For rookie Washington Redskins’ wide receiver Rashad Lawrence, opportunities are those that have to be seized when the moment arises. He is a young wide receiver on a roster of pro-bowlers and veteran mainstays at his position. Never-the-less, the pass-catcher from Northwestern University has had a camp that can be summed up in one word: opportunities.
For Lawrence this is nothing new. Last year the Northwestern Wildcat co-captain started all 12 games, totaling 31 catches for 463 yards and a touchdown. He was a player that put up impressive numbers during his Wildcat pro-day. Lawrence (6’1″, 196 lbs.) had a vertical leap of 39 inches. This would have tied him for sixth among pass-catchers had he been invited to the NFL combine in Indianapolis. Speaking of combines, had he been there he would have ranked as follows:
His 10′ 7″ broad jump would have tied him for third-best in the receivers group. He would have qualified amongst the top 15 pass-catchers in the 20-yard shuttle (4.04 seconds) and the 3-cone drill (6.83). His 40-yard-dash time was 4.50 seconds.
During his first training camp here in Richmond, Va., when he has been called upon, he has made his fair-share of plays. Lawrence has shown he can be a physical presence by making plays in traffic. Unfortunately for him, he is on a team with supreme depth at the wide receiver position. He and fellow rookies Ryan Grant (Tulane University), Cody Hoffman (Brigham Young University) and Lee Doss (Southern University), have had moments in camp where they showed they can be NFL-caliber playmakers. For Grant, his separation from the aforementioned three has had training camp whispering about how good he can be.
For Lawrence it has all been about opportunities.
He has progressed well throughout training camp. But is that enough to make the final 53 man roster? At worst, I see him as a practice squad guarantee if he does not make the final roster.
He is too talented to let go if he can be stashed away on the eight-man practice squad.
“Absolutely not!” he said when asked if it would be a problem for him were he to be signed to the practice squad. “It would be an honor and a blessing to make the 53 or the practice squad at this point.”
Progressing through camp is a hurdle for most rookies but for Lawrence, he has seen his day-by-day.
“I feel like I’m doing well, he said. “I’m still learning a lot, it’s a brand new offense for me, new terminology, so I’m just trying to stay consistent and make plays when they come my way.”
The rookie is aware that at times he will not have the same opportunities as would a drafted player or a veteran. But he has to be ready mentally when called upon.
“You definitely got to watch the guy in front of you…” Lawrence commented. “…get the mental reps because being a rookie you don’t get the actual reps. So I have to get the mental reps. I’m definitely watching those [veterans] and trying to run it just like how they run it. You know and trying to make it look the same.”
The speed of the pro game has been a major adjustment for Lawrence as it is for most rookies. Things that skill guys could do in college is not as easy to do in the NFL. Players are bigger, stronger and faster. What they lack in those departments they make up for in the mental approach to the game. When both of these elements end up being combined, a player ends up either in a Pro Bowl or even getting a bust in Canton, Ohio as a Hall-of-Famer.
What rookies are required to learn and retain quickly is demanding as there is little room for error. Lawrence feels the speed of the game has decreased substantially since training camp began.
“Over the last few weeks I can say it has slowed down a little bit,” he said. “When I came here for rookie camp when it was just rookies, it was faster. Now we got the best of the best so actually knowing the concepts helps.”
The Northwestern alum has used every opportunity to watch the guys in front of him. When you learn from players like Santana Moss, Pierre Garçon, DeSean Jackson and Andre Roberts, young hopefuls can only get better. From film study to translating it on to the field, Lawrence has tried to soak up as much as possible. He feels the veterans have been tremendous in helping him as well as the other rookies and he has greatly benefited from that camaraderie.
“Those guys have kept it light in the locker room,” he relayed to me. “They’re definitely funny guys so I like being around them. Anytime I have a question, Santana Moss or those guys… I can go up to and they will tell me what they know so I try to pick their brains.”
The complexities of the game is something he has focussed on as well. He has watched each veteran to see what they do.
“Certain routes and certain stems and stuff like that…” he explained. “…[there’s] a lot of different styles of play with those guys. You know, the difference with DeSean and Pierre… I mean maybe in physical[ity] and in speed. So I try to get that mesh point and try to incorporate all of it in my game.”
For Rashad Lawrence the word to remember is “opportunities.” If he can continue to work hard in practice and translate that into the final three preseason games, he may still be here in Washington, D.C. in the fall.