REDSKINS 101

 The NFL Preseason is set to begin this week and Washington Redskins fans couldn't be more excited. With the preseason comes an opportunity for players looking to make the 53-man roster to show the coaching staff why they should make the team. This game will be very important for the rookies‚ players who don't have much game experience and players on the bubble because as the saying goes‚ "you don't get a second chance to make a first impression." There are a lot of guys that need to make an impact in this game‚ but there are five players in particular that I will be keeping an eye on in this first preseason game. Here are the five players I will be watching closely in Friday’s game against the Steelers:

  

1. Perry Riley – The second year linebacker is currently listed as a backup behind Rocky McIntosh on the depth chart at the "Jack" inside linebacker position. Riley‚ a fourth round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft‚ was thought by many to be the incoming starter following the loss of McIntosh to free agency. After a week of training camp and a few days of practice the Redskins re-signed Rocky McIntosh. Upon release of the first unofficial depth chart‚ McIntosh was listed as the starter at the inside linebacker position that Riley plays. To many people this is indicative of the fact that Riley needs to improve many aspects of his game. I think it will be interesting to see how Riley performs in this game‚ therefore he will be a player to watch on Friday.
2. Brandon Banks – Second year special teams phenom Brandon Banks has become somewhat of a fan favorite due to his exciting special teams play last season‚ but has spent a significant part of this week of practice dealing with a knee injury. It is likely that Banks might not even play in Friday’s game‚ but if he does I will definitely be watching to see how he performs. Many believe it will be difficult for Banks to make the team this year due to the injury concerns and the fact that there are young receivers trying to make this year’s roster that can return punts and kicks as well as contribute on offense as wide receivers.
3. Leonard Hankerson - Many people believe the rookie wide receiver has the talent as well as size to develop into a legitimate number one receiver in the NFL‚ however dropped passes have become a topic of discussion over the last few days of practice. Nobody questions what Leonard Hankerson can do on the field‚ but his problems with dropped passes early in his career at the University of Miami are resurfacing in discussions due to his numerous dropped passes in recent days of practice. With a solid receiving performance on Friday the talk about dropped passes in practice will slowly begin to die down.
4. Ryan Kerrigan – After spending a few days getting "mental reps" due to a knee injury early on in training camp‚ the rookie first round pick at outside linebacker participated in yesterday’s practice and should get plenty of playing time in Friday’s preseason game. It will be interesting to see whether or not Kerrigan plays in the knee brace he was wearing during Wednesday’s practice and how he plays considering the injury has kept him out of practice for almost a week. Kerrigan is projected to start day one of the regular season‚ so just about everyone will be watching to see how well he performs on Friday evening.
5. Jarvis Jenkins – The 2nd round defensive lineman has been getting rave reviews from fans watching the open practices over the last week. Even the Redskins’ defensive coordinator Jim Haslett has spoken highly of Jenkins. Jenkins will not only be a player to watch Friday because of his being spoken highly of by so many people‚ but also because many scouts and talent evaluators thought the Redskins’ front office "reached" for him in April’s draft. Jenkins was listed as a backup defensive end on the unofficial depth chart released earlier this week so it is likely that he will see plenty of playing time on Friday. Jenkins is projected to see significant playing time during the regular season as part of an expected defensive line rotation. It will be interesting to see what he brings to the table in Friday’s game. 

 

Tags: Brandon Banks, Football, Jarvis Jenkins, Leonard Hankerson, NFL, Perry Riley, Ryan Kerrigan, Washington, Washington Redskins

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