The All Things 2022 OTAs/Training Camp Thread

[Voice_of_Reason]

One of the things in camp is you work on stuff so it gets better, and you try stuff so you know what you can do and what you can't.

 

If everything worked perfectly at the beginning of camp, then you're probably not trying enough new stuff.  Or, you are in the 3rd+ year of the same system/coordinator/players and it's already muscle memory.

 

I am somewhat interested to understand what they are trying to accomplish on offense.  Are they asking Wentz to run stuff he's not familiar with to get him reps in it, determine what he's good at, what he's not?  Are they working specific concepts?  Are they working on things they know he doesn't do well and that's why they are working on them?  (This would be really bad) Are they shocked he's making mistakes because they're having him run stuff he should be hitting?

 

If Wentz is really looking good at something (for example, short, quick throws), then there is no reason to work on them.  Or at least work on them a lot.  You drill what you're trying to improve.  Not what is already a strength.  

 

If he's struggling with specific concepts which might be new to him, then maybe that's what they are working on.

 

I literally have no idea.  I'm just saying, it would be interesting to know what the plan is.  It's hard to pass judgement unless you know what they are working on and why.

[HigSkin]

This is just one guys camp perspective -

 

 

Day 5 of Washington Commanders training camp had the feels of a late September/early October practice. Nice overcast making the temperatures ideal for the 1st day of August. Now to the football…

Training camp practice number 5 for the Commanders saw another very strong outing for the defense. What stood out to me early in the day? In the 1st few 11 v 11 sessions, the defense came out in their “Cinco” personnel grouping, 5 down defensive lineman and 1 linebacker. Playing with a 5 man front is something that proved to be effective last year, I expect it to be a strength once again, in todays work the 5 man front showed good chemistry and timing running stunts. (JSW, Jon Allen, Payne, Mathis and Sweat were your 5 defensive linemen. Cole Holcomb was the single linebacker)

 

Offensively, the tight end battle is going to be something to keep an eye on. Last years starter Logan Thomas hasn’t been activated off PUP while he continues his ACL rehab. 2nd year TE John Bates has missed the last 3 practices with an injury, he was Logans primary replacement last year. This has opened up the door for rookie TE’s Cole Turner and Curtis Hodges. Both guys, listed at 6’6, have WR backgrounds and it shows when they run routes. Cole Turner on a red zone TD, did a nice job stemming his defender insider, only to break the other way. He’s shown a tremendous understanding of leverage, putting himself in advantageous situations. His 6’6 frame has been very friendly for QB Carson Wentz who has struggled with accuracy early in camp. Those two have built a nice rapport with each other, I expect Turner to be a huge difference maker in the red zone. Sammeis Reyes has flashed as well, making the most of his opportunities with guys being banged up in that room.

As I mentioned earlier, the defense got the better of the offense once again today. In the secondary, Kendall Fuller has been really solid, he snagged another INT off of Wentz in 11 v 11 were he broke hard on a ball intended for Cam Sims, Fuller has shown great vision playing zone coverage, allowing him to be more aggressive when playing the ball. Rookie safety Percy Butler picked off Heinicke in the 11 v 11 work as well, his speed has been very impressive, he covers so much ground at the safety spot and really seems to take great angles. On his INT today, he baited Taylor Heinicke with his eyes, making his man seem open, but as soon as the ball was thrown he broke on it quickly for a INT. Kam Curl stood out today as well, he’s really shown a good understanding of route recognition, allowing him to play faster and as a result, make more plays.

 

Sticking with the defense, the big fellas up front have once made their presence felt. Montez Sweat on one play ran a “Tackle/End stunt” looped inside and blew center Chase Rouiller up driving him into the lap of Carson Wentz. It’s safe to say Montez is already in mid season form. Da’ron Payne has continued his dominant camp as well, winning quickly at the line of scrimmage and giving the opposing guard fits. Heading into a contract year, I expect him to have his best season to date. Paynes former Alabama teammate Phil Mathis has shown his talents as well, he already has displayed really active, strong hands, which makes trying to block him a pain, just ask veteran guard Wes Schweitzer. Casey Toohill flashed again today, he’s shown a great get off and seems to be a more twitched up athlete than I gave him credit for.

 

On the offensive side of the ball, the growing pains continue. Carson Wentz was inconsistent at best with his accuracy during the 11 v 11 and 9 v 9 sessions. Early in camp I’ve noticed when he misses, he tends to miss high, which could prove to be very costly depending on where the throw is going. Missing high over the middle is one of the NFL QB cardinal sins. Wentz had his worst day on day 5 when it comes to turnovers, throwing 3 picks during the session. For Wentz it hasn’t been all bad, he looked really comfortable during the red zone period hooking up with rookie Jahan Dotson for a TD. Wentz has been very quick getting the ball out in that area of the field, showing off the arm strength that folks around the league rave about. That arm strength is so critical in the red zone because everything is more condensed leaving no room for error. Another thing that jumps out to me is Caron’s ability to throw from different arm angles and still have that zip on the ball. I also think he’s been more accurate in the red area because it’s a lot of quick stuff meaning he doesn’t have to do too much with his feet, which has been an area he’s struggled with mechanically.

 

Rookie QB Sam Howell had a strong day, and overall has gotten better each day out at practice. One thing that pops is the arm strength, it’s as advertised, he made a throw to the opposite hash on a rope to WR Kelvin Harmon on a out route. It’s early, but Sam Howell was definitely a steal as a 5th round pick. I think it’s important how he progresses during the regular season. How does he handle meetings? Is he retaining information? How quickly will he learn how to prepare like a NFL QB? Physically, he checks every box, well expect for maybe height. He tends to throw from his tippy toes a lot to help him see the field better.

 

Stock up - Kam Curl, JD Mckissic, Da’Ron Payne

[redskinss]

How the hell is it that we don't know what john bates injury is yet?

[Koolblue13]

6 minutes ago, redskinss said:

How the hell is it that we don't know what john bates injury is yet?

Its killing me. Why is there zero information about this?

[formerly4skins]

8 minutes ago, HigSkin said:

Rookie safety Percy Butler picked off Heinicke in the 11 v 11 work as well, his speed has been very impressive, he covers so much ground at the safety spot and really seems to take great angles. On his INT today, he baited Taylor Heinicke with his eyes, making his man seem open, but as soon as the ball was thrown he broke on it quickly for a INT

 

I've been hoping we'd hear good news on Butler at safety...dude has some serious speed.  And, as I remember, taking questionable angles was a knock on him pre-draft...so, nice to hear praise in that area of his game. 

 

It would be huge if he was a guy that could develop into a legit FS this season while earning his stripes as a gunner. 

 

[Going Commando]

Is Jamin Davis hurt?  Because if not, then it's not a good sign he isn't a part of our best packages.

 

He should be further along than he is.

 

It's also not a comfort to hear that DaRon is blowing up in a contract year.  This is the same mistake we made with Scherff.

[@DCGoldPants]

a nice feel good read. Like that they are giving him basically training camp to come out and work with players. See if he wants to get into coaching. If he does, I'm sure Rivera would like him around. 

 

[skinny21]

1 hour ago, Voice_of_Reason said:

One of the things in camp is you work on stuff so it gets better, and you try stuff so you know what you can do and what you can't.

 

If everything worked perfectly at the beginning of camp, then you're probably not trying enough new stuff.  Or, you are in the 3rd+ year of the same system/coordinator/players and it's already muscle memory.

 

I am somewhat interested to understand what they are trying to accomplish on offense.  Are they asking Wentz to run stuff he's not familiar with to get him reps in it, determine what he's good at, what he's not?  Are they working specific concepts?  Are they working on things they know he doesn't do well and that's why they are working on them?  (This would be really bad) Are they shocked he's making mistakes because they're having him run stuff he should be hitting?

 

If Wentz is really looking good at something (for example, short, quick throws), then there is no reason to work on them.  Or at least work on them a lot.  You drill what you're trying to improve.  Not what is already a strength.  

 

If he's struggling with specific concepts which might be new to him, then maybe that's what they are working on.

 

I literally have no idea.  I'm just saying, it would be interesting to know what the plan is.  It's hard to pass judgement unless you know what they are working on and why.

So, I definitely agree with all of this, but…

 

It seems we roughly have an apples to apples comparison between 2020>2021>2022 in terms of comparing new qbs coming into Turner’s offense.  And it seems the supporting cast (pass catchers) are improved over previous years.  Of course, the expectations are (almost certainly) greater for Wentz then Fitz/Haskins/etc, which can affect perception.

 

Obviously it’s possible Turner has switched things up this year - devoting more time to what isn’t working/weaknesses and such, but that’s fairly unlikely.  It’s also possible the defense is markedly better and that has factored in.

 

Bottom line though, the reports are concerning, even factoring context.  But it’s early and it’s practice.  Plenty of time for progress.

[Always A Commander Never A Captain]

1 hour ago, Going Commando said:

Is Jamin Davis hurt?  Because if not, then it's not a good sign he isn't a part of our best packages.

 

He should be further along than he is.

 

It's also not a comfort to hear that DaRon is blowing up in a contract year.  This is the same mistake we made with Scherff.

 

Wait, I thought Davis was a part of our standard Nickel? Did Mayo/Hudson supplant him?

 

Also not sure if Daron blowing up in a contract year means we've made a poor decision. Maybe he's turned the light bulb on, or maybe when it's not the final year of his situation he turns the effort switch off again. His best year in college, by far, was his last year. His first few years with us were consistently similar. If he blows up now, whats to say he doesn't relax a bit after getting a big contract.

[CTskin]

3 hours ago, Going Commando said:

Is Jamin Davis hurt?  Because if not, then it's not a good sign he isn't a part of our best packages.

 

He should be further along than he is.

 

It's also not a comfort to hear that DaRon is blowing up in a contract year.  This is the same mistake we made with Scherff.

Cole is still our #1 ILB until proven otherwise… Idk why you think things would change by day 5 of camp.

 

scherff has been a pro bowler… it wasn’t just his final season. But the point is that we make this mistake with everyone; zero foresight. Regarding scherff specifically though, we were correct in not paying a RG that kind of money, but he absolutely should have been traded before last season.

[TheShredder]

6 hours ago, Always A Commander Never A Captain said:

So whose the 3rd WR with Samuel out of action? Top 2 are clearly McLaurin and Dotson. Whose the slot? Or is Dotson/McLaurin moving to slot when we add a 3rd WR?

 

I don't think Brown/Sims can hang. Is it Milne in the slot? Or is our best offensive lineup a 2 WR, 2 TE, 1 RB group? I'd really like more speed out there somehow though.

I don't trust anything RR says about injuries before reporting is mandatory. That's why there's no info on Bates because they don't have to report anything. The only info being shared is for media relations. RR doesn't want a coup d'état from his Carolina Only Free Agent plan.

To be fair to the training staff, Curtis Samuel holds their jobs in the balance. If they can't manage to get this guy healthy from muscle related ailments with over a year in treatment, they're fired!

What the staff would do is they'd designate him high priority monitoring and full precautions treatment. Once you have a good line of data, you can shut the guy down for anything. Example, Curtis has to pee in a cup before each practice to test for dehydration. His data shows that at one range of urine specific gravity he'll practice without issues, minimizing injury risk and maximizing recovery. His pee is not optimal, he gets half days work. He tests dehydrated and he's getting an IV and goes to the side field...All of this is in play.

 

It's becoming more and more obvious that Curtis doesn't know how to take care of his body or isn't doing everything he's supposed to do to be prepared.

Edited August 1, 2022 by TheShredder

[88Comrade2000]

Got a bad feeling 

[FootballZombie]

4 hours ago, HigSkin said:

This is just one guys camp perspective -

 

The praise for him has not been as effusive as the other guys (I think a lot of that stems from his strength being blocking) but I love seeing the Reyes props.

 

He is by far and away my favorite longshot.

 

He already has great physicality at the point of attack. If he can just stand in front of a juggs machine and get some serviceable hands he can be such an asset.

 

5 minutes ago, TheShredder said:

Example, Curtis has to pee in a cup before each practice to test for dehydration. His data shows that at one range of urine specific gravity he'll practice without issues, minimizing injury risk and maximizing recovery. His pee is not optimal, he gets half days work. He tests dehydrated and he's getting an IV and goes to the side field...All of this is in play.

 

Make it even simpler.

 

Curtis: I feel thirsty coach.

Coach: Go hit the showers kid, your done today son.

[TheShredder]

2 minutes ago, FootballZombie said:

Curtis: I feel thirsty coach.

Coach: Go hit the showers kid, your done today son.

Funny, but truth.

There's a lot of people that are being affected by his inability to manage his health. Pro athletes who can't get healthy are cut. Staffs that can't manage soft tissue ailments are fired. I'd bet Curtis Samuel doesn't play preseason and is micromanaged all the way to Week 1.

[Califan007 The Constipated]

In case it wasn't posted...

 

 

 

[Califan007 The Constipated]

 

 

 

[Skinsinparadise]

 

 

[NoCalMike]

Imagine if we actually have something with Howell.  I refuse to get my hopes up, but......please.

[Skinsinparadise]

 

 

[Going Commando]

5 hours ago, CTskin said:

Cole is still our #1 ILB until proven otherwise… Idk why you think things would change by day 5 of camp.

 

scherff has been a pro bowler… it wasn’t just his final season. But the point is that we make this mistake with everyone; zero foresight. Regarding scherff specifically though, we were correct in not paying a RG that kind of money, but he absolutely should have been traded before last season.

 

Cole is a below average starter who has never solidified the job as our nickle and dime linebacker.  Jamin is a first round pick heading into his second season, he needs to be taking over the starting job at the very least.  If he were on track for stardom and justifying the decision to draft him, he'd be taking over leadership of the defense.

 

Scherff's pricetag blew up because we didn't negotiate an extension heading into his contract year and he balled out and made the All Pro team.  If DaRon does the same thing and explodes his price tag too, it'll be us making the same mistake we did before.  The situation with DaRon is weird.  We talked about him being a major part of the plan and then just gave up and changed gears after trading for Wentz.  That suggests we didn't really believe in our plan.

[NFC Beast1987]

11 hours ago, HigSkin said:

This is just one guys camp perspective -

 

 

Day 5 of Washington Commanders training camp had the feels of a late September/early October practice. Nice overcast making the temperatures ideal for the 1st day of August. Now to the football…

Training camp practice number 5 for the Commanders saw another very strong outing for the defense. What stood out to me early in the day? In the 1st few 11 v 11 sessions, the defense came out in their “Cinco” personnel grouping, 5 down defensive lineman and 1 linebacker. Playing with a 5 man front is something that proved to be effective last year, I expect it to be a strength once again, in todays work the 5 man front showed good chemistry and timing running stunts. (JSW, Jon Allen, Payne, Mathis and Sweat were your 5 defensive linemen. Cole Holcomb was the single linebacker)

 

Offensively, the tight end battle is going to be something to keep an eye on. Last years starter Logan Thomas hasn’t been activated off PUP while he continues his ACL rehab. 2nd year TE John Bates has missed the last 3 practices with an injury, he was Logans primary replacement last year. This has opened up the door for rookie TE’s Cole Turner and Curtis Hodges. Both guys, listed at 6’6, have WR backgrounds and it shows when they run routes. Cole Turner on a red zone TD, did a nice job stemming his defender insider, only to break the other way. He’s shown a tremendous understanding of leverage, putting himself in advantageous situations. His 6’6 frame has been very friendly for QB Carson Wentz who has struggled with accuracy early in camp. Those two have built a nice rapport with each other, I expect Turner to be a huge difference maker in the red zone. Sammeis Reyes has flashed as well, making the most of his opportunities with guys being banged up in that room.

As I mentioned earlier, the defense got the better of the offense once again today. In the secondary, Kendall Fuller has been really solid, he snagged another INT off of Wentz in 11 v 11 were he broke hard on a ball intended for Cam Sims, Fuller has shown great vision playing zone coverage, allowing him to be more aggressive when playing the ball. Rookie safety Percy Butler picked off Heinicke in the 11 v 11 work as well, his speed has been very impressive, he covers so much ground at the safety spot and really seems to take great angles. On his INT today, he baited Taylor Heinicke with his eyes, making his man seem open, but as soon as the ball was thrown he broke on it quickly for a INT. Kam Curl stood out today as well, he’s really shown a good understanding of route recognition, allowing him to play faster and as a result, make more plays.

 

Sticking with the defense, the big fellas up front have once made their presence felt. Montez Sweat on one play ran a “Tackle/End stunt” looped inside and blew center Chase Rouiller up driving him into the lap of Carson Wentz. It’s safe to say Montez is already in mid season form. Da’ron Payne has continued his dominant camp as well, winning quickly at the line of scrimmage and giving the opposing guard fits. Heading into a contract year, I expect him to have his best season to date. Paynes former Alabama teammate Phil Mathis has shown his talents as well, he already has displayed really active, strong hands, which makes trying to block him a pain, just ask veteran guard Wes Schweitzer. Casey Toohill flashed again today, he’s shown a great get off and seems to be a more twitched up athlete than I gave him credit for.

 

On the offensive side of the ball, the growing pains continue. Carson Wentz was inconsistent at best with his accuracy during the 11 v 11 and 9 v 9 sessions. Early in camp I’ve noticed when he misses, he tends to miss high, which could prove to be very costly depending on where the throw is going. Missing high over the middle is one of the NFL QB cardinal sins. Wentz had his worst day on day 5 when it comes to turnovers, throwing 3 picks during the session. For Wentz it hasn’t been all bad, he looked really comfortable during the red zone period hooking up with rookie Jahan Dotson for a TD. Wentz has been very quick getting the ball out in that area of the field, showing off the arm strength that folks around the league rave about. That arm strength is so critical in the red zone because everything is more condensed leaving no room for error. Another thing that jumps out to me is Caron’s ability to throw from different arm angles and still have that zip on the ball. I also think he’s been more accurate in the red area because it’s a lot of quick stuff meaning he doesn’t have to do too much with his feet, which has been an area he’s struggled with mechanically.

 

Rookie QB Sam Howell had a strong day, and overall has gotten better each day out at practice. One thing that pops is the arm strength, it’s as advertised, he made a throw to the opposite hash on a rope to WR Kelvin Harmon on a out route. It’s early, but Sam Howell was definitely a steal as a 5th round pick. I think it’s important how he progresses during the regular season. How does he handle meetings? Is he retaining information? How quickly will he learn how to prepare like a NFL QB? Physically, he checks every box, well expect for maybe height. He tends to throw from his tippy toes a lot to help him see the field better.

 

Stock up - Kam Curl, JD Mckissic, Da’Ron Payne

I'm a diehard UNC fan... Howell is going to be a good pro. Our offensive line, tight ends, and WR were terrible last year outside of 2023 Washington first round pick Josh Downs. I was getting so heated watching us pass over him like 3 times later in the draft because we have Carson Wentz...

[Skinsinparadise]

7 hours ago, Going Commando said:

 

Scherff's pricetag blew up because we didn't negotiate an extension heading into his contract year and he balled out and made the All Pro team.  

 

They did offer an extension and it was well documented at the time, they offered him a multi year deal that would have made him the highest paid guard in the league.  Some reporters who knew him though said they didn't think he wanted to return and wanted to test FA for a big payday which is what indeed happened. lol, Mayhew even got feisty about making the point in his press conference and he's usually a really reserved guy.    I don't blame really any player though wanting to leave considering all the drama around the club and Scherff strikes me a a nondrama guy.

 

Plenty of players hit FA because they want to hit Fa, Scherff was clearly one of those cases.

 

I like you are one of the biggest Scherff fans here.  Yet I think we lucked out that Scherff said no.  He misses it seems give or take 4-5 games a year and he's now in his 30s -- don't love paying a guard 16 plus million for that as much as I like him.

 

As for Payne, I don't recall much talk about him aside from Del Rio saying when he took the job he likes him a lot.  Standig noticed and talked about this multiple times that unlike Scherff who Rivera talked about wanting to bring back at least before Scherff turned their contract down. And ditto J. Allen and Terry pre contract negotiations saying he wants them back -- he didn't talk about Payne the same way.

 

Plenty of talk about how they cannot afford to pay all 4 D lineman big contracts.  The PFF cap guy among others thinks we are stupid to even consider paying 4 D lineman major money.  Joel Corry, ex-agent,  cap expert also thinks its unrealsitic.  As for what this team does in the end, there are mixed mesaages on that.  Some leaks that they won't, some leaks that they will.  Some insinuations that Payne wanted J. Allen type money but can't tell if that's a guess from reporters or whether that's what they heard.  Some talk that they floated Payne in some trade discussions and they didn't get any good offers.   So its all a hard read for me.  Will see.  

Edited August 2, 2022 by Skinsinparadise

[sebestian]

I have missed you guys.  Just getting it out if the way.  I had to decompress.  Nevertheless, training camp seems to be going well.  im curious, how has the defense looked.  Defense should carry us until offense gets rolling, and they will roll.  Cant wait till Wentz gives the entire league the 1 finger salute.  I love flying under the radar.  I think RR loves it.  Was reading something on Curtis Samuel, that he is ramping up or is complaining of stiffness in the hammy.  I hope he can stay healthy, he's a weapon.  Anyways heres to some good debate, and me posting in the right forum.  Sorry Mods.  HTTC!!

6 minutes ago, Skinsinparadise said:

 

They did offer an extension and it was well documented at the time, they offered him a multi year deal that would have made him the highest paid guard in the league.  Some reporters who knew him though said they didn't think he wanted to return and wanted to test FA for a big payday which is what indeed happened. 

 

Plenty of players hit FA because they want to hit Fa, Scherff was clearly one of those cases.

 

I like you are one of the biggest Scherff fans here.  Yet I think we lucked out that Scherff said no.  He misses it seems give or take 4-5 games a year and he's now in his 30s -- don't love paying a guard 16 plus million for that as much as I like him.

 

As for Payne, I don't recall much talk about him aside from Del Rio saying early he likes him a lot.  Plenty of talk about how they cannot afford to pay all 4 D lineman big contracts.  The PFF cap guy among others thinks we are stupid to even consider paying 4 D lineman major money.  Joel Corry, ex-agent,  cap expert also thinks its unrealsitic.  As for what this team does in the end, there are mixed mesaages on that.  Will see.  

 

I agree.  The only thing I want is to not lose him for nothing.  Give him a date to agree to extension, if he wants to hit FA, then trade, even if it is for less than market value.   The guy I move Iis Sweat.  If I had to choose.  as always great post @Skinsinparadise

[Skinsinparadise]

28 minutes ago, sebestian said:

 

 

I agree.  The only thing I want is to not lose him for nothing.  Give him a date to agree to extension, if he wants to hit FA, then trade, even if it is for less than market value.   The guy I move Iis Sweat.  If I had to choose.  as always great post @Skinsinparadise

 

Tough to trade a guard though, most of those guys get released.  Maybe its the only position that's hard to trade or trade for much.  A third rounder for a guard which they got as a comp pick is good IMO. 

 

The PFF cap guy, Spielberger if I recall was his name, made a good point, a point I've made in the past too which is WHEN these players are traded is critical to their trade value.  He brought up that the time to trade Payne isn't this year with him coming into FA and supposedly wanting big money but the year before when you have him under contract for two years relatively cheap -- then his value in a trade is higher.  

 

Just like many of us, me included, talked about how Bruce was blowing it with Trent by punting on trading him during that season where a team can control him on a contract for two seasons versus one -- that's a big deal especially when its known he wants a new big contract when his current one expired.  Depending on the reporter they were offered a first or a 2nd and 3rd but those offers no longer existed in the off season when they 2 years of having Trent cheapish changed to just one.  Heck baseball used to not be dictated by this stuff but even that sport its talked about all the time now in trades as to the acquiring player is under contract for a reasonable price for so many years.

 

Most NFL teams don't like trading their guys early in their minds but that's when they get the most value.  The 49ers supposedly felt they couldn't afford 4 D lineman big money so they traded Buckner and got a first.  NE trades their guys early when need be.  You don't wait to contract year or last season when the players value goes down.  Bruce could have traded Kirk for a ransom that's documented now from multiple places including Jay, yet he punted on that. 

 

Payne as some cap guys have said is a complex case.  D lineman who major in run stuffing aren't paid big bucks.  Payne though has some pass rushing chops though albeit he's not had a major breakthrough year on that count.   Some like Sheehan who used to love Payne have hinted that maybe he hasn't reached his potential because he doesn't have that high level work ethic and desire to be great that some of the great players possess.  He's not the only one who has said that about him.  But I don't know if that's pure speculation by them or its something they've heard.  But Logan Paulsen saying he looks more determined than he's ever seen him is a good sign -- there is nothing wrong with a player putting up his highest motivation in a contract year -- Payne wouldn't be the first guy to do so. 

Edited August 2, 2022 by Skinsinparadise

[Skinsinparadise]

As someone who watched most of Bama's games, his pass catching chops was easy to see.

 

https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/commanders/one-area-brian-robinson-jrs-game-thats-been-pleasant-surprise

 

But throughout OTAs, minicamp and training camp, there's been one specific area of Robinson Jr.'s game that has caught the eye of Washington's coaching staff: his pass-catching ability.

"That has been a pleasant surprise," running backs coach Randy Jordan told NBC Sports Washington.

Throughout both individual sessions and team drills, Robinson Jr. has displayed a natural ability to catch the football. Couple that with his size and all of a sudden, the rookie presents a matchup problem for many opposing defenders.

"This guy is 6-foot-2. He's 220 [pounds]. He's a big guy to get down on the grass for a safety or a corner," Jordan said. "So if he can continue to develop that in his game, then he can be a really good player for us."

\

Jordan isn't the only coach that's noticed Robinson Jr.'s pass-catching skills, as the rookie has caught the attention of head coach Ron Rivera as well.

"That's one of the exciting things like a big guy like him out in space: You get him in 1-on-1, you make a cut and the next thing you know you're into the second level and now you have corners and smaller DBs having to tackle him," Rivera said following practice Monday. "That's a pretty good matchup for us."

 

In fairness to Robinson Jr., the running back showcased his ability to be an effective pass-catching back during his final season in Tuscaloosa. Robinson Jr. hauled in 35 receptions for 296 yards and two touchdowns last fall, a respectable stat line to go along with his 1,343 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns.

So, while this part of Robinson Jr.'s game might come as a surprise to some of Washington's coaches, the running back has been doing it for some time.

"I just got to continue to show that's part of my game that I possess," Robinson told NBCSW following practice Monday. "Continue to run routes, continue to catch the ball consistently, continue to just keep working on it. I feel like I'll be able to prove all that when the time comes. I'll be ready for it for sure."