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Blough on Moore: 'He could play on just about every NFL team tomorrow'

Rondale Moore looks to regain the 2018 form that saw him make 114 catches for 1,258 yards with 12 touchdowns.
Rondale Moore looks to regain the 2018 form that saw him make 114 catches for 1,258 yards with 12 touchdowns. (AP)

MORE: David Blough doing all he can to stay sharp amid pandemic

David Blough got an up-close look at Rondale Moore recently. And the former Purdue quarterback likes what he sees.

“He looks healthy,” said Blough, a Detroit Lions quarterback who worked out with Moore this past week in the Dallas area where Blough lives and trains in the offseason.

Moore is coming off a left hamstring injury suffered vs. Minnesota in the fourth game of last year. He missed the rest of the season as Purdue finished 4-8.

Blough threw passes to the 5-9, 180-pound Moore in 2018 at Purdue, when the New Albany, Ind., native became the first true freshman in Big Ten history to earn consensus All-American honors after making 114 catches for 1,258 yards with 12 touchdowns.

“He is for sure healthy,” said Blough. “I don’t think he has lost any steps from the injury. We are getting him a ton of catches. Gunning it at him, those tough contested catches he’s gonna have to make playing in the slot.

“Man, he looks good. He could play on just about every NFL team tomorrow. I believe that.”

Blough is coming off a successful rookie campaign in the NFL. After being undrafted last spring, he signed with the Cleveland Browns. Late in camp, Blough was traded to the Lions. As injuries mounted to other Detroit signal-callers, Blough ended up starting the final five games of 2019, hitting 54 percent of his passes (94-of-174) for 984 yards with four touchdowns and six interceptions. Blough has spent the offseason trying to improve—just like Moore, who made only 29 receptions for 387 yards and two scores in his abbreviated 2019.

Moore was in Texas with Blough from March 15-19, as Purdue was on spring break. Before the break, the Boilermakers had been in the midst of spring football, having gone through eight of 15 allotted practices. But the likelihood of Purdue finishing spring drills seems remote, as the country comes to grips with the Coronavirus pandemic that has slowly shuttered the nation.

In fact, Purdue urged its student-athletes on Thursday not to return to campus from spring break unless absolutely necessary. Purdue's facilities are closed through April 6, while the Big Ten has banned all organized team activities until April 6, too. The university has shifted all learning to on-line.

“(Moore) texted me about a week and half ago,” said Blough. “We saw things were starting to get uncertain and we set up a plan for him to come here. He wanted to get work in over spring break. He couldn’t use the facilities at Purdue.”

Blough connected Moore with David Robinson, a former Oklahoma receiver that tutors wideouts whom Blough met last year during his pre-draft process. Robinson has worked with notable receivers like Antonio Brown, Dez Bryant, Chris Godwin, Mecole Hardman and Sterling Shepard, among others.

“Rondale wanted to come here and work,” said Blough. “We have been finding places. D-Rob has been having his receivers there. Rondale gets to learn from a lot of these guys, see how they work and move and he’s getting coaching from D-Rob. It is a win-win, I think. We have gotten work in even with things shut down. It’s not so much Xs and Os, it’s technical things about the position.”

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David Blough worked on his skills this past week with Rondale Moore.
David Blough worked on his skills this past week with Rondale Moore. (AP)

Even with the uncertainty, Moore wanted to keep sharpening his skills. Among them: route-running.

“There is some developing to do, some technical things in route-running that he has been able to get away with because he is more explosive and powerful than just about everyone he faces in college,” said Blough. “We have been trying to expose him to the level of talent he’ll see. He’s getting to catch passes from MVP Patrick Mahomes and myself. He is seeing some different routes he might not normally run in the slot in Coach (Jeff) Brohm’s system, some things that will prepare him. Everything he can learn and get better at and take with him.”

Blough thinks it was time well-spent.

“Rondale would jump in line with about seven NFL receivers and some guys training for the draft,” said Blough. “He can go back to Purdue and say, ’It’s not that different. Aidan O’Connell spins it like that guy.’ Rondale can be encouraged by that.

“Being exposed to it, seeing different NFL guys, comparing yourself, knowing you belong can be encouraging for a 19-year old.”

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