Sprinkle is taking full advantage of his opportunities

August 5, 2017

By Jamual Forrest

One of the better plays of Saturday’s fan appreciation day was made by rookie tight end Jeremy Sprinkle. The 6’5 tight end, on a seam route up the middle, dove in the teeth of the defense for what would have been a 25-yard gain. He’s had a quiet but very productive training camp to date, and continues to build upon his game day after day.

Sprinkle was kind enough to join me after practice today for an exclusive interview.  When asked about his growth as a player from draft day to the present, college to professional, he stated, “I feel like it’s been pretty good, as far as playing in a pro-style system in college and then having that translate over, the playbook is really easy to pick up. Just trying to get out here and show the coaches things I’ve been working on and trying to improve every day.”

Earlier in the off-season, it appeared as though he looked quite lost on the field, but that hasn’t been the case at training camp to date. I have yet to see Sprinkle drop a pass, whether it be 1 on 1s or full team scrimmages. He’s also caught a few passes in traffic, adding value to him as a receiver in tight coverage. It’s still a process in terms of how he’s been as a blocker, but as a receiver he’s been one of the standouts at his position with Jordan Reed out.

When asked about what has stood out to him in his first few days of his NFL career, Sprinkle replied that, “I would say, just at first, just getting use to the speed. You know just now, it’s just playing football, just coming out here you see the ball, just got to catch the ball. The coaches put you in those positions. You just got to make the plays.”

He’s been a good surprise in camp thus far, and he, along with Samaje Perine, Robert Davis, Zach Pascal, and Matt Hazel, will have my attention when they step on the field this pre-season.

Full audio of my exclusive interview will be posted here shortly.