Bouncing around the league since entering the professional ranks three years ago, Ronald Patrick is benefiting from an offseason in one place with one team.
After entering the NFL as a college free agent in 2014, offensive lineman Ronald Patrick was on six different teams during his first three offseasons in the NFL.
Check out the top photos of the Redskins' offensive line from the 2016 season.
Patrick started his NFL journey with the Dallas Cowboys before offseason and practice squad stints with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans.
Patrick began 2016 with the Bills before joining the Titans in training camp. He would be waived during final cuts but was later signed to the Tennessee's practice squad. Two weeks later, the Washington Redskins signed him to their practice squad.
He's been in Washington ever since and has been able to spend an entire offseason in one place, something he hasn't always been afforded.
"It's huge," Patrick told Redskins.com. "Just being able to really get in the flow with the quarterbacks. Their calls, the cadences and protections [with] each quarterback. When you come in, you're pretty much thrown into the fire. You're trying to catch up with the weekly schedule during the season."
Prior to joining the Redskins, Patrick had previously worked with assistant head coach/offensive line coach Bill Callahan in Dallas. The South Carolina product believes that experience working with Callahan is what helped him get into the building.
"I had him so he must have known about me when I was out there," Patrick said. "I have a familiarity with him. I know how he likes things done. So I guess the fact that I was out there after I got released by Tennessee, they needed a guy, and he called me up so I came out here."
Callahan, of course, is known for his rigorous practice work with the offensive linemen, often keeping them after the conclusion of practices to continue perfecting their craft. And that work shows during games, as the Redskins have one of the best offensive line units in the NFL today.
"You're going to come in and you're going to work the hardest, you're going to do a lot of things to be one of the best groups," Patrick said. "So, it was easy coming here with Coach Callahan. …He coaches the fundamentals and techniques, so it's not just, 'Go out there and get the job done.' He's going to give you the points of why we do this and why this should be done. He basically lays it out there for you. If you have a question you can ask him and he's a very technical sound coach."
Listed as an offensive lineman on the roster, Patrick has been working at center for the Redskins since coming to Washington. Last year, that meant he was learning behind Spencer Long, Kory Lichtensteiger and John Sullivan.
Long is entrenched as the starting center, but Patrick has an opportunity to see an increased role. Lichtensteiger retired in the offseason and Sullivan signed with the Los Angeles Rams as an unrestricted free agent.
Lichtensteiger, who is now a strength and conditioning intern, and Long have been working closely with Patrick this offseason.
"Any chance I get I pick their brains I do," Patrick said. "If I see something, they can tell me right there on the spot. Just really having them around is really beneficial. I'm just here to work. Like you said, three years on the practice squad, that's all you really can do is keep your head down and work and that's what I'm doing."
