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The Washington Commanders opened their three-day minicamp on Tuesday, and head coach Dan Quinn delivered the news: the minicamp would not be cut short. Quinn has been known to give his players extra time in the past, but after such a disappointing 2025 season, plus two new coordinators and several new starters, he understands the team needs the work.
As expected, Washington had 100% participation at minicamp, and the vibes surrounding the team feel very different from what they did one year ago.
Here are five takeaways from Day 1 of the Commanders' minicamp.
Good news on the injury front. Last week, wide receivers Terry McLaurin and rookie Antonio Williams missed some time at OTAs. They were back on the field for minicamp. As it turns out, it was nothing serious. In more good news for Washington, running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt was back and participated fully in team and individual drills. Croskey-Merritt worked on the side during OTAs.
Four players missed practice, but it's the same group that did not participate during OTAs: cornerback Trey Amos, defensive end Deatrich Wise, edge Dorance Armstrong and defensive tackle Tim Settle. These players are all still recovering from injuries from last season. Quinn hasn't given an update on if they'll all be ready for training camp, but he is not required to do so in the offseason.
When Quinn met with the media before practice, he emphasized one word: depth.
"Some of the players who've got the most reps will get some of the least in this camp," Quinn said. "Some of the ones who've had some of the least will actually get the most. And really, the purpose behind that is to test where we're at. The whole depth. Top to bottom. And if we want to throw the very best camp, in you know, 39 days or whatever from now, then having that depth is a big piece of that."
That's a smart strategy from Quinn. The Commanders were ravaged by injuries last season, so testing that depth early, seeing who fits where ahead of training camp, makes a ton of sense. Certain positions, such as wide receiver, are probably more important to test that depth, where it's Terry McLaurin and everyone else battling for a spot in the pecking order.
When the Commanders signed Chig Okonkwo this offseason, some fans wrote off 2024 second-round pick Ben Sinnott. Well, Washington hasn't written off Sinnott. Perhaps, Sinnott wasn't a great fit in Kliff Kingsbury's offense, but things could be different with David Blough. Sinnott is more than a traditional tight end. He can line up in the backfield, the slot, or as an in-line tight end. There has been a quiet buzz around Sinnott this offseason.
Sinnott will have a role in this offense. So will Okonkwo and John Bates. While some worry about the Commanders not having a clear No. 2 receiver, consider that they will use the tight ends frequently under Blough. That's probably why they aren't as concerned as the media or fans about who will line up opposite McLaurin.
It's widely known that the Commanders have a lot of bodies at wide receiver. And, for the most part, Washington has an idea who it's going to keep. McLaurin, Antonio Williams, Luke McCaffrey, Treylon Burks, Dyami Brown and Van Jefferson all appear to be the top six in no particular order behind McLaurin. However, the uncertainty can open opportunities for others, such as undrafted wide receiver Jaden Bradley.
The 6-foot-4 rookie from UNLV made some plays during OTAs and stood out again on Tuesday. Here's this from Zach Selby of commanders.com.
Bradley has some things going for him, such as size. While it will still be a fight for him to make the 53, a strong minicamp followed by an impressive training camp can help his cause.
This may be the most intense battle throughout training camp. Jake Moody and rookie Drew Stevens are in a legit competition for the job. Some days, Moody looks better. Other days, it's Stevens turn to hold the advantage. However, neither has been bad. On Tuesday, Stevens was perfect, making all six of his kicks, including one from 54 yards. Moody made four of his six attempts. This is probably the competition to watch when training camp starts because both players will enter on equal footing.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: 5 takeaways from Day 1 of minicamp
Continue reading...
As expected, Washington had 100% participation at minicamp, and the vibes surrounding the team feel very different from what they did one year ago.
Here are five takeaways from Day 1 of the Commanders' minicamp.
Injuries
Good news on the injury front. Last week, wide receivers Terry McLaurin and rookie Antonio Williams missed some time at OTAs. They were back on the field for minicamp. As it turns out, it was nothing serious. In more good news for Washington, running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt was back and participated fully in team and individual drills. Croskey-Merritt worked on the side during OTAs.
Four players missed practice, but it's the same group that did not participate during OTAs: cornerback Trey Amos, defensive end Deatrich Wise, edge Dorance Armstrong and defensive tackle Tim Settle. These players are all still recovering from injuries from last season. Quinn hasn't given an update on if they'll all be ready for training camp, but he is not required to do so in the offseason.
Depth
When Quinn met with the media before practice, he emphasized one word: depth.
"Some of the players who've got the most reps will get some of the least in this camp," Quinn said. "Some of the ones who've had some of the least will actually get the most. And really, the purpose behind that is to test where we're at. The whole depth. Top to bottom. And if we want to throw the very best camp, in you know, 39 days or whatever from now, then having that depth is a big piece of that."
That's a smart strategy from Quinn. The Commanders were ravaged by injuries last season, so testing that depth early, seeing who fits where ahead of training camp, makes a ton of sense. Certain positions, such as wide receiver, are probably more important to test that depth, where it's Terry McLaurin and everyone else battling for a spot in the pecking order.
Ben Sinnott
When the Commanders signed Chig Okonkwo this offseason, some fans wrote off 2024 second-round pick Ben Sinnott. Well, Washington hasn't written off Sinnott. Perhaps, Sinnott wasn't a great fit in Kliff Kingsbury's offense, but things could be different with David Blough. Sinnott is more than a traditional tight end. He can line up in the backfield, the slot, or as an in-line tight end. There has been a quiet buzz around Sinnott this offseason.
Sinnott will have a role in this offense. So will Okonkwo and John Bates. While some worry about the Commanders not having a clear No. 2 receiver, consider that they will use the tight ends frequently under Blough. That's probably why they aren't as concerned as the media or fans about who will line up opposite McLaurin.
UDFA making noise
It's widely known that the Commanders have a lot of bodies at wide receiver. And, for the most part, Washington has an idea who it's going to keep. McLaurin, Antonio Williams, Luke McCaffrey, Treylon Burks, Dyami Brown and Van Jefferson all appear to be the top six in no particular order behind McLaurin. However, the uncertainty can open opportunities for others, such as undrafted wide receiver Jaden Bradley.
The 6-foot-4 rookie from UNLV made some plays during OTAs and stood out again on Tuesday. Here's this from Zach Selby of commanders.com.
Bradley has some things going for him, such as size. While it will still be a fight for him to make the 53, a strong minicamp followed by an impressive training camp can help his cause.
Kicking update
This may be the most intense battle throughout training camp. Jake Moody and rookie Drew Stevens are in a legit competition for the job. Some days, Moody looks better. Other days, it's Stevens turn to hold the advantage. However, neither has been bad. On Tuesday, Stevens was perfect, making all six of his kicks, including one from 54 yards. Moody made four of his six attempts. This is probably the competition to watch when training camp starts because both players will enter on equal footing.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: 5 takeaways from Day 1 of minicamp
Continue reading...
