Washington Football Team: 3 positives and negatives from the preseason so far
By Jonathan Eig
Positive: Tight Ends
Last year, the second-best tight end on the Football Team was … well, I can’t really answer that one. It may have been Temarrick Hemngway, who showed a bit of promise before going down with an injury. The others who manned the position – Jeremy Sprinkle and Marcus Baugh – were glorified tackles. Both are gone, and even though Sprinkle did have value as a blocker, neither should be missed.
The new crop, who will compete for minutes behind Logan Thomas, offer far more upside. Ricky Seals-Jones is a significantly better pass catcher than any of last year’s backups. With the ability to block and be a decent receiver, rookie John Bates looks is an upgrade as a combination tight end. And Sammis Reyes is simply a monster. If he sticks with the game long enough to get comfortable on the field, he could be very special. The promising Hemingway, who should be improved with a season under his belt, also remains a factor.
Sammis Reyes has had to double-catch each of his catches tonight, but that's besides the point. He has now made two first-down grabs in his first taste of the NFL. His first taste of FOOTBALL
— Pete Hailey (@PeteHaileyNBCS) August 13, 2021
In the event of injury, none is going to step into Thomas’ shoes without a noticeable drop-off. But as options behind Thomas, each offers special skills that can be utilized by Scott Turner. At the very least, we should see some big plays coming from this group of backup players…something we never got a glimpse of in 2020.