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Marcus Mason Tries Again

Posted Aug 6th 2009 6:16PM by Matt Terl (author feed)

I refer to running back Marcus Mason as a fan-favorite a lot, but calling him that does him something of a disservice. The local-guy-made-good didn't just impress the fans last preseason; he led the league in preseason rush yards and stood out to his teammates, too.

Especially the Redskins other preseason star and fan-favorite: when you ask Colt Brennan about Marcus Mason, the superlatives just start flowing. "He's a natural football player," Brennan tells me, "a natural baller . I can't tell you how many times in the preseason last year it was so nice to have him, because he would make good plays, make good runs. You only get so many chances when you're young, and you've got a running back like that, gaining extra yards, picking up first downs for you, doing the little things.

"My second touchdown pass was to him," Brennan continues, barely pausing for breath. "He got me a ton of extra live reps, because he was able to extend our drives. We really had a great combination of run and pass with him in the games. He played unbelievable last year in the preseason, and he's done just as well this year, and I think everybody knows that he's a great football player."

Asking Mason about Mason earns a slightly less effusive answer, although almost any answer would've been less effusive than Brennan's.

"I'm doing pretty well," he says when asked about this latest chance. "I've picked up on the offense pretty fast. Last year I was out trying to learn it and I was worried about whether I'm going the right way or if I'm not, now I'm comfortable and ready to have fun."

And Mason understands why he wasn't able to stick last season despite his impressive statistics. "Pretty much they didn't feel that they needed four running backs," he says. "Clinton, Ladell, Rock and Mike, they didn't need an extra guy."

That logjam hasn't let up this year, either. Mason has one year of practice squad eligibility left, but there are things he's trying to do to make the active roster. "Special teams," he says bluntly. "I've got to be excellent on special teams and that's what I'm working for. Being on these other teams' practice squads, that's all I've been doing is special teams, so I feel like I'm really up on it."

Mason's not really being looked at for the kickoff return position, although he's currently stationed as the up-back there. So what he's doing on special teams isn't necessarily going to be flashy or noticeable. But that, even more than his ability to run with the ball, is what might give him a chance to make this squad alongside the established veterans.

It's a position that Brennan understand well. "There's just a lot of talent on the team right now," Brennan says, still speaking in a rush. "So he's obviously in a tough uphill battle where there's a lot of talent already in front of you but you know you're a baller too. He's just got to go in there this preseason and do the same thing he did last year, and continue to show that he's the guy we need to put in there, and good things are going to happen."

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