The-Hogs.net - Washington Football Discussion, Redskins to Commanders Era

Can any of you guys closer to the game let me know what we know about our rookies

As far as I can see

Devin Thomas - Has caught a couple of passes including an important 3rd down catch. He has created too many penalties..but is starting to play a part.

Horton - Hears a who?..the who being other safeties who? were selected above him and are better than him...WHO!

Durrant Brooks - Erratic

But what of the others...Davies (has he suited up) has Kelly run a route..what about the lineman Rheinhart was it? Any info would be great

IMO the rookies are progressing fairly well - this group have had some ups and have also benefitted from having their position coaches knowing how to bring them along and most importantly have helped them learn from their mistakes. Some came into the NFL unprepared, some came in determined to show they could contribute at this level and all are a part of a team that is the result of some great players and coaches helping our younger players become better.

We are very lucky to have a really good mix of both old and young players but even more to have a bunch of young guys with less than 4 years of experience who look like they will be very big contributors here for a long time.

This current batch of rookies are shaping up and look like being a great draft but that will take a little more than 5 games - I look for big things from those first 3 picks but we will be a better team in the coming years if we can continue to keep most of our draft picks.

BK, I'm certainly nowhere near the team, neither geographically nor personally, but here's what I've seen and heard thus far:

Devin Thomas: potential playmaker. FAR too many pass interference penalties (more than I've ever seen a WR get in fact) and he has made some other bonehead (read rookie) mistakes -- but he has raw speed and as he adjusts to the game he will eventually shine.

Malcolm Kelly: he's only seen the field for an extremely limited # of reps, in part because of his overall conditioning and in part due to lingering stiffness/soreness in his knee. As much as I want to believe he will get past what has been a problem throughout most of his adult playing days, at this point the jury is still out on that.

Fred Davis: I wish I could "Be Jim Zorn" to paraphrase the Malkovich movie, and spend about 5 minutes inside his head to figure out what he's planning with this kid. Tremendous upside, and plays a position that doesn't take as long to learn as WR, but has seen the field about as much as MK. The biggest reason for that is no doubt Chris ey and Todd Yoder; they both are very good at filling two different roles for this team respectively.

Durant Brooks: you nailed it. He's been up one week and down the next. His mechanics are somewhat questionable, but he's a rookie and I've no doubt that Danny Smith will coach him up and out of the problems he's struggling with.

Chad Rinehart: This kid is the real deal IMHO, and will be starting for us in a year or two, most likely at G replacing Kendall or Thomas. Right now our O-line is playing healthy and lights out, so he's not gonna see any reps. We also have Fabini and Geisinger to step in if God forbid someone goes down.

Kareem Moore: The OTHER safety lol. He's been a little nicked up, plus he's more of a natural FS while Mr. Horton, aka the Bruin of Ruin, is more of a SS. Playing behind Laron Landry means you don't play. Period. He's got talent, right now its all about special teams.

Chris Horton: nuff said. Kid is a gamer/baller/playmaker/insert your own superlative here. The real deal.

That's a long read, I know, but I hope it answers some of your questions. It's all just my opinions and observations, but at least they're all mine. Cheers.

Rheinhart looked good in the preseason and the coaches have all said they are impressed with him. Good for us, because either Kendall or Thomas won't be around in a season or two, and maybe both will be gone.

Fred Davis was in for a couple of running plays that I noticed, and he did some good blocking. It's pobably going to be a while before he beats out Yoder as the 2nd pass-catching TE.

Zorn is saying good things about Malcolm Kelley. Fortunately for us, it's a crowded WR corps right now, so the fact that he hasn't contributed yet isn't a big deal.

Justin Tryon hasn't made too much noise since being drafted. I think Leigh Torrence has secured his spot as the #4 CB pretty well.

Kareem Moore has been quiet, especially in comparison to Horton. The report was that he came into camp as big a trash talker as Smoot. There's still time for him to make an impact over the next few years.

Rob Jackson has apparently seen some time with the injuried to DE, although I didn't notice him myself in the Cowboys game. Apparently he played over Erasmus James because of his upside.

Irn-Bru wrote:...Justin Tryon hasn't made too much noise since being drafted. I think Leigh Torrence has secured his spot as the #4 CB pretty well.

Rob Jackson has apparently seen some time with the injuried to DE, although I didn't notice him myself in the Cowboys game. Apparently he played over Erasmus James because of his upside.

How could I have forgotten Tryon and Jackson? I knew I was 3 short of our rookie crop with the 7 I listed...should've done my due diligence. In keeping with the spirit of assisting and catching any omissions, let me add our last unmentioned rookie: the estimable Colt Brennan.

While he certainly showed flashes in preseason, he is and will be relegated to clipboard duty for the rest of this year and probably until such time as Todd Collins retires. The only significant contribution I have seen him make to date is to bring an entire island chain of fans with him to the Redskins. Their loyalty however, much like his inevitable stardom, is very much in question.

I really appreciate the info, I am not even in the correct continent so the coverage is limited. I am quite happy with opinions I love the chatter of Hogs Net and spend far too much time here

I've been a little surprised that Horton's name hasn't come up in some of the defensive rookie of the year talk. Am I crazy thinking this?

It seems like to come in to the NFL as a 7th round pick and play the way he's playing is pretty remarkable.

riggofan wrote:I've been a little surprised that Horton's name hasn't come up in some of the defensive rookie of the year talk. Am I crazy thinking this?

He was defensive rookie of the month for the first month of the season.

If you haven't heard his name for defensive rookie of the year, then I can only guess that its because 5 games into the season, not many people are discussing 'of the year' honors.

I think the fact that he was defensive rookie of the first quarter of the season certainly will put him in the running when the time comes... and if he can keep up his play, he'll certainly be vying for the honor IMO.

What amazes me is that every one of the 10 picks is on the roster and the only guy I'm wondering about right now (as a contributor) is Malcolm Kelly. When has every pick ever made the team before? This draft was a huge success from that standpoint alone. I think there easily could be five, even six starters from this draft.

Here is my breakdown:

WR Devin Thomas Michigan St. 2

--> Starting to matter, makes rookie mistakes but looks like the playmaker we drafted. Caught a couple balls in past few games, made a couple important first downs. He will get more touches as long as teams double Santana Claus and Randall El keeps dropping passes.

TE Fred Davis Southern Cal 2

--> Not in mix yet but made squad and I think he will be good. Provides depth as a pass catching TE but not sure of his blocking skills at present. Probably needs to work on blocking which is keeping him off the field.

WR Malcolm Kelly Oklahoma 2

--> Stands around on sidelines rehabbing knee. Disappointment so far. Hope he recovers but I wouldn't rush his recovery as long as we're doing well at this position. Problem: We still do not have a rangy receiver to help pull in fade routes/jump balls. He has great hands but his route running is so-so. Can get deep for a big guy.

OL Chad Rinehart No. Iowa 3

--> Reserve now but I think he is the gem of this draft. He will start next year or earlier if there are injuries. This guy is a beast and is a former scholar athlete so he's smart too.

CB Justin Tryon Arizona St. 4

--> Good for depth, nickel back and special teams kick coverage. Don't see him starting ever unless severe injuries come up. Small but he can cover man to man. I think on the run, he'd be a major liability but we definitely got him with covering the slot in mind. He can contribute that way and is valuable. Cocky attitude but in a positive way, like Smoot.

P Durant Brooks Georgia Tech 6

--> Starter, period. He will be a great punter. Give it a chance. You shouldn't underestimate the importance of a guy who is student of Ray Guy's and knows how important hangtime is and field position.

DB Kareem Moore Nicholls St. 6

--> Special teams guy and terminal backup at FS as long as Landry is healthy. Has talent though and seems to have recovered from whatever was ailing him at the time of the draft. I liked this pick. Provides depth and youth.

QB Colt Brennan Hawaii 6

--> Clipboard holder for now but I like his upside and potential. Could be the steal of the entire draft. Only problem is he's shorter than you'd like but he can move in the pocket and create lanes to throw in. Doug Flutie was small, but at the end of his career when on the Bills, I didn't like facing him because he created problems for defenses with his mobility and had a knack for winning close games. I see Colt Brennan as having these intangibles that you cannot coach and plays much bigger than his stature.

In college, Hawaii just didn't have the surrounding cast to compete with Georgia in the 2007 Sugar Bowl and they manhandled the Warriors, giving no time for Brennan to set up and throw. You can't fault Brennan for that performance. For reference, look at Steve Young when he played on Tampa Bay or even Troy Aikman's first two seasons in Dallas. You need viable talent around you to be successful. That's why Brennan was so good in the WAC conference. Playing an elite SEC team for Hawaii was like the current Lions playing the '85 Bears.

DE Rob Jackson Kansas St. 7

--> Good pick at 7. He's decent and doesn't get pushed around much at DE as far as I've observed when he's been in. Could develop into a big contributor like Demetric Evans who always plays pretty well when he's out there.

FS Chris Horton UCLA 7

--> Exceptional speed and instincts. Big hitter but plays clean and is usually in position. Unlike Carlos Rogers, he can hold onto balls he should pick off. Should be starter at SS and plays a lot. I like Reed Doughty but Horton is just better.

HanburgerHelper wrote:TE Fred Davis Southern Cal 2

--> Not in mix yet but made squad and I think he will be good. Provides depth as a pass catching TE but not sure of his blocking skills at present. Probably needs to work on blocking which is keeping him off the field.

What source do you have for this? I've seen Fred Davis in specifically for blocking plays. I was under the impression that blocking wasn't what was keeping him off the field.

HanburgerHelper wrote:WR Devin Thomas Michigan St. 2

--> Starting to matter, makes rookie mistakes but looks like the playmaker we drafted. Caught a couple balls in past few games, made a couple important first downs. He will get more touches as long as teams double Santana Claus and Randall El keeps dropping passes.

I have high hopes for Devin too, but I don't know why you assume that he will fix his mistakes and Antwaan won't!

cvillehog wrote:

HanburgerHelper wrote:WR Devin Thomas Michigan St. 2

--> Starting to matter, makes rookie mistakes but looks like the playmaker we drafted. Caught a couple balls in past few games, made a couple important first downs. He will get more touches as long as teams double Santana Claus and Randall El keeps dropping passes.

I have high hopes for Devin too, but I don't know why you assume that he will fix his mistakes and Antwaan won't!

Agreed, particularly since Devin went to Michigan STATE. If he were brighter and interested in an education he'd have gone to a BETTER shool. Note the guy can't learn not to attack the cornerbacks before the ball's delivered despite all the excuses that make it sound like that was somehow allowed in College. The guy may be a great athlete, but learning to do things that involve things like learning or spelling his name's going to take awhile.

3 rookies stand out in my mind...
1. Chris Horten - I'd be lying to say that I've heard about this guy. He has made plays in big time situations. I believe he is benefiting from Greg's defensive schemes. If he keeps up this solid play, his name will be in talks for ROY.

2. Brooks - Shakey at best. He is 33rd in the league in punt AVG...if that doesn't say it all I don't know what does. He seems to be getting the holder job down judging by the awesome kicks Shawn has put through in recent weeks.

3. Devin - He has had a few stupid mistakes, but nothing so far that has cost us the game. I believe if he improves his route running and quit with the stupid mistakes he can be the perfect compliment to Moss, he has the size and speed. Moving "Slash 2k8" to the WR3 spot, which is more suiting of this abilities.