THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, December 27, 1994 TAG: 9412270168
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ASHBURN, VA. LENGTH: Long : 112 lines
Norv Turner sounded more like a Marine recruiter than head coach of the beleaguered Washington Redskins Monday as he talked about how to rejuvenate the team that finished its season at 3-13.
Despite calls from fans and media for wholesale changes, Turner insisted that when it comes to the team's personnel, he's looking only for a few good men.
``The tradition of the Washington Redskins still draws players,'' Turner said when asked if back-to-back seasons of 4-12 and 3-13 don't make it harder to entice the type of free agents who could instantly improve the team's fortunes.
``I think the players understand better than the fans and media how close (the good and bad) teams are.
``I want players who'll say, `They're just a player or two away from winning, and I can make that difference in them winning those games.' ''
Nine times the Redskins led entering the fourth quarter. They lost eight.
That was the biggest disappointment of Turner's first year, he said, and where the most improvement needs to come for Washington to be a playoff contender.
``The way the league is structured now, the ability to win close games is crucial,'' he said. ``The ability to find players who make plays to win in the last two minutes - on both sides of the ball.''
Turner conceded the Redskins don't have enough ``elite'' players - ``players among the two or three best at their position in the league.''
More than restructuring a defense that ranked near the bottom of the NFL, finding talent at every position is Turner's offseason goal.
``It is easy to say you've got to draft defense, defense, defense,'' he said. ``We have to improve our number of elite players. We've got to evaluate players and take ones we feel are truly the best throughout.''
Which means that, despite Turner's Monday pronouncement that he wants Reggie Brooks to have the ``best opportunity to be our primary runner'' next season, if the Redskins have, say, a runner like Penn State's Ki-Jana Carter rated atop their draft-day board when they use the fourth pick in the first round, they'll take him.
It also means Turner will put up with a lot of second-guessing if a defensive player the caliber of Miami's Warren Sapp or Florida's Kevin Carter are passed by.
Turner's thoughts on other subjects:
HEATH SHULER - The rookie quarterback, whose rating improved from 37.7 his first five games to 75.8 his last six, will vacation in January.
He will then return to Redskin Park for physical conditioning under strength coach Dan Riley and daily film study with quarterbacks coach Cam Cameron.
``It'll be mid-March or April before he's back on the field and working on the things we feel he needs to do physically,'' Turner said. ``Unfortunately, he needs to play games. We can simulate as best we can game conditions in minicamp, but he really needs a full training camp, and preseason games.''
Turner cited Shuler's 39-yard completion to Desmond Howard Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams as an example of the rookie from Tennessee's development. The Redskins scored from a yard away on the next play.
``It's a timed route,'' Turner said. ``He had to drive the ball 35 yards in the air, throw to a specific spot, stand in the pocket against their pressure. He couldn't make that three weeks ago.''
Turner observed that Shuler matured as a player and a person during the season, especially when he was benched for four games following five interceptions against Arizona on Oct. 16.
``There was a realization that this was a very difficult level to play at, that there wasn't much margin for error,'' Turner said.
``After he didn't play after the Arizona game, after he had five weeks to be away, to absorb more of the offense, then he was more focused than before.''
DESMOND HOWARD - The third-year receiver's name never came up in conversation Monday, considered a good sign that the former Heisman Trophy winner's 40 catches, 737 yards and 18.2-yard average are enough for him to return next season.
It just might not be at the $1.7 million he is scheduled to earn.
The Washington Post quoted ``league sources'' as saying that the Redskins so far have shown the most interest in drafting a wide receiver in the first round. Fleet J.J. Stokes of UCLA, at 6-foot-3 the tall receiver Turner covets, should be available then, as well as Colorado's Michael Westbrook or Ohio State's Joey Galloway.
With Henry Ellard and Tydus Winans set to come back, there almost certainly won't to be room for Howard and another high-priced first-round receiver unless Howard takes a pay cut.
FREE AGENCY - If the draft will be used to find talent, then free agency will be used to plug specific weaknesses.
``The first thing is to look at the list of names and say, `I want him, him and him,' '' Turner joked. ``But after that, we're going to have to look at film and see how they fit in.
``It isn't enough to say you need to sign four guys. We need to evaluate our players and see where they fit in and where they're going.''
The team's most obvious needs are at wide receiver, safety, defensive end, tight end and running back.
THE SCHEDULE - In addition to home-and-away games with NFC East foes Dallas, Philadelphia, Arizona and the New York Giants, Washington plays the new Carolina Panthers, Seattle, Detroit and the Los Angeles Raiders at RFK Stadium, where the Redskins were 0-8 in 1994. They'll play the Buccaneers (wherever they're located), Denver, the Rams (wherever they're located) and Kansas City on the road.
HIGHS AND LOWS: Brian Mitchell finished as the first Redskin to lead the NFL in punt returns since Speedy Duncan in 1971. He broke one NFL and four Redskins records and tied the team mark for most punts returned for touchdowns in one season (2). . . . Linebacker Ken Harvey finished second in the league in sacks with 13 1/2. . . . The Redskins tied their club record for fewest opponents' fumbles recovered with six. . . . Washington is the first team since the 1985 Saints to have more return touchdowns (seven) than rushing touchdowns (five). . . . Sixteen-year veteran linebacker Monte Coleman, whose tackle on the last play Saturday against the Rams probably was the last of his career, was in Philadelphia today auditioning for an upcoming movie starring Bruce Willis. by CNB