[Monkeydad]

I'm liking Armstrong's attitide:

Armstrong: 'I have to win a spot all over again'

One might think that Anthony Armstrong of the Washington Redskins has it made.

After working his way through various NFL practice squads and stops in places like the Intense Football League, Armstrong finally made it to the NFL. As a 27-year-old rookie in 2010, he quickly worked his way into a starting job and caught 44 passes for 871 yards, an impressive average of 19.8 yards per catch. On a team that has been in search of some offensive pop for years, Armstrong would appear to be set up to have an even bigger role in the offense in 2011.

Armstrong doesn’t see it like that. He intends to keep the same work ethic that got him through his long climb through stints with the Odessa Roughnecks and Dallas Desperados to the NFL.

“The way I look at it, I basically have to win a spot all over again,” Armstrong said on Monday before a charity golf event.

The NFL lockout, of course, has all organized NFL events on hold indefinitely. Armstrong has been passing the time working out with a trainer and playing a little more golf. Unlike players such as Reggie Bush of the Saints and teammate DeAngelo Hall, who appear to be enjoying the added vacation time, Armstrong believes that the lockout is have a detrimental effect.

“I think it’s hurting everybody,” Armstrong said. “The majority of the players in the NFL need to be out there right now, working and improving themselves.”

Armstrong remembered back to a year ago when he was trying to earn a roster spot after being a late-season addition to the Redskins’ practice squad in 2009.

“I needed every single day and OTA and minicamp just to make an impression,” he said. “I think it kind of built up as we went along.”

Armstrong believes that if the lockout wipes out most or all of the minicamps and OTA’s, teams will be forced to keep more veterans rather than bringing on some young, developmental players.

“It’s not always fair, but that’s the way it’s kind of going to be this year,” he said.

Even if Armstrong was inclined to take it easy and rest on his accomplishments from last year, the recent NFL draft would have changed that anyway. The Redskins drafted three wide receivers and Armstrong took note of the development

“I knew they were going to take one,” he said. “Then we end up taking two and then three.

“It’s one of those things where they feel like they have to address the need and that’s fine. I take it as a challenge and I take it as motivation. You can take it as a sign of disrespect, however you want to take it. I use it as fuel, put it in my tank to make me work out harder in the morning, work out harder on the field.”