Hello blog readers. You must be a serious Skins fan to be reading this!

Your Skins are back in pads and back on the field...also back are the questions of how the team will be this year and all the predictions. Let me be the jerk: give it a rest for a few weeks.

Let them gel and get used to a new quarterback in Jason Campbell. It's almost an insult to ask him if he has jitters or worries about being "the" guy. He did that on a pretty big stage at Auburn. Yes, this is the NFL, but I'd think the pressure of 4 or 5 crazy 300lb lineman trying to break your neck is the same whether it's college or NFL. Let Jason have a few practices before we start worrying that a few of his long throws were a little too long. Having a whole camp under his belt should be much better than being thrown into the starting role as it was last year. In the few occasions I've had to talk to Jason off-camera (as a person not a quarterback) he seems like he's a genuine, down to earth guy. A little patience with him will pay off in the long run.

As a photog, I arrived at the first practice pretty early and nearly took the parking spot of Gregg Williams, the head of the defense. Coming out of his car he asked me if I was ready for this [camp to start] and I told him I'm just glad WE don't have to be in shape for camp...and he agreed, patting his belly. He always walks with confidence even though he would be the first to tell you his side of the ball fell short last year. They also did not add any front line pressure through the draft or free agency, instead using those options to add to the secondary and linebacker positions, respectively (Laron Landry, London Fletcher). I've heard the sports talkers question whether those were smart moves---passing on getting a big body to pressure the quarterback. Remember, the sports yackers need something to yack about. Let's see if what they already have up front can be productive when healthy. Let's see if Andre Carter can pick up where he left off last year and build on it. Williams constantly exudes confidence and with last year's exception, his defenses have been pretty respectable. Give it at least a couple of preseason games before we call anything out too hard. I hope you had a chance to see our coverage of Coach Williams command in day one of practice: 40 up-downs for the entire defense. Landry and anyone else who joins the defense late will be subject to the same on their first day (if Simeon Rice didn't pass his physical for Tampa Bay, do you think he'll be able to do 40 Gregg Williams up-downs?).

As for a current "no-name" to watch, I'd say look for #40 Pete Schmitt. We did a story on him back in minicamp, partially because he's a division three college player trying to make an NFL squad, which doesn't happen too often. The other reason is because he's from my home state of Wisconsin and grew up one town over from my mom. After years of playing tight end in high school and for UW-Whitewater, he arrives to camp and is asked to play full back---something he's never done before. So he tries it for the next practice and the fullback in front of him on the depth chart gets hurt, now he's the guy right behind Mike Sellers at FB. He's been a skins fan since the age of 5 or so because he didn't get what he really wanted from Santa. Seems they ran out of Packer jerseys, so his folks got him the next best thing---or what was available: a Doug Williams jersey, Skins helmet and pads (see the attached picture, his brother is on the left).So from age 5, he's dreamed of being in the NFL and now he has his chance. Even a spot on the practice squad or special teams would be huge; another down to earth guy worth rooting for.

I'll try to give you some more behind the scenes info as the camp marches on if the heat doesn't destroy my computer. Maybe next time a description of our fine broadcast facilities at Redskins Park.