Countdown to Kickoff: Profile on Washington Redskins linebacker No. 36 Su’a Cravens
The Countdown to Kickoff series continues on with a profile on Washington Redskins rookie linebacker Su’a Cravens.
There are exactly 36 days until the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers open up the 2016 NFL regular season with a Super Bowl rematch. In the meantime, we at NFL Spin Zone are going to profile a player each day as we countdown the days to kickoff.
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A few months ago, we began by previewing the rookie defensive end of the San Diego Chargers in Joey Bosa (No. 99). On Tuesday, it was Green Bay Packers cornerback No. 37 Sam Shields.
While you would be hard-pressed to find a big-time star player that dons No. 36 these days, the list when it comes to the past is far from shabby. It includes Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis, the sixth-leading rusher in NFL history, as well as former Packers star safety LeRoy Butler – who gave Green Bay fans the fabled “Lambeau Leap.”
As for our countdown, we are taking a look at talented defender Su’a Cravens, who the Washington Redskins spent a second-round pick on in April. As far as where he will play this season, your guess is as good as anyone’s. And that’s a positive thing.
“In college he changed positions almost every week,” explained Redskins defensive coordinator Joe Barry to Mike Jones of the Washington Post. “He played safety, he played rover, he played inside, he played outside linebacker. But (general manager Scot McCloughan), when we draft players, does a really good job of asking, ‘Where will he play?’ We don’t get him and then figure out.
“So my approach from Day 1, was he’s a linebacker. Does he have some traits where he could play safety, or a back-end position? Sure. But I think what would benefit him best was let him play dime linebacker, let’s teach him and throw him into the fire and have him play inside linebacker – the hardest position – in base and see where it goes.”
When you finish 28th in the league in total defense and only six teams in the NFL allow more rushing yards than your club, you’ll take any help you can get. Now add in the fact that Washington defenders permitted 30 scores through the air and you can see the need for a versatile play-maker. Adding All-Pro cornerback Josh Norman was one positive and Cravens could be yet another big-time upgrade.
But it also continues to be a learning experience for the rookie from Southern Cal. “Unfortunately, some days you get discouraged because you’re used to making plays. But I’ll be all right,” said Cravens to Jones. “Limited reps, it happens. What do you do? Just a lot of film work and a lot of mental reps.
“Even if I’m not in, I put myself in a place where I feel like I am because I stand there and assess guys as if I was on the field and take it from there.”
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Cravens will be an exciting rookie to watch this fall. And is Washington’s defense can make some big strides this fall, perhaps we may actually see a team win back-to-back NFC East titles for the first time in more than a decade.