Blogger Blitz: Kerrigan poised for big jump

May, 30, 2012
5/30/12
4:11
PM ET
video
This week's "Blogger Blitz" video takes a look at some second-year players who could take big steps forward in the NFC East, and I chose to focus on Washington Redskins linebacker Ryan Kerrigan. A lot of this thinking has to do with opportunity -- namely, that Kerrigan is in a role and a system that's built to help him excel from the outside linebacker position. He showed last year as a rookie that his instinctive pass-rushing ability was enough to make him an impact player, and I think a full NFL season followed by his first full NFL offseason will only help him refine his game and become a better all-around player. The Redskins' defense is built to allow Kerrigan and Brian Orakpo to terrorize quarterbacks from those outside linebacker positions, and I expect that both of them will do so to a larger extent this year than in 2011. But Kerrigan in particular has a chance to make a big leap this year, considering how good he was as a rookie with very little preparation time to adjust to the pro game.

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NFC EAST SCOREBOARD

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