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Daily Slop – 30 Jul 24: With padded practices on Monday & Tuesday, focus shifts to RBs and the trenches

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A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East and the NFL in general

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Breaking down clips from Commanders training camp

Taking a closer look at a few plays from the first few days of Commanders training camp

I’ve rounded up a few clips from the first few days of camp to take a closer look at. The first clip I wanted to break down comes from Commanders reporter Zach Selby on twitter.

Earlier this offseason, I wrote a post looking at how the Commanders are running warm up drills now under Kliff Kingsbury. Rather than just having one or two quarterbacks throw individual routes, Kingsbury gets every quarterback on the roster to take a snap at the same time while having multiple receivers running routes at the same time too. Each quarterback will have a designated receiver that they are throwing to on the play, but they are trained to progress through reads and play on time, so the first quarterback gets the ball out straight away to the first read while the second quarterback throws next to the second read and so on.

You can see that here on this rep. The Commanders are practicing what Kingsbury calls a “Follow” concept.


On this Follow concept, the offense has three receivers to one side of the field in a trips set. The inside receiver runs a quick slant designed to grab the attention of any immediate coverage and drag them inside. The slot receiver then runs a slightly deeper slant route that can break off at different angles depending on the coverage. The third receiver on the outside runs a delayed under, where they get to the same depth as the slant routes but pause at the top of the route to enable the inside receivers to vacate space first. The receiver then breaks directly inside at a 90 degree angle rather than at a 45 degree angle like a slant route.

In this example, Jeff Driskel hits tight end Zach Ertz on the inside slant before Sam Hartman finds Jahan Dotson in the slot. Jayden Daniels is the final quarterback to throw, working all the way outside to Dyami Brown on the delayed under.

This is a fairly common quick game concept that is used around the NFL. The Commanders actually used it fairly often under Eric Bieniemy last season.

Under Bieniemy, this concept was called “Missile”. You can see Sam Howell initially work inside as McLaurin runs the first route. He progresses to the slot but finds Curtis Samuel cut off by the slot corner, so he moves all the way outside where he finds Jahan Dotson. It’s a nice concept to have installed and a versatile one too because it can be run by any combination of any three receivers. You don’t necessarily need a big tight end inside or a speedy guy outside, you can line up any three receiver profiles in a trips set and run this concept successfully.

Washington Post (paywall)

Takeaways from Day 5 of Commanders training camp

The Commanders are experimenting. Much of training camp will be focused on movement, to figure out what the team has in certain players and certain personnel groupings. This is especially true for the lines and the secondary, where the combinations of players are as important as the positions.

The movement offers some insight to where coaches might be eyeing certain players, but it also means individual reps need to be put in context. If a player is with the starters one day, it doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be with the starters the next day or when Week 1 arrives.

On the offensive line, Coach Dan Quinn has regularly mixed first- and second-team players — and sometimes even third-stringers. He’s also mixing quarterbacks so all four — Jayden Daniels, Marcus Mariota, Sam Hartman and Jeff Driskel — have time with multiple line groupings.

“Certainly at tackle we’ve had a little more movement over the last few days, but putting people at different positions, this is the time to explore some of that — right tackle, left tackle, who is going to be in the nose spots, who’s going to be the swing,” Quinn said. “Most of the guards can play center and just about all of the centers can play guard, so it’s not just a one-hole backup or spot. It’s worth it now to do those positions because you’re exploring, you’re finding out more information. Then you later get locked into one spot.”

Sixth-year veteran Michael Deiter, signed in the offseason, has taken reps at left guard, right guard and center. Rookie tackle Brandon Coleman and veteran Cornelius Lucas have played on both sides.

Backup linemen typically play multiple spots, as Lucas has for much of his four seasons in Washington.

Looking back, the biggest cheer of the day was when fourth-string quarterback Sam Hartman hit wide receiver Jamison Crowder on a crossing route. It was good fuel for the #HartmanHive — though the rookie from Notre Dame is unlikely to make the 53-man roster. He could stick around on the practice squad.

The Athletic (paywall)

Commanders getting into ‘game mode’ as pads come on for first time in camp

“It really is the start of football,” tight end Zach Ertz said after the Washington Commanders’ fifth practice day and the first with pads. “The grass basketball is kind of just gone and behind us, and we get to play real football.”

If we’re keeping it real, that notion only goes to a point since “there’s no tackling” and teammate-on-teammate crime is verboten. “But this is going to be the most competitive (work) besides the preseason games that we’re going to get until Game 1,” Ertz continued.

Another observational challenge for those not afforded practice tape is the constant personnel shifting, particularly on the offensive line. Center Tyler Biadasz and right guard Sam Cosmi are the lone offensive line staples.

Former Washington coach Ron Rivera relentlessly mentioned “position flex” over his four seasons. Quinn and general manager Adam Peters are disciples of that approach, but they first want to determine the players for their roster rather than letting versatility be a driver from the start.

We’ll see if Quinn allows starters or high-rotation players to handle kick and punt duties and become mainstays in the return game. The coach said he is willing to help if a player “can add value to what we’re doing and make explosive plays. … The guys who can make plays in those 5-yard blocks and windows, there’s a lot to find out about that. And guys who can win in those circumstances could end up changing field position quite a bit.”

The 5-foot-10, 200-pound Ekeler flashed when involved as a kick returner. Finding ways to get the playmaker more touches is fair, but overuse cannot be ignored over a 17-game season. Based on practice reps, Brian Robinson Jr., cornerbacks Mike Sainristil and Emmanuel Forbes Jr., and wide receiver Jahan Dotson are among the other candidates.

One player surprisingly not part of the kick return reps is running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. Even with standard organizational paranoia about plans leaking, not using a running back with a squatty frame and credible speed is curious.

Pads will remain for Tuesday’s practice before the team rests on Wednesday.

Commanders.com

Chris Rodriguez ready to prove himself again in Year 2

Chris Rodriguez Jr. turned upfield after grabbing a dump-off pass from Marcus Mariota during the first padded practice of the Washington Commanders’ training camp and saw not one but two defenders in his way.

Rodriguez lowered his shoulder and laid a lick on the first, shrugging off the would-be tackler and sprinting up the sideline. He met the next defender — cornerback Noah Igbinoghene — about 10 yards later. Rather than avoid the extra contact, Rodriguez lowered his shoulder again and powered into the veteran before getting knocked out of bounds.

This was the day Rodriguez, who describes himself as a “bruiser back,” had been waiting for since camp began. Yes, the amount of contact is limited, but it still gives Rodriguez the chance to show more of his skill set.

“It’s kind of hard to show what you can and can’t do when you don’t have pads on,” Rodriguez said. “Especially with my play style.”

Rodriguez had a short to-do list as he entered his first real NFL offseason. He had gained some weight since his ankle injury prevented him from running, so he wanted to trim down a bit. Once he was completely healthy, he wanted to work on his foot speed and vision. For that, he kept it simple by focusing on ladder drills and jump ropes. That came at the suggestion of running backs coach Anthony Lynn, who told the running back that a little can go a long way.

“Before I left, he [Lynn] said to do a ladder for two minutes a day,” Rodriguez said. “Once you do it more than that, it becomes conditioning, and that’s not what it’s supposed to be.”

[I]f Rodriguez wants to prove he can contribute to the Commanders’ new offense, he’ll need to show more as a pass-catcher. He only had two targets and as many catches in 2023, resulting in just 12 yards.

Players like Ekeler and Robinson are basically locks at the top of the position; the rest — a group that includes Rodriguez, McNichols, Austin Jones and Michael Wiley — will be competing for either third or fourth spots on the depth chart, depending on how many running backs the Commanders decide to keep.

Commanders.com

Training camp notebook | Focus shifts to line of scrimmage in first padded practice

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn was excited for what he would see when speaking to media members, and he acknowledged there is a noticeable difference in the vibe on the field.

“It shifts a little bit to the line of scrimmage and pass-rush and run game and targeting and fitting blocks,” Quinn said. “The physicality part is a real thing, because you wanna test yourself and see where you’re at.”

Now that the pads are on, the Commanders can get start getting some real answers to lingering questions on the roster, most notably near the line of scrimmage.

“One, I wanna make sure we’re doing it correctly,” Quinn said. “Our leverage of how we’re entering into a block or taking on a block, the pass rush… So getting into those positions, the combination on blocks. For me, the emphasis is mostly the run game, both sides and pass protection and pass rush.”

— Frankie Luvu’s speed really shined when the pads came on. He’s able to fill running lanes more quickly and intensity, just as he did on one play that limited Ekeler to a minimal gain.

— It seems like the Commanders are trying everything they can think of to get an advantage with the new kickoff structure. The list of players returning kicks today included Ekeler, Dmiere Byrd, Mike Sainristil, Zaccheaus, Davion Davis, Dax Milne, Kazmeir Allen, Jahan Dotson, Jamison Crowder and Emmanuel Forbes.

The Athletic

Commanders fans: Help us with our guide to Commanders Field’s game day experience

The Athletic will be publishing stadium guides for all 32 NFL teams just ahead of the Week 1 kickoff, and we’d like Commanders fans to answer a few questions about the Commanders Field game day experience. Share your thoughts in the comments section below on any of the following questions:

  • What is the “best bang for your buck” seating section?
  • What’s the can’t-miss food?
  • What’s the best beer option?
  • Where is the best spot to take a photo?
  • What are the kid-friendly activities/options at the stadium?
  • Where is the best place to tailgate?

We’ll include select recommendations and reader comments in each stadium guide.

The Athletic NFL Staff
Jul 29, 2024

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Commanders.com

PHOTOS | First day in pads

The Washington Commanders wore pads for the first time during their 2024 training camp. Check out the top photos from Monday’s practice.





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Pro Football Talk

As to paying his key players, Jerry Jones is looking for ways to justify being cheap

On Saturday, a snippet from a Jones press conference posted on Twitter by one of his employees created the impression that the league plans to try to siphon revenue from the salary cap now, in order to help pay for the eventual $14.1 billion Sunday Ticket judgment, if the NFL fails to reverse the outcome on appeal. Then, I took a look at the account of Jones’s comments from Clarence E. Hill, Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

It creates a much different impression.

The broader, more comprehensive coverage of Jones’s explanation suggests that he’s simply grasping for reasons to keep dragging his feet when it comes to paying Dak, CeeDee, and Micah. And Jones is seizing on the Sunday Ticket verdict as a way to explain that he needs to be careful in paying them because he has to prepare for the possibility that the cap won’t grow the way it has.

“You need to have a feel of where the revenue is going to be down the road,” Jones said. “I feel like I know better than anybody living or got a feel for what the revenue is going to be four, five, six years from now, than anybody living. I’ve spent all this time doing that. And if you don’t understand what the revenue is going to do, then you can’t look and see what the cap is going to be. And so it is an art, almost, about how to look ahead. . . . We have presumed that that revenue goes up, and that’s one of the things just given in these contracts, the revenue goes up. Well, it went down in COVID. Am I optimistic? The most I’ve ever been. But we’ve got one thing staring us in the face that could dramatically reduce revenue.”

He made it clear that he’s talking about the Sunday Ticket verdict, without mentioning it specifically.

“That’s exactly what I’m really trying to tell everybody is, frankly, I’ve got a better feel than other people because I have a sense of what revenues might be for the whole league,” Jones said. “And so that if you see me optimistic, then you must know that I think it’s pretty good. If you see me a little cautious, you must know that I’m being cautious. I’m the best at looking around corners. As far as body language and instincts, I’m better than anybody.”

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ESPN

NFL training camp 2024 live updates: Latest on roster battles

New York Giants

The Giants had their first day in pads on Monday. That meant an emphasis on the run game. It was a reminder that running back Devin Singletary is going to carry a massive workload. Behind him, the Giants have 18 career carries from the rest of their running backs. Singletary is their guy and he came to the Giants because of “the opportunity.” His success will largely be contingent on the offensive line, which again holds true for the Giants’ entire offense for the 12th straight year.

New York had Andrew Thomas and Jermaine Eluemunor at the tackle spots for this practice. That’s because right tackle Evan Neal (ankle) remains on PUP. They had offseason acquisition Jon Runyan at right guard and Aaron Stinnie at left guard. With center John Michael Schmitz Jr. (shoulder) sidelined, they had Austin Schlottmann with the first team. The interior again leaves questions about this unit. — Jordan Raanan

(Last update: July 29)

Philadelphia Eagles

Former All-Pro defensive back James Bradberry, coming off a down season and sensing the Eagles were going in a different direction at outside corner, approached the coaching staff about moving to safety this offseason.

Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio obliged, and Bradberry has been running with the second team at safety early in training camp. He generated one of the top plays of the day Monday when he broke on a short pass from Kenny Pickett and made a diving pass breakup in front of intended receiver Joseph Ngata.

There’s been speculation Bradberry could be traded or released at some point, but for now he’s trying to make the most of his new role in Philly.

“He has been an All-Pro [in 2022, second team], and that wasn’t that long ago,” coach Nick Sirianni said. “He’s done some good things out on the field. He’s really picked it up. He’s a really smart player … I’m excited about this opportunity for him.” — Tim McManus

(Last update: July 29)

Washington Commanders

When the pads came on Monday, so too did more of an emphasis on the run game. But even before this point, the Commanders focused more on the run game in practice than they did last season under former offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. That focus is expected to continue into the season.

In 2023, Washington ranked last with 359 runs and first in pass dropbacks. That strategy wasn’t dictated by score: The Commanders had the same rankings in the first half of games.

“You saw what that got us,” said right guard Sam Cosmi, who was outspoken last season about the need to run more.

The Commanders feel good about their interior line in particular to lead a recharged run game. Cosmi’s run blocking will provide a big help.

“I feel I am one of the best in the league,” Cosmi said. “I’ll be dirty. I’ll be nasty. I won’t take s— from anybody.” — John Keim

(Last update: July 29)

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Pro Football Talk

NFL tells teams they can’t place the ball flat on the kicking tee

According to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe, the league sent a memo to all 32 teams outlining the proper procedures for putting the ball on the tee.

“We remind clubs that the clarification sent on 12/14/2022 regarding placement of the ball into the well has not changed. Rules do not ever allow the ball to be elevated more than one inch,” the memo said. “While placement of a ball vertically into the well of the tee satisfies the rule requirement that the tip of the ball is not elevated more than one inch, this cannot be achieved by holding the ball on the edge of the tee, nor can it be satisfied by placing the ball horizontally on top of the tee. Placing the ball flat does not put the ball into the well of the tee sufficiently to satisfy the 1” elevation requirement, therefore, game officials will be instructed not to allow any kickoff attempt on a tee in that position. The ball can be placed on the ground in any orientation at the proper yard line, or it can be leaned against the side of the tee as long as the tee is in its normal upright position.”

The rules clarification originally came late in the 2022 season, when the Raiders began using a holder on kickoffs to place the ball on top of the tee, rather than in the tee, and allow their kicker to get a little more hang time by getting under the ball. After initially saying the Raiders could do that, the NFL reversed course and said the ball had to be placed with the nose of the ball in the well of the tee. That remains the rule, and the NFL has reminded teams about that.

Pro Football Talk

NFL clarifies revised in-game interview policy

Per a league spokesperson, “When requested by the televising network, both clubs must make available the head coach or either offensive or defensive coordinator for an in-game, on-camera interview at the end of quarter breaks or at halftime.”

Some coaches like to keep their coordinators under wraps, in part to keep them from generating head-coaching interest. Others are willing to let them be visible.

Given that, in this case, it’s also a way for the coach to avoid having to be interviewed during the game, maybe more will let their coordinators do the honors.

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