Redskins Misc News & Info

[Caliskinsfan]

 

[Krusheasy]

For Immediate Release

April 29, 2017



REDSKINS SELECT 10 PLAYERS IN 2017 NFL DRAFT



LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. – The Washington Redskins finalized their 2017 NFL Draft class on Saturday, selecting seven players to bring their 2017 draft class to 10 total players. The team’s 2017 draft class is as follows:



ROUND (PICK) PLAYER SCHOOL

1 (17) DL Jonathan Allen Alabama

2 (49) LB Ryan Anderson Alabama

3 (81) DB Fabian Moreau UCLA

4 (114) 1 RB Samaje Perine Oklahoma

4 (123) DB Montae Nicholson Michigan State

5 (154) 2 TE Jeremy Sprinkle Arkansas

6 (199) 3 C Chase Roullier Wyoming

6 (209) 4 WR Robert Davis Georgia State

7 (230) 5 S Josh Harvey-Clemons Louisville

7 (235) DB Joshua Holsey Auburn



1 From New York Jets

2 From New Orleans

3 From Minnesota

4 From Houston

5 From Philadelphia through Minnesota

 

[Krusheasy]

gruden presser

1/2

April 29, 2017


Head Coach Jay Gruden



On RB Samaje Perine:

"Well, there's a lot to like. He was very productive in his years at Oklahoma. He's a physical runner, without a doubt. Nobody can argue that point. We got a chance to interview him, sit down with him at the combine. He's also a leader-type player, but really when it comes down to it, he can get from here to there – physically. He's a physical runner and had a lot of production and a lot of yards. He's a great kid. I think he's got a chance to be a special team player also. He's done some of that in his career. Can't argue the production and the toughness that he has, and that's what drew us to him."

On if he planned to have this kind of size in this draft class:

"That's always what you're looking for. It depends on the player, but we got bigger and stronger. We also drafted some speed. Fabian [Moreau] can run 4.3 and obviously Robert [Davis] is a very fast player, so we got a couple guys that can really run."



On where the defense is right now on paper following the draft:

"That's what it is – it’s on paper. You feel like you're better, everybody does at this time. It's how we gel as a unit that is the important thing – how they buy into Coach Manusky's scheme and Coach Tomsula's coaching, how they work well together and how they make each other better. That's a challenge that we have. And we're going to start out here. Phase I, they've already started. We're going to get them going and introduce them to the scheme and see how they work together."



On if there is a common theme in their draft selections, whether it be attitude, speed or size:

"You’d like a combination of all of them, but we definitely sided towards the attitude and the size. I think Jonathan [Allen] and [Ryan] Anderson, we figured out those two guys were tough, physical football players and that's very, very important. And Fabian, obviously, for being a corner he's got some toughness to him also, but he also runs a 4.35 and he's got a combination of all of them. He's also been a captain. We've got great guys, great physical, tough guys."


On the distribution of how positions were drafted:

“It’s the way it worked out really. We tried to follow our board. I think Scott Campbell and Bruce [Allen] and the scouts really did a great job of getting the board set. The assistant coaches had a lot of say in it, did a very nice job. We feel like we did a good job. We’ll see how it stacks out, but getting Fabian in the third, Samaje in the fourth and obviously getting Montae [Nicholson] is a heck of a good add for us. We got some guys late that we feel really good about.”



On if not selecting a quarterback is an endorsement of the current quarterbacks:

“I think so. I think just because we draft a guy at your position doesn’t mean were saying you’re bad at your position. I think it’s just that those are the best players available. But we obviously feel good about Kirk [Cousins], Colt [McCoy] and Nate [Sudfeld] moving forward. If we get one as a free agent for the rookie minicamp and see how he does, well go from there.





On targeting defensive backs and selecting S Montae Nicholson in the fourth round:

“I think when you’re looking in the third round and you see Fabian sitting there, you had to take him. Obviously, the running back situation, we weren’t really necessarily looking for a new addition, but we couldn’t pass up on Samaje. We were happy to get him, man. We really enjoyed his interview, his toughness watching him on tape. You feel his presence when he runs the football. He’s a hard guy to get down, and if you do get him down, you’re going to get up holding your shoulder or something because he’s going to hit you. Then Montae was sitting there and it was kind of a position of need, but also he was one of our top-rated safeties and we decided to take him. He’s got an injury, but we feel like he’ll be ready for camp. He’s a big kid that can really run. I think he ran a 4.4 at the Combine, and worst-case he’s going to help out our special teams and that’s important. That’s one of the big three phases so that’s a good add for us.”



On WR Robert Davis and if the team has specifically targeted larger receivers:

“Well, I think when you’re looking for outside receivers, you’re looking for a guy that can be a little bit bigger. We feel like we have the best inside receiver – one of the best ones in the game – in Jamison [Crowder] so we weren’t really looking to add another one there. But we have some guys that can play a little bit of everywhere. You’d like to have size, but we just felt like at the time Robert was the best player available at receiver. He just so happened to be 6-2 and runs a 4.4. Good for us [laughter]. Really, size, we weren’t looking for a specific position there. We were looking for a guy that could run and maybe help out on special teams in his first year and continue to develop and break in the lineup that way first.”



On if WR Jamison Crowder will move outside:

“Well, he’ll be inside when we go three receivers, for sure. Just when we go two receivers, we’ll mix-and-match however we do it. We’re going to try to keep him on the field as much as possible.”

 

[Krusheasy]

gruden presser

2/2

On the nose tackle spot:

“I feel good, you know? I think a lot of people don’t know the guys we’ve had here or the guys there were on our practice squad like Joey Mbu, A.J. Francis. We feel good about the development of Matt Ioannidis, those three guys. And we added Phil Taylor. He’s an ex-first-round pick, had a couple of injuries but he’s looking good out here. He looks healthy and [he is] rolling so we feel good about those four guys competing for the nose guard spot. And we added obviously Stacy [McGee] who has played a little bit of nose but he’s more of an end, but we’ve got some multi-dimensional guys.”



On if he feels like he got the blocking tight end he was looking for in Jeremy Sprinkle:

“Yes, we do. He’s a big guy that can do both. That’s very exciting. That’s very rare nowadays in college football. A lot of tight ends are athletic, can run, but when you ask them to put their hand on the ground and block that six-technique, it’s a whole different ballgame. We feel like Jeremy [Sprinkle] can do a little bit of both. And he’s still got to develop his upper body, but I think we get him in our building, get him in the weight room… He’s got the length, he’s got the size, he’s got the toughness. I think he’s a good pick.”



On the coaches’ input and workload during the draft this year compared to last year:

“It was about the same. Same, same. Everybody is responsible to grade their players at their position. Gave the input and did a great job.”


On what he liked about C Chase Roullier:

“He’s a tough guy, man. You know, he’s played center, he’s played guard. And when you’re looking to draft a guy in the later rounds, the sixth round when we got him... He was a target for us because of his ability to play guard and center. You like to have a guy come in here and compete for the backup job behind Spencer [Long], but also if somebody gets injured in front of you, you’ve got to be able to play left guard and right guard. We feel like he can do that.”



On how the draft room operated:

“It was great. Very smooth. No issues whatsoever. You know, we had our share of back-and-forth conversation. You know, you’ve got a lot of guys [with] same grades, and some guys, positions want this guy, we want that guy, but it was a smooth process led by Bruce [Allen] and Scott Campbell. They did a great job, and obviously all the area scouts were tremendous.”



On how involved he is in contract discussions with QB Kirk Cousins:

“I’m not involved in the contract negotiating at all. No, that’s not my cup of tea, nor do I want it to be. I just try to say ‘We want you,’ and ‘Please sign.’”



On S Josh Harvey-Clemons:

“Josh is an interesting guy. He’s played some safety, but he’s 6-foot-4 and can run. He’s a tough guy, he’s played in the box a little bit. We’re going to try him at dime linebacker, and see and go from there. But, you know, you look around the league and you look at some of these running backs that are getting drafted, you know [Alvin] Kamara and some of these smaller scatbacks that are really good receivers, you better have somebody that can run and cover them and also be able to tackle if they run inside zone or something like that. We feel like he can do that. [It will] be a good project, and height/weight/speed, he fits all the measurables, we’ve just got to find a spot for him.”



On what position Josh Holsey will play:

“We see him competing at nickel and a little bit at corner. He played very well. He competed against Mike Williams and did a great job. I love his competitiveness. You look as his measurables and he’s not the biggest guy in the world, but he competes as good as any corner we’ve seen out there. We’re excited to throw him in the mix and let him compete at nickel/corner and special teams obviously.”


On how he feels about the defensive line after drafting Jonathan Allen:

“Like I said, it’s just how the draft board went. Once you get a player like that to add to the room… We feel good about the guys we’ve mentioned before, obviously [Terrell] McClain and [Stacy] McGee. Then we’ve talked a lot about Anthony Lanier who we feel good about, Ziggy Hood is coming back. We feel like we have a good combination there at defensive line. We could add maybe one or two more as a college free agent that are still out there – there’s some good players still left out there. So far, so good. We feel like we’ve addressed it with three big signings – Ziggy was a free agent, so really four – to go along with Matt [Ioannidis] and Anthony, and then the guys that we had on our practice squad with [Joey] Mbu and A.J. Francis and obviously Phil Taylor. So we feel good about it.”


On what adding another running back means for RB Matt Jones:

“He’s here just like everybody. I’ve mentioned it before, you sign a guy, it doesn’t mean the end of the world for a somebody who was his backup or what have you last year. Everybody has to come in here and compete. Anybody who knows me and the way we’ve done business here in the past, we play the best player. We don’t play the politically correct player, we will play the player who performs the best, and everybody is going to get a chance.”


On if there was a single performance by Perine that attracted the team to him:

“Kansas his junior year was pretty good – 427 yards, I think [laughter]. That’s not easy to do. But I just think his body of work, really. Playing with a great back like Joe [Mixon] over there, to really take advantage of the carries… I think he’s averaged six-point-something yards per carry. You say, ‘Oh, he’s a big back, he’s a between-the-tackles back.’ He’s averaging six yards per carry, so he’s a little bit more than that. I don’t think he gets enough credit for once he gets outside that ability to run over people, stiff-arm people [and] still make people miss. Not to mention, the character on this kid is A-plus. We know we’re going to get the most out of him. He benched 30 times on 225 [pounds], so we know how strong he is. Just a total package is really what we liked.”

 

[Krusheasy]

allen & anderson presser

Introductory Press Conference:
DL Jonathan Allen and LB Ryan Anderson



Opening statements:

ALLEN: “For me, I would just like to thank the Washington Redskin organization for making this dream come true. This is truly a blessing for me, not only to play for the NFL, but to be on the team I grew up watching. This is just a great and tremendous honor. It’s just been a lot of hard work to this point in my life, but I would just like to say thank you. I’m excited and looking forward to going out there and getting my NFL career started with this great locker room. From the guys I met, I’m very excited.”


ANDERSON: “I’ll just kind of build on what he said. Thank you to all those GMs, coaches and everybody that believed in me and bringing me in. I’m excited to be a Redskin and to get this process started, meet some of my teammates and get this ball rolling.”


On Redskins that were role models to Allen:

ALLEN: “As far as role models, Chris Cooley was a guy who I’ve always kind of had a relationship with, so he’s definitely been a big help to me through this process. If I had to choose one, I would definitely say Chris Cooley. He’s just a great role model, a great leader, been a great mentor to me. He’s been tremendous for me.”



On their relationship together at Alabama:

ANDERSON: “We [were] pretty close. We talked a lot. We played on the same defense for years, man. We were close. But never ever in a million years I thought we would be on the same team. I thought I got rid of him [laughter].”


ALLEN: “Kind of to repeat back what Ryan said, playing on the same defense for the last four years, [we] definitely came close. We definitely have a great brotherhood at Alabama. You never think about a situation where you go to play for a team with one of your great friends from college. It’s a blessing, I’m excited.”


On their dynamic on the field together at Alabama:

ANDERSON: “Like I said, we had a great relationship. We got to the point where we can work together, we can go out there and we call a lot of games and stuff on our own – that came with trust and time. For us to be on the same team, we can just pick right back up where we left off. I know him and I know his skill set. I know when he’s hot, I’m going to cover him, and if I’m rushing good, he can cover me. We pretty much have got that understanding. Like I said, man, it’s a great feeling to have another dog, somebody that’s going to go out there and lay it out there with you every day. That’s good, too.”


ALLEN: “Kind of what he said, just the mentality that we have coming out of Alabama, I feel like we’re very special. To know that I have a guy with me from Alabama is cool. We kind of fuel off of each other [and] feed off of each other just by our playing styles and how we go about doing it the right way. I’m excited. I’m excited to get things started, and having an Alabama guy with me makes it even better.”




On how they would describe each other as players and teammates:

ANDERSON: "Jonathan is a great teammate, you know what I mean? He’s a guy, he can come in the locker room and change the mood of a lot of guys. He has got that ability. He can joke around, but when it’s time to get serious and get on the field, he's all about his business. He's a smart player and great player… That’s pretty much it."


ALLEN: "For me, Ryan is a very versatile player. He's dominant on the run, aggressive, physical, and nasty. For me, those are things I'm kind of looking for when I'm looking for.”



ANDERSON: “Oh, that’s killing him [laughter]. That’s killing him right now.”



ALLEN: “Those are the kinds of things I’m looking for in a linebacker. And as far as a teammate, he's probably one of the best I've had just from the work ethic standpoint. It’s not really too many times you would catch Ryan slacking off, he's usually bringing guys to his level. As a teammate, and as a person, you can't really ask for too much better."


ANDERSON: “I’m glad you asked that question. He would have never said that stuff about me.”


On Anderson’s inspiration and from where his attitude comes:

ANDERSON: "Those people sitting right there – my mom, my sister and my brother. I always go out there and I'm playing for them. I'm playing for something bigger than me. It ain’t all about me. I don't feel like I can play this game at the level that I play it at and where I came from playing it if it was just about me."


On the last 24 hours:

ALLEN: "For me, it’s been a lot. I’ve probably experienced every emotional thing that you can, but probably the biggest thing is being excited. Yesterday, I was just so excited just to come in and meet all the coaches and Mr. Snyder. It’s been amazing. My mom said today, it's just back to the process. I'm looking forward to playing here, but I'm most excited to just get to work, get to running, get to working out with the team and just trying to catch up to speed with the rest of the guys. Just getting back to business."


On the draft process:

ANDERSON: “For me, like you said, we had a long season. Coming out of that season, the long season, the way we played, the way we practice at Bama is physically and mentally… it will wear you down. We had to play catch up on this training stuff, a lot of the combine stuff, it was tough. Guys had been done playing in November and December, really early and were training, so that was the tough part for me. It was non-stop and didn’t really get a break. We are jumping right back into it now, but I’m glad that part is over with and it’s back to football now… “I got advice from a lot of players, that played and went through it and they said the same thing. Just try to enjoy it. You only have got to do it one time, but I really wasn’t hearing that. I really didn’t like the draft process that much.”



ALLEN: “For me, I would probably say the waiting. It was a long season. It was physically and mentally exhausting, but this is my job. This is what I love to do. So, for me, it was just the waiting part, doing things that weren’t necessarily football-related. For me, getting back to football is what I have been waiting for since January 11th. So that’s what I’m most looking forward to.”



On what it means for Allen to play for the Redskins:

ALLEN: “To play for the Redskins means a lot. I still remember the days when I would come up to the Redskins’ facility when we first got Donovan McNabb and I was out there for training camp and watching them. So it’s cool to be able to say I can play for the Redskins. But that was then and this is now. This is my job and this is my business. It’s so exciting and it’s fun, but I’m just ready to get to work. For my family, they are so excited. Right in the backyard. It’s something you only hear about in stories. Not really something we even thought could happen, so now that it happened is really just a blessing and a dream come true.”



On why they chose to play collegiately at Alabama:

ALLEN: “Well, I was born in Anniston, Alabama, so I’ve always grown up an Alabama fan. For me when you have Coach [Nick] Saban sitting on your couch in your living room telling you he wants you to play for him, I mean, that’s not really something you say no to.”



ANDERSON: “I wanted to roll with the Tide, big guy.”



On if Allen has a preference where he plays on the defensive line:

ALLEN: “No, I mean, I don’t have a preference. As a football player I just want to be out there. That’s the most important thing for me. So, where ever the coaches tell me to play at that’s where I’m going to go play at and do it effectively.”



On if Allen had been to FedExField before today:

ALLEN: “So I’ve never actually been to a game. I went to the Barcelona/Manchester United game in 2010, I think, but besides that this is my first time. So walking in was an amazing experience. Like Ryan kind of said, just trying to soak it all in. You know it doesn’t even seem real at this point.”



On what they expect to feel walking into the stadium to play their first NFL game:

ALLEN: “I’m going to be excited, but I don’t really know how I’m going to feel. Probably going to be locked in and focused because it’s going to be my first NFL game. I have a job to do. This is a business. So I’m probably going to be just super mentally locked in and focused and ready to play football.”



ANDERSON: “I don’t feel like it’ll be any different from my first time walking into Bryant-Denny [Stadium in Tuscaloosa]. It’s just a different level, different team. High level competition, but at the end of the day it’s all the same game. It’s all the same feeling. Going in there for one reason.”



On if Anderson could play inside linebacker:

ANDERSON: “They haven’t talked to me about it.”



On if Anderson would be against playing inside linebacker:

ANDERSON: “No, I wouldn’t be against it. This is my job now. I ain’t in college no more. I ain’t doing this for free, so [laughter].”

 

[Krusheasy]

Perine, Nicholson & Sprinkle presser

RB Samaje Perine



On getting the call from the Redskins:

“I was just patiently waiting. I didn’t know when my name was going to be called, but once it finally got called [unintelligible]… I just can’t wait to get started.”


On his pre-draft interaction with the Redskins:

“Not much. I talked with them at the Combine, but after that I didn’t really have much contact with them.”


On his running style:

“Definitely a downhill runner. I’ve been working on making people miss throughout this whole process, so I’ve gotten better at that. I’d much prefer to go through you than around you.”


On what he has been working on to make defenders miss:

“Just some basic agility drills. Working with bags and working with cones – just making moves on those bags and cones and having a coach standing at the end and making a move on me really quick. Just simple stuff.”


On why he wants to improve that aspect of his game:

“Just to improve my game. I know that I haven’t really been able to show that as much, so I knew teams were going to have some questions about that. I just wanted to work on it and get ahead of the ball.”


On who called him from the Redskins:

“I got a call from the owner of the team. And then I talked to several coaches, talked to the running back coach, talked to the head coach. Then went on from there – kind of a round robin of phone calls.”


On sharing carries at Oklahoma:

“I just kept my head down and continued to work hard. You know, I know nothing is going to be given to me. Never will, never has been, so that’s all I can do is work and when my name gets called just make the most of it.”


On how he would describe himself as a pass catcher and pass protector:

“Don’t really have much game film of pass catching, but that was something I also worked on throughout this process. And you know my hands have gotten a lot better, route running has gotten a lot better. Pass pro has always been something that I’ve prided myself on starting from high school and continuing that process through college. So I feel like my pass pro is pretty good. You can always get better at stuff but coming out, as a starting point, I feel like my pass pro is pretty good.”


On the origin of the name Samaje:

“I’ve gotten that question a lot. My mom, she’s always said that she wanted a variation of Sam because my granddad’s name is Sam and then I have a couple of Sams in the family, so she wanted a variation of Sam. But she didn’t want Sam, that specific, so she just put a twist on it and came up with Samaje.”



S Montae Nicholson



On his expectations:

"Like any player, I expect to come in, play and help the team in any way and go get a Super Bowl. That's what it’s all about, that's the highest achievement. [I want] just to be an impact on the team any way I can."



On when he'll be able to return from his injury:

"Fall camp, that's when Dr. Bradley and my physical therapist tell me I'll be ready to go. They said I'm ahead of schedule and said it’s looking good. So I'm just excited to just keep doing rehab, get down there and start getting to work."



On how he would describe himself and his best traits:

"I'm a physical player, you know what I mean? I like to run and hit people. I'm pretty fast, and I have got good range. That’s pretty much attributes for the team."


On areas in which he can improve:

“Studying the game, because when my body goes, it’s all mental. Once I get down there, I’m going to dive right into the playbook as soon as possible, learn all the plays just because I won’t be able to do anything right away. So, I just want to get everything in my head just so I don’t lose a step.”


On the decision to enter the draft:

“It was definitely a tough decision, probably one of the toughest decisions – if not the toughest decision – I’ve had to make to this point in my life. I talked it over with my mom, my grandfather. I call them my panel, so to speak. I sat down for weeks trying to decide what was best for me. In the end, I decided out to come out and that it was best for me and my family. I don’t regret it at all. I’m very excited to get to work.”


On if he is having a draft party:

“Right now, no. It’s just me and my little sister at the house. My little brother had a tournament. My little sister is having her own party right now. She’s giving me a big hug right now. I’m going to get together with some family later and celebrate that way.”


TE Jeremy Sprinkle



On the moment of being drafted:

“It was pretty exciting. This has always been a big dream for me. To finally have it come true, it’s a big moment for me right now.”


On his blocking ability:

“I would say it’s definitely the most improved part of my game over my career as far as developing as a tight end. I feel like this past season, just being able to be in those gap schemes and everything like that, it really gave me an opportunity to show that my in-line blocking is really good. I feel like that part of my game is good and solid.”


On his experience playing special teams:

“As my role got bigger on offense, I did special teams less, but for the first three years that I played, I was on punt, punt return, kickoff, and kickoff return, as well as hands and onside. I played all of special teams for three years, except for the last year that I was the full-time starter.”


On what he learned from bowl week last year:

"I feel like it was a big disappointment for everyone around me. Obviously it was something that was out of my character. I just learned that, you know, you just have to be the same person whether you think someone's watching or not. And, you know, just moving past it, I've done everything I've needed to do as far as the legal process of getting that over with, having the charges dropped and, you know, just trying to move past it."



On if he had any pre-draft communication with the Redskins:

"You know, mostly just interviews, as you know with the Senior Bowl and the combine. As far as the weeks leading up, I haven't really had much contact, so I mean, it’s a big surprise, and, you know, I really love it."

 

[Krusheasy]

Roullier, Davis, Harvey & Holsey presser

C Chase Roullier



On getting the call from the Redskins:

“It’s a long wait after three days. It definitely starts to get long, but it was a very exciting call and I’m very excited to be a Washington Redskin.”


On his strengths and weaknesses:

“I think one of my biggest strengths is my consistency in my play. I pride myself on being a pretty intelligent guy coming from an engineering background [and] that really translates well onto the field. I’m able to think on my feet pretty quickly. My play stays very consistently throughout the game at that level. There’s obviously always things that you need to work on as an offensive lineman, but just getting my feet in the ground and placing my hands in the right position are just a couple of those little things.”


On the adjustment of moving from guard to center:

“I made the adjustment for my team this past year with the [Wyoming] Cowboys. It was a move that we needed to make as an offensive line just due to the best situation for the offense. I was more than willing to do that, and I think it really, honestly helped me out a lot. Just being able to prove that I have that versatility being able to play both guard and center really helped me out just to prove that I could do it. I was the backup center throughout my years as a guard at Wyoming, but being able to actually go in there and play center helped a lot.”


On for which position he is best suited in the NFL:

“I think I’ll do very well at center. Being up there in front of the rest of the offensive line, being able to see that defense and really play to my strengths of being able to see the defense and read things I think will really help me a lot in the NFL.”


On his engineering background:

“I enjoyed getting a degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Wyoming. It was a tough load, definitely during the season and being a Division I football player and doing a mechanical engineering degree at the exact same time, it’s a difficult task for sure. But, you know, I managed and got a good degree out of it.”


On Offensive Line Coach Bill Callahan:

“I had the chance to meet Coach Callahan. I came into Washington for a visit a couple of weeks ago. Coach Callahan seems like he’s a great coach to play under. He’s a great guy, obviously has a tremendous amount of knowledge for the game and I’m very excited to play under him.”


WR Robert Davis



On what it was like getting the call:

"It was excellent, man. I was sitting here all day waiting to see where I was going to get drafted at and I'm just blessed to join an organization like the Redskins."



On what makes him stand out as a player:

"Just athleticism. I'm an athletic receiver that can help stretch the field. I really feel I can come into that organization with the great receiver coach they have there. I'm just ready to go to work and see what I can do to help the team."



On who helped him through the pre-draft process:

“My cousin, Thomas Davis, who plays for the Carolina Panthers – linebacker. He’s been the guy who’s been in my corner the whole time. He’s been letting me know all the ins and outs of what’s going on. He’s just been the guy who’s kept me motivated and always been there to tell me right from wrong.”



On his ability to contribute in the running game or on special teams:

“All I can say is I’m a football player. I don’t even consider myself as just a wide receiver. I consider myself a football player. I feel like I can go out there and make plays on special teams. I’m willing to block. I went to a triple option high school, where that was the only thing we did. I only caught eight passes my high school career. I mean, blocking was what I did, and I am a skilled blocker. I’m a physical guy and I’m a guy who’s willing to go out there and compete.”


S Josh Harvey-Clemons



On getting drafted by the Washington Redskins:

“Oh man. I can’t even describe it, man. I was sitting here worried because it was getting later, and later in the seventh round. It was a big relief.”



On his strengths and some areas of improvement:

“I think my strengths are my range and my length and my ability to get to the ball. Some things I need to work on… I would say just small footwork things and staying low out of my break and things like that.”



On potentially playing dime linebacker:

“I’m willing to play anywhere. I played multiple positions at my former school, Louisville. I hope to do the same.”



On his experience playing special teams:

“I played special teams all of my years except for my last year of college. I’ve played on every special team.”



CB Joshua Holsey


On getting the call from the Washington Redskins:

“It was a dream come true, one of those things you’ve been waiting for a long time. So to just get that call finally was real big.”



On his strengths and areas of improvement:

“[My] strengths, I’m just a really smart, intelligent football player. I play ball through the wall every play. I try to go as hard as I can. I watch a lot of film [and] I do the little things that matter at the end. I just want to work on being a pro. Doing what it takes to stay in the league as long as possible. Just learn from those veteran guys who have been there and just get better each and every day.”



On his injury history and if it affected him as a player:

“Big time, you know what I mean, but I was able to bounce back from that. A lot of guys can’t come back from two ACL injuries and play as well I did. I was able to battle through those. Injuries happen, so you have to be able to fight through and come back. I feel like I did that and Washington and Coach [Torrian] Gray and Coach [Jay] Gruden felt that as well and took a chance for me.”



On playing special teams:

“I played on all the special teams.”

 

[Caliskinsfan]

 

[Caliskinsfan]

 

[Ruzious]

After the Skins pick a D-Lineman and an OLB 1 and 2, it's about time Preston got the wakeup call. I'm doubtful that he's had good coaching here, and he better have good coaching this year. There's no doubt that he's a talented player who has under-achieved, imo.

 

[Caliskinsfan]

 

[Caliskinsfan]

 

[Caliskinsfan]

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Good, needs to be motivated this year

 

[Caliskinsfan]

BECOMING COMFORTABLE WITH THE REDSKINS’ COMPETENCE
MAY 4, 2017 JAMIE MOTTRAM 1 COMMENT


From 1993 to 2014, a span of 22 seasons, the Redskins posted a winning record six times. Said differently, for a period that spanned multiple generations, Washington’s football team was a loser 73 percent of the time.

Then, in ’15-16, they posted back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since ’97. Those were only 9-7 and 8-7-1 seasons, but winning seasons nonetheless.

This year, I’ve got them doing it again with a predicted record of 9-7.

And I am exceedingly comfortable with that.

Patriots and Steelers fans can condescend all they want at nine-win seasons, but I’ll take it for at least a couple more years before getting too upset about just missing out on or just squeaking into the playoffs.

It’s why, after a seemingly solid draft and free agency period, I’m not freaking out about the Scot McCloughan debacle. It’s also why, even though he may not exude greatness, I’d really like them to sign Kirk Cousins to a long-term deal.

They can win with Kirk Cousins, especially if he’s supported by a decent run game and stout defense, neither of which he’s had the past two years. But you knew that.

It’s worth repeating, though: There’s comfort in competence, in playing meaningful games in December. Zoom out from the embarrassment of their early offseason, and Washington isn’t a bottom-of-the-barrel laughingstock anymore. They’re more like a middle-of-the-league laughingstock.

Let them find firm ground in the upper-third, and appreciate it, and try to laugh off the rest.

 

[Krusheasy]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
5/9/17


NFL PRESEASON DATES & TIMES ANNOUNCED

The dates and kickoff times of the 65-game NFL preseason schedule were announced today, beginning with the annual NFL/Hall of Fame Game between the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals in Canton, Ohio on Thursday night, August 3.

Televised live at 8:00 PM ET by NBC, the NFL/Hall of Fame Game is the first of eight national preseason telecasts carried by NFL broadcast partners CBS, ESPN, FOX and NBC.

NFL Network will also provide extensive coverage of the NFL preseason, including live game broadcasts in all four weeks of the preseason. NFL Network’s preseason broadcast schedule will be announced in July.

The 2017 preseason schedule was announced on April 10 without dates and times, which now have been confirmed.

The complete 2017 NFL preseason schedule is listed below:
2017 NFL PRESEASON SCHEDULE
(Games grouped by start times and listed alphabetically by home team)

NFL/Hall of Fame Game – AUGUST 3
DAY DATE VISITOR HOME LOCAL ET NAT. TV
Thursday Aug. 3 Dallas Cowboys vs Arizona Cardinals 8:00 PM (ET) 8:00 PM NBC

WEEK 1 - AUGUST 9-13
DAY DATE VISITOR HOME LOCAL ET
Wednesday Aug. 9 Houston Texans at Carolina Panthers 7:30 PM (ET) 7:30 PM
Thursday Aug. 10 Minnesota Vikings at Buffalo Bills 7:00 PM (ET) 7:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 10 Atlanta Falcons at Miami Dolphins 7:00 PM (ET) 7:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 10 Washington Redskins at Baltimore Ravens 7:30 PM (ET) 7:30 PM
Thursday Aug. 10 Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots 7:30 PM (ET) 7:30 PM
Thursday Aug. 10 Denver Broncos at Chicago Bears 7:00 PM (CT) 8:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 10 New Orleans Saints at Cleveland Browns 8:00 PM (ET) 8:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 10 Philadelphia Eagles at Green Bay Packers 7:00 PM (CT) 8:00 PM
Friday Aug. 11 Pittsburgh Steelers at New York Giants 7:00 PM (ET) 7:00 PM
Friday Aug. 11 Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals 7:30 PM (ET) 7:30 PM
Friday Aug. 11 San Francisco 49ers at Kansas City Chiefs 8:00 PM (CT) 9:00 PM
Saturday Aug. 12 Tennessee Titans at New York Jets 7:30 PM (ET) 7:30 PM
Saturday Aug. 12 Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams 6:00 PM (PT) 9:00 PM
Saturday Aug. 12 Oakland Raiders at Arizona Cardinals 7:00 PM (MST) 10:00 PM
Sunday Aug. 13 Detroit Lions at Indianapolis Colts 1:30 PM (ET) 1:30 PM
Sunday Aug. 13 Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Chargers 5:00 PM (PT) 8:00 PM

WEEK 2 - AUGUST 17-21
DAY DATE VISITOR HOME LOCAL ET NAT. TV
Thursday Aug. 17 Baltimore Ravens at Miami Dolphins 7:00 PM (ET) 7:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 17 Buffalo Bills at Philadelphia Eagles 7:00 PM (ET) 7:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 17 Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Jacksonville Jaguars 8:00 PM (ET) 8:00 PM ESPN
Friday Aug. 18 Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks 7:00 PM (PT) 10:00 PM
Saturday Aug. 19 Carolina Panthers at Tennessee Titans 2:00 PM (CT) 3:00 PM
Saturday Aug. 19 Kansas City Chiefs at Cincinnati Bengals 7:00 PM (ET) 7:00 PM
Saturday Aug. 19 Indianapolis Colts at Dallas Cowboys 6:00 PM (CT) 7:00 PM
Saturday Aug. 19 New York Jets at Detroit Lions 7:30 PM (ET) 7:30 PM
Saturday Aug. 19 Green Bay Packers at Washington Redskins 7:30 PM (ET) 7:30 PM
Saturday Aug. 19 New England Patriots at Houston Texans 7:00 PM (CT) 8:00 PM
Saturday Aug. 19 Los Angeles Rams at Oakland Raiders 7:00 PM (PT) 10:00 PM
Saturday Aug. 19 Denver Broncos at San Francisco 49ers 7:00 PM (PT) 10:00 PM
Saturday Aug. 19 Chicago Bears at Arizona Cardinals 7:00 PM (MST) 10:00 PM
Sunday Aug. 20 Atlanta Falcons at Pittsburgh Steelers 4:00 PM (ET) 4:00 PM
Sunday Aug. 20 New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Chargers 5:00 PM (PT) 8:00 PM
Monday Aug. 21 New York Giants at Cleveland Browns 8:00 PM (ET) 8:00 PM ESPN



WEEK 3 - AUGUST 24-27
DAY DATE VISITOR HOME LOCAL ET NAT. TV
Thursday Aug. 24 Miami Dolphins at Philadelphia Eagles 7:00 PM (ET) 7:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 24 Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars 7:30 PM (ET) 7:30 PM
Friday Aug. 25 New England Patriots at Detroit Lions 7:00 PM (ET) 7:00 PM
Friday Aug. 25 Kansas City Chiefs at Seattle Seahawks 5:00 PM (PT) 8:00 PM CBS
Saturday Aug. 26 Arizona Cardinals at Atlanta Falcons 7:00 PM (ET) 7:00 PM
Saturday Aug. 26 Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens 7:00 PM (ET) 7:00 PM
Saturday Aug. 26 New York Jets at New York Giants 7:00 PM (ET) 7:00 PM
Saturday Aug. 26 Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers 7:30 PM (ET) 7:30 PM
Saturday Aug. 26 Cleveland Browns at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7:30 PM (ET) 7:30 PM
Saturday Aug. 26 Oakland Raiders at Dallas Cowboys 7:00 PM (CT) 8:00 PM
Saturday Aug. 26 Los Angeles Chargers at Los Angeles Rams 5:00 PM (PT) 8:00 PM CBS
Saturday Aug. 26 Houston Texans at New Orleans Saints 7:00 PM (CT) 8:00 PM
Saturday Aug. 26 Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos 7:00 PM (MT) 9:00 PM
Sunday Aug. 27 Chicago Bears at Tennessee Titans 12:00 PM (CT) 1:00 PM FOX
Sunday Aug. 27 Cincinnati Bengals at Washington Redskins 4:30 PM (ET) 4:30 PM FOX
Sunday Aug. 27 San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings 7:00 PM (CT) 8:00 PM NBC

WEEK 4 - AUGUST 31
DAY DATE VISITOR HOME LOCAL ET
Thursday Aug. 31 Jacksonville Jaguars at Atlanta Falcons 7:00 PM (ET) 7:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 31 Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills 7:00 PM (ET) 7:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 31 Los Angeles Rams at Green Bay Packers 6:00 PM (CT) 7:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 31 Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts 7:00 PM (ET) 7:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 31 Philadelphia Eagles at New York Jets 7:00 PM (ET) 7:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 31 Pittsburgh Steelers at Carolina Panthers 7:30 PM (ET) 7:30 PM
Thursday Aug. 31 New York Giants at New England Patriots 7:30 PM (ET) 7:30 PM
Thursday Aug. 31 Washington Redskins at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7:30 PM (ET) 7:30 PM
Thursday Aug. 31 Cleveland Browns at Chicago Bears 7:00 PM (CT) 8:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 31 Dallas Cowboys at Houston Texans 7:00 PM (CT) 8:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 31 Miami Dolphins at Minnesota Vikings 7:00 PM (CT) 8:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 31 Baltimore Ravens at New Orleans Saints 7:00 PM (CT) 8:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 31 Tennessee Titans at Kansas City Chiefs 7:30 PM (CT) 8:30 PM
Thursday Aug. 31 Arizona Cardinals at Denver Broncos 7:00 PM (MT) 9:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 31 Seattle Seahawks at Oakland Raiders 7:00 PM (PT) 10:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 31 Los Angeles Chargers at San Francisco 49ers 7:00 PM (PT) 10:00 PM

 

[Krusheasy]

 

[skinsdad62]

really good to have that wrapped up so soon

 

[Krusheasy]

gruden presser

May 13, 2017


Head Coach Jay Gruden



On his first impressions of the rookies:

"I was impressed with them all, even the tryout guys that came in here. They had to learn on the fly. The first day, we were throwing a lot of stuff at them offensively and defensively and they picked it up well and competed. As far as our draft picks are concerned, I’m satisfied. I’m happy with them. They have a long way to go, without a doubt. They know they have a lot of work ahead of them. They’re behind. They have to catch up, but I like the way they worked, I liked the way they practiced and I like their athletic ability.”

On why practice was cut short:

"We’re down defensive linemen. We only had four interior defensive linemen. We lost two of them today, so I had to cut it off. I didn’t want to wear those guys down.”



On the defensive linemen:

"We had a guy pull his groin and another tryout guy left.”



On what he saw from DL Jonathan Allen:

"I think he’s got great football knowledge, number one. Number two, he has great hands and his feet are good. So I think he’s got all the tools to be a great defensive lineman, without a doubt. I think there are some things he can clean up as all of these young guys have issues they need to clean up. As far as skill set is concerned, Jonathan has everything you’re looking for in a defensive lineman.”


On RB Samaje Perine:

“You see him out there running around – were you impressed? [Reporter answers yes] Yeah, so was I. I like guys who come in here and love football and he does. He’s a very smart guy. You can tell that he’s going to be a very hard worker and, of course, he runs hard. You can’t see that in shorts, obviously, but you could see that his pad level is always down, he’s got good vision, he’s got good feet in the hole and he caught the ball well.”


On having new coaches on defense:

“It’s going to be a challenge. Anytime you have a new defensive staff, I don’t care how experienced you are, it’s your job to get the team to gel. The secondary, linebackers, defensive line, they’ve got to play together as one and that’s a challenge. I think from a talent standpoint, we feel like we’ve done a good job in the offseason addressing some of our needs with the draft and free agency. We lost a couple of good players, but we feel like we replaced them and upgraded our team with depth, which is very good. I think we have a lot of depth on our defense right now as opposed to previous years, so it’s going to be their job and it’s a great challenge, that’s the challenge of all coaches is to get your team to gel defensively and play together. I feel like the talent is there for them to work with.”


On CB Marrio Norman, brother of CB Josh Norman, trying out this weekend:

“You would think one would be enough… [laughter]. But, you know, he’s got a skillset. I’ll tell you what, he’s a good player. He’s played in a couple different leagues and runs around out there good. Josh has been touting him pretty hard for the last year and a half, so we wanted to give him a shot and give him a look. We gave him a look and we’ll discuss his future here today.”


On the timelines for CB Fabian Moreau and S Montae Nicholson:

“Not really an update on their timeline. We’re just going to play it by ear, let them rehab and get them back. Right now for them it’s about getting mental reps. Trying to learn our system, learning the secondary, the corner spot, obviously the safety spot, very, very important. They’re behind, like I said, so they just have to pick it up on a chalkboard so when they’re ready to go, they can participate. But it will be a while. I’m hoping maybe training camp, maybe later. It might be the regular season. We don’t know yet.”


On if the meetings this week can help Moreau and Nicholson:

“Oh, yeah. That’s the only chance they have. You have to learn it mentally before you go out and do it physically. You’d like to let them learn and participate, but the best they can do is just learn it. That’s half the battle.”


On LB Ryan Anderson:

“He’s got great strength. What you see on tape at Alabama, you can see it kind of transfer here with how hard he works, his work ethic. He’s heavy right now. He’s 260-plus pounds. He’s a big man. He’s got to get in football shape, but I don’t think he’s far away at all. The type of guy he is, he’ll work his tail off and get in shape. All of these guys, they have been off really since the combine. So they are all a little bit behind. Our guys have been in here working, running and lifting. We’ll get him in here. Get him in the building and get him to work. But he’s an impressive guy, strong-minded guy, physical and a good add.”


On an ideal weight for Anderson:

“I don’t know. I’ll let Chad Englehart [decide]. We’ll talk obviously with Ryan and come up with a target weight. It’s the first time we’ve seen him since the combine. So we’ll decide that later. It’s not like he’s grossly overweight. He’s fine. All of these guys, all of these rookies come in and they’re not necessarily in football shape. We don’t expect them to be. They all have to keep working.”


On the process of evaluating and deciding which players to add to the roster:

“Right now, we’re right around 90 [players], so if we want to sign one of these tryout guys, we’ll probably have to make a move. That could happen as early as next week. Maybe one or two or three spots, we’ll see. It’s also good to have these guys, get them in front of us so if something does happen with injuries later on, we can pluck one of these guys if they’re still available. It’s a good exercise for us. It’s good for us as coaches to get out there, practice before OTAs start in a couple of weeks. It was good for everybody to see these guys and get them to work.”



On CB Joshua Holsey’s return from multiple ACL injuries in college:

“Watching him move around, it doesn’t look like he was hurt at all. He’s really quick in and out of breaks. He’s a competitor, you can see that. He likes to talk a little bit, as do I, so it’s a good match. We have a lot of fun with him. I think he’s going to be a good candidate for this football team. I know he ran around well in special teams drills, so we’ll see how it goes, but I was impressed with Holsey.”



On a reported trade proposal with the 49ers during the draft:

“That’s news to me. I’m not sure where he got that; he wasn’t in our draft room. I never heard the phone ring, but even if it did, I don’t a second and a third and a fourth would be good enough for the 17th pick in the draft, personally. But Bruce would’ve had to make that call and he never said that he was offered that.”

 

[Caliskinsfan]