themurf Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 (photo by Brian Murphy) For far too long, the Washington Redskins were perfectly content to try and buy a championship with overpriced free agents while seemingly blowing off the NFL Draft completely. While the league’s top teams are routinely able to churn out young talent, Washington’s “brain trust” seemed to believe the only way to use a draft pick was packaging it for a past-his-prime veteran. Selling jerseys was always more important than building depth with previous regimes at Redskins Park, so the Redskins were always left with top-heavy rosters that looked much better on paper than on the playing field. Thankfully, those days appear to be gone. Head coach Mike Shanahan might not be perfect,* but at least the front office now realizes that putting time and energy into the draft can be a worthwhile investment. *That, my friend, is an understatement. Sure, Shanahan has two Super Bowl trophies on his resume, but he mishandled the situations involving disgruntled defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth and quarterback Donovan McNabb last season about as poorly as possible. Instead of walking away with just four or five rookies on draft day as has been the case in years past, the Redskins selected 12 players in 2011. And while first rounder Ryan Kerrigan has yet to see much action thus far thanks to a knee injury, the next three rookies Washington drafted have already started gaining attention for all the right reasons. Running back Roy Helu (fourth round) might very well be the team’s next franchise running back. Receiver Leonard Hankerson (third round) seems poised to become the team’s next impact player to come out of the University of Miami. And yet, the player who has stood out the most since the lockout ended* is defensive end Jarvis Jenkins (second round). *As opposed to quarterback John Beck, who seems only capable of making headlines when there is no football to be played. Jenkins hasn’t even stepped onto the field for his first preseason game and he’s already got his coaching staff excited about his future. “I like him,” Shanahan said last week. “He’s quite impressive. At 320 pounds, he can play the run and he can play the pass. He’s got a big upside. You can tell he likes to work. All the things that you look for in a guy, I believe he has.” Shanahan would have said more about the Clemson product, but he admitted he didn’t want to “jinx” Jenkins’s progress. I caught up with Jenkins over the weekend to see what this guy is all about. Here’s what he had to say. Okay, I’ve seen more words written about you since training camp started than any other player on the roster. Seriously, what’s going on here? (Laughs.) “Man, I’m just coming in and working hard,” said Jenkins, who was selected 41st overall in the 2011 draft. “You know, I’m a rookie, but I can’t play like a rookie. I’ve got to come in and show these boys that I’m here to play. I’m very serious about coming in and making this Redskins team better.” Fair enough, but this isn’t a typical rookie offseason. You didn’t have OTAs. You didn’t have minicamp. You just showed up for your first training camp and even though most rookies in your position would have their heads spinning, you’re out here making plays. Explain yourself, man. Click here for the full article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brett81 Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 Great job as always MURF! Keep em coming. HAIL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RabidFan Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 Heard more good things on the radio this morning about Jenkins. Hope that Helu can shine and maybe he and Torain/Hightower can be a 1-2 punch like Jacobs and Bradshaw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LetThePointsSoar Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 Murf - this is my favorite piece this offseason so far. Really excited to see JJ in action. “Man, I’m just coming in and working hard,” said Jenkins, who was selected 41st overall in the 2011 draft. “You know, I’m a rookie, but I can’t play like a rookie. I’ve got to come in and show these boys that I’m here to play. I’m very serious about coming in and making this Redskins team better.” Is it just me, or do statements like this seem to be the NORM from Redskins Park these days? Damn, that's refreshing. Hail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Probos Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 Really excited about this kid as well as Kerrigan. I think the defense will really make some positive strides this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themurf Posted August 8, 2011 Author Share Posted August 8, 2011 Murf - this is my favorite piece this offseason so far. Really excited to see JJ in action.Is it just me, or do statements like this seem to be the NORM from Redskins Park these days? Damn, that's refreshing. Hail. That's actually something Shanahan and friends targeted this season -- players who are self starters, so to speak. They knew this offseason would be tough, so they really went after players who would be motivated on their own to put in the extra effort to make up for all of that lost time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
authentic Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 I'm really looking forward to seeing him perform on Friday. I remember alot of people were mocking the FO for picking him @ 41. I'm sure this is a motivation for him to succeed. Good stuff!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LD0506 Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 That's actually something Shanahan and friends targeted this season -- players who are self starters, so to speak. They knew this offseason would be tough, so they really went after players who would be motivated on their own to put in the extra effort to make up for all of that lost time. Bravo! This is just the kind of fundamental atmosphere change that this team has needed since....... well, ever since Bugeyes started clamoring for attention from anyone with a mic. I understand those that are cynical about our chances this year, but these things pay off in the long run, and can even spark unexpected success where no one gave them a chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackson8919 Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 It really is a nice change of pace to see these good character guys wearing the Burgundy & Gold. We're so used to hearing these big-name guys come in and talk about how good they are. It had become a rarity to hear a player mention the 'w' word (work) until this season. Can't wait to see these young guys develop into good football players. A great read Murf! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mahons21 Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 This guy was a solid pickup, I went to school in SC and have followed Clemson quite closely for the past 6-7 years, since most of my roommates were either clemson or USC fans. Glad to hear he's doing so well, I hope the few posters who whined and whined about us not taking a Paea(for example) instead , will man up and eat their crow if this continues on into real game situations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santana_89 Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 Great article Murf I've been trying to "stay medium" about the rookies and Jarvis Jenkins was impressive in college and to hear day after day he's coming to training camp and standing out for all the right reasons. Gee how can I not have a mancrush (although I am female) ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annonymous Source Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 Great read as always. I remember people were calling him lazy when he missed the team organized practices, and I am glad that he is coming in and trying to prove them wrong. From watching the video of a couple Clemson games he struck me as a better all around player than Bowers anyways, because he was handling multiple assignments per play. He struck me as someone who just didnt get any hype because he was labeled as second billing on his own line. Good luck to him, and hopefully he will be contributing in October. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Idaho fan Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 Great interview! Thanks! Getting goosebumps - can't wait to see Jenkins and Kerrigan play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boston Skins Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 http://www.extremeskins.com/showthread.php?347869-I-m-getting-bad-vibes-about-Jarvis-Jenkins...-(Twitter-related)&highlight=jenkins+twitter Ah... the lockout and twitter were just a bad mix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themurf Posted August 8, 2011 Author Share Posted August 8, 2011 Great article Murf I've been trying to "stay medium" about the rookies and Jarvis Jenkins was impressive in college and to hear day after day he's coming to training camp and standing out for all the right reasons. Gee how can I not have a mancrush (although I am female) ? Funny to hear someone else openly admitting to tempering their expectations. I basically said on the first day of training camp that I wasn't going to write a single word about Malcolm Kelly or Fred Davis until they did something in a game. No more talking about how good someone looks practicing in shorts. Fool me once ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinsCrushCowboys Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 Great article Murf...I like it more and more every time I read we had 12 picks in the draft..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icbmayday Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 I swear Murf writes thee best articles... Can't wait to see Jarvis in action Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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