Malcolm

Kelly

Kelly claims he’s still bothered by a leg contusion, or bruise, he suffered in the Fiesta Bowl. He could still run at Oklahoma’s March 11 Pro Day, but the Combine offers more of a level playing field. Because speed is always a huge question for big receivers, this doesn’t look good for the 6'4 Kelly.

The team had a glaring need for a second wide receiver even before they released Peerless Price. The early entrant Kelly boasts great size and strong hands, but he may be a reach early in the first round.

Kelly’s junior numbers were down after a phenomenal sophomore year, as he focused on downfield routes and OU on a run-heavy attack. He scored nine TDs and averaged 16.8 YPC, but his explosion off the line and durability (he was hurt in the Sooners’ last two bowl games) will be scrutinized this spring.

The third wish is very unlikely to happen, but he’s expected to get a new deal, possibly in the six-year, $70 million range. Big Ben has wanted a tall wideout since Plaxico Burress got away. James Hardy (Indiana), Adarius Bowman (Oklahoma State), and Malcolm Kelly (Oklahoma) will be available in April.

“We play a lot of our stuff with three receivers, and I want to put Antwaan [Randle El] in the slot. You’d like to see one guy completely take over the position,” Zorn said. With Kelly still recovering from knee surgery, Thomas is the obvious guy to step up here. Randle El’s weak fantasy value continues to fall.

“It felt good,” Kelly said. “It didn’t swell, and it’s not even aching. I knew when I left my feet for the first time I was somewhat close to where I needed to be.” Coach Jim Zorn expects Kelly to be at full strength for training camp.

The Redskins desperately need at least one of the two to step up and draw attention away from Santana Moss and Chris Cooley. Campbell said Thomas is “getting some things figured out” after a lost rookie season. With a strong summer, he’ll have a chance to push Antwan Randle El into the slot.

Unlike Devin Thomas, Kelly is eager to get to work but his knee won’t allow it. While the ‘Skins need Kelly as a physical presence opposite Santana Moss, his knee concerns aren’t going away anytime soon.

The Redskins are telling Kelly to “take his time” getting back on the field and held him out of minicamps and OTAs. His ability to separate will be a major question mark in camp. Kelly already ran in the 4.7 range pre-surgery.

“They found it had healed up a lot more than they thought,” said Kelly, “So they just had to microfracture a little part.” Coach Jim Zorn originally called it an arthroscopic procedure, perhaps because of its relatively minor nature. Kelly said his flexibility is better than ever, and he expects to be cleared for full participation in June OTAs.