Troy Apke is making waves this offseason for the Washington Redskins.
The development isn’t much of a surprise. A fourth-round pick by the Redskins a year ago, Apke captured the attention of everyone quickly thanks to his elite athleticism, topped off by a 4.34 time in the 40-yard dash.
On the heels of Jay Gruden offering praise for Apke, defensive coordinator Greg Manusky has done the same, according to the Washington Post’s Kareem Copeland:
“If something breaks through, you’ve got to make those plays on the back end, and I think he’s one of those players that can make plays in space when the running back is coming… Right now we’re still judging every player, but overall I like where [Apke] is at.”
This makes it sound like Apke is — at worst — heading for a surefire situational role for the duration of his second season. Landon Collins has one safety slot locked down and a battle is underway for the second.
Apke might not be the favorite there, but Redskins coaches seem intent on putting his skillset to work in advantageous ways.
