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2014 Mason/Brennan Hype! Awards: Preseason Week 2 Edition

Two preseason games down and practices have been closed to the media for most of the week. We're getting into the real gametime hype now.

By Scott Jennings
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Every season, a new class of draft picks and undrafted free agents are signed during the preseason. The majority of these players will never be on the roster for a regular season game, but there are always a few diamond in the rough late round/UDFA players who do bring hope to players and fans. That racetrack betting slip that you find on the floor that someone didn't scout properly.

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Redskins fans are very familiar with the hype that comes with the offseason, especially over the last two decades of dreary seasons. Between the overpriced free agent signings, and the overhyped preseason performances by rookies, we were the perennial offseason champions. Names like Marko Mitchell, Marcus Mason, Brandon Banks, and everyone's favorite Colt Brennan became legendary in training camp and preseason, only to be relegated to the practice squad or the bowels of the depth chart, never to be heard from again.

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Mason/Brennan Hype! Awards: Preseason Week 1

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Mason/Brennan Hype! Awards: Preseason Week 1

The Mason/Brennan award has been given out unofficially by the fans for years to each preseason's most hyped players, but now we're going to make it official, and bring it to a vote. This week's vote will cover the offseason, draft and OTAs/mini-camps. Place your vote for who you feel has been the most hyped player up to this point, whether the hype is deserved or not.

Last year's preseason hero was the magic man, Heisenberg himself, Pat White.  With RGIII not playing, and Kirk Cousins injured in preseason, the Pat White Show was on in full effect.  He went on to win two out of four week's in the voting and was crowned the undeniable Mason/Brennan Hype Award winner for 2013.  He actually made the final 53 man roster, but was cut after the first week to make room for a 2nd kicker...  He is currently on the roster of the CFL's Edmonton Eskimos and was featured on the new show American Muscle. Last year's two other winners were Bacarri Rambo, and Brandon Jenkins.  Rambo is on the roster bubble, and Brandon Jenkins was early in training camp.

Hype is a very real, and a very exciting part of football in the preseason. We all read the daily training camp reports and get excited at the prospect of a late round pass rusher getting sack after sack on 3rd string offensive lineman, or a wide receiver catching everything thrown his way, or a running back who's not injured.

The Rules:

1. Player must have been drafted late or signed by the Redskins as an undrafted free agent. Players that have only been on other teams practice squads that are signed by the team are also eligible.

2. A player that has been on the team for several years is still eligible if most of that time has been spent on the practice squad, inactive, or with very limited productivity/time

3. The Pat White Rule: High draft picks(busts/out of the league) from other teams who have never completed an NFL pass, but can run the read option/wildcat are now eligible.

Last Week's Winner: Ryan Grant with 44% of the vote

2nd Place:  Lache Seastrunk with 34% of the vote

The Nominees:

1. Bacarri Rambo, S - Who says you can't go home again.  Rambo was a hype monster last year, winning a Mason/Brennan and tagged the starter at free safety before training camp even started.  Then he played.  Rambo started 3 games last year, but was quickly taken out of the lineup early in the season.  Tackling issues and lack of special teams play hurt him.  He's been considered a bubble player with fellow M/B candidates Akeem Davis and Trenton Robinson nipping at his heels for a roster spot at safety.  Rambo's been have a rough camp, but had a decent game on Monday, forcing a turnover.

2. Will Compton, ILB - He was getting some hype last season, but didn't make the final cut, and was place on the practice squad.  He got pulled up to the main roster after Nick Barnett was injured, and now he's looking for a full-time spot. Compton had a good game last week and continues to make the decision at inside linebacker harder.  Darryl Sharpton has been out with an ankle injury and Compton continues to make plays.  He played the most snaps on defense on Monday and had the most tackles.

3. Ryan Grant, WR - The Mason/Brennan committee has decided to stop commenting on Grant and just let his play do the talking.

4. Lache Seastrunk, RB - The Great Lache was falling down the hype rabbit hole, and we almost lost him, but he's baaackkk.  Seastrunk had a good game in Week 1 and followed it up with the highest yards per carry of all the Redskins RBs who played Monday(excluding RGIII who had the highest on the team).

5. Chase Minnifield, CB - Chase Minninfield had the best year of his professional career in 2013.  Not injured?  Check.  Made the Practice Squad?  Check.  Made the 53 man roster during the season?  Check.  Active on game day?  Negative.  No one can slight Minny for being injured at the beginning of his career.  Losing in the Mason/Brennan voting last preseason has reportedly put a huge chip on his shoulder this offseason, and he will be working for your votes at Training Camp.  Oh, and also, you know, actually playing in a regular season game finally, but first things first.  Minnifield continues to be an aggressive CB who the receivers hate to play against in practice.

As long as Chase is on this team he will be eligible for the award, and he made some plays last night to keep his name in the hypelines.  Johnny Manziel is not a fan of Chase Minnifield

6. Silas Redd, RB - Redd was an unheralded signing after the draft after a disappointing college career that saw him getting injured and limiting his productivity and raising questions about his durability at the next level.  Redd was getting very little hype during OTA's, but now that training camp has started, he is getting daily praise from fans and reporters.  Redd is a long shot to make the final roster, but his hype is getting bigger by the practice.

Redd continues to make a good impression in every game.  He was in the game before fellow M/B candidate Lache Seastrunk, and is ahead in his pass blocking abilities.  He had the 2nd highest yards per carry among the RBs.  Redd's going to get every shot at making the roster practice squad.

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7. Gabe Miller, OLB - This is Mr Miller's first appearance on the list and his name was called a lot on Monday Night.  He recorded a sack on Johnny Manziel and a couple of QB hurries.  He also did a good job in run support, recording 2 tackles on the stat sheet.  Miller, along with Adrian Robinson, was specifically named by Coach Gruden as a player that was doing enough, well enough to allow the team to cut an underperforming 5th round pic from last season.

8. Zach Hocker, K - Two weeks in a row for a kicker?  We must have a real damn kicker competition going on here!  Hocker's opening kickoff went for a touch back.  Good!  His next kickoff was returned to the 47 yard line by former Redskin Anthony Armstong.  Bad!  But wait Hocker was in for his second tackle of the preseason to stop him?  Great! Hocker didn't kick a field goal on Monday, while Kai Forbath got a 26 yard chip shot.  Whats keeping him at Mason/Brennan status is his amazing kicker tackles that need to be added to Bacarri Rambo's instructional video this season.

9. Rashad Ross, WR - The Rashad Ross preseason hype train continues into Week 2.  Ross had two kickoff returns for a total of 64 yards, for an average return of 32 yards.  His longest return was 42 yards, not too shabby.  He also had a 43 yard reception.  Ross is looking to fill that final spot that might be open if he can show enough to knock a 35 year old Santana Moss off the roster.  If not he looks like a lock for the practice squad.

Removed:

Ted Bolser: The hype of a preseason TD has come and gone for the War Daddy.

Akeem Davis: Davis made some plays last week on special teams, but was only in on 4 ST plays this week.

Trenton Robinson: Rambo steps up a little, and Robinson didn't keep his hype going from last week.

Added:

Gabe Miller: Miller showed up big time on the hype radar with a sack on Johnny Manziel

Bacarri Rambo: Insert bad Rambo pun here.

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