The Redskins this week added an offensive line with 30 NFL starts to his credit over the course of his first two professional seasons.
The Washington Redskins this week added depth to an already solid position group, claiming tackle T.J. Clemmings off waivers from the Minnesota Vikings.
Clemmings started 30 games in his first two years in the NFL.
Drafted in the fourth round, Clemmings was seen as a prospect with high upside after a strong showing at the 2015 NFL Combine. He was tops among all offensive linemen with a vertical jump of 32.5 inches and a 4.54 20-yard shuttle.
He also able to display his sheer strength to scouts, benching 225 pounds 22 times. Analysts loved his foot quickness and ability to zone in on targets in the screen game.
His athletic frame also allows him to peel off his block to handle any oncoming delayed blitzes and explode out of his stand to defend.
He is fairly new at the tackle position after playing a majority of his collegiate career on the defensive line alongside current Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald at Pittsburgh.
In his first few days in working with Redskins assistant head coach/offensive line coach Bill Callahan, he is just scratching the surface of Washington's playbook and the veteran coach's preferences.
"It's definitely different than what I've known to do and pretty much forget everything I've knew and start from scratch," Clemmings told Redskins.com. "It's very different. Some of the terminologies are similar to what I know. [I'm] just learning the new terminology and what it means is going to take a little bit of time to know what terminology goes with what play. Once I get that down and I know what I'm doing, I can think less."
With only a few days until opening kickoff, Clemmings will continue putting in the work every day to get himself better and become acclimated with the team's playbook.
"Everything I know is extremely and totally different from what is being taught here," Clemmings said.
Clemmings is Washington's fourth tackle on the roster, joining five-time Pro Bowler Trent Williams, starting right tackle Morgan Moses and swing tackle Ty Nsekhe.
