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Film Review: Josh Conerly Jr. vs Bengals
Against the Patriots, he had a rep with chip help where he almost sprinted outside to the rusher instead of using the chip to help cut off the speed rush and giving himself extra time to get set. Against the Bengals, he corrected that mistake.
Here we can see a side by side comparison of Conerly blocking with chip help. The play on the left of the clip is against the Patriots in the preseason opener, the play on the right comes from the Bengals game on Monday night.
On the left, you can see how off the snap, Conerly is immediately looking to gain as much width as possible to try and get his hands on the rusher early, despite having chip help. This actually works against him because the chipper gets in his way and prevents him from getting his hands on the defender. That leaves Conerly with his hips square to the sideline instead of the line of scrimmage, putting him in a bad position for the rest of the play.
But against the Bengals, he corrected that mistake. At the snap, you can see Conerly takes a much more measured set, dropping back a little more vertically while also staying attached to the right guard to help secure the gap inside. He knows he has the chip help on the edge to protect him against speed, so he can set himself back a little more and prepare himself for the rushers second move. The results speak for themselves. Against the Patriots, the edge rusher is able to turn the corner and force Conerly to hold onto him to save a sack, whereas against the Bengals, Conerly picks up the edge rusher after the chip and negates him.
But it wasn’t the only thing we saw Conerly improve on.
A to Z Sports
‘That’s a really big deal for us’ – Dan Quinn praises new team addition who could be a roster lock before he even takes the field
The Commanders signed veteran offensive tackle Fant after a workout a few days ago, and he could make the team thanks to his experience. He’s a former teammate of Commanders left tackle Laremy Tunsil in Houston as well, so you’re getting an instant connection between the two. Fant has almost split reps between left and right tackle in his career, and he can step in at either spot and the addition is huge according to Quinn.
“The length, obviously for tackle, he looks great,” Quinn told the media. “He had a workout with us last week and then [General Manager] Adam [Peters] was able to finalize all that over the weekend. So, that’s a really big deal for us to add somebody with George’s experience and length at offensive tackle. It’s very, very cool to have somebody with his experience and background and play style and skill, all that. So yeah, we’re really pumped to add him to the crew.”
If Quinn praises a player like he did with Fant, then it means something, and I think he could bring his experience and veteran presence to the Commanders as a real backup at tackle if it’s ever needed.
Commanders.com
Training camp notebook | Marcus Mariota trending toward being ready for Week 1
Mariota has been dealing with a lower leg strain that has kept him out of practice. It is unclear exactly when the injury occurred, but Mariota went from participating in only individual drills to being completely absent for weeks. He made his return to practice during Wednesday’s practice but limited his participation to individual drills. Over the past two days, he has worked on the side field while the rest of the team has gone through team drills.
Quinn did not seem concerned about Mariota’s injury when asked about it earlier in camp, and Mariota echoed that sentiment on Thursday, saying that it’s the type of injury that “just requires rest.”
Washington Post (paywall)
Commanders training camp ends with an appearance from Terry McLaurin
About 20 minutes into practice, McLaurin walked out of the Commanders’ facility in a hooded sweatshirt, shorts and cap and ambled down the hill to the practice field. He stood on the sideline for 11-on-11 drills, then huddled with Commanders wideouts after practice ended.
McLaurin is physically on track to play in the Commanders’ Week 1 opener against the New York Giants. But it’s unclear whether his contract dispute will be resolved — or if McLaurin would play (and risk missing a game check) without resolution.
Left guard Brandon Coleman, who had missed more than three weeks since suffering an injury early in training camp, returned in full to practice and participated without restriction in 11-on-11 plays.
Rookie cornerback Trey Amos, who missed Monday night’s preseason game with hamstring tightness, participated fully in practice. Quinn has said Amos probably could have played had Monday been a regular season game.
Cornerback Jonathan Jones, who has missed about two weeks, returned to the field wearing sweats and worked out on a side field next to Brown.
Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota, who hasn’t practiced fully in more than three weeks, wore full pads as he participated in individual drills but sat out 11-on-11 snaps. Mariota said he is dealing with Achilles tendinitis, which required extended rest.
The Athletic (paywall)
Jayden Daniels confident Commanders, star WR Terry McLaurin will end stalemate
Jayden Daniels isn’t worried. In fact, he says he’s confident an agreement will be reached.
“Hundred percent, I feel great (about the situation),” Daniels told The Athletic’s Dianna Russini on the latest episode of “Scoop City,” which will drop Friday.
Asked why he felt confident that his top receiver would be back on the field, Daniels said: “I just know that it is all gonna work out, that both sides will come to an agreement and Terry’s gonna be back out here. We’re gonna be throwing some passes to him.”
Washington Post (paywall)
A mistake in college helped Chris Rodriguez Jr. develop into a pro
In 2022, as a senior at Kentucky, Chris Rodriguez Jr. got the wake-up call he believes saved his NFL hopes.
He was arrested and faced DUI and careless driving charges. He was suspended four games. Most importantly, the mistake led to a tough conversation with his father, who emphasized a need to mature — and fast.
“I don’t want to look back years later and say, ‘I wish I was, I could have been this if I would have worked a little harder,’” Rodriguez said Wednesday.
Now, as he enters his third season with the Washington Commanders, Rodriguez’s maturity has become evident — especially on the field. The third-year running back could be in line for a lot more work.
Commanders.com
Croskey-Merritt fits the bill as Washington’s exciting new RB
[T]he excitement surrounding Croskey-Merritt isn’t slowing down.
“It was a blessing to be able to be in that position,” Croskey-Merritt said after the Bengals game.
Croskey-Merritt had 46 yards on 11 carries during the Monday Night Football preseason game with his second carry resulting in a 27-yard touchdown that put the Commanders up 14-7. Croskey-Merritt followed blocks by Andre Wylie and Chris Paul on the edge, and the only contact he received came when he had already crossed the goal line.
The play drew cheers from Croskey-Merritt’s teammates, but they had already seen plays like that from the rookie in practice. They have praised his vision and ability to get upfield with one cut — both traits that were part of his success at Arizona, New Mexico and Alabama State. He rushed for 2,549 yards and 31 touchdowns during his college career, including a 1,190-yard and 17-touchdown campaign with New Mexico in 2023.
Croskey-Merritt’s 78 total yards against the Patriots and Bengals don’t stand out on the box score, but it’s how he’s gotten those yards that has the coaching staff excited about his future. He avoided disaster on his first carry against the Patriots, an outside run to the right, by breaking a tackle in the backfield and getting back to the line of scrimmage rather than taking a five-yard loss. Later in the game, he cut behind a block from Josh Conerly Jr. and slipped through a running lane that resulted in a 10-yard gain.
Though the Commanders lost to the Patriots, 48-18, head coach Dan Quinn praised Croskey-Merritt as one of the few bright spots on offense.
Heavy.com
Center Nick Harris Could Be Valuable Depth Along the Commanders’ Offensive Line
Harris was a fifth-round pick of the Browns back in 2020, after being a four-year starter in college at Washington. He was named first-team all-Pac 12 as a senior. After playing out his rookie contract in Cleveland, he signed a one-year deal with the Seahawks in 2024, though he was traded back to the Browns prior to the season and played out the year in Cleveland.
With Cosmi’s injury [and the recent injury to Julian Good-Jones], the Commanders were a little thin on the interior. Behind Allegretti, they have Chris Paul, Michael Deiter, and Tyre Phillips. Harris is now added to that group, providing some stability at center should more injuries occur.
Commanders Wire
There is no one in the NFL like Commanders TE John Bates
Bates is the reason Kliff Kingsbury loves to keep two tight ends on the field. He’s like an extra offensive lineman. While he’s a solid pass blocker, Bates is a difference-maker in the run game. When you look back at Washington’s surprising offensive success last season, Bates was an integral part of that success. This offseason, the Commanders prioritized upgrading the offensive line, which should help the run game. Bates’ return, much like his career, goes under the radar. He wouldn’t have it any other way.
NFL.com
2025 NFL 53-man roster deadline: Cut candidates, trade targets
Brian Robinson – Washington Commanders · RB
Robinson sat out the second preseason game, and Dan Quinn admitted that there are “a lot of moving parts this time of year” when discussing the absence, which coincided with Robinson’s name being mentioned as a trade possibility. It’s certainly something to monitor. The emergence of seventh-round pick Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt apparently has changed the backfield outlook, and 2023 sixth-rounder Chris Rodriguez Jr. also has shown some fight.
We’ve seen some RB trades in recent years (Cam Akers, Khalil Herbert, Jordan Mason), and Robinson might welcome a new opportunity entering the final year of his rookie contract. Otherwise, the Commanders could be forced to just cut Robinson, whose absence from practice Wednesday did nothing to counter the signs pointing to his eventual exit.
CUT CANDIDATES
Tim Patrick – Detroit Lions · WR
By nearly all measures, Patrick was a success story for the Lions in 2024, returning from two straight seasons missed because of injury to play 16 games (nine starts) and catch 33 passes for 394 yards and three TDs. But Patrick appears to have fallen behind on this year’s depth chart, with rookie Isaac TeSlaa’s emergence helping push Patrick down.
If the Lions are comfortable with their experience level at the position, they could cut ties with Patrick. I could see a team such as the Jets seeking a reliable veteran receiver like Patrick, who’s also a quality blocker.
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Bleeding Green Nation
Eagles training camp: 14 winners, 8 losers, and 9 IDKs
NAKOBE DEAN
With Dean missing all of training camp, it looks like he’s going to begin the regular season on the reserve/PUP list (physically unable to perform). If that’s the case, he’ll be ineligible to play until Week 5 at the very earliest. Maybe the combination of injuries and/or struggles will give him a path to playing time. If that’s not the case, what’s his role? Is Dean definitely the top backup behind Baun and Campbell? How close to the very good player we saw last year will he be upon returning? Doesn’t seem like Dean is in a great spot entering a contract year.
ALMOST ALL OF THE EAGLES’ DEPTH OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
The Eagles’ offensive line depth is a concern entering 2025. From the outside, at least, it looks to be unsettled. Who is the swing tackle? Is there one guy or do the starting tackle spots have different primary backups? Who is going to starting Week 1 at left guard if Landon Dickerson isn’t ready? There are a lot of questions here. None of the backups are inspiring much confidence. Brett Toth has looked OK at guard but he can’t play center and he’s not necessarily a roster lock. Kendall Lamm has been shaky. Matt Pryor can play guard but not tackle. Kenyon Green has struggled to stay healthy and play well. Trevor Keegan hasn’t stood out in a good way. Drew Kendall (who has extremely limited guard experience) and Darian Kinnard might be the most promising players?
Blogging the Boys
Jerry Jones says Micah Parsons agent told Jerry to stick his contract offer up his ass
Again… the season starts in two weeks. We are still here.
How long will we be?
Pro Football Talk
Micah Parsons scrubs social media of any mention of Cowboys
Parsons scrubbed his social media of any mention of the Cowboys. His X account now has a photo of him at the podium after the Cotton Bowl when he was at Penn State, and his personal information says: “Penn State 2021. TBD.”
He also posted a peace sign emoji and a photo of a Bible verse, Micah 7:8, which reads, in part, “Even if I fall, I will rise; the Lord is my light.”
Parsons’ Instagram also has TBD instead of the Cowboys as his employer.
NFL.com
2025 NFL preseason, Week 3: What We Learned from Steelers-Panthers, Patriots-Giants
Carter, Skattebo give quick preview. New York’s first-round pass rusher saw his most limited work of the preseason, logging just three snaps. It wasn’t much to evaluate, but Abdul Carter still made his impact known — plus, he didn’t endure any viral chip blocks he’ll have to answer for. On the field during two passing plays, Carter delivered one pressure, a stunt in which he breezed by Sidy Sow and forced Ben Wooldridge into throwing well short of the chains on third down. Rookie running back Cam Skattebo, meanwhile, returned from a hamstring injury that robbed him of a good portion of camp to line up for 10 plays against the Pats. All three of his carries went for four yards apiece, and outside of a stumble on his first tote, he ran hard to gain every bit he could. Most importantly, though, the rookie runner looked no worse for wear, which bodes well for him entering the regular season with a clean bill of health.
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The Athletic (paywall)
What’s the impact of an NFL holdout? History shows mixed on-field results
Historically, the performance of players coming off a holdout has varied. Going back to 1993, Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith missed all of training camp and the first two games of the season amid a contract dispute. That season, Smith won league MVP honors and helped Dallas to a Super Bowl victory, in which he also won Super Bowl MVP. Cornerback Darrelle Revis held out in 2010 with the New York Jets and followed it up by winning first-team All-Pro honors. Guard Zack Martin had a similar result two years ago with the Cowboys.
On the flip side, Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott held out for a new deal in 2019. He got off to a slow start that season and never fully rekindled the magic of his first three seasons in the NFL. After two Pro Bowl seasons in three years, Melvin Gordon’s holdout for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2019 stretched into the season and led to his worst season since his rookie year. Although 49ers pass rusher Nick Bosa turned in a stellar year in 2023 after his camp holdout, he did say midway through that season that missing camp impacted his ability to reach his full potential.
There are examples littered throughout history of a contract holdout costing a team in production or costing a player in health. Likewise, there are examples where a player holds out and produces at a high clip and gets through the season in good health.
Trying to forecast how the 2025 season will go for Parsons, McLaurin or Hendrickson based on their participation in training camp, or lack thereof, is an impossible task. But once the season begins, assuming the players return to the field, they’ll be under a microscope and questions will linger about how the holdout played into their latest chapter.
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Fisher Sports
Cowboys Trade Talk: Is Javonte Williams Better Than Washington’s Brian Robinson Jr.?
Dallas is keeping Williams in bubblewrap, standing on the sideline with the likes of Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. But is a trade a better idea?
The Washington Commanders are now shopping their starting running back, for reasons we do not fully understand. In his first three seasons, he’s rushed for more than 2,300 yards and has scored 20 TDs. A former third-round pick, he’s on the final year of a cheap contract and he is a power back at 6-foot-1 and 221 pounds.
Should the Cowboys explore this?
The argument for it is all about whether Robinson is a better player than Williams at this point; that’s worthy of debate.
The argument against? Robinson is a bit of a plodder, and if Dallas needs a “power back,’’ maybe seventh-round rookie Mafah (along with fullback Hunter Luepke) can provide that.
Part of our hesitancy here: Something has gone so sour in Washington that we bet if coach Dan Quinn’s club can’t find a trade partner for Robinson, they’ll just cut him. [Note from BiB: Robinson is subject to waivers if the Commanders release him]
So he can in theory be had for nothing.
Two things we know: One, the Cowboys running back room (maybe in part because Blue’s been hurt) is about as unimpressive so far as critics predicted it would be. And two, Javonte is Plan A – ranking well about the idea of trading for somebody else’s seemingly expendable back.
