Dan Quinn has preached competition throughout Commanders training camp, whether that’s been in the form of adding players to the roster, not naming Jayden Daniels the starting quarterback right away or challenging players to be their best by putting them in new situations, drills and groupings.
Thursday, the Commanders get their next chance at outside competition when they meet the Dolphins for a joint practice in Miami. The practice will come one week after Washington and the Jets did battle in a rainy session, and five days after Daniels impressed in an eventual 20-17 loss in the preseason game.
The joint practices are often more telling than the preseason games, where starters may only play a few series, if at all. Daniels played just one series against the Jets on Saturday, but he and the offense struggled two days earlier, when New York’s defensive starters were actually participating. Washington’s defense had its ups and downs, too, even with Aaron Rodgers not practicing. While overreacting to one early-August practice isn’t productive, it also provided a good measuring stick, and the game allowed Quinn to learn plenty about his team, too.
“Some of the things I know now, today, I didn’t know at this time last week, so that was good, that’s what you find out in a game,” Quinn said Monday.
He’ll know much more about his team a week from today, too. Here’s where the biggest foci will be starting Thursday in Miami.
1. Jayden Daniels’ continued development
By all accounts, Daniels has done just about everything right. He hasn’t backed down from the “competition” between him and Marcus Mariota, a competition he was always going to win as long as he showed the coaches what they needed to see. Quinn has mentioned how teammates gravitate towards Daniels because of his off-field habits. On the field, the Heisman Trophy winner certainly had all the goods on display in his preseason debut, which included a perfect 42-yard pass to Dyami Brown and a 3-yard rushing score to cap his lone drive.
Even though it came against almost exclusively backups, Daniels’ performance was encouraging in light of Thursday’s practice, when he was limited to shorter passes and struggled to find a rhythm. Daniels has had a solid couple of practices since then, highlighted by a strong Tuesday in pads. Now, Quinn is eager to see what his rookie quarterback can do against new competition, especially considering it could be his final preseason game.
“Each of the moments moving ahead are more progression, more progression, more progression,” Quinn said. “So, we’re just kind of following the script to go … but last week’s process will be more similar to this week’s process. And then next week will actually be a little bit different where we’ll get into almost like a normal week flow for the guys.”
Miami’s defense can present some tough challenges. Pass rusher Jaelan Phillips returned from the PUP list, and the David Long Jr.-Jordyn Brooks linebacking duo is an athletic one. Seven-time Pro Bowler Jalen Ramsey headlines an experienced, accomplished secondary that also features former Commander Kendall Fuller as well as Jordan Poyer and Jevon Holland.
2. Everything offensive line
Training camp and the preseason are times for experimentation and evaluation. Who can do what? What aspects need to be improved? How can we overcome our weaknesses and accentuate our strengths?
But Washington’s offensive line issues are making those questions tougher to answer. Tackles Andrew Wylie (tightness) and Brandon Coleman (shoulder/pec) missed practice and the game last week, and Cornelius Lucas (personal) missed the game. That left Washington scrambling for answers at both tackle spots. The team signed offensive linemen J.C. Hassenauer and Armani Taylor-Prioleau on consecutive days last week and have used Chris Paul, Mason Brooks and Braeden Daniels — ideally guards — at tackle.
The good news is Wylie returned to team drills Tuesday, setting him up to participate in the joint practice at least, and right guard Sam Cosmi, center Tyler Biadasz and right guard Nick Allegretti have been consistent in their performances. Lucas will be available as well.
As such, the Commanders’ evaluation of the offensive line from top to bottom continues. Lucas and Coleman were supposed to battle for the left tackle spot, and days after Coleman earned the top spot on the unofficial depth chart, he got hurt. What do the starters look like? That group is already a worry, and that’s before discussing the depth already stretched thin.
3. Who steps up at wide receiver?
McLaurin, Brown and Jahan Dotson are the starting wide receivers, and Olamide Zaccheaus and rookie Luke McCaffrey seem to be very much part of the equation. Then the questions start. The first question may be, simply, how many receivers Washington keeps. Is it six? Seven? Special teams contributions may be a major factor.
Washington signed Martavis Bryant on Tuesday, adding a big-bodied receiver to the mix. Bryant, who has not played in an NFL game since 2018, and Brycen Tremayne, who has impressed throughout training camp, are the only wide receivers listed over 6-foot-2 (both are 6-foot-4). Then there’s Mitchell Tinsley and Davion Davis, second-year players who have flashed, and Jamison Crowder and Kazmeir Allen, both of whom help in the return game.
Putting together a roster is a complicated puzzle, and the more players can do, the better their chances. Does Crowder’s experience and return ability give him a leg up? Does Tremayne’s size (in an otherwise smaller group) and strong start matter more? Can Bryant make up for lost time? While the Dolphins have plenty of good players, their secondary doesn’t quite stack up to the Jets’, meaning there might be more chances for plays — and cases for a roster spot — to be made.
4. Emmanuel Forbes and the cornerbacks look to bounce back
In December 2023, Tyreek Hill scored 78- and 60-yard touchdowns against Washington’s hapless defense in a 45-15 win. Hill, who even had a pre-planned celebration, took it as a sign of disrespect that the Commanders single-covered him, and he made them pay heavily.
Now, even though it’s just a preseason practice, Washington hopes to show it has improved under Quinn and new defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. With Hill and Jaylen Waddle blazing out wide, Tua Tagovailoa throwing the ball and Mike McDaniel pulling the strings, this is a stern task for Washington’s cornerbacks.
Emmanuel Forbes will get plenty of work, and after a tough practice against Garrett Wilson, he’ll be looking to respond against two more premier receivers.
“There’s definitely been some things that [I] have seen applying the technique, and really that’s what this time is for, to really nail down that technique,” Quinn said. “It’s over and over and over again, and he’s working hard at that.”
Forbes wasn’t as bad as some of the semi-viral lowlights made him out to be, but it certainly wasn’t a banner day, even with Tyrod Taylor throwing instead of Rodgers. Forbes is still expected to play a big role on this defense, and he has gotten starter reps alongside Benjamin St-Juste and Mike Sainristil (slot) at cornerback.
Quinn specifically mentioned cornerback when asked about what position battles he’ll be keen to, and players such as Michael Davis, Noah Igbinoghene (facing the team that drafted him), James Pierre and Chigozie Anusiem will all be under the microscope as well.
5. Tough calls at safety, edge upcoming
While Washington is testing its depth at many spots, safety isn’t one of them. In fact, it’s the opposite. There’s a roster crunch incoming. The Commanders have settled into Jeremy Chinn and Quan Martin as starters, but Percy Butler has gotten plenty of reps with the first team, too. Darrick Forrest had a strong 2022 but struggled with injuries last year. Jeremy Reaves is a former All-Pro special teams player and a respected team leader. Then there are sixth-round rookie Dominique Hampton and undrafted free agent rookie Tyler Owens, both big, fast, athletic players.
There’s also a potential logjam at edge defender, another position Quinn mentioned by name. Clelin Ferrell, Dorance Armstrong Jr. and Dante Fowler Jr. were all veteran imports brought in by this staff. Second-year players K.J. Henry and Andre Jones Jr., seventh-round rookie Javontae Jean-Baptiste and 2021 first-round pick Jamin Davis — trying to convert from linebacker to edge — are all vying for potentially just a spot or two. Henry and Jean-Baptiste seem to have the edge among those four.
“Once you start to get into the things, especially camp, you start to see that every rep is a gift,” Henry said Tuesday. “It’s not something that you can take lightly, and so you have to go into each rep with the mindset of, ‘How can I do my job and affect the play in a positive manner?'”
That’s the mindset plenty of Commanders will have not just in Miami, but until roster cut day Aug. 27, now looming under two weeks away.
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Author: Zachary Pereles
August 14, 2024 | 10:05 am
