This weekend the Washington Redskins welcome in a fresh new batch of rookies into the fold. There is 62 of them to be exact as the team looks to conduct their annual Rookie Minicamp this weekend at Redskins Park in Loudoun County, Virginia.

Washington will have 37 tryout players this year who are looking for any chance to make the roster, including the practice squad. The ten players the Redskins drafted this year as well as the eight undrafted free agents they signed will join a short list of others this weekend as the team has its first major event of the new year.

The event has long been used to get the drafted players more familiar with their surroundings, and of course, give the hopefuls a couple of days to try out.

Some additions on offense as well

In an off-season where defense is the top priority Washington also added some key weapons on offense when they picked up wide receiver Terrelle Pryor in free agency and running back Samaje Perine in the fourth-round of the draft. Both will play roles in the Redskins success in 2017. For Pryor, he just needs to do what he did last year, given the fact he is now in a more stable environment than the one that threw multiple starting QB’s at him in Cleveland last year, he should be more productive.

For Perine, it’s a bit more difficult than that will Robert Kelley already ahead of him on the depth chart.

Perine will have to show the coaches why they need to play him more. Perine’s ability to run downhill and encourage contact, not run from it, will fit it real good with Jay Gruden’s offense in Washington. He and Kelley could be a good one-two combination for the Redskins.

Rookie minicamp should interesting

With 62 players set to be in attendance, and a lot fewer roster spots than that to be had, competition will the word at Redskins Rookie Camp this weekend.

While the drafted guys will get their chance at training camp to make the roster, for the eight undrafted and 37 tryout players, this weekend could be it for their NFL dream. With that thought hanging in the balance these athletes will be ready to compete and catch one of the coach’s eyes. Just a few years ago, one such player, Will Compton, was an undrafted rookie coming into camp not knowing what his situation would be.

Last year, Compton was a team captain as an inside linebacker. The fact is, NFL rosters are made up of more that 50 percent undrafted players and the practice squads are full of players who had to make the team at rookie camp.
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