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Lanky Livingston
Guest
Love Hankerson's work ethic. That & the fact that he was a 3rd round pick will get him a spot on the team with no problem, I think.
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Once again, Leonard Hankerson was among the last players off the practice field at Redskins Park. While teammates walked toward the locker room, the rookie wide receiver made a beeline toward the Jugs machine and waited his turn.
On Wednesday, he caught 60 balls after practice, each spit out of the machine like a leather rocket. The day before he caught 85 and on Monday 60.
“In practice, you’re only catching three to five balls a day. That's not enough balls,” Hankerson said. “So this helps.”
For young wide receivers eager to earn one of the few roster spots with the Redskins, every little bit helps. The receivers each report a new comfort level after playing one preseason game and hope for bigger things when Washington plays at Indianapolis on Friday night.
“That first game is out of the way now, so all the rookie jitters should be gone,” said Aldrick Robinson, the sixth-round pick from SMU. “You feel more comfortable going into this next week because you know the game speed, you know to prepare yourself more.”
Facing a tight battle at a crowded position, the young wideouts know it’s not just every game that counts — it’s every single pass thrown their way.
The Redskins drafted three wide receivers in April — Hankerson, Robinson and Niles Paul — and signed undrafted rookie Isaac Anderson. None is a lock for the 53-man roster, and each has to impress coaches in these next three preseason games. Even Hankerson, a third-round pick from the University of Miami, has no guarantees. In 2005, Coach Mike Shanahan cut his third-rounder, troubled running back Maurice Clarett, in Denver at the end of preseason.
The Redskins will likely keep five or six wide receivers. If they opt for the latter, that sixth receiver could double as a specialist responsible for returning punts and kickoffs. Brandon Banks, whose ailing knee has put his status in question, Terrence Austin and Robinson could be the front runners for that role.
With Santana Moss, Anthony Armstrong and Jabar Gaffney locking down three slots, the remaining eight wide receivers are essentially fighting for just a couple of jobs.
If the team keeps Donte’ Stallworth, a ninth-year veteran who has impressed in practice, that would mean the young receivers are essentially battling for a single roster spot.
“You can’t worry about that,” said Paul, the fifth-round pick from Nebraska. “I was always taught, just make the most of the opportunity. So what little reps I get, I want them to be perfect, want them to be right.”
But with passes spread among nearly a dozen receivers in practice, each mistake is especially glaring — and there were several in the team’s first preseason game.
Seven receivers caught passes in the Redskins’ win over Pittsburgh last Friday. The rookies saw the bulk of their action in the second half. Hankerson was targeted three times, caught one ball for eight yards and dropped another. Paul had a 16-yard catch in the third quarter, and Robinson was targeted once — a short route in the fourth quarter — but failed to notch a reception. Robinson’s most notable contribution to the preseason opener was muffing two punt returns.
Click link for the rest of the article.
---------------
Once again, Leonard Hankerson was among the last players off the practice field at Redskins Park. While teammates walked toward the locker room, the rookie wide receiver made a beeline toward the Jugs machine and waited his turn.
On Wednesday, he caught 60 balls after practice, each spit out of the machine like a leather rocket. The day before he caught 85 and on Monday 60.
“In practice, you’re only catching three to five balls a day. That's not enough balls,” Hankerson said. “So this helps.”
For young wide receivers eager to earn one of the few roster spots with the Redskins, every little bit helps. The receivers each report a new comfort level after playing one preseason game and hope for bigger things when Washington plays at Indianapolis on Friday night.
“That first game is out of the way now, so all the rookie jitters should be gone,” said Aldrick Robinson, the sixth-round pick from SMU. “You feel more comfortable going into this next week because you know the game speed, you know to prepare yourself more.”
Facing a tight battle at a crowded position, the young wideouts know it’s not just every game that counts — it’s every single pass thrown their way.
The Redskins drafted three wide receivers in April — Hankerson, Robinson and Niles Paul — and signed undrafted rookie Isaac Anderson. None is a lock for the 53-man roster, and each has to impress coaches in these next three preseason games. Even Hankerson, a third-round pick from the University of Miami, has no guarantees. In 2005, Coach Mike Shanahan cut his third-rounder, troubled running back Maurice Clarett, in Denver at the end of preseason.
The Redskins will likely keep five or six wide receivers. If they opt for the latter, that sixth receiver could double as a specialist responsible for returning punts and kickoffs. Brandon Banks, whose ailing knee has put his status in question, Terrence Austin and Robinson could be the front runners for that role.
With Santana Moss, Anthony Armstrong and Jabar Gaffney locking down three slots, the remaining eight wide receivers are essentially fighting for just a couple of jobs.
If the team keeps Donte’ Stallworth, a ninth-year veteran who has impressed in practice, that would mean the young receivers are essentially battling for a single roster spot.
“You can’t worry about that,” said Paul, the fifth-round pick from Nebraska. “I was always taught, just make the most of the opportunity. So what little reps I get, I want them to be perfect, want them to be right.”
But with passes spread among nearly a dozen receivers in practice, each mistake is especially glaring — and there were several in the team’s first preseason game.
Seven receivers caught passes in the Redskins’ win over Pittsburgh last Friday. The rookies saw the bulk of their action in the second half. Hankerson was targeted three times, caught one ball for eight yards and dropped another. Paul had a 16-yard catch in the third quarter, and Robinson was targeted once — a short route in the fourth quarter — but failed to notch a reception. Robinson’s most notable contribution to the preseason opener was muffing two punt returns.
Click link for the rest of the article.
