Two seasons ago, the Washington Redskins brought in than Florida defensive lineman Caleb Brantley for pre-draft workouts and were high on his upside as a player.
Circumstances would lead to Brantley dropping to the sixth-round of the 2016 NFL draft and the Redskins passing on the All-SEC product.
Brantley, 24, now has a chance to play for the Burgundy who today signed the free agent. His skill-set should compliment the Alabama tandem of Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. In fact, Brantley mentioned his excitement to pair with his defensive line teammates.
“I know most of the guys, well, the younger guys, because they’re from the SEC and I played against them,” Brantley said. “That’s pretty cool. I think it’s pretty cool to be around guys that can play ball, that’s similar. They all know how to pass-rush. They’re just a fun group of guys and I like how it’s not just football. They’re actually friends with each other, they do stuff with each other and they hold each other accountable.”
The second-year player likes that he can grow with his counterparts and even learn from veterans like Ziggy Hood.
“I think it’s a good thing that everybody can grow together,” Brantley said. “But I also think it’s good because they have a guy like Ziggy Hood and I didn’t have a guy like that in Cleveland. I can go to him and ask him about stuff that I might be having trouble with early in my career or I might necessarily not know how to do. He’s been there, he did it, so he can give me pointers. It’s cool to learn from him.”
Redskins make roster moves, sign DL Caleb Brantley
What type of player is Brantley and what does he bring to the Redskins after a rookie season in Cleveland where he posted 18 tackles and two sacks in 12 games?
“I feel like I can add pressure up the middle and just be a disruptive force,” Brantley said. “That’s what kind of player I am. I just get in there and get vertical and penetrate. And I feel like I can be that kind of player here. I feel like I can learn a lot from Coach Tomsula. He’s one of the best D-line coaches. I’m just looking forward to learning from him and just doing what he asks me to do.
“I just feel like I get off, I get vertical and I find the ball,” Brantley went on to say. “I feel like being here with Tomsula, watching practice today, I feel like he’s really going to help me evolve into a great pass-rusher. He’s going to teach me how to use my get off in the run game and the pass game. So I really look forward to that.”