Corner Shawn Springs was a former draft pick and star for the Seahawks and knew new Redskins head coach Jim Zorn a tad from his time in Seattle. Springs was enthusiastic about the possibilities but expects significant change in the offense.
"The offensive guys better be ready, I'm telling you it's going to be different from what they're used to. The way they ran practice and the whole philosophy of thinking is entirely differently. This system is all about speed, the quickness, the timing getting in and out of practice, from what I remember."
Springs said Zorn's roots under Mike Holmgren should serve him well:
"I like the fact that Coach Holmgren and his staff were extremely confident and extremely well-organized. I learned so much from them in practice. We had a learning period in practice. I learned so much from being those offensive coaches and Jim's been around enough good people that he'll bring in some good guys with experience, and I personally think he can do some things. I know he worked his quarterbacks hard, but we'll have to see what kind of coach he is."
Springs compared the efficiency and organization of Seattle's offense to the way Gregg Williams ran practices here when he was assistant head coach - defense. Privately, many players complained about the lack of special situations and late-game situations in practice sessions under Joe Gibbs.
"How Gregg was organized that how they were organized on the offensive side of the ball in Seattle.
They're going to be aggressive on offense; they're not going to clam up. They're going to continue to push to score."
Springs said he had just begun to talk to teammates but thought the overall reaction would be one of relief and hope.
"Guys will be excited that we've got a coach, for one, and you can't argue the fact that he's coming from a system where they're coming from winning. Not all the prestige that Coach Gibbs had, but being around Coach Holmgren, that's pretty impressive."
Shawn Springs Reacts To The Hiring Of Jim Zorn - Redskins Insider
Sounds pretty optimistic.. Subtle dig at Gibbs conservatism bolded but all in all he sounds excited about Zorn.