Robert Quinn has played in the NFL for a decade. He has 101 sacks in his career and could be in the conversation for the Hall of Fame one day. This man has gone against the league’s best offensive tackles. So it takes a lot for him to admit whether a blocker has something to offer or not. That is why his comments about Chicago Bears rookie Braxton Jones were so interesting. Quinn didn’t outright praise him, but he did admit the 5th round pick has been giving him a battle for most of training camp.
What stands out right away to the 32-year-old is how long and athletic Jones is. When a tackle has those two traits, they tend to find success. The best part was when he got asked if he gave the rookie any tips during their frequent reps against each other. Quinn shook his head, stating that isn’t his job. He’s a defensive lineman and has no intention of making Jones’ job easier.
Robert Quinn is exactly what Jones needs.
The best way to prepare an inexperienced tackle for the NFL is to line him up against a great pass rusher day after day in practice. Quinn had 18 sacks last year. He’s one of the best in the sport at what he does. Few can provide Jones with a better education on what he will see moving forward. Everything from the speed to the power and violent hand-fighting. That will be a regular occurrence, and as a left tackle, he will likely see the best pass rusher every opponent has.
That doesn’t seem to scare him. Jones’s confidence is one of the things coaches keep mentioning as a major positive. He isn’t intimidated by the situation. Robert Quinn has beaten him plenty of times, but the rookie isn’t wilting under pressure. He battles on every single snap. That is why other experienced defensive ends like Al-Quadin Muhammad and Trevis Gipson struggle with him.
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Another outstanding practice for Braxton Jones. He’s doing it versus starters and backups pic.twitter.com/4eYlT4WCom
— Barroom Network (@BarroomNetwork) August 9, 2022
Fields to Pringle #Bears pic.twitter.com/L8SZlTe0JJ
— John Herff (@JohnHerff_NFL) August 5, 2022
The thing to remember here is offensive line coach Chris Morgan isn’t a newbie. He’s coached that position since back in 2009. During that span, he’s worked with some outstanding left tackles, including Trent Williams, Russell Okung, and Jake Matthews. There is no way he would put Jones at that spot if he didn’t think the rookie was incapable of doing the job. Every practice since the spring has seemed to validate his decision further.
