We know that Chase Young not being at OTAs is a problem for many, including a lot of our on-air staff here in DC…and especially Grant Paulsen.
“Montez Sweat has performed, but my problem with Chase is injury last year; slow rehab and recovery – which is not his fault – but it’s been a disappointment,” Grant said Friday, reiterating an oft-said stance. “You’d think he’d be chomping at the bit in a contract year, after the team didn’t pick up his option, to get out there and perform.”
Well, as we found out Friday when former Pro Bowl offensive tackle Jermon Bushrod, who played 12 years in the league and was a Super Bowl champ, joined Grant & Danny at Grant’s charity golf event down in Virginia…Bushrod agrees and thinks Young is making a mistake.
“I think when guys don’t show up at OTAs in a situation like Chase is in, I would think it would be pretty frustrating for his teammates,” Bushrod said. “I can understand that, because this is a guy who has shown flashes of being a decent player, but you get injured and things happen…and you want to be around the facility.”
On Friday morning, Eric Bickel posited during a segment on The Sports Junkies that perhaps Sweat and Young, who share an agent, have been advised to stay away from OTAs so as to avoid possible early injury in a contract year.
But, in his statement about Young’s absence, Bushrod echoed something many have wondered about Chase all along: is he all in or not?
“Is this a place you want to be? Are you all in to what this team is doing, and trying to be a contributing factor?” Bushrod asked. “I can see, from the outside looking in, it could be frustrating to some of his peers. What kind of message are you sending to your teammates, and to the front office?”
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That’s when Danny jumped in with the uproar about things being voluntary, and admitted even he has checked out on previous jobs at times (not this one, where he’s No. 1, of course) – but does not coming to OTAs send that kind of message to the Commanders?
“I think that some of the guys on the defensive side of the ball have tried to communicate that to him, and what kind of message that sends,” Bushrod said. “If he is away from OTAs and he comes back stronger and has a really good year, then this conversation is moot, because at the end of the day it’s about how you’re making yourself and your team better, and are you productive and available on game days. If he’s not at OTAs and he’s not productive and available, the message is loud and clear.”
Bushrod is certain some veterans have at least reached out to Young to make sure he’s okay mentally and physically, and we’ll have to wait until training camp to formulate a full opinion – but Danny can’t get over the fact that showing up is just so easy to do.
“It’s easy to show your face, but again, this will be a great conversation to have in September, to see how he’s evolving and moving,” Bushrod said. “I was a scout for the Saints for a year and I watched his film, and if he just finished a little better, he’d have turned three or four pressures into sacks, and we’d be having a different conversation – because he has prototype size, but it’s about consistency and availability. I went years without a major injury, but some guys don’t, and have to find a better way to take care of their bodies.”
Follow Grant & Danny on Twitter: @granthpaulsen & @funnydanny
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