Day Four Highlights: Trent Williams Is The New Chris Samuels

Trent Williams Draws Comparisons To Chris Samuels

The last time the Redskins drafted an offensive tackle in the first round, he turned out to be a ten-year starter and six-year Pro Bowler. If Trent Williams can do the same, Washington's offensive line just might be in pretty good shape.

John Keim of the Washington Examiner won't be surprised if this turns out to be the case. He had this to say about Trent Williams this morning:

I really, really like how strong his base is and how well he uses his arms. I remember when Chris Samuels first came to camp and you could just tell the kid would be good because his fundamentals and skills were just different. Williams is the same way. We don’t know how well he’ll prepare, but that’s the only question I have at this point. In terms of talent, he’s legit.

Battle For LOLB Position Heats Up

Andre Carter had a career year in 2009 as the right defensive end, recording a career high in tackles with 62, and adding 11 sacks. With the Redskins switching to a 3-4 defense though, and Brian Orakpo being a lock to start at right outside linebacker, Carter was predicted by many to be either cut or traded.

The former seventh overall draft pick had something different in mind though. After playing exclusively on the second team defense for the initial three days of camp, Carter split time with Lorenzo Alexander at left outside linebacker with the first team today. According to Rich Campbell of Fredericksburg.com, Carter hasn't looked out of place so far.

Carter will have to answer questions about his abilities in pass coverage, and he did exceptionally well on one play this morning. Carter dropped from the line of scrimmage when TE Fred Davis released and drove hard to undercut the route after Davis stopped. Carter dove and broke up the pass. Well done.

Devin Thomas Is Probably Better Than Your Average Third String Receiver

In their third year in the league, the forever connected Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly have been lining up as the third string wide receivers. On a team that only expects to keep five or six receivers, but has almost a dozen in camp, Thomas and Kelly cannot expect to just skate by as they apparently have done the previous two seasons.

Kelly's chances to make the team this season may be running out as he continues to miss time with a hamstring injury. But Devin Thomas has been impressive the past two days, and is looking to make a move up the depth chart according to Jason Reid of the Washington Post.

His nifty catch on a go route, against tight coverage, was the highlight of 11-on-11 drills. Thomas, who may be battling Kelly for a spot on the opening 53-man roster, demonstrated improved concentration overall.

Coach Mike Shanahan noticed.

"Nice catch he had, especially on that big go route," Shanahan said. "He's had a couple good days."

Thomas was Santana Moss's most frequent partner in the starting lineup last season, but has been behind Joey Galloway and Roydel Williams on the depth chart so far this summer. Look for that to change shortly.

You May Want To Get To Know Ryan Torain

All the talk this offseason has been about the vast collection of veteran Pro Bowl running backs on the Redskins roster. There's been much debate on the rankings of Clinton Portis, Larry Johnson, and Willie Parker, as well as whether or not the team should continue to pursue adding Brian Westbrook.

The name that you don't often hear though is Ryan Torain. The third year pro had one touchdown and 69 yards on just 15 carries under Mike Shanahan in Denver in 2008, but according to Rich Campbell, he might not be far behind the veterans on the depth chart.

On one run today, he looked to run between the center and left guard, but the hole quickly closed. In one natural motion, he shifted left one gap—like if you hit “L1” for all you Madden Playstation players out there—and sprinted through for a nice gain...

Maybe I’m not noticing Parker enough, but he’s not standing out at all. And when it comes time to discuss who makes the team, consider that Torain contributes on special teams.

Torain has also been one of the many players to get a shot at returning kicks. If he can make an impact on special teams, Torain's chances of staying with the team might not be so slim.