The Redskins Blog

Griffin III And Morris 3, 4 in ‘Rookie Watch’

(AP photo)

One doesn’t play due to injury and moves down a spot. The other not only plays, but scores two touchdowns in his team’s fifth-straight win and moves up a spot.

That’s the tale of Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III and running back Alfred Morris in the most recent version of “Rookie Watch,” a weekly list of the NFL’s top rookies according to ESPN.com’s Matt Williamson.

Griffin III — who was nursing a sprained LCL in his right knee — was relieved by fellow rookie quarterback Kirk Cousins in last Sunday’s 38-21 win over the Cleveland Browns. Griffin III’s playing status for Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles is yet to be determined, but he’s obviously had a terrific rookie season so far, and was ranked No. 2 in “Rookie Watch” last week.

Morris, meanwhile, continued his own strong rookie campaign against the Browns, running 27 times for 87 yards and two touchdowns. He’s already the Redskins’ rookie record holder for rushing yards (1,322) and touchdowns (nine), and, with two very strong games to finish out the season, he could challenge Clinton Portis’ single-season Redskins rushing record (1,516 yards, set in 2005). Morris came in as the No. 5 rookie in last week’s “Rookie Watch.”

You can read the entire piece by clicking here, but you must have ESPN Insider access to get the whole thing. So for those only interested in what Williamson had to write about the Redskins on the list, here you go:

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Two Redskins In ‘Rookie Watch’ Top 5

It’s time for our periodic check-in to ESPN.com Matt Williamson’s “Rookie Watch” column.

Why now? Well, two Redskins rookies are in Williamson’s top five. By my math — which could be very well be wrong — Washington players account for 40 percent of the top five and 20 percent of the list overall.

Quarterback Robert Griffin III (No. 2) and running back Alfred Morris (No. 5) have been mainstays in the top 10 all season — and Griffin III has even been No. 1 at times — but having both in the top 5 is certainly something of which Redskins fans can be very proud.

You can read the entire piece by clicking here, but you must have ESPN Insider access to get the whole thing. So for those only interested in what Williamson had to write about the Redskins on the list, here you go: Read more »

Rookie Watch: Morris Sneaks Into Top 5

(Photo by ExtremeSkins)

Alfred Morris is just now getting some national love for his stellar rookie season thus far for the Washington Redskins.

For example: the running back this week joins Robert Griffin III in the top five of ESPN.com Matt Williamson’s weekly “Rookie Watch” column, which ranks the best rookies of the 2012 season.

Williamson had some high praise for Morris, the Redskins’ sixth-round pick out of Florida Atlantic in April’s NFL Draft, who comes in at No. 5 this week:

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‘Rookie Watch’ Has Redskins Flavor

(Photo by ExtremeSkins)

Nine of the 10 selections for this week’s “Rookie Watch,” a weekly look by ESPN.com’s Matt Williamson into the best rookies of the 2012 NFL season, look like this: six first-round picks, two second-round picks and a third-round pick from April’s NFL Draft.

But who’s the one outlier of the group this week?

Washington Redskins running back Alfred Morris, who was selected in the sixth round this year out of Florida Atlantic.

Morris — the league’s leading rookie rusher through three weeks of NFL action — comes in at No. 9 overall in this week’s “Rookie Watch,” while his quarterback, Robert Griffin III, is ranked second overall.

Here’s what Williamson had to say about Griffin III’s and Morris’ seasons thus far:

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No Surprise: Griffin III Ranked No. 2 Rookie

In some of the less surprising news heading into the Washington Redskins’ 2012 season opener Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III — the second-overall pick in April’s NFL Draft — is ranked as the second-best rookie heading into the season.

First-overall pick Andrew Luck, the Indianapolis Colts quarterback, is ranked as the top overall rookie.

Though the significance of this isn’t too great at this point, Griffin III’s performance from this point on will determine where he falls in ESPN.com’s Matt Williamson’s weekly “Rookie Watch” column (disclaimer: you must have ESPN Insider access to be able to read the entire article).

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Ryan Kerrigan Moves Up ‘Rookie Watch’

AP Image

Last week, in ESPN.com’s “Rookie Watch,” Scouts Inc.’s Matt Williamson started Redskins rookie outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan off at No. 9 among his draft class peers.

Not bad, considering the Redskins snagged him at No. 16 in April.

But after an electric performance in Week 1 that left him in the running for NFL Pepsi Rookie of the Week (this is your last chance to vote, hint hint), Kerrigan has once again climbed the ladder.

In this week’s addition of “Rookie Watch,” Williamson lists Kerrigan at No. 6.  The commentary associated with his pick also changed from some uncertainty, to certainty: Read more »