When he saw that the Redskins drafted one receiver, Anthony Armstrong wasn’t surprised. Then another one was picked. And another.
Makes a guy wonder, not to mention dent his psyche.
“When they drafted three I was like, ‘What the hell?’?” said Armstrong, who caught 44 passes and averaged 19.8 yards a catch in his first season. “I was mad. I was like, ‘Shoot, what are you trying to say?’ Why did you draft three? Don’t you have faith in me?”
What the Redskins clearly said was they didn’t like their receiving depth. Also, Santana Moss is a free agent, though it’s still possible he’ll re-sign once the lockout ends. But even with Moss and Armstrong, the Redskins needed more help. No other wideout finished with more than eight catches. It’s not Armstrong who should be worried; it’s Brandon Banks, Terrence Austin and Roydell Williams.
Austin, for one, wasn’t bothered.
“That’s the job. They bring in guys every year,” Austin said. “The NFL is a revolving door. It means we’ll have more competition at receiver. We want to spice up the group, and that’s the best way to do it.”
But Armstrong was — and probably still is — irked. He traveled the path he did — rising from obscure indoor football leagues to the NFL — because he believed in himself. However, he arrived with something to prove. And he’s also someone motivated by the fact that two receivers, Philadelphia’s DeSean Jackson and Pittsburgh’s Mike Wallace, finished with higher yards per catch averages.
He also knows that without Moss and with three rookies, he’s the temporary leader.
“That fire still burns,” he said. “People keep saying I’m the No. 1 receiver, and I refuse to take that title. My mindset is to earn my spot again, prove myself and go with the same fire I used last year. I don’t care if they start me at the bottom of the depth chart, I know I’ll have to work my way to the top again. But, yeah, you’ll be angry and upset. You drafted three. What does that say about me? You use it as fuel.”
