The NFL lockout was lifted long enough for the Redskins coaches to convey their excitement to Brian Orakpo. He, no doubt, was excited as well.
“We got you some help,” he said the coaches told him.
That help, of course, was first-round pick Ryan Kerrigan, who recorded 33 ½ sacks in four seasons at Purdue.
Considering Orakpo led the Redskins with 8 ½ sacks and no one else posted more than 2 ½, he was more than pleased. Though he hasn’t watched Kerrigan play, his coaches delivered a scouting report.
“They said he’s a great motor guy, great skill set, big powerful kid,” Orakpo said. “I’m very excited to have an explosive guy on the other side of me. My hat goes off to Andre Carter. He was a great player for the Redskins for many years. Me and Carter talked throughout the season and the 3-4 wasn’t what he wanted to do. I’m excited to move forward with Kerrigan.
“We can feed off each other. You see it in Pittsburgh, Baltimore. You see it in all kinds of great teams that have sets of pass rushers instead of leaning on one guy. It’ll be special for years to come.”
But Orakpo has yet to reach out to Kerrigan, saying he’d like to do so at a later date. When he does, he can share the growing pains of switching from end to linebacker.
“It’s gonna be tough at first,” Orakpo said. “It’s always tough when you’ve been having your hand in the dirt for so many years and all of a sudden you stand up and you see the receivers and you see the formation. My first year was getting used to being on my feet.
“We can go out blazing game one or it might take us to Week 14 to see improvement.”
Incidentally, Orakpo expressed confidence in former Texas Longhorns teammate Vince Young, the embattled QB for Tennessee. He’ll be available once the lockout ends.
“He was a great leader for our team when I was there,” Orakpo said. “He’s so athletic. He’s a great competitor, a great playmaker. Obviously things haven’t been going well for him in the NFL, but he’s still a young guy and he still has a future. Any team that picks him up, once you get the best out of the man and forget the hoopla surrounding him, they’re getting a hell of a player.”
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