Picture: Garrett Campbell/Washington Redskins
Throughout the Washington Redskins rookie minicamp, veteran minicamp and now training camp, the focus on rookies has been on first-round selections, Dwayne Haskins and Montez Sweat. Both players have impressed and looked like solid contributors and potential long term fixes at positions of need.
Two rookie players have had impacts as well and could be in-line to not just make the Redskins roster, but make a significant contribution this season.
The two players, cornerback Jimmy Moreland and WR Steven Sims, have played with the poise of veteran players.
Moreland has made more of a name for himself with strong showings in rookie and veteran minicamp. The former James Madison standout has an eye for the football and is always a player that can make things happen on the field.
At James Madison, Moreland intercepted 18 passes — 13 of which came over his past two seasons. He would have easily led the Redskins in minicamp interceptions if that was a stat that was officially kept.
Star players such as fellow cornerback Josh Norman have taken an interest in Moreland and his skills.
“… I mean 25 [Jimmy Moreland] that kid is looking special,” Norman would say about Morland while talking to media from the Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center in Richmond, Virginia.
Coach Jay Gruden has been impressed with Moreland as well.
“He’s done a good job,” Gruden. “He’s played outside and inside; versatility is huge for the nickel/cornerback position. [Greg] Stroman’s doing the same thing, Fabian [Moreau] is doing the same thing, so it’s critical for them to learn both. Coming from JMU, he was well-coached out there, he plays with great ball skills; we’ve mentioned that before and seen it already. But he’s just got to continue to work and get better, which he is.
“I think the most important thing for him when you talk about a guy that size, you have to see his physicality,” Gruden said about Morland and if he can contribute on special teams. “How he tackles. That’s the biggest thing. If you can’t tackle you can’t play. I don’t have any doubt that he can tackle. We will see. It’s different tackling at JMU than it is out here on a Sunday with some of these big backs, tight ends, and receivers. With all these guys, it’s a change of direction, one-on-one drills, seven-on-seven, it’s all great to see them where they are fundamentality if they are handling their assignments right, and breaking on the football, making plays. But when the real football comes, in the preseason, that’s why we need some of these games to see how they tackle.”
Sims is the lesser-known of the two, but Redskins fans might want to get used to his name because the rookie from Kansas has staying power.
Sims has impressed when his number has been called and displays the talent that can’t be overlooked.
Wide Receivers coach Ike Hilliard likes the former Big 12 player quite a bit and veteran running back Chris Thompson mentioned back during minicamp that Sims should be in thick of things for a final 53 man roster spot.
Listed at 5’10” and 176 lbs, Sims will have a chance to crack the final 53 man roster and if the Redskins decide to go with seven wideouts, then the first-year player has a great chance of being on the opening day depth chart.