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Redskins Taking It Slow With James
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In addition to James's career-threatening knee injuries, the Vikings also lost young defensive end Kenechi Udeze, who learned in February that he has leukemia, prompting the team to acquire Pro Bowl defensive end Jared Allen from the Kansas City Chiefs in April. After James, 25, recently failed to pass a physical, the Vikings planned to place him on waivers, but the Redskins contacted Minnesota before the waiver process was completed and made a deal.
Washington, which selected only one defensive lineman in the draft -- Kansas State defensive end Rob Jackson in the seventh round -- will send Minnesota its final-round pick in the 2009 draft if James makes the 53-man roster. Had Washington failed to complete a deal before James was put on waivers, teams that had worse records than the Redskins in 2007 would have had a chance to claim him.
James has been reunited with new Washington defensive line coach John Palermo, who coached him at Wisconsin. "I know what's expected from him," James said. "I know what to get done."
Said Palermo: "His senior year, he was as good a football player as I've been around in all my years of coaching." In Minnesota, there were often times when James longed for more support and guidance. Because of his status as a top pick, James's presence was threatening to some veterans, James said, but the Redskins quickly made him feel welcome.
"Coming in as a first-rounder there's a lot of pressure on you," he said. "A lot of guys think because you're a first-rounder, you're going to come in and start. . . . And that's the worst thing to come in as, especially as a rookie with people like that, because you can't get any help. It's kind of like you fend for yourself. It's nice to be around older guys who are not out there to say, 'Hey, there's this new guy coming in.' It's not like that at all. You can learn from these guys. I'm real excited about that."
The 6-foot-4 James, at the request of the Vikings' coaching staff, played at about 275 pounds, he said. The Redskins would prefer that James keep his weight between 255 and 260 pounds. "I played [at] about 255, 260 in college," James said. "I'm excited to get back down to that weight because I think that's where I'm best at."
Comfortable at left or right end, James is "a very instinctive guy who is a natural pass rusher," Frazier said. "He just has a knack for getting to the quarterback, does some things that you really can't teach. He does a great job of using his hands and reacting to what you do as an offensive tackle."
James still has those instincts, he said, and he plans to show the Redskins what he can do to help them. "That's my personality," he said. "Just go out there, feel things and do it fast. That's been my best ability."
