THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, August 28, 1996 TAG: 9608280610
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: REDSKINS BREAKDOWN
Third in a series
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 103 lines
The Washington Redskins didn't have to wait until the 1995 season ended to know they needed to improve at wide receiver and tight end. One afternoon in Kansas City was enough.
Starters Henry Ellard and Michael Westbrook were out with injuries. Leslie Shepherd, who kicked around the NFL for three seasons before sticking with the Redskins, opened with the first unit. So did Tydus Winans, a draft pick from the year before who was struggling.
Shepherd caught two passes before taking a knee to the head and leaving the game. In came Olanda Truitt, another NFL nomad.
The results were predictable.
Shepherd, Winans and Truitt combined for three catches for 49 yards. Rookie tight end Jamie Asher, playing his first NFL game, led Washington with three catches for 42 yards. Kansas City won 24-3.
``We made up our minds that day,'' coach Norv Turner said. ``Strengthening our receivers was a priority.''
With the season opener against Philadelphia four days away, they have succeeded. What they don't know is by how much - a measure largely dependent on Westbrook.
When he was healthy, last year's No. 1 draft pick showed signs he could soon join the league's elite all-around receivers. He is 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, blocks like a tight end, runs like a halfback and can make the most difficult catch look simple. His leaping grab of Gus Frerotte's badly thrown ball just before the half against Denver was one of the highlights from '95.
But he also participated in just 46 percent of Washington's offensive plays. He already has missed two preseason games with injuries and is listed as day-to-day for the opener.
``Last year, I didn't know what I was doing. So any time I missed was a big setback for me,'' Westbrook said. ``This year, I know my books.''
Some in the organization question his dedication. A couple of weeks ago, a TV camera showed him laughing it up with some teammates during the final stages of a 28-7 loss to Cincinnati, a game in which he did not play. He said he was reacting to Turner's reaction to a lame play a rookie made. The coach accepted the explanation, but added that he wished everyone would concentrate on the game, not his reaction to the game.
``I think that comes with growing up,'' receivers coach Terry Robiskie said. ``When you get young guys coming out of college, a lot of time they come in and are in awe of the whole deal. I think he's grown up a little bit, he's become a more mature player and a better football player.''
If Robiskie is right, Washington's receivers should be a match for most in the league.
In free-agent Bill Brooks, Washington added a player with 566 receptions and no signs of slowing down. Last season in Buffalo, Brooks led the Bills with 53 receptions for 763 yards and 11 touchdowns. It was the third consecutive season he surpassed 50 catches and ninth time in 10 seasons.
``You know what you're getting when you sign a Bill Brooks - a guy who's lost a little speed, but makes up for it in the precision of his routes and his ability to get open,'' general manager Charley Casserly said.
Technically, Brooks is listed as the team's fourth receiver, after Ellard, Westbrook and Shepherd. In reality, it'll be a toss-up whether Brooks or Shepherd starts if Ellard or Westbrook can't play.
The Redskins think Shepherd is the ideal third-down receiver - too small at 5-11, 175 pounds to absorb punishment down after down; too fast and shifty for the nickel defensive back on most teams to handle.
Despite missing two games with injuries, Shepherd caught 29 passes and averaged 16.5 yards per catch last season.
``I'm much more comfortable with what's going on than I was a year ago,'' Shepherd said. ``I knew right away what the coaches wanted and where I fit in.''
Turner's decision to start Frerotte at quarterback should delight Ellard, who begins his 14th season, third in Washington. Ellard's last reception of 1995, a 21-yard pass from Frerotte, sent him over 1,000 yards receiving for the sixth time. Although he caught just 56 passes in '95 - his lowest total in four years - much of that can be attributed to Washington's quarterback dilemma. Frerotte and Ellard meshed in a way he and Heath Shuler never did.
``I like to push the ball downfield, get Henry running, put the ball on his chest and see him take it in,'' Frerotte said.
Last season, four Redskins tight ends combined for 39 catches. Asher, the second-year pro from Louisville, should eclipse that mark by himself. He has become much of what the Redskins have been looking for at that position. He is an improved blocker, though not as good as Scott Galbraith and James Jenkins. Thus, Washington will man the position by committee.
What Asher does better than any Redskins tight end since the late Jerry Smith is catch the football. Turner showed how important Asher could be by throwing him enough passes to be the team's leading preseason receiver.
``Jamie has done what we asked of him and I think we're very comfortable with what he gives us,'' Turner said.
Asher will be even more of a weapon if Washington's receivers play up to their abilities, especially a deep, down-the-middle threat like Westbrook. Asher could then take advantage of the uncovered territory underneath to catch passes that keep drives moving.
``It's a solid group,'' Frerotte said. ``We've got a big-play man in Westbrook, a great third-down receiver who can get deep in Shepherd. And then there's Ellard and Brooks; solid guys who run their routes the right way and are going to get open.''
NOTE: The Redskins on Tuesday announced the signing of linebacker Alcides Catanho. To make room on the active roster for Catanho, the Redskins released linebacker Terry Crews. Catanho was claimed off waivers from New England. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
Michael Westbrook by CNB