Category: Redskins Rookies

Chase Young: ‘I’m gonna give everything I have’ to Washington Football Team

Chase Young knows that the spotlight will be on him to help turn around the franchise in Washington, and he is ready to do anything he can.

It’s fun to see new faces in Washington, isn’t it?

There are a lot of new things to marvel at when you talk about The Washington Football Team, from players to coaches to names to jerseys. Two of those new faces — rookie DE Chase Young and new VP of Media Julie Donaldson — sat down for an interview recently and discussed what the upcoming season might look like.

While talking about the recent changes in the program and how a star in the making like Young might be able to take advantage of a fresh slate and carve his path in the NFL, one thing he said stood out to us, and it should get fans riled up to go.

He promises to give everything he has to the Washington Football Team.

Judging by what we’ve seen from him in college, everything he has is a lot. It was enough to get him selected as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, and it was enough to see him sign a 4-year contract with Washington earlier this week, where he saw approximately $22 million in guaranteed money upfront.

Now we just have to wait and see what he has on an NFL field. It’s sure not to disappoint.

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Washington Rookie Tracker: Chase Young signs contract with over $22 million guaranteed

A majority of Washington’s rookies have finalized their deals with the team, allowing them to now get to work and play some football.

With players starting to report to camp and training camp just on the horizon, the feeling that football is returning is finally starting to feel real. For the rookies in Washington, this is incredibly exciting, as they get to start their journeys into new careers that could prove incredibly exciting.

Before they get onto the field and prove what they’re worth, however, all of the rookies must finalize their contracts with the team and get the financials in order. Across the league this has been taking place throughout the summer, but it wasn’t until Wednesday that it started happening in Washington.

So who has signed, and for how much? We keep track of it here.

DE Chase Young

Antonio Gibson

Contract Terms: 4 years, $4.9 million

Saahdiq Charles

Contract Terms: 4 years, unknown value.

Antonio Gandy-Golden

Contract Terms: 4 years, $3.7 million

Keith Ismael

Contract Terms: 4 years, $3.6 million

Khaleke Hudson

Contract Terms: 4 years, unknown value.

James Smith-Williams

Contract Terms: 4 years, unknown value.

Kamren Curl

Contract Terms: 4 years, unknown value.

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With Kelvin Harmon out for 2020, it becomes Antonio Gandy-Golden’s time to shine

With Harmon out for the 2020 season with a torn ACL, the spotlight now shifts to Gandy-Golden, who could be partial to the task.

If you’re a fan of the Washington football team and you’re looking for some good news to kick-start your weekend, nobody can blame you. Unfortunately, the past week has dealt a series of blows to the team, highlighted by second-year receiver Kelvin Harmon’s torn ACL, not to mention the searing report of 15 former employees coming forward with sexual and verbal abuse cases.

If you’re looking for a silver lining, we can offer none as far as The Washington Post report goes. However, there could be a sliver of upside that comes from Harmon’s injury. While his absence in 2020 will undoubtedly serve as a blow to the offense and deplenish Dwayne Haskins’ repertoire of offensive weapons, it will at the very least give rookie WR Antonio Gandy-Golden a chance to step into the spotlight. Judging by his success in college, there is a belief that he is up to the task.

AGG may have been a bit overlooked in the 2020 NFL Draft, but that was partially due to the fact that he was a part of in an incredibly strong draft class of receivers, many of whom were selected in the early rounds, causing Gandy-Golden to fall to the fourth. Many draft analysts believed that in any other year, AGG would have easily been a second- or third-round pick.

With an increased role in the offense, Gandy-Golden will need to perform like an early-rounder. His stats say that he can, but we’ll see how he makes the transition from Liberty to the NFL.

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WATCH: Thaddeus Moss highlights at LSU show Redskins might have something special

The Redskins were able to sign Moss as a UDFA earlier this offseason, and his highlights from college bring some decent expectations.

You may not have forgotten, but it’s never a bad time to remind fans of the Washington Redskins that Thaddeus Moss, the National Championship winning tight end they signed after going undrafted in 2020, went the entire 2019 season without dropping a single pass.

After Moss, the son of NFL legend WR Randy Moss, was passed up by every single team in the draft, he chose to sign as a UDFA with the Redskins because they called first, passing over both the New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals. There’s no guarantee that he will make the final roster cut with the Redskins this fall, but seeing as they have a dire need for production at the TE position, it seems likely that he will make the cut.

Will he have another season in Washington like he did at LSU in 2019? It’s possible, but not probable. Moss is expected to be utilized for his impressive blocking ability, but earning playing time in the run-game will surely get him a few passes thrown his way, and then he can show us exactly what type of talent is really in his DNA. It’s possible that Washington found their TE of the future, and they didn’t have to use a single draft pick to get him.

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Can rookier C Keith Ismael beat out Chase Roullier for starting spot?

The Redskins drafted C Keith Ismael in the fifth round, and some people are starting to think he can compete for the starting job.

In the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, with viable cornerbacks and tight ends left on the board, the Washington Redskins turned some heads when they selected center, Keith Ismael, out of San Diego State.

With Chase Roullier already a solid asset at the center position in Washington, this was initially a confusing draft pick simply because it seemed that the team was selecting a backup from the start. However, as more people have dug into what Ismael can bring to the table, some questions about his starting have viability have risen as well.

According to Jim Nagy, Executive Director of the Senior Bowl, he wouldn’t be surprised to see the rookie compete with Roullier for the starting spot.

“If (Roullier) has just been solid, I would expect Keith to compete for that starting job,” Nagy told The Athletic. “Keith can probably help (in a pinch) at guard, but he’s a starting-level NFL center. I have no doubt about that. He’s a better player than a lot of guys starting in the league that I’ve scouted. I thought that was one of Washington’s better picks. He’s quick. He’s athletic. He’s really tough. Strong hands.”

With offensive line coach John Matsko starting his first year in Washington, he will have a chance to get fresh eyes on all players, which may level the playing field a bit for the rookie. While Roullier may have served as a solid option for the past couple of years, the Redskins obviously like what they got in the fifth-round in the draft, and I bet they will be keen to see what he can do on the field as well.

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LOOK: Chase Young can bench press an ungodly amount of weight

A new photo of Chase Young working out is circulating on social media, showing him bench press an unprecedented amount of weight.

Have you been looking for Washington Redskins rookie Chase Young to perform another incredible athletic feat to make you question how somebody that’s human can do such a thing? Well, look no further.

A photo of Young bench pressing an ungodly amount of weight has been circulating social media on Wednesday, showing that the rookie DE doesn’t have “beach body muscles,” he’s built for performance as well. It’s unclear exactly how much weight is on that bar, but the bend in the middle suggests it’s more than anybody reading this article could likely put up.

In an unprecedented offseason where a lot of athletes are looking to find new ways to stay in shape and keep their bodies ready for the upcoming season, it’s good to see that Young is still in what seems like peak physical condition. With pictures like this, it’s next to impossible not to start counting down the days until Week 1 of the 2020 season.

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Is it too much to expect double-digit sacks from Chase Young in 2020?

Expectations for Chase Young’s rookie season are high, but some who have watched his career don’t think double-digit sacks are out of reach.

There has been a ton of hype for Washington Redskins’ first-round draft pick Chase Young, and the rookie hasn’t even put on a pair of team-sanctioned pads yet.

However, that hype is justified, seeing as Young was the undisputed most intriguing player coming out of the 2020 draft class, and many believe that he can start what will be a Hall of Fame season this year in Washington.

But how much success should we expect right off the bat? For Jim Nagy, who is the executive director of the Senior Bowl, he told The Athletic that it’s not too optimistic to think he can have a significant impact right away.

“You’ve got Jonathan Allen, (Daron Payne and Matt Ioannidis) inside with Montez Sweat, who should make a big jump going into Year 2. … Chase Young is going to get freed up. It’s going to be so liberating for him. … He’s going to face tons of single blocks. To think he could get double-digit sacks as a rookie I think is realistic.

For reference, Jevon Kearse holds the NFL record for most sacks by a rookie at 14, which he did in 1999. Last year, Nick Bosa finished his rookie campaign with 9 total. Is it realistic to think that Young could surpass both of them? It’s not totally out of the question…

“That’s where some pass rushers struggle making the (college-to-pro) transition. They need to get stronger to play at the next level. To me, that was the first thing that jumped off the tape with Chase, just how powerful he is, and it shows up in all phases,” Nagy said. “I think that’s what gives him a chance to come in and play right away. He’s got an NFL body already — NFL strength, power, and explosion — which makes him really difficult to block and why I think he’ll transition pretty quickly.”

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AP says to expect big things from Thaddeus Moss if he has any of his dad’s blood

We may not know exactly what to expect from Thad Moss in Year 1, but AP knows that if he has any of Randy’s skills, it will be impressive.

Though he isn’t technically a member of the Washington Redskins 2020 NFL Draft haul, the team took TE Thaddeus Moss and ran as quickly as they could once the draft came to a close and signings from undrafted free agents began.

The signing made headlines across the nation, of course, as Moss’s father, Randy, is a Hall of Fame receiver who is beloved in NFL circles. With Thaddeus now in the league, the family name has a good chance to continue its legacy in American sports.

But how good with Moss be for the Redskins? That’s a question that a lot of people are asking, considering that he was passed up by all 32 teams in the draft. Redskins running back Adrian Peterson let his thoughts be known on the young player, noting that if he has any ‘Moss blood’ in him, the sky is the limit.

Peterson is in an interesting position when it comes to Moss, as he has a chance to have played with both Randy and Thaddeus in his career, should the former make the squad. Seeing as the Redskins are extremely thin at the TE position, and remarks have already been made about Moss’ ability to contribute in the blocking game, all indications are that he has a pretty good chance of making the team this fall. Then we will see how far he can carry the family name.

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Where will Antonio Gibson spend his time on offense in rookie year?

Gibson is able to transition from the backfield to the slot with ease, but where will the Redskins choose to let him start his career?

When the Washington Redskins drafted RB Antonio Gibson in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the immediate reaction was excitement from fans after they found out just how versatile he could be.

In his time at Memphis in college, Gibson often acted as a do-it-all RB who could line up in the slot or out wide just as easily as he could take the ball from the QB out of the backfield, often excelling in open space and making defenders miss. The Redskins, and particularly offensive coordinator Scott Turner, could make a player like that do some big things in the NFL.

The only question is if Washington will choose to use Gibson and his full array of talents right out of the gates, though, or if he will be given some time to adjust to the NFL game before he’s thrown into every scheme that suits him.

Something that Washington could do with Gibson is to try and model his workload around someone like Carolina Panthers’ D.J. Moore, who was coached by much of the coaching staff that’s now with the Redskins. NBC Sports’ Josh Norris seems this as a seamless comp.

“I’d look at Scott Turner in his past and what he did last year with DJ Moore is how I, personally, would use Antonio Gibson,” Norris said, via NBC Sports Washington. “DJ Moore is not, if you look at his skills and where he’s best, I wouldn’t put route running at the top. What he is best at are slants and routes across the formation like drags and getting the ball in his hands. Antonio Gibson can do all of that stuff.”

The team seems like they plan to use Gibson mainly as an RB to start off, as he was classified as such after the draft, but the transition to the slot could be expected more and more as his career gets grounded.

“If you want, put him there and let him dominate in the middle of the field and take those fun and exciting touches in the backfield,” Norris said. “To me, that’s his best role. Not being like, ‘OK, now we’re going to take Derrius Guice out of the ball game and put Antonio Gibson here for three snaps.’”

If and when we see the 2020 NFL season get off the ground, which is scheduled to happen 100 days from now, it will be interesting to see what role Gibson takes in the Redskins offense. Be it in the backfield or the slot, my money is on him making a big difference somewhere down the road.

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Chase Young’s coach at DeMatha says he easily could have been D-1 basketball player

Young is obviously a dominant football player, but his high school coach says he had the skills to play basketball at a high level.

The Washington Redskins selected arguably the best overall player in the 2020 NFL Draft, bringing former Ohio State DE Chase Young back home to the District. In his first year in the NFL, he is already expected to have a significant impact on the defense, and he is the overwhelming favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year.

But what if I told you that he could have competed at high levels in something other than football?

It’s not an original ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, but a statement from Young’s high school basketball coach at DeMatha.

“If he wanted to be a Division I basketball player, he could have been. I want that to be very clear. You could see his talent and size and his work ethic,” said Mike Jones, the DeMatha basketball coach, via ESPN.

Growing up playing multiple sports, it was eventually football that had a clear-cut future for Young, but he was also a great player on the basketball court as well, playing alongside Orlando Magic guard Markelle Fultz for a short time.

“Some guys are talented in one [sport] so they have this prima donna or this, ‘I’m Chase Young so I don’t have to do that’ attitude,'” Jones said. “He never behaved that way. He played like he had something to prove. I knew I could count on Chase.”

Eventually, it was the football route that occupied Young, of course, and now fans in Washington have the chance to see him live out that dream over the next few years. However, in another life, things could have been quite different.

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