Washington Football Team: Opportunity is knocking for Kevin Pierre-Louis

Kevin Pierre-Louis’ time to prove himself is now with the Washington Football Team.

On March 31, the Washington Football Team signed free agent LB Kevin Pierre-Louis. I shared the same sentiments as most Washington fans, I really didn’t know who he was.

As I dug into his career stats, I saw he was a six-year player in the league with only four starts and was heading to his fifth team.

I have to be completely honest, I wasn’t excited. He appeared to be a roster filler, someone who could provide depth if he even made the roster. I mean, the team was already relatively log-jammed at the position.

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Washington had resigned Jon Bostic. They have a bright young player in Cole Holcomb. The bigger free agent signing at the position appeared to be veteran Thomas Davis, a long-tenured player under Rivera who was brought here to help establish Rivera’s culture from the player level.

I didn’t even mention the wild card with Reuben Foster and the upgrade he provides should he find health. Nor have I got to KPL’s fellow three-letter abbreviated teammates SDH and JHC (Shaun Dion Hamilton and Josh Harvey-Clemons). In some ways, calling this a log jam is an understatement.

So as training camp began, I didn’t expect KPL surfacing as not only a potential starter. But he has been one of the bright spots of camp and a name that continues to roll off the coach’s tongue when talking about players he’s been impressed with.

How impressive has Pierre-Louis been? He’s been the one constant in camp starting at starting while they rotate other backers in/out. Yes, it’s early in camp. Yes, we’ve seen camp stars fizzle before. And of course, coach Rivera hasn’t set a starting line up while outwardly speaking of competition and working different line up’s to see which combinations play well together.

What KPL has done is opened the eyes of coaches, media, and the fans. We all know he’s impressed and he’s no longer a secret in Washington. But I wanted to know more about him. So here it is:

Coming into the 2014 draft, KPL was graded highly for his athleticism and his fluidity to his movements with great instincts and timing as a blitzer. He backpedals like a DB and gets to his top speed in a hurry. He’s disciplined in run support and a sound tackler. I’m not a player evaluator, but I listen to those who are and most of his strengths cannot be taught and are highly valued around the league.

Some of his negatives were his lack of size, especially his height when checking tight ends in coverage. He plays with too much finesse and can be knocked back by bigger run blockers. Almost all of the negatives had to do with his size (6-foot-even, 230 pounds). He was a projected to be a second or third-round pick who was drafted in the fourth.

Since joining the league, he’s mainly been a highly rated special teams player. But he’s gained valuable experience playing in a couple of great defensive systems in Seattle and Chicago. He did start three games for the Bears last year where he was graded well by Pro Football Focus.

As a fan, I think there’s value in other fan’s perspectives. Let’s face it, we’re consumed with our favorite teams more than the average national beat writer or any advanced analytical tool. I mean, do you really think a writer from LA has seen as many snaps of Deshazor Everett as Washington fans? While we may not have the aptitude to truly grade a player, we watch enough to know what’s good and what isn’t.

So, I was curious about what Bears fans thought about KPL. I took to an online NFL Group I belong to for answers. Here were some of the responses I received: “Big Motor”, “He jumped off the screen when given a chance to play”, “Great Special Teams Player”, “A good LB, when Danny Trevathan was hurt, he stepped in and played great”, “Great job stepping in with his starts”, “solid LB who hasn’t found his place, stuck in a crowded LB group in Seattle”.

The certainty we have with Pierre-Louis is that we’ll have a special teams standout. One thing I’ve learned as a fan over the years, coaches love special teams aces. These guys are typically hard-working team guys and tough and they’re exactly the kind of guys coach Rivera wants on this team.

Next. Breaking down Washington's tight end position battle. dark

The NFL is about opportunity and sometimes, good players get lost in the shuffle. It appears Pierre-Louis is getting his opportunity now. And I’m excited about his opportunity. He adds speed to the LB group, something that’s been missing in Washington for too long. Perhaps he can become a solid starter in Washington and prove to be a free-agent steal.

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