Shanahan getting by with a little help from old friends

When the Redskins hired Mike Shanahan, they weren't just hiring a coach. They were hiring the entire "Bronco way" of doing things from the front office to the playing field. To help Redskins players get a crash course in Shanahan's system, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Shanahan has brought in a number of his old stars to help out.

Terrell Davis showed up, spending more than a week with the Redskins running backs. (Willie Parker apparently hasn't been paying close enough attention.) Michael Pittman has helped out, presumably to help with the finer points of third downs and muscle flexing.

Steve Beuerlein has worked with the Redskins quarterbacks, while former Broncos safety Steve Atwater is in Washington, working with the Redskins secondary.

It's a mutually beneficial relationship. Shanahan gets terrific free labor, while the ex-players get to dabble in coaching without having to truly experience the grind. It's such a great cheap way to help your team, we're surprised more staffs don't take advantage of it.

source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/category/rumor-mill/
author: Gregg Rosenthal