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Yesterday I sat around watching the NFL Draft, waiting to see where Cody Hoffman would get drafted and was surprised and disappointed to not hear his name called on Saturday. I've been a big fan of Hoffman's since early on in his freshman year at BYU and have always enjoyed the way he played the game of football. Even though Hoffman didn't get drafted, I still think he has what it takes to have a fairly successful career in the NFL and I had hope he'd end up in a good situation for himself with a free agent deal.
One of the positives of not being drafted and signing with a team as an unrestricted free agent is you have more control over your first destination in the NFL. It's that fact that had me scratching my head when I heard that Hoffman decided to sign with the Washington Redskins. Nothing against the Redskins... Robert Griffin III would be a great young quarterback for Hoffman to catch passes from, but the receiving corps in Washington was already pretty crowded.
Most NFL teams keep five or six wide receivers on their rosters and with the receivers Washington already has, just making the Redskins roster may be an uphill battle for Hoffman. Here's a look at the receivers Washington already has on roster:
- Pierre Garcon - Had 113 receptions for 1,346 yards and 5 TDs in 2013 with the Redskins.
- DeSean Jackson - Had 83 receptions for 1,332 yards and 9 TDs in 2013 with the Eagles.
- Aldrick Robinson - Recorded 18 receptions for 365 yards and 2 TDs with Washington in 2013.
- Andre Roberts - Had 43 catches for 471 yards and 2 TDs with Redskins last year.
- Santana Moss - 14-year NFL veteran who had 42 catches for 452 yards and 2 TDs last season with Washington.
- David Gettis - Recently signed with Washington. Was a talented young receiver in Carolina in his rookie season back in 2010 until a knee injury sidelined him for a few years.
- Leonard Hankerson - In a reserve role for the Redskins had 30 catches for 375 yards and 3 touchdowns last season.
- Nick Williams - Was on Redskins practice squad last season.
That's a pretty competitive list. And it doesn't even include Washington's 5th round draft choice this year, Ryan Grant from Tulsa.
Do I think that Hoffman has the talent to beat out some of those guys? Absolutely, but he'd likely have to beat out four of them just make the roster and quickly. Hoffman does have a few areas of his game he needs to polish in order for him to be very successful at the NFL level and I don't think that will happen overnight, so I'm not sure Washington was the best choice for him. With that said, I hope he proves me wrong and we see on the field for the Redskins this upcoming season.