Hankerson is dealing with his big negative
ASHBURN — Let’s start with the obvious: Leonard Hankerson is dropping too many passes. Take Tuesday, for example, when two bounced from his hands in a two-minute drill. Or Wednesday, when he shook off the cornerback, broke across the middle, had no one around him and dropped another one.
Yes, he has moments when he flashes his talent. Such as when he reaches back for a throw behind him and grabs it in traffic. Or when he creates separation on a short route by using his body, then extending his arms. All good things.
“Leonard has shown to us why we drafted him,” Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan said.
| Position review: Tight ends |
| Fred Davis |
| Davis’ listed weight of 258 pounds is not his real one; it’s from last season. He has dropped at least 15 pounds this offseason in an effort to increase his speed. And as usual, he’s making big plays in training camp — as he has done each season since he arrived in 2008. With Chris Cooley nursing a sore knee, Davis could become a bigger part of the passing game. In the past, quarterbacks could not trust his route-running. Will they do so now? The other part of his game that remains questionable is blocking. Davis has not had a terrific camp in that area and struggles against a good end or linebacker. |
| Chris Cooley |
| Cooley reached high in the back of the end zone Tuesday for a catch, then came down hard on his left knee, causing him to limp away slightly. A day later he was back on the sidelines and won’t play in Friday’s preseason game vs. Pittsburgh. Cooley missed three days last week after having fluid drained from his knee. “There is concern,” coach Mike Shanahan said. “The knee’s sore, and hopefully he’s getting treatment. Hopefully he gets better.” |
| Logan Paulsen |
| One reason the Redskins shifted Mike Sellers to tight end is to have another consistent blocker at this position. Paulsen is the other option. Paulsen does a good job getting his hands on defenders and controlling them. He’s also showing better hands than he did a year ago when he dropped a lot of passes in practice. Paulsen caught a touchdown pass vs. rookie linebacker Ryan Kerrigan on Tuesday, breaking free of a jam and beating him to the back of the end zone. |
| Notes |
| » Quarterback John Beck did more work Wednesday but was still left out of the 11-on-11 work, and his status for Friday’s preseason game vs. Pittsburgh remains uncertain. Beck injured his groin Saturday and said it felt better Wednesday. “He looked better, but we’re not going to play him unless he’s 100 percent,” coach Mike Shanahan said. That would give the start to Rex Grossman. “He’s been up and down,” offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan said. “Anytime we take this time off, it hurts the guy a little bit. We’re trying to get him back to where he was [at the end of 2010].” One quarterback who won’t play: Marc Verica, who was cut Wednesday. |
| » Shanahan said the Redskins will alternate their kickers vs. Pittsburgh, with Graham Gano likely going first. “That competition usually takes care of itself,” Shanahan said. He also said he might give some of the new defensive starters more time Friday. “They’ve got to get used to our defense,” Shanahan said. |
But those drops. Those are what have been noticed most. By the coaches, fans, media and, yes, Hankerson. When it comes to his game, the rookie third-round pick wants to deal with the negatives.
“I like to hear the negative stuff,” he said. “I’ve got to get better. I can’t not listen to it.”
“He’s not afraid of people getting on him,” Redskins receivers coach Keenan McCardell said. “He doesn’t have that big ego. He’s listening. He’s a sponge.”
In fact, when a compliment is offered, Hankerson responds with a rebuttal. Tell him that he uses his body well against defenders and Hankerson says, “I run good routes, but I have to learn to use my body a little more.”
The drops could be an issue. Shortly after the draft, one NFL general manager said of Hankerson, “He should be a starter, but he had a lot of drops [in college].”
Or maybe they won’t be an issue. Maybe the 6-foot-2 Hankerson just needs to focus more on the ball. He stays after every practice to catch more passes, just as he did during the player-run workouts in the offseason. And he spent extra time away from Ashburn working with quarterback John Beck.
“I’ve seen him go out and catch every single pass,” Beck said. “Leonard is going to help us. He has a body that allows him to do things that smaller receivers can’t do. I like his mindset. It’s just a matter of on every play concentrating.”
Coach Mike Shanahan said Hankerson too often is looking to turn it up field. Hankerson agrees.
“Sometimes I’m so anxious to make that play and get up field,” Hankerson said.
Said McCardell: “A lot of times you lose focus. A lot of receivers tend to take their eyes off the ball. It’s such an easy catch. [But] if you can’t see it, you can’t catch it. I don’t think it’s [mental]. He’s a guy that believes in his hands. You’ll have a drop, but being a professional receiver you have to understand your job is to catch the ball every time it comes to you.”
On Tuesday, the first pass he dropped was one that had been tipped; it floated to him and Hankerson jumped when he didn’t need to and dropped it.
“The rest of the two-minute drill it felt like the ball was floating, and I kept jumping and it kept messing me up,” he said. “That’s what practice is for. It’s not supposed to happen. You don’t want it to happen. But get it all out in practice.”
-John Keim
