themurf Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 (photo by Brian Murphy) As I walked into the locker room of the Washington Redskins following the team’s season-ending 34-10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, I happened to catch a sincere moment between two teammates. Middle linebacker London Fletcher, the 36-year-old grizzled veteran, was quietly chatting with rookie linebacker Ryan Kerrigan as the two finished getting dressed. “You’re going to be so much better next year,” Fletcher said. “You’re going to have another year in this system, so you’re going to spend less time thinking and be able to react more naturally.” It was clear by the tone of the conversation that Fletcher is excited to see the Purdue standout build off of his impressive rookie campaign – which featured 7.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and an interception returned for a touchdown. Kerrigan, who the Redskins landed with the 16th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, made a strong case for defensive rookie of the year. His chief competition for the award is Denver linebacker Von Miller, who finished with one more tackle (64 to 63), four more sacks (11.5 to 7.5), but had two less forced fumbles (two to four), zero interceptions and zero touchdowns. Regardless of whether or not Kerrigan beats out Miller for the award, he’s my pick for the Redskins’ player of the year because of one amazing statistic – Kerrigan played every single snap for Washington this season. Even though the lockout caused him to miss out on the organized team activities and minicamps that rookies are usually afforded, Kerrigan came into a brand-new 3-4 scheme for the first time and was still able to take the field on day one and never look back. You figure a defense is typically on the field for about 60 plays a game. Over the span of 16 games, that works out to roughly 960 plays in a season. And if that’s how many plays the Redskins’ defense faced, then Kerrigan was on the field for all 960 of them – making him the only player on either side of the ball to play every single down. “It’s not surprising to me,” Atogwe said in regards to Kerrigan playing every snap of the 2011 season. “Ever since he fell from planet Krypton he’s been making plays. He’s durable and he’s the man of steel, so I’m not surprised.” Count Atogwe as another individual who feels Kerrigan deserves to be recognized for his outstanding rookie season. “Ryan was spectacular from the first game to the last,” said safety Oshiomogho Atogwe. “He’s going to be a phenomenal player.” Off the field, Kerrigan’s impact could be even bigger for Washington. That’s because the front office, for the first time in recent history, was willing to trade down from the 10th pick to land the 23-year-old. He wasn’t acquired because off a flashy name or his ability to sell jerseys. Kerrigan was selected simply because he was the best player available who this regime believed fit with their system. When Kerrigan picked off Giants quarterback Eli Manning in the season opener for a nine-yard touchdown to seal a Redskins victory, it was if the football gods had smiled upon the burgundy and gold for actually trying to build a football team rather than make headlines. “That’s what they picked us here for,” Kerrigan said. “They brought us here to be productive and to be players who can contribute.” While Atogwe believes Kerrigan was able to stay on the field for an entire season because of super human strength, the 6-foot-4, 263-pound linebacker wasn’t ready to go that far. “God was looking out for me and keeping me healthy out there,” he said. “I was very fortunate that I was able to play every snap this season.” Because the NFL season is a longer grind than anything college football has to offer, most rookies tend to hit a wall as the season progresses. Kerrigan though, feels he actually got better as the season unfolded. “I think I got more comfortable in the system,” Kerrigan said. “I still need to get more comfortable and get better at rushing out of a two-point stance because, right now, I’d say that was my biggest flaw. That’s really something I’m gonna emphasize in the offseason. I want to work on being in the two-point stance and being a more productive player on two feet.” Along the same lines, dropping back in coverage is another area Kerrigan wants to spend time and attention on during his first offseason. “That’s just something that’s going to come with time,” he said. “I felt more comfortable doing that each week, and the more I do it, the more I’m going to feel better at it.” While Kerrigan has already identified areas of his game to hone during the offseason, he’s still not exactly sure what comes next. Click here for the full article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Love this. Great piece Murf. “It’s not surprising to me,” Atogwe said in regards to Kerrigan playing every snap of the 2011 season. “Ever since he fell from planet Krypton he’s been making plays. That's an awesome quote. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeefJerky Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 It really is amazing Kerrigan played EVERY snap this year. That's quite the accomplishment, esp for a rookie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FSUSkins24 Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 This right here is proof that a well-written objective article can get clicks, too. Great piece. Good to see actual reporting rather than that yahoo.com bologne. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
authentic Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 good write up.. I also liked how they switched Kerrigan and Rak... I wonder if that could be permanent. It seemed that they got more pressure that way (esp. with Rak's 2 sacks).. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moondog Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Don't forget that not only did he miss the entire offseason/OTA's because of the lockout, but he injured his knee on the first or second day of practice and missed two weeks of practice and preseason games. The fact that he came back from that and was still an impact player in his first game is incredible considering he only had about 2 weeks of on the field practice in the NFL. I'm guessing he and Orakpo will surpass the number of sacks Orakpo and Carter had in Brian's rookie year this coming season. With Orakpo's recently discovered talent to also create strip sacks (he forced 3 this year - good for one FF every three sacks) and what should be an improved offense, I'm looking forward to next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acuratl1984 Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Don't forget that not only did he miss the entire offseason/OTA's because of the lockout, but he injured his knee on the first or second day of practice and missed two weeks of practice and preseason games. The fact that he came back from that and was still an impact player in his first game is incredible considering he only had about 2 weeks of on the field practice in the NFL. I'm guessing he and Orakpo will surpass the number of sacks Orakpo and Carter had in Brian's rookie year this coming season. With Orakpo's recently discovered talent to also create strip sacks (he forced 3 this year - good for one FF every three sacks) and what should be an improved offense, I'm looking forward to next year. Probably Kerrigan showing Orakpo how to get it done... Kerrigan has 7.5 sacks 4 FF so 1 FF for every 2 sack ish... If he can get like 4-5 FF a year that would be AWESOME! I think even with the tandem of Orakpo and Kerrigan, we should draft a pure pass rush specialist. So on passing down have 3 formiable rushers going at the QB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moondog Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Probably Kerrigan showing Orakpo how to get it done... Kerrigan has 7.5 sacks 4 FF so 1 FF for every 2 sack ish... If he can get like 4-5 FF a year that would be AWESOME! Well clearly turnovers are something both our head coach and defensive coordinator preach every day. It was the cited reason that we moved to a 3-4 in the first place and probably had a lot to do with why we wanted Kerrigan. He is the All-time leader in forced fumbles for the entire Big-Ten conference. Emphasis from the coaches as well as Orakpo and Kerrigan sharing their knowledge with each other undoubtedly played a role in it. I would not be surprised at all to see both of these guys in double digit sacks with 4-5 FF next year, ESPECIALLY if the offense can improve enough to let them play with double digit leads in the 4th quarter from time to time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hiro Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 There is a reason why the guy is now my favorite Redskin. We struck gold with this pick people, he's a special player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redskins Ruckus Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Kerrigan is my favorite Redskins right now, too. He's a great player and wonderful to meet in person. He's also gigantic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rdskn4Lyf21 Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 There is a reason why the guy is now my favorite Redskin. We struck gold with this pick people, he's a special player. I'm feeling the same (although Cooley is and always will be slightly ahead). My Kerrigan jersey is only the second one I've purchased of a player that's a rookie (my first was Orakpo). I don't think I'll be regretting either anytime soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redskins4ever Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I was amazed at the extremely high level of play Ryan Kerrigan played at this season. He was incredible from the first game until the last game. And with all the contributions that he made on defense, he's going to be even better next season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redskins Ruckus Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 He seems to be thirsty to get better. Does anyone else have that impression. His demeanor says a lot to me when I see him on the playing field and sidelines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acuratl1984 Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Our LB corp is defintely the highlight of our team. But we need a NT. Our Defense will only get better with one. With a NT that demands double teams, and with the rotation of Bowen, Cofield, Jenkins, and hopefully Cariker. A new QB that helps us get a lead going into the fourth quarter, like moondog said, both should have double digits sacks next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moondog Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 He seems to be thirsty to get better. Does anyone else have that impression. His demeanor says a lot to me when I see him on the playing field and sidelines. Agreed. I was actually surprised though - if you watch the "miked up" video linked at the bottom of the article, he's about as silent as it gets on the field, even when he tackles Adrian Peterson on 3rd & 1. About the only thing he says the whole game is "Let's go" on a few occasions. Not a good or bad thing, I just think he's very calm, cool and collected. I was surprised he doesn't get a little more verbal when he's in on a big play but perhaps he just kept quiet since he knew he was miked up. ---------- Post added January-4th-2012 at 01:08 PM ---------- Our LB corp is defintely the highlight of our team. But we need a NT. Our Defense will only get better with one.With a NT that demands double teams, and with the rotation of Bowen, Cofield, Jenkins, and hopefully Cariker. A new QB that helps us get a lead going into the fourth quarter, like moondog said, both should have double digits sacks next year. I think we should give Cofield and Neild another year at NT before trying someone else and moving Cofield out to DE. He's a student of the game as per Shanahan and I thought he played very well this year. He registered 2.5 or 3 sacks and led the league in passes knocked down at the LOS. That is definitely impressive and makes an impact from the NT spot. Fletcher also led the league in tackles and posted a career high in tackles which also tells you that Cofield did his job. He will continue to work his ass of and get better and he is very selfless. That being said, I don't think we can ever hope to have Cofield, Bowen, Carriker and Jenkins all at DE if we brought in another NT. Carriker is a free agent now and I'm praying we sign him to a similar contract to what Bowen was signed to last year. I would be all for giving him starter type money (in the ballpark of Bowen) even if he is the first guy off the bench at DE behind Bowen and Jenkins. I also think it would be wise to sign him regardless in case Jenkins has any setbacks. Carriker is about everything you want in a 3-4 DE. I wouldn't mind re-signing Golston to a cheap contract as well to round out our D-line. He's a high-motor guy who actually seemed to finally be making the transition to the 3-4 this year before he got hurt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLongshot Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Most valuable rookie? Sure. I still think the most valuable player is the guy who leads off this piece. A monster season by Fletcher and providing the example and the glue to the young players on how it should be done. I liked Kerrigan since I saw him in the Senior Bowl. He was the most impressive pass rusher of the bunch. Then to seem him come in here and adjust quickly to the OLB role and make an impact from day one was wonderful to see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themurf Posted January 4, 2012 Author Share Posted January 4, 2012 Most valuable rookie? Sure. I still think the most valuable player is the guy who leads off this piece. Even London Fletcher came off the field once or twice this season. When he did, Ryan Kerrigan was still out there holding down the fort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinsCrushCowboys Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Kerrigan was a beast...a rooking, playing every down....hard. Wish we had 10 more of him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moondog Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Most valuable rookie? Sure. I still think the most valuable player is the guy who leads off this piece. A monster season by Fletcher and providing the example and the glue to the young players on how it should be done.I liked Kerrigan since I saw him in the Senior Bowl. He was the most impressive pass rusher of the bunch. Then to seem him come in here and adjust quickly to the OLB role and make an impact from day one was wonderful to see. Can't really argue with that. Heart and soul of the entire team. He would be my idea of the face of the franchise. He arguably had the best season of any inside linebacker in the league and is the only guy on our team that you could say unquestionably should have been voted to the Pro-Bowl this year. At least he will get to go as an alternate, albeit to Urlacher who is a great player but who's season did not even deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Fletcher's. He is absolutely EVERYTHING you want in a player and I don't think there is a single negative thing you can say about him since he came here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moondog Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Even London Fletcher came off the field once or twice this season. When he did, Ryan Kerrigan was still out there holding down the fort. True enough. Kerrigan was lucky enough to be healthy all year as a 23 year old rookie. Fletcher missed a few snaps as a 36 year old in his 14th season. Never missed a game in his career and hasn't missed a start in nearly 180 games. He battled through an ankle sprain this year to do so. I'd say that's good enough to overcome missing a few snaps. At least everyone can agree that we are happy to have had them both this year and praying that we re-sign Fletcher this offseason. The sooner the better! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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