Already bulking up after his rookie season, Trent Murphy says he'll likely alter his offseason workout routine this year to get a little bit quicker with his moves.
After healing from a broken wrist suffered during the Washington Redskins' Week 16 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in December 2014, linebacker Trent Murphy's primary focus last offseason was to bulk up.
He flashed the talent that made him a second-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, but after going against NFL offensive linemen he knew that physically there was room for growth.
So after months of hard work and dedication in the gym, Murphy came back visibly bigger and stronger.
So as he approaches this offseason, Murphy is still trying to decide how best to get his body ready for a third year in the NFL.
"I'm kind of torn between two things, and I'm still going to talk to the coaches and get back to it, but last offseason I probably wanted to gain some strength and size and some muscle mass; originally I wanted to do that this offseason too, but now I'm thinking about staying lean and quick, especially with the way the league is going anymore I think that might be more beneficial," Murphy said. "I'll talk to the coaches and see what they think is best for me."
If he elects to add some bulk to his frame, then head strength and conditioning coach Mike Clark, who favors an Olympic-style of weightlifting, will be beneficial.
But if hand work and agility are where he's looking to better himself, then assistant strength and conditioning coach Joe Kim, a seventh-dan black belt, can certainly help him improve his speed and technique.
"I can't talk enough about them, especially Coach Kim," Murphy said. "You know, the work on the hands and working on some of the on the field movements in the weight room had a huge benefit for a lot of guys and he works hard. So I thought that was helpful."
In total, Murphy appeared in 672 defensive snaps, sixth most on the team, along with 219 special teams snaps, third most on the team, in 2015.
He finished the season improving on most of his numbers (33 tackles and 3.5 sacks) while alternating reps at the outside linebacker spot opposite Ryan Kerrigan.
"We still have a lot of room for improvement, but I think we were both disruptive in the backfield, made some plays," Murphy said. "So have got to be happy with that."
As a rookie, the Redskins struggled to gain much traction, winning back-to-back games just once on a season that would end with a 4-12 record.
In 2015, the Redskins would go from worst to first, winning the NFC East with a 9-7 record.
"I think probably the biggest thing this season was the camaraderie in the locker room," Murphy said. "I think guys are tight, playing together, working hard together, and kind of just staying the course."
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