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Skin'EmAll
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I was very disappointed in Paul last year but this month old discontinued article by John Keim is rather encouraging.
I expect solid contributions...(the title of this thread is misleading lol)
During last season, Niles Paul said he learned a lesson about playing tight end. His athleticism was not enough. When he started playing the position last spring, he admitted he leaned on that athleticism. And thought it would carry him through the season. It did not. Paul’s blocking on the move was fine, but along the line it was not. Nor did he make an impact in the passing game as expected. Paul said he knows he needs to use his feet better. In zone blocking, that’s a big key in maintaining leverage.
Here’s what else he learned:
1. His confidence was shot. OK, maybe not completely, but it was dented more than ever. Paul needed to adapt to catching passes in different spots than he had in the past. Maybe it’s a poor excuse; maybe it’s just an explanation. Or maybe Paul just doesn’t have great hands. But for him, this is a reason to think 2013 will be different.
“I’m one of the most confident guys you’ll ever meet, but last year, I’ll admit I kind of lost my confidence,” Paul said. “I kind of lost my mojo because those drops killed me.
“The balls were coming at me completely different. It’s different routes and a different route tree. I’m so used to running routes outside. I’ve never even played slot before in my life. As soon as you turn around, the ball is on you. But no excuses. As an ex-receiver, I have to make those catches. Now I’m in tight running routes. It was just getting comfortable and getting my confidence back up. That’s what I was able to do this offseason.”
2. Paul said he stuck around Ashburn all offseason wanting to complete the transition to tight end. He wanted to take what he learned last season and apply it to his offseason work. Paul is one of the most competitive Redskins, which is why he makes a fantastic special teams performer as a gunner.
“For the most part, it’s a lot of thinking at tight end,” Paul said. “We always say besides the QB, tight end is one of the most difficult positions on the field. A lot of times last year, I had to stay in and block and if the man falls off, I have to get out and go on the route. So it’s a lot of thinking. … I know what’s going on now. I know my footwork, I know my routes, I know what they expect of me and I know where I have to be.”
3. As for his competitiveness, it’s worth noting that Paul wasn’t bothered when the Redskins drafted Jordan Reed in the third round. Instead, he was telling teammate Logan Paulsen to chill after the selection. Paulsen had called Paul to tell him what the Redskins had done in the draft.
“You would think a guy like Logan there would be no panic in him,” Paul said. “I said, ‘Logan, you just re-signed. You’re an amazing tight end. Calm down, we’ll be all right. You just have to compete. It’s going to be fun.’ I always take on new challenges and I love to compete and Jordan’s a great guy. He’s athletic. I can’t wait for him to get out there and start doing his drills and getting his work done.”
4. Paul also learned he had to get stronger. Paul said he’ll never weigh more than his current weight of 234 pounds. But he did add strength. It was a must.
“Last year, guys were humongous and it could be a bit intimidating when you got a big guy like DeMarcus Ware, who gets his hands on you and then just flings you,” Paul said. “This year, I made it a point to become stronger. I lifted so heavily this offseason. The last time I did this was my senior year in college. You can see it on the field even though we don’t have pads on, Ryan Kerrigan said, ‘You’re doing a hell of a job blocking this year. You’re so hard to get off now.’ I feel that much stronger.”
I expect solid contributions...(the title of this thread is misleading lol)
During last season, Niles Paul said he learned a lesson about playing tight end. His athleticism was not enough. When he started playing the position last spring, he admitted he leaned on that athleticism. And thought it would carry him through the season. It did not. Paul’s blocking on the move was fine, but along the line it was not. Nor did he make an impact in the passing game as expected. Paul said he knows he needs to use his feet better. In zone blocking, that’s a big key in maintaining leverage.
Here’s what else he learned:
1. His confidence was shot. OK, maybe not completely, but it was dented more than ever. Paul needed to adapt to catching passes in different spots than he had in the past. Maybe it’s a poor excuse; maybe it’s just an explanation. Or maybe Paul just doesn’t have great hands. But for him, this is a reason to think 2013 will be different.
“I’m one of the most confident guys you’ll ever meet, but last year, I’ll admit I kind of lost my confidence,” Paul said. “I kind of lost my mojo because those drops killed me.
“The balls were coming at me completely different. It’s different routes and a different route tree. I’m so used to running routes outside. I’ve never even played slot before in my life. As soon as you turn around, the ball is on you. But no excuses. As an ex-receiver, I have to make those catches. Now I’m in tight running routes. It was just getting comfortable and getting my confidence back up. That’s what I was able to do this offseason.”
2. Paul said he stuck around Ashburn all offseason wanting to complete the transition to tight end. He wanted to take what he learned last season and apply it to his offseason work. Paul is one of the most competitive Redskins, which is why he makes a fantastic special teams performer as a gunner.
“For the most part, it’s a lot of thinking at tight end,” Paul said. “We always say besides the QB, tight end is one of the most difficult positions on the field. A lot of times last year, I had to stay in and block and if the man falls off, I have to get out and go on the route. So it’s a lot of thinking. … I know what’s going on now. I know my footwork, I know my routes, I know what they expect of me and I know where I have to be.”
3. As for his competitiveness, it’s worth noting that Paul wasn’t bothered when the Redskins drafted Jordan Reed in the third round. Instead, he was telling teammate Logan Paulsen to chill after the selection. Paulsen had called Paul to tell him what the Redskins had done in the draft.
“You would think a guy like Logan there would be no panic in him,” Paul said. “I said, ‘Logan, you just re-signed. You’re an amazing tight end. Calm down, we’ll be all right. You just have to compete. It’s going to be fun.’ I always take on new challenges and I love to compete and Jordan’s a great guy. He’s athletic. I can’t wait for him to get out there and start doing his drills and getting his work done.”
4. Paul also learned he had to get stronger. Paul said he’ll never weigh more than his current weight of 234 pounds. But he did add strength. It was a must.
“Last year, guys were humongous and it could be a bit intimidating when you got a big guy like DeMarcus Ware, who gets his hands on you and then just flings you,” Paul said. “This year, I made it a point to become stronger. I lifted so heavily this offseason. The last time I did this was my senior year in college. You can see it on the field even though we don’t have pads on, Ryan Kerrigan said, ‘You’re doing a hell of a job blocking this year. You’re so hard to get off now.’ I feel that much stronger.”
4 tes looks like the thing
