Washington Commanders undrafted rookie WR makes the most of his opportunity with Terry McLaurin absent at training camp
The Washington Commanders have an open door of opportunities when it comes to the wide receiver room especially with Terry McLaurin absent from practice as he continues his contract holdout. In the meantime, somebody needs to step up during training camp and earn the trust from quarterback Jayden Daniels and hopefully become an option for […]
The Washington Commanders have an open door of opportunities when it comes to the wide receiver room especially with Terry McLaurin absent from practice as he continues his contract holdout.
In the meantime, somebody needs to step up during training camp and earn the trust from quarterback Jayden Daniels and hopefully become an option for the offense during the season.
The first player to impress as practice kicked off in Ashburn, Virginia today happened to be undrafted rookie wide receiver Ja'Corey Brooks and that shouldn't surprise anyone.
Ja'Corey Brooks is wasting no time fighting for a roster spot
I know it's only been one practice, but that's all it took for fan-favorite undrafted rookie Brooks to hear his name mentioned on many occasions from the local media on site.
Washington has a lot of questions on who can contribute this season when it comes to depth and a hungry Brooks can show his ability to track the ball and become a reliable target. Today he gained some extra respect from both Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota by catching a touchdown from the two quarterbacks during team drills.
Brooks is a 6-foot-3, 195-pound wide receiver that doesn't have elite speed by any means, but he runs vertical routes with a lot of urgency and does a great job at stacking defensive backs. Even when he doesn't get a lot of seperation, he displays a wide catch radius and late hands which makes him hard to defend at the catch point.
There will be plenty of opportunities for Brooks to continue to impress the coaching staff and build a connection with the quarterbacks as training camp progresses.
Training camp will only ramp up from here on out, and he can continue to develop and learn the systems the coaching staff has implemented. The Commanders will add pads to practice starting July 29 and then compete against the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens in joint practices.
The unsung hero of the WR room in Washington
Practice prepares you for the moments that matter the most and we saw many rookies contribute last season and exceed expectations. A couple big plays in the Commanders' three preseason games can help boost Brooks into the final cuts before the season.
Washington is the oldest team in the league and desperately needs to find key players to mold the young core of the team as well, so Brooks can put himself in the conversation as a piece for the future as well.
Training camp may have just started, but it's never too early for an undrafted rookie to catch the attention of the coaching staff and media while Terry McLaurin continues to hold out for a new contract.
Brooks has already been on my radar and will be a player worth keeping a close eye on throughout the rest of the offseason.
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