2018 Training Camp Preview
July 25, 2018
by Steve Thomas
Well, folks, we made it. The long offseason is finally coming to an end, and we are on the cusp of legitimate, no kidding football starting up again in earnest. This offseason seems to have dragged on forever, for some reason, but starting this Thursday, we have legitimate football to watch, dissect, and analyze for the next 6 months. Speaking as someone who does a Redskins show and writes for a website, it feels very good to be past the #content weeks (and weeks, and weeks) and on to real football. This team has quite a bit to prove and accomplish this year, so without dragging on and on, we thought we’d give you a bit of a preview of what to expect.
Schedule
The current training camp schedule is below – please note that the schedule can and sometimes does change, so pay attention to updates and verify the times before you leave for Richmond. We may or may not publish all practice time updates here, so check with www.Redskins.com for the most current information.
Thursday, July 26 9:45 a.m. Practice / 4:40 p.m. Walkthrough
Friday, July 27 9:45 a.m. Practice / 4:40 p.m. Walkthrough
Saturday, July 28 9:45 a.m. Practice / 4:40 p.m. Walkthrough
Sunday, July 29 9:45 a.m. Practice / 4:40 p.m. Walkthrough
Tuesday, July 31 9:45 a.m. Practice / 4:40 p.m. Walkthrough
Wednesday, Aug. 1 9:45 a.m. Practice / 4:40 p.m. Walkthrough
Thursday, Aug. 2 9:45 a.m. Practice / 4:40 p.m. Walkthrough
Saturday, Aug. 4 ^ 1:30 p.m. Practice
Sunday, Aug. 5 9:45 a.m. Practice / 4:40 p.m. Walkthrough
Monday, Aug. 6 9:45 a.m. Practice / 4:40 p.m. Walkthrough
Tuesday, Aug. 7 1:35 p.m. Practice
Saturday, Aug. 11 1:35 p.m. Practice
Sunday, Aug. 12 * 1:35 p.m. Practice
Monday, Aug. 13 * 10:35 a.m. Walkthrough / 3:00 p.m. Practice
Tuesday, Aug. 14 * 1:35 p.m. Practice
^ = Fan appreciation day
* = Joint practices with the New York Jets
Note that unlike recent years, the padded practices are in the morning, and the walkthroughs are in the afternoon, so plan accordingly.
This is important: YOU MUST HAVE PASSES TO ATTEND. They are free. Don’t be “that guy” who travels all the way to Richmond without a pass. Click here to get your passes.
This year, the Redskins have a multitude of different “theme days” during camp:
July 28 Military Appreciation Day Presented by GEICO Military
July 29 Think Pink
Aug. 4 Fan Appreciation Day
Aug. 7 Kids Day
Aug. 11 Social Media Day Presented by NBC Sports Washington
Aug. 14 Youth Football Day
If you’re interested in any of those, plan accordingly. There will also be a number of offsite events for fans, including:
July 24 River City Golf Classic at Magnolia Green Golf Club (you’ve already missed this)
July 26 Redskins Training Camp Kickoff at The Veil Brewing Company 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Aug. 1 Celebration in the End Zone 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. (click here for info)
Aug. 9 Redskins Rally Southern Railway Tap House 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 10 Redskins Day at Richmond Flying Squirrels 7:05 p.m.
Aug. 11 Saturday Social at Gus’ Bar and Grill
Except as noted, we don’t yet have any additional information on the offsite events, so keep an eye out for more details.
The preseason game schedule:
Game 1: Thurs, Aug 9, 7:30 pm ET: Redskins at Patriots; TV – NBC4 & NBC Sports Washington
Game 2: Thurs, Aug 16, 8:00 pm ET: Jets at Redskins; TV – ESPN
Game 3: Fri, Aug 24, 7:30 pm ET: Broncos at Redskins; TV – NBC4 & NBC Sports Washington
Game 4: Thurs, Aug 30, 7:30 pm ET: Redskins at Ravens; TV – NBC $ & NBC Sports Washington
If you want to study the team roster, click here.
If you want salary cap information, click here.
Training Camp storylines
Some things to watch for in training camp include:
Alex Smith assumes the reins at quarterback. Smith takes over for the departed Kirk Cousins. How well and how soon Smith is effectively integrated into the Redskins’ offensive system will be critical to the season, particularly in the early going.
Derrius Guice as franchise back. Running back Derrius Guice has come to DC with a ton of hype and out-of-this-world expectations. If Guice can fulfill his draft status and become the bell-cow running back the Redskins have lacked since the departure of Clinton Portis, the offense instantly becomes much more potent and dangerous. If things are going to go well early, we’ll be able to see it in camp. If the Redskins start the regular season without Guice as the principal go-to back, and it’s instead going to be more of the same rotation as the past two years, that won’t be a positive development.
Improvement along the defensive front seven. How well Jonathan Allen returns from injury, and whether Allen, newcomer Daron Payne and linebackers Zach Brown and Mason Foster can mesh and begin to form something of a legitimate run-stopping capability is key and something to watch for.
Roster battles in the defensive backfield. Josh Norman is ingrained as the #1 corner, there will be battles for both the #2 starter opposite Norman and for the primary slot corner position. The Redskins have a significant number of corners battling for spots this year, so this is probably the best battle to watch. Read Jamual’s corner position group breakdown here.
Richmond Information
If you want further information on what to do in Richmond during your visit, you can listen to our interview with Ms. Anedra Bourne, Tourism Coordinator from the City of Richmond (click here) from June, 2016. Other links and information:
RICHMOND INFORMATION LINKS: www.visitrichmond.com; www.visitrichmondva.com
RICHMOND TRAVEL PACKAGES: You can buy a travel package for your trip to Richmond. Click here for more information.
CITY OF RICHMOND’S BON SECOURS TRAINING CAMP WEBSITE: Click here for all of the Richmond-related information you may need.
PARKING: The City of Richmond has helpfully provided all of the parking information you will need, including a map: click here.
DIRECTIONS: Directions to the Bon Secours Training Center, provided by the City of Richmond: click here. The City of Richmond’s Transit System (click here) is the City’s public transit system in and around the area, and it will be available for those who want to utilize their services.