Redskins guard Spencer Long sees 'night and day' difference
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But Long is a former college walk-on with a reputation for being detail-oriented. That means he knows dreaming about the future can only derail him in the present.
“I’m coming in, doing my job on a daily basis,” Long said. “It’s not about the future. You’ve got to prepare for the future but you want to make sure you prepare for today and make sure you’re on top of your stuff. It’s not Game 1 yet. I have to make sure I’m on top of my stuff today, tomorrow and the rest of OTAs.”
The Redskins returned Monday for their final week of organized team activity sessions (Tuesday is open to the media). They’ll conduct a three-day minicamp next week. It’s their final two weeks before breaking for a little more than a month -- and then heading to Richmond for training camp.
That’s when Long will resume his status along the offensive line, as Chris Chester’s replacement. But Long played just 16 snaps in five games as a rookie, so he knows nothing is guaranteed. However, he also feels a whole lot different entering this camp.
“It’s night and day different than as a rookie,” Long said. “Your body is used to the speed, the tempo. You already have a jump on the mental game, you know how to study, you know how to prepare. It’s such a smoother transition coming into this year.”
It helps that he’s a year further removed from knee surgery that cost him half of his senior season at Nebraska.
“Initially my knee was weak coming into OTAs [last year], but by camp I was fine,” he said. “It still hangs around as any injury does; it’s not 100 percent. But it’s not anything that causes me problems.”
Long is a good fit for what the Redskins want to do in the run game. Actually, he was a good fit last year, too, because they will continue mixing zone and power runs. But he’s stronger than Chester so that will give more pop in the power game. He also feels different mentally after last season, even though he barely played.
“I just became a more well-rounded player, my understanding of the game got so much better,” he said.
The Redskins liked Long’s intelligence when they drafted him and that hasn’t changed.
“He’s a big man. He’s tough and he’s smart,” Redskins coach Jay Gruden said. “We feel good about his progress.”
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John Keim, ESPN Staff Writer
Close- Covered the Redskins for the Washington Examiner and other media outlets since 1994
- Authored or co-authored three books on the Redskins and one on the Cleveland Browns
“I’m coming in, doing my job on a daily basis,” Long said. “It’s not about the future. You’ve got to prepare for the future but you want to make sure you prepare for today and make sure you’re on top of your stuff. It’s not Game 1 yet. I have to make sure I’m on top of my stuff today, tomorrow and the rest of OTAs.”
The Redskins returned Monday for their final week of organized team activity sessions (Tuesday is open to the media). They’ll conduct a three-day minicamp next week. It’s their final two weeks before breaking for a little more than a month -- and then heading to Richmond for training camp.
That’s when Long will resume his status along the offensive line, as Chris Chester’s replacement. But Long played just 16 snaps in five games as a rookie, so he knows nothing is guaranteed. However, he also feels a whole lot different entering this camp.
“It’s night and day different than as a rookie,” Long said. “Your body is used to the speed, the tempo. You already have a jump on the mental game, you know how to study, you know how to prepare. It’s such a smoother transition coming into this year.”
It helps that he’s a year further removed from knee surgery that cost him half of his senior season at Nebraska.
“Initially my knee was weak coming into OTAs [last year], but by camp I was fine,” he said. “It still hangs around as any injury does; it’s not 100 percent. But it’s not anything that causes me problems.”
Long is a good fit for what the Redskins want to do in the run game. Actually, he was a good fit last year, too, because they will continue mixing zone and power runs. But he’s stronger than Chester so that will give more pop in the power game. He also feels different mentally after last season, even though he barely played.
“I just became a more well-rounded player, my understanding of the game got so much better,” he said.
The Redskins liked Long’s intelligence when they drafted him and that hasn’t changed.
“He’s a big man. He’s tough and he’s smart,” Redskins coach Jay Gruden said. “We feel good about his progress.”
