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'Skins won't settle for using Orakpo only on line PRO FOOTBALL
Redskins rookie Orakpo
Date published: 6/9/2009
BY RICH CAMPBELL ASHBURN --The reason Brian Orakpo was considered one of the best prospects in April's NFL draft was obvious during the Washington Redskins' organized team activity yesterday.Just ask Jeremy Bridges. The Redskins were practicing 2-minute-drill situations when Orakpo lined up at right defensive end, steadied himself in a three-point stance by placing his hand in the dirt and burst around Bridges, the left tackle, as soon as the quarterback took the snap. Bridges had to clothesline Orakpo from behind to prevent the rookie from blowing up the play, a tactic that surely would have drawn a penalty in a game situation. It was further evidence that Orakpo's explosive pass-rushing ability is what enticed the Redskins to select him 13th overall. Yet Washington is depending on him to be much more than a pass rusher, even though that will at times prevent him from doing what he does best. With the offseason departure of former Pro Bowl linebacker Marcus Washington, Orakpo will play strong-side linebacker in non-pass-rushing situations in addition to his defensive end duties on third down. It's a hybrid role that requires some significant mental gymnastics for a rookie adapting to life on one of the NFL's top-ranked defenses. "There are different mentalities when you line up at different positions," Orakpo said yesterday. "When they have me at defensive end, my primary goal is to put pressure on the quarterback. Then say, for instance, they get the first down. Now my whole mind-set switches over to linebacker. I have to worry about coverages and different run-stop situations. But I'm adjusting and getting acclimated to it." Mastering one position is difficult enough for a rookie. Washington needs Orakpo to master two. As the Redskins began their final round of OTAs yesterday, it's a process that's just under way. For now, Orakpo is still a bit outside his comfort zone. He occasionally played linebacker at Texas, but he focused so much on pass rushing because the Big 12 Conference is so pass-heavy. In college he practiced each day with the defensive linemen, but the Redskins have him working exclusively with the linebackers. While Washington's defensive linemen worked on pass rushing techniques yesterday, Orakpo was on another field practicing intercepting passes and dropping back into pass coverage.
Date published: 6/9/2009
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