The Redskins have high hopes for their receiving corps this year, but they didn’t get a chance to see the full complement of pass catchers in action during last week’s preseason opener.
That should change against the Browns on Monday night. Pierre Garçon, who has been battling a hamstring injury, and DeSean Jackson, who was sidelined by a knee injury, have been practicing in full and coach Jay Gruden said the time looks right for them to take the next step in getting ready for the season.
“We’re excited to see them run out and compete, get them in a game situation and see how they do,” Gruden said, via CSNWashington.com. “Just get the rust off of them. It’s important for them to get some type of continuity with the quarterback and the offense in general, just the speed of breaking the huddle on game day and how many plays in a row can you go without getting tired. If I send them deep, can they come back and dig out a first forced block, or can they run deep again, two or three times in a row?”
With tight end Jordan Reed recovered from the illness that put him on the shelf for a few days, it looks like the Redskins could have all offensive hands on deck when they square off with Cleveland. That should allow them to take a step forward in Gruden’s offense and continue building toward what they hope will be a bounceback season in D.C.