Washington Redskins Unheralded Players: TE Hale Hentges

Uncertainty can be an equalizer.

The Washington Redskins‘ offseason was already marred by this uncertainty. In January, owner Dan Snyder fired Bruce Allen and brought in former Panthers coach Ron Rivera, who swiftly cleaned house, bringing in a brand new staff and a wave of free agent additions.

The Redskins are a long-term project in its early stages, and nothing is settled yet. Compounding that uncertainty is the fallout of the United States’ novel coronavirus outbreak, which has complicated the NFL’s plans for training camp and other offseason activities. It’s a new coaching staff. It’s a new process. It’s a clean slate.

Uncertainty like this can be daunting, but some players have the ability to use that uncertainty to rise from obscurity, and take advantage where other players do not. Some players do their best work when the lights are dim, so that when they do come back on, they can shine on the greatest stage, against all odds.

We call these Unheralded Players; perceived long shots to make the Redskins roster, who ultimately cannot be counted out of the race. Our first qualifier of the 2020 offseason — the first of many to come — is second-year tight end Hale Hentges.

Who is Redskins TE Hale Hentges?

Sometimes Unheralded Players have to simply cherish the opportunities that come to them. Hentges has experience with this; while most tight ends might dream of being the playmaker and the X-Factor, Hentges served a more obstructed purpose in his time at Alabama: Blocking.

Hentges, once a four-star prospect out of Jefferson City, Missouri, caught 169 passes for 2,559 yards and 34 touchdowns in high school, capping off a stellar career with 52 catches, 969 yards, and 11 scores in his senior season. He got onto the map as a receiver, but once he got to Alabama, he needed to stand out in a different way, in order to break through the roster’s insulation of talent.

Hentges bulked up upon arriving at Alabama, and soon caught attention as a physical, tenacious run blocker. He received two starts in his freshman season for that purpose, and went on to play in 58 games over the course of his collegiate career, finding a niche for himself as a blocker on the edge. He earned the captain designation as a senior for his experience and leadership, and was a steady constant for the team’s offense.

Hentges would only catch 15 passes for 120 yards and six scores over that same timespan, however, and his lack of receiving production caused him to go undrafted in the 2018 NFL Draft. Hentges was brought on by the Colts, and quickly impressed coaches with his receiving ability in one-on-ones. Colts’ assistant Nick Sirianni likened Hentges to teammate and two-time Pro Bowler Jack Doyle.

"I’ve seen just consistency out of [Hentges]. A lot of consistency of just, ‘Hey, I know what to expect in the run game,’ and then he’s surprising us in the pass game. Because it doesn’t seem like he – I’m not going to say anything I don’t say to him, we know he’s not the most athletic guy, but he just finds a way to get open."

Hentges managed to force his way onto the 53-man roster, at a position that already had three spots taken. But when new space was needed, Hentges’ spot was expendable, and the Colts ended up waiving him in early October. The Redskins signed Hentges off of waivers on October 7, and he would finish out the year in burgundy and gold.

For much of the season, Hentges reprised the role he was best-known for at Alabama; he was primarily a run blocker, providing extra help on the edge for ball carriers. But starting in Week 16, shades of his receiving potential became apparent.

Hentges caught his first touchdown from Dwayne Haskins in Week 16 against the Giants, and in the season finale, Hentges gave Washington a strong final impression to consider, hauling in four catches for 62 yards in an offense-pacing performance. He got open, got tough yards, and ultimately got a ticket to training camp in 2020.

Redskins TE Hale Hentges player breakdown

As mentioned in the previous slide, Hentges is not the greatest athlete. That’s a part of his game that he’ll have to live with, and make the best out of. At Alabama’s pro day ahead of the 2019 NFL Draft, Hentges ran a 5.04 40-yard dash at 6-foot-4, 240, and posted equally uninspiring agility times. He did log a 33.5-inch vertical, shedding light on fairly proficient explosiveness. But his speed, in an NFL that values athletic, versatile tight ends, will always be a limiting factor.

That said, there’s more to the game of football than speed, and Hentges does well to compensate, in the limited action he’s experienced. Hentges’ toughness as a receiver has always been lauded, from high school to training camp in 2019. He has the strength to out-muscle defensive backs for contested catches, and as evidenced by this clip from Week 17, he’s not afraid to lay out and give everything he has for tough passes.

Hentges also has the awareness to seek out soft spots. In the previous clip, Hentges had to adjust his route and find space on the scramble drill, as Mark Bullock mentioned. And in the next clip, Hentges is seen capitalizing on a defensive back’s blind spot in the red zone, and ultimately finding space in the back of the end zone for his first touchdown.

Hentges’ speed will always be a limiting factor for him at the NFL level, but tight ends with athletic limitations have succeeded before. Just look at his former teammate Jack Doyle. Doyle entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Colts, and was primarily a blocking tight end due to his own speed limitations. But after years of minimal production and perseverance, Doyle erupted in 2016, catching 59 passes for 584 yards and five scores. Now, he’s a two-time Pro Bowler.

With traits other than speed, Hentges has already broken into the league. His utility as a blocker will always provide him with a healthy baseline as a player, and he has enough toughness, hand security, awareness, and drive to potentially carve out a greater role amidst uncertainty.

How Hentges can make the Redskins roster

The Redskins’ signings of Logan Thomas and Richard Rodgers have further clouded Hentges’ outlook for the 2020 season, as has the addition of 2020 undrafted free agent Thaddeus Moss. Even before these additions, Hentges had Jeremy Sprinkle, Caleb Wilson, and Marcus Baugh working against him as well.

Reasonably, the Redskins can be expected to keep three tight ends; the Panthers rarely kept more than three under Ron Rivera. There’s a chance they could keep four, but Hentges can’t depend on that possibility again for his roster hopes. Hentges has to impress Rivera with the opportunities he receives. He did enough to make it through the first wave of evaluations, but getting onto the 53-man roster is a much greater mountain to climb.

What does Hentges have working for him? There’s no clear-cut No. 1 tight end at the position, so if Hentges picks up where he left off last offseason, he should be able to make an impression. He ended on a high note last season as well, and he has the mentality Rivera is clearly looking for in his players. Hentges was a captain at Alabama, and it’s clear from interviews that his mindset is solely placed on getting better and learning with the resources he has.

Hentges’ focus is rightly placed. With his athletic limitations, he’ll have to prove that he can be a consistent receiving threat if he wants to maximize his versatility and stick around with Ron Rivera’s Redskins. He showed flashes last year. Can he take the next step, like Doyle, whom he hopes to emulate?

It’s just another unanswered question, something Unheralded Players know all too well. Hentges answered the questions last offseason with the Colts, and if his career thus far tells us anything, it’s that the uncertainty doesn’t bother Hentges. It’s just part of the game.