WASH' & LEARN
Giants WR: 'My time will come'
Like everyone else, Corey Washington said hewas “amazed’’ watching Odell Beckham Jr. do his thing last season for the Giants. Unlike everyone else, Washington had something in common with Beckham, as both were rookie receivers learning the ropes in the NFL. But while Beckham was a firstround pick from the LSU football factory, Washington entered through the back door, an undrafted player from a Division II school — Newberry — so undertheradar that Eli Manning admitted he had never heard of it before Washington arrived on the scene.
“It was fun watching him play,’’ Washington said of Beckham. “He was a firstround pick, the 12th pick, for a reason. He’s good.’’
Mostly, that’s what Washington did as a rookie: watch. Oh, he did play in 14 games, but it was almost exclusively special teams work, rarely seen on offense. He caught five passes for 52 yards and one touchdown, with four of the catches and the touch down coming late in a blowout loss to the Colts.
Washington, though, did have a great view of Beckham’s brilliance.
“He comes in and out of his break real good,’’ Washington said. “I’m learning fromhim, probably go train with him this summer. I don’t know yet. He’s real good at coming out of his break and getting separation.’’
The Giants have a threeday minicamp starting Tuesday and then they go their separate ways until training camp. The coaching staff certainly won’t mind if Washington joins Beckham in Arizona for workouts, rather than work out at home in Greenville, S. C., as the more of Beckham that rubs off on Washington, the better.
Sticking on the roster this time around will not be easy for Washington. He stands out in a crowd, as at 6foot4 he’s the tallest receiver on the team. He forged a spot with a sensational, eyeopening summer — six touchdown catches in the 2014 preseason. This year, he will have to impress all over again. Behind roster givens Victor Cruz, Rueben Randle and Beckham, Washington will be competing with Preston Parker, Marcus Harris, rookie Geremy Davis and Julian Talley. At most, the Giants will keep six receivers.
Coach Tom Coughlin said Washington has had “a nice spring,’’ and Manning said it’s been a “good camp’’ for Washington. Maturity is part of the process. Late last season, Washington expressed frustration with his lack of playing time, saying, “I’m not happy,’’ and hewas inactive for the regularseason finale. It was explained to him thiswas not a punishment but, rather, the need for one fewer receiver and one extra running back in that particular game, a loss to the Eagles.
Looking back, Washington said: “I understand why I didn’t get in. Young guy, just coming in, undrafted, got to work on the route tree, coming out of Newberry, still got to work on my craft. I’m not a firstrounder, so I can’t just get thrown out into the fire. I had to sit back and learn.
“I’m just sitting back and going with the flow. My time will come. When my time comes I’ll embrace it.’’
As with most rookies, Washington last season was thrown onto several special teams units and he lagged behind, mainly because he hadn’t tackled anyone since his sophomore year at Georgia Military College. In year No. 2, he’s on the kickoff and punt return teams, meaning he has to block and use his size and wingspan to create lanes for teammates to run through.
Coughlin sees Washington “has matured a little bit’’ and that “he has worked hard. He has had a good attitude. He has had a smile on his face. He has done most everything we have asked him to do.’’
With Cruz coming off knee surgery and Beckham held out of drills because of tightness in his left hamstring, Washington has taken reps with the firstteam offense.
“He has made some plays and has a better understanding of the offense in his second year and playing faster,’’ Manning said. “I think he has always had the ability to make the great catch and run the go routes and fades but just kind of adding the complete package to his game.’’
Washington says he knows what must come next.
“Trust,’’ he said. “Gaining the coaches’ trust and the quarterback’s trust.’’