Wide receiver Cam Sims surprised the Washington Redskins last year, but the rookie from Alabama never got the opportunity to show the rest of the NFL what he could do.

Sims got hurt on the opening kickoff of the first game of the season and missed the rest of the 2018 campaign.

“We had high hopes for him coming out of training camp,” Redskins coach Jay Gruden said during his Thursday press conference at Washington’s training camp in Richmond, Virginia. “He’s big, strong, physical, plays with great motor, passion, and, unfortunately, he had an injury after one play, I think, in the game. So getting him healthy, watching him work to get himself ready for this time, this opportunity again, I think he’s going to take advantage of it. He’s got a skill set that coaches look for -- height, weight, speed, toughness. He’s got them all, so we’ll see how he does.”

After catching 41 passes during his four-season Alabama career, Sims signed with Washington as an undrafted rookie and made the regular-season roster last year.

But blocking on the kickoff-return team in the opening seconds of the 2018 campaign, Sims suffered a high ankle sprain against the Arizona Cardinals.

Washington placed Sims on injured reserve after he got hurt. He recovered before the season ended, but he couldn't return to the field. Each NFL team can activate two players a season from IR, and the Redskins brought back wide receiver Trey Quinn and running back Byron Marshall in 2018.

“Since Week 1 when I got hurt, I was just ready to get back on the football field and continue to grind,” Sims said.

So Sims spent his first NFL season in his garage catching footballs out of a Jugs machine --"my best friend"-- fed by a neighbor.

Washington's top wide receiver in 2018, Josh Doctson, caught 44 passes for 532 yards and two touchdowns. The next two wide receivers on the Redskins' stat list in 2018 are no longer on the team, with Jamison Crowder going to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Maurice Harris leaving for the New England Patriots in free agency.

Paul Richardson will be back after playing in only seven games in 2018. He caught 20 passes for Washington.

The other 10 wide receivers on the Redskins' current roster combined for 13 NFL receptions in 2018. During the NFL Draft in April, Washington used a third-round pick on Ohio State wide receiver Terry McLaurin and a sixth-round selection on North Carolina State wide receiver Kelvin Harmon.

“There’s great competition in that room,” Gruden said of Washington’s wide receivers.

The Redskins will kick off their preseason schedule on Aug. 8 against the Cleveland Browns, followed by games against the Cincinnati Bengals on Aug. 15, Atlanta Falcons on Aug. 22 and Baltimore Ravens on Aug. 29.

Sims made his mark in the preseason last year, when his five catches for 131 yards led Washington's wide receivers.

“The only thing I can do is hope right now -- and work," Sims said.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.