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Washington Post (paywall)
Commanders camp lessons: Impact rookies, expanded scheme and a fantasy sleeper
The rookie class could be memorable
The Commanders selected just five players in April’s draft, but early returns suggest the class will make an outsize impact on the franchise. Josh Conerly Jr. may or may not be a Day 1 starter, but the improvement he has shown while transitioning from left tackle to right tackle at age 21 has demonstrated his athleticism, intellect and diligence. Cornerback Trey Amos walked in as a starting-level player. Jaylin Lane will be the Week 1 punt
returner and showed enough as a slot receiver for coaches to expand his role and play him outside. Seventh-rounder Jacory Croskey-Merritt made so many plays in training camp that Brian Robinson Jr. became expendable. Sixth-round linebacker Kain Medrano hasn’t flashed to the level of his rookie brethren, but he will make the team, and his rangy athleticism makes him a worthy developmental prospect.
The Commanders also used 2025 draft capital, plus other picks in future years, to acquire Marshon Lattimore, Samuel and Tunsil. The veterans need to stay healthy, and the rookies have much to prove. If training camp is any guide, though, General Manager Adam Peters may have executed a master class in asset management with Washington’s 2025 draft picks.
The Athletic (paywall)
‘Big brother, little brother’ defines Commanders’ Jayden Daniels-Bobby Wagner friendship
In the evening, they hang out, grab some sushi and talk NBA, money, a TV series or family.
Superficially, Wagner, 35, and Daniels, 24, don’t seem to go together any more than yesterday goes with tomorrow.
But like yesterday and tomorrow, one lays the foundation for the other.
Daniels and Wagner spent their childhoods a little more than 20 miles apart in California’s Inland Empire, Daniels in San Bernardino and Wagner in Ontario.
“Nobody wanted to be from the Inland Empire,” Wagner says. “Everybody wanted to be from L.A. So I knew when I grew up, I wanted to make sure I could be somebody that people from the Inland Empire could be proud of. And Jayden has shared the same sentiment.”
Daniels toys with opponents in 2K. Wagner fancies himself a pool shark.
They both think they could have made it in the NBA.
Harmony is achieved because the two of them appreciate their differences as well as similarities. “He’s willing to teach,” Daniels says. “I’m willing to learn.”
Commanders.com
5 takeaways from Washington’s preseason finale
The most encouraging moment for the Commanders had nothing to do with the game itself.
Noah Brown, who missed most of training camp with an injury, was back on the field before kickoff running routes and catching passes. He did not look hampered as he moved in and out of his cuts and ran at full speed, which could mean that he is primed for a return in the next two weeks.
“I was really encouraged by what I saw today, too,” Quinn said. “He is such a competitor, so like to see him full speed, making all the stops, you’ve heard me use the word like “decel” — how aggressively he can stop — and that’s what makes playing the position so unique. Not just the speed to get over the top, but all of it.”
Quinn said last week that the “arrow is pointing up” on Brown’s health, and that trend continued on Saturday.
“He really looked like himself today, and so I asked him afterwards where he was at and how he was feeling,” Quinn said. “He really felt strong, and the workout looked really strong, too.”
Commanders.com
Paulsen: Chris Rodriguez has ‘stuck with it’, now primed for key role in Commanders’ offense
Rodriguez led Washington in rushing yards in Washington’s second preseason game against the Bengals. He racked up six attempts for 62 rush yards and made his presence known even alongside rookie standout running back Bill Croskey-Merritt.
“It’s awesome; it shows a ‘stick-to-it-ness,’ it shows the professionalism,” Paulsen added, “It was great to see him. I’m not saying he’s going to start, I don’t know what’s going to happen, but it was great to take advantage of the moment”
In week one of the preseason against the New England Patriots, Rodriguez made 6 attempts for 22 yards. With the cut-throat nature of the preseason for second and third-string guys on the roster, these games are crucial to make an impression.
A to Z Sports
Winners and Losers in the Washington Commanders Preseason Finale: Defensive line struggles, and kicking concerns still remain
Loser: K Matt Gay
The Commanders gave Matt Gay a fully guaranteed one-year contract, and he has to come through this season, but he’s off to a rough start before the season even begins. He missed a 49-yard kick in the first preseason game and missed a 53-yard attempt today. He followed it up with a make from 47 yards, but the team needs to hit from 50+ in big moments. The team needs to bring in another kicker after roster cuts happen.
Winner: TE Colson Yankoff
Yankoff is probably TE 4 right now, but he’s a great special teams player, and also had the biggest play of the game with a 52-yard catch. He showed the ability to keep moving after contact, and he could fight his way for a roster spot. This play was the only real highlight from the passing offense.
Riggo’s Rag
Commanders are no closer to solving their Luke McCaffrey puzzle after up-and-down preseason
The Commanders put McCaffrey to the test in their final preseason engagement against the Baltimore Ravens. He collected all five of his targets for 23 receiving yards, but the second-year pro couldn’t generate much after the catch and looked to be lacking confidence slightly.
There was also no sign of McCaffrey in the return game, where his influence was felt a lot more as a rookie. And the fact that he was being deployed as a special-teams blocker late into Washington’s last warmup game didn’t exactly encourage, either.
It’s highly unlikely that the Commanders will give up on McCaffrey so soon into his NFL journey. Peters did exactly that with safety turned linebacker Dominique Hampton, but he never looked capable of reaching the required standard. The wideout is only entering his fourth year at the position after transitioning from a quarterback in college, so this was always going to be a gradual process.
The Commanders don’t have time to wait around. Terry McLaurin (contract pending), Samuel, and Noah Brown are firmly entrenched as the starting trio. One could make a strong case for Lane being the No. 4 option right now, especially considering he was rested with almost every other starter versus the Ravens. Where that leaves McCaffrey is anyone’s guess, but it raises the urgency to improve exponentially in the months ahead.
Podcasts & videos
Who Makes the Cut? Projecting the Commanders’ 53-Man Roster
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Big Blue View
Roster moves: Giants cut S K’Von Wallace, put CB T.J. Moore on IR
It isn’t a surprise at all that Moore landed on the injured reserve after a gruesome leg injury suffered in the closing minutes of the final preseason game. The team announced that Moore has been discharged from the hospital after a successful surgery on the femur he fractured in the game. It was also announced that he had no other damage to his knee.
Blogging the Boys
After 3 preseason games, Cowboys RB rotation is no clearer than before
Figuring out the Cowboys Week 1 RB rotation is a mystery
Veterans Miles Sanders and Javonte Williams have both been productive starting running backs before, though not recently, while rookies Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah offer plenty to get excited about if they can hit the ground running. And there’s always Deuce Vaughn, too.
It seemed like the Cowboys’ plan was to bring in several competitors and just see who rises to the top. A noble plan, for sure, and especially when Brian Schottenheimer is preaching about competition everywhere in his first year as a head coach.
However, we’re now through three preseason games and the running back situation is just as murky as it was before the first OTA.
Pro Football Talk
Cowboys cutting La’el Collins
The Cowboys are cutting Collins today, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.
Collins signed in Dallas at the start of this month and played in all three preseason games, but he didn’t do enough to earn a spot on the offensive line.
A first-round draft prospect coming out of LSU, Collins signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2015 after false rumors of his involvement in a homicide tanked his draft stock.
Bleeding Green Nation
Tanner McKee injury update: Eagles quarterback suffered fractured thumb
Philadelphia Eagles backup quarterback Tanner McKee suffered a fractured thumb during the team’s Monday training camp practice last week, according to a report from NFL insider Ian Rapoport.
Rapoport adds that McKee’s injury “will bring his availability for Week 1 in question.” However, The Athletic’s Brooks Kubena reports that McKee is NOT expected to go on injured reserve (and thus automatically miss at least four games).
The Athletic (paywall)
Sam Howell trade grades: How the Eagles and Vikings fared in backup QB deal
Eagles backup quarterback Tanner McKee injured his finger in practice, and his status is uncertain for the regular-season opener. The defending Super Bowl champs clearly preferred a more experienced option than rookie Kyle McCord, who was a relatively popular late-round option by league executives. But with high expectations and a tough September schedule, it made sense to acquire someone like Howell.
The Vikings’ motivation is a little more perplexing, especially with J.J. McCarthy set to take over a team that was a victory shy of the NFC’s top seed in 2024. Yeah, they subsequently added 32-year-old Carson Wentz, but the 2016 first-rounder has started two games over the last two seasons and hasn’t had much success since flourishing early in his career.
Trade grade (Eagles): B
Howell has done some nice things in his brief career, notably with the Eagles’ rivals in Washington. Howell led the NFL with 612 passing attempts (and 21 interceptions) in 2023. Of course, that was a byproduct of being on a bad team, but he was generally viewed as an ascending player.
Trade grade (Vikings): Huh?
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Pro Football Talk
Patriots waive Layden Robinson as their 2024 draft class takes another hit
The Patriots’ 2024 draft class has taken another hit.
Guard Layden Robinson, whom the Patriots selected with their fourth-round pick last year, was waived-injured. That means once he passes through waivers, he’ll revert to the Patriots’ injured reserve list. He may later leave the team with an injury settlement, but he won’t play for the Patriots in 2025.
Robinson’s departure is another reminder that the Patriots’ 2024 draft class was, with the possible exception of quarterback Drake Maye, a bust. In fact, Maye might be the only Patriots 2024 draft pick to make their 2025 53-man roster.
