Welcome back to The B&G Report! Hope you enjoyed the last installment of Redskins Q & A. The Redskins have a big game this Sunday vs the Saints. As I previously mentioned in Q & A, I believe the Skins need to win out to get into the playoffs. At this point every game is a “Code Red”. The Redskins rookies look to have a big role in the game plan going forward. Rookies such as Chase Roullier, JoshHarvey-Clemons, Samaje Perine, Montae Nicholson among others will be counted on to produce, as injuries continue to mount. In this installment of the Rookie Spotlight we’ll go in depth with rookie Tight End Jeremy Sprinkle.
*Learning Experience*
The Redskins selected Tight End JeremySprinkle in the 5th round 154th overall out of Arkansas. Many believe Sprinkle could have gone in the 3rd round, if not for his Pre-Bowl game antics. The Arkansas TE was caught shoplifting at Belk Department store, which funny enough was the sponsor of the bowl game he was set to play in. Players were each given $450 gift cards, which was part of their Bowl Package gift bag. As the timed shopping spree concluded, Sprinkle decided to throw in a few more items in his bag. Authorities were notified and Jermey was cited, rather than arrested. This was the sole blemish on the talented tight end’s record. His silly mistake cost him respect, draft position as well as a lot of money. Many friends, family and teammates were surprised by his actions. It was simply out of character for Sprinkle to be involved. As time went on, other players that were part of the shopping spree spoke out. The players stated that the shopping spree got competitive and many players (never named) threw in extra merchandise in their carts. I doubt we’ll here any further negative press regarding the rookie going forward. So far coaches and teammates say Sprinkle is intelligent, hard working and very involved with the community.
*Potential*
Sprinkle has a skill set that other rookie tight ends lack. At 6’5 252 this guy can move for a man his size and has good hands as well (see YouTube video above)! He’s no threat to flex out to receiver, but his in line run blocking has improved per coaches. Tight Ends Jordan Reed and NilesPaul have only been seen doing individual drills for the most part in practice. Sprinkle could get another shot as the #2 tight end this week. I’d love to see Coach Gruden line Sprinkle up in bunch formations next to the tackles. This formation would give the look of pass, with the potential to run. Although the Arkansas product needs to bulk up, coaches have raved about his effort in the weight room. Jordan Reed & Niles Paul’s issues with concussions aren’t going away. Vernon Davis has been productive, but at 33 how much does he have left? It will be time to move on from at least two of those tight ends soon, so getting Sprinkle more game experience is imperative.
*Future Expectations*
I think the expectations for Sprinkle need to be realistic. Although I really like his skill set, he is more of a #2 blocking tight end for the foreseeable future. I say this not because I doubt his ability, but it has more to do with Cousins & Gruden’s trust in the youngster. At Arkansas the SEC saw first hand what he could do vs elite competition. I believe it’s just a matter of time and experience for him to reach his full potential. At the moment it’s a numbers game for Sprinkle, based on who’s active. With Reed & Paul working their way back, the opportunities will fade. I’m hoping Sprinkle can take advantage of the Saints average linebackers and safety’s, so hopefully he gets some balls thrown his way. As we know very well it’s all about “The Process” for Kirk Cousins, so it might be too early to set high expectations for Sprinkle. What I do believe is he’s the future #2 tight end, who with time could be a Martellus Bennet type in this league.
Hope you enjoyed this edition of Rookie Spotlight! Stay tuned for the next B&G Report Saints Pre-Game Primer!🏹🏈
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