it’s all said and done, I really feel like this team’s gonna win the East.”

Here are five reasons why Grossman is way out of line when he says the Redskins are going to win the NFC East in 2011.

Read More: Kedric Golston (DE – WAS), Barry Cofield (DT – WAS), Vonnie Holliday (DE – ARI), Stephen Bowen (DE – WAS), Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins

The Washington Redskins added depth to their defensive line on Wednesday, bringing back five-year veteran free agent Kedric Golston, according to Golston himself. He was said to have drawn interest from the Dallas Cowboys, among other teams. 

The terms of the contract are not yet clear. Golston will likely take the place of recently traded lineman Vonnie Holliday in the defensive rotation, behind probable starters Stephen Bowen and Barry Cofield. 

Golston has played his entire career with the Redskins, dating back to 2006, when the Redskins took him in the sixth round of the NFL Draft with the 196th overall pick. He is 28 years old. 

This is a smart move by the Redskins’ brass. Golston will help provide continuity to a defense that has received a major overhaul this offseason, and is more than capable of filling the role it appears the Redskins intend for him to fill. With this move the front office is likely close to finished assembling next season’s defensive line group.

For all your NFL free agency rumors, visit this StoryStream. Also, be sure to check out SB Nation’s Redskins blog Hogs Haven.

ASHBURN, Va. – Talking for the first time this offseason, Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan addressed the media at Redskins Park regarding a wide range of issues.

The most talked about issue? The quarterback situation, of course.

Shanahan seemed certain that last year’s backup turned starter Rex Grossman would definitely be back in the fold in 2011. Grossman appears to be the only competition standing in the way of contender John Beck.

“Yeah, I do expect him [to return]“, Shanahan said. “I know they have to go through contract stuff, and we’re trying to get him. I want to get him in here, and these guys to compete, and play the best one.”

And like the majority of quaterback competitions, it will take some time to sort itself out, Shanahan says.

“The competition is going to take a while, ” Shanahan urged .”Especially since we haven’t been able to evaluate them throughout OTAs. Even if we do sign Rex [today], he still can’t practice till a week from now.”

Until next week comes, Beck will be getting the vast majority of the first teams reps prior to Grossman’s expected arrival in camp.

Once Grossman comes in the quarterback competition, which is expected to be the top storyline this training camp, will begin in earnest.

For more on the Redskins, visit Hogs Haven.

(Sports Network) -

REPORT DATE: July 28th

SITE: Redskins Park, Ashburn, VA

CAMP OBJECTIVES: Mike Shanahan’s first camp as Redskins head coach took on a
circus-like atmosphere, and such a scenario could play out again with two
disgruntled high-profile players — quarterback Donovan McNabb and defensive
lineman Albert Haynesworth — still on the offseason roster. Washington may
have found a quick remedy to one of those problems, however, as reports
indicate that the team has a deal in place to trade McNabb to Minnesota for
low-round picks. His expected exodus creates a battle between untested fifth-
year pro John Beck and one-time Chicago starter Rex Grossman, a free agent
who’s likely to be re-signed, that figures to be the highlight of the
preseason. The Redskins also seem hell-bent on ridding themselves of the
underachieving Haynesworth, a constant distraction during Shanahan’s debut
season in D.C., though finding a taker for the highly-paid malcontent may be a
chore. The preseason will also serve as an audition for 12 players Washington
selected in April’s draft, several of whom could be in line for key roles.
First-round pick Ryan Kerrigan will attempt to convert from a college down
lineman to outside linebacker in defensive coordinator Jim Haslett’s 3-4
scheme, while fourth-rounder Roy Helu may get a chance to unseat holdover Ryan
Torain as the club’s primary running back. Leonard Hankerson, a good-sized
third-round choice out of Miami-Florida, should also get a long look in a wide
receiver corps that was woefully thin a year ago.

PRESEASON SCHEDULE (All Times Eastern):

Aug. 12 – vs. Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 19 – at Indianapolis, 7 p.m.
Aug. 25 – at Baltimore, 8 p.m.
Sep. 1 – vs. Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m.

The Sports Network

The lockout apparently is almost over. So how will the Washington Redskins do this season?

Maybe 6-10. Perhaps worse.

Seriously, who knows? Until free agency passes and draft picks practice, every NFL team is in limbo.

But that won’t keep anyone from guessing. Fantasy league players are scrambling to prepare their rosters as much as Redskins general manager Bruce Allen.

Still, what will the Redskins do this season? If owner Dan Snyder lands three decent free agents, first-rounder Ryan Kerrigan produces and things generally go right, maybe the Redskins will be half decent.

But much of Washington’s season comes down to two people already in town: coach Mike Shanahan and quarterback John Beck.

Shanahan hasn’t overwhelmed anyone with his decision making since he arrived last season. Indeed, his poor management of Albert Haynesworth and Donovan McNabb tarnished his image.

Confidence and arrogance are close cousins, and Shanahan’s benching of McNabb turned into a shell game of excuses. It showed Shanahan wasn’t bulletproof. Haynesworth earned Shanahan’s ire, but both looked bad after a season of sniping.

Did a quiet offseason help Shanahan discover his way isn’t the only way? That old coaches sometimes need new methods? That what worked for two Super Bowl victories in the 1990s won’t necessarily work two decades later? Joe Gibbs certainly learned that before he retired a second time.

This season Shanahan may be judged by Beck’s success. It appears Shanahan believes he can turn Beck into a serviceable starter despite a resume that’s nearly a blank page.

If Beck plays well, Shanahan shows he still has it. If Beck fails, so does Shanahan.

Maybe Beck will become the next Trent Green, who threw for 3,441 yards in 1998 with Washington after throwing only one pass in four previous seasons. Green emerged as a decent passer for seven seasons before concussions curtailed his career.

Nobody knows what Beck can do. He threw a few preseason passes last year just days after being traded to Washington. Shanahan clearly kept Beck out of the season-ender to avoid an offseason of second-guessing. This is the biggest mystery in Washington entering training camp — unless the Redskins sign a free agent quarterback.

It was encouraging when Beck seized the chance to become a leader at the offseason player workouts. It showed he’s not afraid to succeed. Now Beck needs to show he’s good enough, and the Redskins need to find some receivers and offensive linemen to give Beck a chance.

Everything could change before the first snap of training camp. But Shanahan and Beck — and not newcomers — may be the keys to the season.

Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more on Twitter @Snide_Remarks or email mailto:rsnider@washingtonexaminer.com “>rsnider@washingtonexaminer.com.

Washington Redskins players have scheduled their next set of informal practices for June 14-16, special teams captain Lorenzo Alexander said Thursday.

Veterans organized two such practices in April and three last week in order to build camaraderie, introduce new draft picks to the playbook and refresh themselves on the team’s offensive and defensive schemes.

The lockout has postponed the Redskins‘ official offseason program, prevented players from interacting with coaches and kept them out of team headquarters.

About 30 players attended informal practices in April and 40 showed up last week. The workouts were held at a Northern Virginia high school without coaches present.

Despite the informality, players left last week’s three-day set of practices with a significant sense of accomplishment.

“[Last season] was a big learning curve for us, so we knew how important it is for us get back working together,” linebacker London Fletcher said at the conclusion of practices last week. “We’re already more acclimated to the system. Just get back and get the work that we need and implement the rookies just so we can stay sharp.”

The timing of the practices later this month coincides with what would have been the end of the offseason program under normal circumstances.

Players usually have off from mid-June until training camp in late July, but Alexander said veterans might schedule more workouts for July if no end to the lockout is in sight.

“We’ll just play it by ear,” he said. “We haven’t had a lot of time together as it is.”

© Copyright 2011 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.

Last month Washington Redskins QB John Beck was just another guy on the roster and potentially a replacement for QB Donovan McNabb, who isn’t expected to be on the team come the start of the 2011 season. And then Beck went on a media tour where he exuded an incredible amount of confidence and stories began to fly that this is your Redskins starting quarterback.

His media tour garnered plenty of attention over the last few weeks and apparently Beck is becoming an example of how to lead your team in the offseason. ESPN’s John Clayton said this week that Seattle Seahawks QB Charlie Whitehurst could stand to show some of the confidence Beck has.

Clayton referenced Redskins quarterback John Beck, whose situation in Washington has some similarities to that of Whitehurst. Beck, 29, has all of four NFL starts under his belt, but with the Redskins expected to part ways with veteran Donovan McNabb, Beck is vying to be Washington’s starter next season.

Not only is Beck setting up workouts with teammates, he’s exuding confidence.

Exuding confidence is fine and dandy but you just wish that would come from someone that has, you know, actually played a down for your team.

On a hot, steamy day somwhere in the area, the Redskins completed their final player-held workout of the week. The team felt that, while not under ideal conditions, they still got a good deal accomplished in this round of workouts.

Much has been made of the team’s so called ‘QB controversy’ between Rex Grossman and John Beck this offseason. Both took equal snaps today at QB, with things still being unclear at that position. Neither QB flashed in these workouts, as it’s hard to judge performance in these practice conditions.

Afterward, Beck spoke to the media, sharing his thoughts on how the week went for him and the offense:

“[It went ] pretty good.” Beck said.  “I feel like we were able to get back out together and start getting on the same page a little bit more.  [The team] Started talking through plays, that’s a really big thing because when you’re in meetings and in practice, you’re speaking this language of football with each other.”

Beck also noted that even though the team isn’t around the coaching staff and can’t critique themselves as usual, it’s still very important that they were able to get together gain some form of chemistry.

“When we’re all in different states, working out with different players, we’re keeping our skills up but we’re not being together talking that language with each other. [....] We all have to be a unit on offense. The quarterback, the line, the backs, the wideouts, we all have to be working as one. And if we’re not, we’re not going to be our best. “

And should the lockout continue, it seems Beck and the rest of the team are more inclined to do another one of these workouts in June.

“Yeah [we'd workout again in June] .” Beck said, “Most definitely.”