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Jayden Daniels is splitting reps as training camp starts, but that won’t last
Coach Dan Quinn preaches the virtues of competition, but it already seems clear that the rookie quarterback will be the Commanders’ Week 1 starter.
Even though Jayden Daniels split first-team reps with Marcus Mariota on Wednesday, the first day of Washington Commanders training camp, it’s still clear the team is not holding a real quarterback “competition” this summer.
It’s more accurate to say it is Daniels’s job to lose and that first-year coach Dan Quinn, who arrived preaching the virtues of competition, seems to be calling it a “competition” because he feels compelled to make every player compete for everything — no exceptions.
So Daniels — barring injury or major regression — is expected to start the season opener. The next questions: Will splitting reps slow his ability to build rapport with offensive teammates? And how long will he share time with Mariota before Quinn officially names the rookie the starter?
During their first practice, the Commanders focused on the red zone, and Daniels was clearly the team’s best quarterback. He showed confidence and crispness with tight-window throws and dropped a beautiful lob into the back right corner of the end zone for running back Brian Robinson Jr. Daniels rarely used his legs to escape trouble and did not throw an interception.
The lack of competition between Daniels and Mariota does not mean the Commanders are without a quarterback battle. Jeff Driskel and undrafted rookie Sam Hartman seem to be fighting for the third spot, which in the dog days of summer might not seem important but is certainly something the new regime cares about.
On Wednesday, Driskel was ahead of Hartman in reps.
Bullock’s Film Room (free article)
Washington Commanders Training Camp Preview
Breaking down the main storylines to watch as the Commanders open training camp
Defensive personnel packages
There’s definitely some individual position battles that are worth keeping an eye out for, and I’ll get to them later in this piece, but I’m most excited to see the different personnel packages that Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. put together with this group. The defense under the last regime was quite basic from a personnel standpoint. They had a base 4-3 package, a nickel package with a slot corner replacing a linebacker, the infamous “buffalo nickel” package where a safety replaced a linebacker instead of a slot corner, a dime package with six defensive backs on the field and then a “cinco” package with five defensive lineman on the field.
The Commanders pretty much lived in those five packages under the previous staff, but Quinn and Whitt are different. They will have a base 4-3 package, a nickel package, a buffalo nickel package, a dime package and their own version of a cinco package too. But they will also have variations of different packages depending on who’s on the field and what their strengths and weaknesses are. Joe Whitt Jr. explained over the offseason that this defense won’t just be 11 starters, but a group that runs 16 or 17 players deep because each guy will have a specific role and there will be packages made to try and mix and match the different personnel available.
Free agent signing Frankie Luvu might be the best example of how the different packages could work. Luvu is a very versatile player that is listed as a linebacker, but can do a lot more than that. Yes, he could play the Will (weak side) or Sam (strong side) or even Mike (middle) linebacker in a base 4-3 defense. He could also play the second inside linebacker role in a base 3-4 front. He will likely play the Will in different nickel packages. But he could also be used as a pass rush specialist because that is one of the biggest strengths of his game.
We saw this with Micah Parsons in Dallas under Quinn and Whitt where Parsons was listed as a linebacker, but spent a lot of time lined up as a defensive end in different packages. Now Luvu isn’t on the same level as a Parsons so I don’t want to put that label on him, but I could easily see him being used in similar ways that Quinn and Whitt used Parsons in Dallas. He could be a normal off-ball linebacker on one play, then shift to an edge rushing linebacker on the next, then move to a pure defensive end on another play.
Each one of those looks will be its own package where the personnel changes, the fronts they use change and the coverages they use behind those fronts change. But it’s not just Luvu that is flexible in that way. The Commanders have a lot of flexibility with their defensive talent. Jeremy Chinn was signed as a strong safety, but he has experience playing as a nickel, a deep safety and where he’s probably most impressive as a dime linebacker. That can all be built into different personnel packages.
Quan Martin is a player this regime inherited, but he’s someone that has the flexibility to play deep safety and also play nickel corner. It seems like this staff liked him as the best free safety option in base packages, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t also have a nickel sub-package where Darrick Forrest subs in as the deep safety and Martin rotates down to the slot. Percy Butler is another inherited player with flexibility. He came into the league as this big, rangy free safety but looked at his best last season when playing closer to the box. In fact, his best plays came as a man coverage defender, so Quinn and Whitt may well see that skillset and build a package around him as a specific man defender against athletic receiving tight ends because he has the size and athletic ability to match up well against those types when not many safeties do.
The defensive line should be fascinating with regards to personnel packages too. In Dallas, Quinn and Whitt rotated guys in regularly and you saw a stable of pass rushers get plenty of reps. Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne are obviously the top two guys, but there is plenty of talent to go around them. They could easily line up with a regular four-man front consisting of Allen, Payne and two defensive ends, but this staff is more creative than that. So expect different guys to rotate in there and lots of different looks to be presented. We could see some three-man fronts with Allen, Payne and rookie Johnny Newton. We could see some five-man fronts with a bunch of pass rush specialists like Dante Fowler and Efe Obada moving around and rushing from different spots. As I mentioned earlier, Frankie Luvu will almost certainly be in that mix too. So the different defensive personnel packages this staff puts together, particularly around the defensive line and the safeties, should be fun to watch in training camp and give us a better idea of what this defense might look like this season.
The Athletic (paywall)
Commanders open training camp with up-tempo vibe: ‘A lot of guys with a lot to prove’
Recent versions of training camps were held at the Commanders’ home facility. In this edition, the organization found a way to separate players and coaches from their daily real-life routines.
Lansdowne Resort and Spa in nearby Leesburg more commonly caters to golfers seeking a getaway. With the green light from owner Josh Harris, Washington chose the posh site where its crew would live together during training camp. This decision isn’t about living their best lives but creating a desired bonding off-the-field environment away from family and friends for a squad with many new faces.
“There’s some chemistry. Some connections take place after meetings at the hotel, breakfast meals together,” Quinn said. “It’ll be important. The time together that we have is so intense. That’s what training camp is. And so to have everybody close by here … it pays dividends much like a road trip for a few days would.”
Washington held training camps in Carlisle, Pa., during its Super Bowl-winning era and, more recently, in Richmond, Va., throughout the 2010s, plus a few days in 2021. Quinn prefers holding camp elsewhere to help everyone distance themselves from regular world routines. For now, staying at the resort serves the purpose.
Commanders.com
Training camp notebook | Jayden Daniels has sharp first day of practice
The Commanders are going through a “ramp up” approach to training camp, so the first practice wasn’t different from what they did in OTAs. Still, it was clear to see that Daniels hadn’t missed a step from what he showed in June, as he zipped passes to his receivers and showed some explosiveness when required to scramble.
Here are some more observations from the first day of camp:
— The team is still taking a cautious approach with [rookie DT Johnny] Newton, relegating him to just individual work, but Quinn said that Newton being able to start camp on the first day is “great news.”
“In my head, I thought it would be later, but just because of the progress he made, we were able to speed some of that up,” Quinn said. “So that was good to see. Think of the first little bit of his training camp is that’s his offseason training — the technique work to go then get into practice and then go. So, we’re playing where we got some space and some runway to make sure he doesn’t miss one step of his development.”
— The Commanders’ receiver room is packed, and it’s likely that some players we’ve gotten used to over the years are on the roster bubble. One of those players is Kazmeir Allen, a 2023 undrafted free agent from UCLA. Allen caught two touchdowns today, both of which came from Daniels. Allen is one of the more experienced returners on the roster, as he made a career out of it during his college days [HH editorial note: Allen returned 39 kickoffs over two seasons (‘21 & ‘22) in college, but had only one punt return for zero yards in 5 seasons at UCLA]. Whether he earns a spot will depend on if he can stand out among the several other players, both rookies and veterans alike, who are competing for a spot in the restructured kickoff. Perhaps Allen is ready for the next step after spending his rookie season on the practice squad.
Washington Post (paywall)
Takeaways from Day 1 of Commanders training camp
Johnny Newton’s recovery is a welcome surprise. The rookie defensive tackle participated in individual drills, but appeared to have his full strength and quickness off the line. The Commanders were thrilled to get him at No. 36 in the draft, believing from the outset that he would be taken earlier. Now that he’s healthy, they could have another weapon on the defensive line.
There are some small but noticeable changes at the facility, thanks to new ownership and the Quinn/Adam Peters combination. There were no fans on Wednesday, but the team allowed immediate family members of players and coaches to watch in a covered tent along the sideline. There are also small upgrades around the field, such as more gravel along the sideline and repaved asphalt between the fields. The team also knocked down a few trees on the far end of the fields to create more standing room for fans.
Podcasts & videos
Head Coach Dan Quinn Previews Training Camp, Top Athletes & Commander Conundrum | Get Loud
️Commanders training camp takeaways with @NickiJhabvala. Jayden Daniels in the red zone. Insight into the Quinn/Peters press conference. Lineups. Johnny Newton is ready. Skinny Jon Allen. Leg tattoos. Listen and subscribe. https://t.co/H4cRc1Ds0p
— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) July 25, 2024
In podcast form, talking Day One of camp. Jayden Daniels in rhythm; Johnny Newton on the field and getting coached up; the details are stressed. More. @ESPNRichmond https://t.co/GkFf6qFym5
— John Keim (@john_keim) July 24, 2024
Craig Hoffman: Recap: Day 1 of Commanders Training Camp
Washington Commanders Training Camp: Jer’Zhan Newton Practices | Jayden Daniels Throws Touchdown
Beltway Football – First Training Camp Practice: Johnny Newton activated and observations from practice
Photos
Commanders.com
PHOTOS | Day 1 in the books
The Washington Commanders were on the field for the first practice of training camp in the Dan Quinn era. Check out the top photos from the day.
NFC East links
Pro Football Talk
Mike McCarthy on entering lame-duck season: “This is a challenge”
Jerry Jones doesn’t like to pay coaches to not coach. He also didn’t want to pay coach Mike McCarthy to coach the team beyond 2024.
As a result, McCarthy enters the new season as a lame duck.
With training camp opening, how does he feel about it?
“This is a challenge,” McCarthy said, via David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. He also recognizes the opportunity buried deep in the dysfunction.
“This goes both ways,” he said. “You pour energy into yourself and bet on yourself, the odds tilt in your favor.”
It’s not enough to bet on yourself. You have to bet on yourself and win. It becomes harder for McCarthy to win when the locker room knows he’s got one foot out the door, involuntarily. When the going gets tough, why listen to the guy who won’t be here next year?
And even if McCarthy thrives in 2024, what will it mean? When a player bets on himself and wins, other teams line up to pay him. If McCarthy pulls it off, the best-case scenario likely won’t be a land rush for his services but the new contract that Jones has refused to give him. Especially with Bill Belichick available.
Besides, what will it take to stick around? Is a playoff berth and another one-and-done postseason enough? Probably not. Anything short of the first NFC Championship game appearance since 1995 likely means that McCarthy will be moving out, and a new coach will be moving in.
Bleeding Green Nation
Eagles training camp practice notes: Positive start for Jalen Hurts and an offense that used pre-snap motion
Observations from the NovaCare Complex.
Hurts earned one thumbs up for Wednesday’s performance. He looked much more crisp than he did when we last saw him in the spring. Hurts only had one incompletion, which was a bad drop by DeVonta Smith. For the most part, he was efficient and decisive. He looked comfortable commanding the offense and getting the ball out quickly. Hurts did not often look to push the ball down the field; there were a lot of short completions.
Hurts also looked spry as a runner. There appeared to be multiple designed QB runs, including a play where he took off after faking a run to Saquon Barkley.
PRE-SNAP MOTION UPDATE: It’s not just a talking point; Kellen Moore is definitely incorporating pre-snap motion into the Eagles’ offense. The usage was apparent on a number of reps. But while pre-snap motion gets all the hype, it should be noted that the Eagles were also operating with a fast-paced tempo. And a pace so intense that Mekhi Becton, who was filling in at left guard, threw up a number of times about an hour into practice before returning to drills. The early offensive success contrasts with how the Eagles were sloppy to begin camp last year.
EAGLES INJURY UPDATES: Landon Dickerson (toe laceration) and Brett Toth (hamstring) did not practice; they’re considered day-to-day. Sydney Brown was officially placed on the active/PUP list, as expected. Cooper DeJean, Shaquan Davis, and Gottlieb Ayedze were officially placed on the active/NFI list.
Deadspin
Eagles DE Brandon Graham retiring after 2024 season
Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham intends for the 2024 season to be his last in the NFL.
Graham, 36, spoke to reporters on the first day of training camp Wednesday he prepared for his 15th season with the franchise.
“Last first day as a player,” he said. “I don’t know what the future holds next year in the organization, at the next level, but I know it will be something.”
“… This is my last year, man, so I’m just trying to soak it all in, trying to enjoy every day, trying to give it everything. No stone unturned.”
A first-round pick (13th overall) in 2010, Graham enters 2024 ranked fourth in Eagles history in sacks (73).
No Philadelphia player has appeared in more regular-season games than Graham (195), whose 11 postseason games include a Super Bowl LII victory against New England.
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Pro Football Talk
Guardian Caps are looking game ready
Last year, as the NFL touted the safety enhancements of Guardian Caps, the league wasn’t willing to allow players to wear them during games. Several months ago, the league quietly reversed course.
And it looks like changes are being made in order to make the external helmet padding look less cumbersone if/when it shows up on Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays, and any other days the NFL plays its games.
As noted by Albert Breer of SI.com, Guardian Caps worn by the Chargers now have outer wraps that make them look more like helmets.
We’ve yet to see similar photos from other camps. In L.A., it’s already commonplace, even on the first day of training-camp practice.