Washington OC Scott Turner not surprised by rookies success

The Washington Football Team is 1-1 heading into the final week of the preseason. As if the record matters, right? Anyway, if there was one takeaway from the team’s performance so far, the younger players on the offense have begun to make a name for themselves. Jaret Patterson (RB), John Bates (TE), Sammis Reyes (TE), Dyami Brown (WR), and Sam Cosmi (OT) have had plenty of time over the last two games and will likely be key names to pay attention to this upcoming Saturday. From an outsider’s perspective, it’s easy to be surprised with the number of players who have stood out at this point of the preseason. However, offensive coordinator Scott Turner isn’t in the least bit surprised. He spoke with the media on Thursday to speak on the team getting things right with their evaluation of players.

“Yeah. Um, no, I don’t know. I don’t think “surprise” would be the best way to say it. I mean, I’ve been very pleased with our young players, the young guys. I know you asked about Jaret [Patterson]. we talked about Dyami [Brown] before, even guys like Dax Milne and some guys that are rookies that you see the tape and you see what they were in college, but you really never know until they get in your building and they get on the practice field. They are who we thought they were going to be. Like John Bates. It wasn’t a surprise; it was a good deal that you’re like, ‘Hey, these guys that we felt good about, and this is why we drafted them,’ or in Jaret’s case, we signed them. This is why we brought him in here, and yeah, that’s who they are. They show you that. And that’s a good feeling when you kind of feel like you got an evaluation. Right now, there’s a long way to go, and they got to do it as they go. But the initial read on those guys is pretty good.” – Scott Turner on if the young offensive players were a surprise.

For many, that’s music to their ears, as it should be. Turner reiterated there’s a long way to go with the players he mentioned, but he is excited about the crop of younger players that Washington brought in during the spring. 

Of the group Turner mentioned, there’s no certainty that wide receiver Dax Milne can make the final 53, but the best thing that Milne has going for him is that his coach is mentioning him unprompted. So as the final cut deadline approaches (Tuesday at 4 pm est), Milne is in a position to make the team as their sixth or seventh receiver, depending on how Washington’s coaches decide to handle the position group.