It’s hard to take a lot from this kind of session, but among a few interesting tidbits from Wednesday:

● Look for Houston Bates to carve out a role for himself as a core special teams guy. He’s on almost all of the units, and coordinator Ben Kotwica really likes him. Bates likely will see some time here and there on defense as an extra pass rusher, but special teams is where he will likely make his mark this year. He’s quick, aggressive and has good instincts.

● Jamison Crowder will remain the top punt returner, and it looks like Rashad Ross is getting the first crack at kick returner, although guys like Dashaun Phillips, Chris Thompson, Crowder and Keith Marshall also could get a chance to audition for the role.

● Colt McCoy got some action as the holder on the field-goal unit. Tress Way will remain the main holder, but it’s always good to have someone else prepared for this role.

● Place kicker Dustin Hopkins had a strong day, making 8 of 9 of his field goals, including attempts from 55 and 63 yards out.

● Probably the most entertaining aspect of camp took place on a separate field as the quarterbacks and quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh and Jay Gruden engaged in a little contest in which they attempted to throw fade passes into a trash can. Cousins appeared to win it with two passes into the can, while his fellow quarterbacks came close several times. Believe it or not, Cavanaugh hit the trash can a couple times. Gruden’s throws were in the neighborhood, but not quite as close.

With a full week of action in the books, this seems like a good time to take stock on where things stand. Here are some aspects that have stood out:

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● Kirk Cousins has been solid so far, and without question, he has a firm grasp of the offense. During a brief chat after this morning’s walkthrough, Cousins said he’s encouraged by how the first week has gone, and that he and his teammates and coaches have covered a lot of material. His main focus right now is mastering all the nuances of the game and how to properly respond to unexpected wrenches the defense throws into plans. “The basic design of the plays has always been understood from Day 1, but there’s so many nuances in football and unique situations that come up, only experienced quarterbacks are able to navigate properly,” Cousins explained.

“So, just continue to be put in those situations and have to react and make quick decisions and make the right ones is what I’m continuing to dwell on and why practice is so valuable.”

Cousins’s accuracy in the mid-range game has been on point, but he has work to do on the deep ball. Cousins said he’s not concerned by the underthrown deep balls. Although he never stopped working during the lull between minicamp and training camp, there’s nothing like actually working with his teammates.

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“Just practicing,” he said on the key to sharpening things up on those deep passes. “We had five weeks off and I wasn’t throwing to guys that run 4.3 [second 40-yard dashes] during that time, so it takes time to get back on the same page. We’ve only had five practices, but I feel good about it.”

● Will Compton has without question established himself as the tone-setter on defense. Like Cousins, he has worked a lot to gain a grasp his unit’s system and pick up on all the little details and challenges an offense throws his way. Compton does a great job of putting his teammates in position to make plays. More than once now, we’ve seen him react to an audible called by Cousins and signal for the defense to switch things up, and then see his unit properly execute and thwart the offense’s attempt. A lot of study time has gone into this, and it’s paying off. Compton has come a long way from undrafted practice squad member, to special teams contributor, to defensive field general.

● Crowder has flown under the radar because of the attention devoted to Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson, who both are entering contract years, and the injured Josh Doctson and Jordan Reed. But Crowder is quietly having a really good camp. He looks sharp, he routinely makes plays. Defenses will devote a lot of attention to Reed in the mid-range game because it’s no secret that he’s the go-to guy for Cousins. But Crowder has a chance to have a really impactful year. He recorded a franchise-record 59 catches as a rookie despite learning on the fly. Now, with a year of experience and better understanding of coverages, Crowder could put up even bigger numbers.

● There are still a lot of questions about this defense. Kendall Reyes is starting to emerge as a run stopper and pass rusher. He needs to become more consistent, but as his understanding of the defense has improved, he seems to be playing faster. He has generated a push on that right side of the defensive line, but needs to wreak more havoc. And the team needs another edge rusher to emerge. Is it Bates, Lynden Trail or Willie Jefferson? Or, is that player not even on the roster yet? I haven’t seen anything to make me really feel like this defensive front has definitely gotten better. I know the decision-makers were banking on Junior Galette, Preston Smith and Ryan Kerrigan teaming up to help mask some deficiencies along that defensive front, but now that Galette’s done for the year, they’re waiting for some players to become more disruptive.

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● Perry Fewell has an interesting situation on his hands at safety. He has a lot of guys with NFL experience, but very little game experience at safety. Of his top four candidates, Duke Ihenacho (a fourth-year veteran) has the most experience with 15 starts, but Ihenacho also has missed the past two seasons with injury. David Bruton Jr. (eighth year) has five career starts; DeAngelo Hall (13th year) has started a lot as a cornerback, but has only five starts at safety; Will Blackmon (10th year) has zero starts at safety after switching from cornerback this offseason. Fewell told me that he loves the knowledge all of these guys have about coverages and reading quarterbacks and receivers, but he knows they all badly “need seasoning.” Every preseason snap will be important for these veteran players’ development as the Redskins try to solidify the back end.

Surprises of camp

● Cornerback Greg Toler – Versatile, instinctive and disruptive. He looks right at home in this defense and should earn a roster spot if he keeps playing like this.

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● Tight end Vernon Davis – He appears to have more left in the tank than last year’s very quiet year in San Francisco and Denver would suggest. I expected to see a washed-up guy who couldn’t get separation or make plays, like some aging tight ends in training camps past. But Davis has gotten open a fair share of times, and he also has looked better as a blocker than expected. Very interested to see him at game speed.

● Cornerback Kendall Fuller – After a slow-going offseason (trainers held him out of a lot of action as he further strengthened his surgically repaired knee), Fuller has jumped right into the mix in camp. He’s seeing quite a bit of first-team action at nickelback. He’s a lot like Kyshoen Jarrett last year in that he is a quick learner, seems to already have a good feel for his role, and possesses good instincts.

● Wide receiver DeSean Jackson – We all know Jackson loves to make plays in games, but practice has never been his forte. But he has gotten off to a strong start in training camp. Fueled by the budding in-house rivalry with Josh Norman and an uncertain future (he’s a free agent after this season), Jackson is getting after it. The deep ball is his calling card. But he seems more crisp and effective on short routes than he was last year.

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Need to see more

● Outside linebacker Preston Smith – He’s worked on his body to become faster and stronger. But I was expecting to see more explosiveness from him. He hasn’t given Trent Williams any real problems in their matchups. Yes, Williams is a perennial Pro Bowl left tackle, but Smith needs to become more of a handful for Williams and then carry that over into the season, where he must rack up a lot of sacks.

● Wide receiver Josh Doctson – Obviously, he can’t get on the field with a bad Achilles’ tendon. But he and the team’s medical staff need to get this thing figured out and resolved as soon as possible so Doctson can start getting some valuable practice reps. Fortunately for the Redskins, they have lots of weapons and don’t desperately need Doctson. But still.

● Defensive end Stephen Paea – Signed last year to a four-year, $21 million contract, Paea has yet to look like the disruptive interior lineman Scot McCloughan thought he was getting. Paea has spent the first week of camp scrapping on the second and third units, and only on a brief occasion has he lined up with the first nickel unit. The team needs pass-rushing D-linemen badly. Paea would solve a big problem if he can get going.

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● Left guards Spencer Long and Shawn Lauvao – Now the competition can begin since Lauvao’s return this week. The past couple days, coaches have had Long and Lauvao alternate possessions. Thus far, can’t really say one has stood out more than the other. Lauvao is knocking off rust, so that’s understandable. Long has looked solid, but I wouldn’t classify him as dominant or a lock to start.