Olivadotti: "We do it a little bit different than some people. The strong side linebacker is basically, he is our guy to the tight end side -- that's all that strong side means. Depending on what team you are playing, some teams run a lot to the tight end, some teams run a lot away from the tight end. So it depends. Both our outside linebackers have . got to be big hit guys, and that's what we need from them. Everybody's got to be great tacklers, but our mike linebacker, its designed that he is gonna make the most tackles."

What is it that makes, in your opinion, an effective strong side linebacker, especially when you're looking to fill a starting spot?

Olivadotti: "Really, to be honest with you, you look at what you got, and who your best eleven are, and you make your defense fit your best eleven, to be perfectly honest. And I know that's not the sexy answer that everyone wants, but that's what we need to do as coaches is, 'Okay, here is our best eleven, and that's who we are going to get on the field. This is what they're good at, these are their limitations,' and you go from there. What each guy can do differs from week to week. You just try to put guys in the best positions to be able to be productive."


You've got guys at all levels out there -- team veterans, league veterans who are new to this team, rookies, guys who are changing positions ... how do you handle the mixture of coaching inexperienced players and experienced players?

Olivadotti: "At this time of year, nobody knows anything, and you start from square one. You know, you can only eat the elephant one bite at a time; some guys are at a different level than other guys are. But every year you have to start like you are starting brand new, and you start with the fundamentals of how to do things, and the basics to be able to at least put a Redskins jersey where a Redskins jersey is supposed to be.

"Start there, and then teach them how to go from point A to point B, physically, and then start getting into C, D, E, and F, as opposed to trying to get all that stuff done. Alignment, assignment, you hear coaches say that stuff all the time, but to get aligned, you've got to know what to look at, and then you've got to know how to move. We try not to overcomplicate it, because if you are moving fast, you are moving better."

Would that apply to any position group in your opinion, or just to the linebackers?

Olivadotti: "Yeah, there is always a jumping-off point, there is always a starting point. Probably, for me personally as a coach, when I try to go to C, D, E, and F too quickly, that's when there's more hesitation and you end up having to go back to A and B, most of the times, at least in my experience. You just start with A and B and just make sure that the guys that are playing for you understand how to get to C, D, and E, but if they don't understand A and B, there's no way."

When I used to teach it was the same thing. You assume the class learned some basic in a previous class....

Olivadotti: "And then you have to go back to something you thought you covered two weeks ago, and it's the same thing. That's my degree, I'm a teacher. I know how that one works".

So do you think you bring a more educator-like perspective to it?

Olivadotti: "It's definitely teaching. I mean, that's what it is, it's teaching physical skills and mental skills also. And the other thing, it's teaching a subject matter that everybody is interested in. It's not like I'm up talking about Algebra 2 to a bunch of people that don't care about algebra.

"I'm talking football to a bunch of football players that are getting well compensated to play football, and we all want to be here. So it's easier than being a teacher. My wife, she's a teacher. Now, teaching a fourth grader something a fourth grader doesn't want to learn, now that's teaching."

All right. Let's catch up on some of your specific players, one by one, and where they're at heading into this preseason. Rocky McIntosh?

Olivadotti: "Rocky is having a good offseason. You know, Rocky has worked hard this offseason. Traditionally, everybody says, two years out of a major knee injury, you're always a little bit better. Rocky looks good right now, I'm pleased with where he's at. He is doing well; he's doing well in the meeting room. He has a lot more personality than people give him credit for."

[NOTE: Hopefully, anyone who reads this blog is well aware of McIntosh's personality. If not, may I recommend these 240,000 entries.]

London Fletcher.

Olivadotti: "London is London. He's gonna be consistent -- some of [his first days at OTAs] have proved that he is here for a reason. We all need practice, and some of the things he is doing is he is still catching up. But, London is London.

"He's got all those years of experience, and they do count. It's not like with some guys you have, they're in their first year for the eighth time. That's not London; London has stacked up good experience."

Burying the big question: Brian Orakpo and his progress at linebacker?

Olivadotti: "Brian has done his part: he's trying to get better. He understands what we're trying to do with him, both with Coach Palermo and myself. He understands, I think, why we're trying to do it. He knows that some things, it's not all about being in the exact most comfortable position that he is used to being in, but right now is the time to see if we can get him comfortable doing some things, in order for him to be the most effective all the time. He has made progress each day -- he and Chris Wilson are kind of in the same boat on that: they find new and creative things to screw up, but they don't screw up the same things over and over, which is a good thing."

How is Chris Wilson's transition going?

Olivadotti: "He is making the transition, and all that stuff up on the board" -- and here he gestures to a white board that's covered with, literally, Xs and Os and arrows -- "that was Chris and I going over something that he didn't quite understand. Chris is putting in the time, and he is studying the film, he is putting in the time there too. I think he's excited about the change. He's gonna put himself in the position to be competitive."

Robert Thomas, who came into the league as a high pick and now finds himself sort of a journeyman type....

Olivadotti: "Robert is a professional guy. He comes in -- and he probably doesn't know that I notice it, but he is in here a lot. And he is out in the meeting room a lot by himself, making sure that he knows everything. And I'm putting a little more pressure on him, because he is playing a couple different things. He's doing a nice job, and he has really engulfed himself into our defense to try to learn it, because he understands the urgency, and he knows that he can't make mistakes and be a competitor. And he has done a nice job understanding and trying to learn on defense."

Rookie Robert Henson?

Olivadotti: "Robert, he's another one who is excited. And with all those rookies, they have to understand that there are a couple different levels, kind of like we talked about, A, B, C, D, E and F. You know a guy like H.B. Blades, knows the C, D, E, and F, where as Robert right now is trying to get the A and B, and he doesn't even know that the C, D, E and F exist yet.

"So that's kind of where he is at right now, where as a guy like H.B. knows the A and B, and that's almost like second nature to him at this point. And that's where we are at with him. He's doing a good job, he's working at it, but he has some stuff that he has to get better at.

"But he understands that, which ... that's half the battle. He's not one of those guys who says, 'Shoot, I got this down' and just sits there and puts his pen down and doesn't work anymore."

All right. I think you've touched on most of them, and I know you have things to get back to. One last thing, quickly: is there anything you do off the field? Any hobbies?

Olivadotti: "My hobby is probably my family, mostly.

"I do ride a bike around, and crash on that every once and a while. I'm not like Z-Man [Coach Zorn]; he's real mountain biker. I've got like a big old Tonka truck that I'm very proud of. It's a single-speed mountain bike, and I love it. I just go and try to find an off-road thing and kill myself on that every once in a while. Usually flip and I've hit some deer out in the trail."

Wait, you've actually hit deer with your bike?

Olivadotti: "Actually, no, I didn't hit the deer; I just avoided the deer and hit a tree. So I didn't actually hit the deer. But, I guess that'd be the closest thing to a hobby. We have a two year old, and my wife's expecting, so mostly when I get free time I just hang out with them, and we have a lot of fun."

So you don't bike with the head coach and the President of the United States?

Olivadotti: "No, I'm not on that level. I'm intimidated. I look at [Zorn's] bike and I get the shakes, 'cause his bike is out of my league. Mine is above what you'd get at Target, but it's not to the point where, you know, you're spending thousands and thousands of dollars on it."