The Daily Slop – 4 August 2026
Editor’s note: Each day, Hogs Haven compiles a collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East, the NFL and sports in general, with a sprinkling of other stuff. Enjoy!
Commanders links
Articles
WUSA9
‘Them boys are coming’ | Washington defenders going after the ball, even after the whistle
Early on, you can tell this Daronte Jones defense is not going to make it easy for offenses to hang onto the ball. Several times Monday, Commanders defenders were trying to punch or rip the ball out of the ball carrier’s hands. Sometimes after the whistle.
“Yeah,
definitely like even after the whistle they’re going at the ball,” said tight end Chig Okonkwo. “I mean one time today, you know, [K’Lavon Chaisson] got me after the whistle. Them boys are coming and it’s just nice to, you know, have that competition that just raises up, raises up another level of competition.”
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Washington Post (paywall)
Commanders’ offense gets cooking and other observations from Monday’s practice
Overall, it was easily the best practice the offense has had in camp thus far. Daniels was on the money, and the pass catchers did a better job of creating separation.
The downside: The offensive line continued to have issues both in pass protection and the run game. As has been the case throughout training camp, the defensive line outperformed its counterpart.
The run defense was stout throughout practice, and the running backs didn’t have much room to create. The defensive line did a good job of maintaining gap integrity, while the linebackers were quick to trigger and make plays close to the line of scrimmage.
In the passing game, the defensive line was able to win frequently off the edge while also creating a consistent push up the middle of the pocket. Oweh credited defensive coordinator Daronte Jones for making it clear when players can go all-in on the pass rush and giving them freedom to improvise along the way.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Commanders Roundtable
Daronte Jones’ brought constant heat, but Jayden Daniels and new-look offense flashed high-end creativity on Day 1 in pads
David Blough’s hands-on energy: Offensive Coordinator David Blough is an active, hands-on coach. Throughout practice, you could see him engaged in drills, dropping back into coverage, or pulling a player aside to talk one-on-one. To begin practice, the WRs engaged in light pass-and-catch drills. Blough used what looked like a padded pole to punch at the ball and try to provoke a fumble. He seems like a guy with real attention to detail.
Defense wins Day 1: If I were to declare a winner today, I would give it to the defense. On many occasions, they penetrated the gaps and took away any potential for positive yardage on runs. In this same Red Zone series, Javon Kinlaw broke through the line and “sacked” Daniels. The defense provided sticky coverage, and while Daniels tried to buy time, it was to no avail.
Personnel wrinkles: The offense will provide fans (and opposing defenses) a lot of eye candy with pre-snap motion. The Commanders ran a lot of 12-personnel sets today and moved both tight ends in pre-snap motion. It’s an interesting wrinkle that wasn’t present last year. On defense, I was surprised to see Frankie Luvu at the Mike position. He spent a good amount of time there, which allowed other LBs, including Styles, to blitz off the edge.
Sinnott’s versatile role: Sinnott will be used creatively this season. Today, we saw him as an H-Back and a true fullback in I-formation. I can see why he is excited for a fresh start under Blough. Long after practice wrapped up, Sam Hartman stayed on the field to throw extra routes to Sinnott, Ryan Cracraft, and others.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Commanders.com
Training camp notebook | Sonny Styles stands out during first padded practice
The first drill was indicative of how the practice went for both sides of the ball. Players were competing on every play, and each unit had some positive moments. Right after Styles’ tackle on Croskey-Merritt, Marcus Mariota connected with the running back for a touchdown. Perhaps the best catch of the day came when the starting offense was on the field, as Jayden Daniels connected with Terry McLaurin in the back corner of the end zone for the score, despite Mike Sainristil providing tight coverage.
[R]ookie Joshua Josephs was one of the more entertaining players to watch today. Josephs’ athleticism shone on Monday, as he was all over the field making plays. He batted down a pass from Daniels early in the day, and he showed impressive speed during pass protection drills. It’s still unclear where he fits on the depth chart and how many snaps he’ll get, but there have been signs of his potential.
A lot of people were wondering how rookie wide receiver Antonio Williams would look with the pads on after getting open and creating separation in the first three days of camp. The answer is that he looked basically the same and continued to find ways of getting open. He had two touchdowns today, one of which came on the last play of two-minute drills. Williams practiced mostly with the second group today, but that could change soon because of how impressive the rookie has looked against defensive backs.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Sports Illustrated
The Good and Not So Good From Commanders’ First Padded Practice
The Not So Good
Kaliakmanis appearing in this section for another interception after being picked off in each of the previous two open practices is not a good look. Turnovers in three consecutive practices are hard to defend or dismiss for a seventh-round quarterback trying to take reps from Sam Hartman as a developmental quarterback. Rookies are expected to make mistakes, but throwing interceptions every day will never be acceptable and is worth tracking.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Commanders Wire
4 standouts from Commanders’ first padded practice
CB Mike Sainristil
Sainristil was playing inside and outside on Monday. While he did allow the touchdown to McLaurin early in practice, it was strong coverage. He was beaten by a terrific throw. Sainristil got his revenge later, breaking up a pair of plays in the red zone. It’s been a good camp so far for Sainristil. Confidence is everything. Washington needs a strong bounce-back year from Sainristil, and he seems up to the task.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Pro Football Focus
Offensive Guard Rankings: The top 32 players ahead of the 2026 NFL season
10. Sam Cosmi, Washington Commanders
Cosmi returned from a knee injury midway through last season and brought his trademark stability back to Washington‘s offensive line. Though he appeared in only nine games, his 76.3 PFF grade ranked 10th among qualified guards. Cosmi allowed just 11 pressures and two sacks over those nine games, and his 72.3 PFF run-blocking grade was another strong mark. It’s reasonable to expect an even stronger season in 2026, assuming he stays healthy.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Last Man Standig (paywall)
Odafe Oweh’s evolution mirrors Commanders defense’s fast start in padded practice
“I came in as a run defender,” said the 31st overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. “I’ve had zero sacks, so people forget that.” Oweh isn’t referencing a quarter, a half, a game or even a month of football.vHis final season at Penn State ended without recording a single sack.
Mentioning that eyebrow-raising stat served two purposes.
First, it reminded everyone that stopping the run was once the foundation of his game, even if his pass-rushing success has since overshadowed it. You don’t get drafted in the first round without a sack if there aren’t other aspects worthy of praise. “The run game was what I hung my hat on at first,” he said during his post-practice media availability.
Second, it underscored just how much he’s evolved as a pass rusher.
For more from Ben Standig, CLICK HERE
A quick reader poll:
Commanders.com
‘An attack style’: Commanders players love working in Daronte Jones’ new defense
Daniels and the rest of the quarterbacks have spent a chunk of their time running away from the front seven in the opening days of camp. The defense’s recent performances must be pleasing for general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn, as the Commanders used much of the free agent and draft capital to upgrade the unit.
So far, the investments are playing as expected, as the Commanders’ defense has gotten the better of the offense on the majority of plays to start camp. That’s not meant to be an indictment against Daniels, who otherwise looked sharp on Monday, or the rest of the offense. However, it does speak to how much faster the unit looks compared to last season, and it might be a glimpse at how much it has improved since 2025.
“It’s an attack style,” Commanders pass-rusher Odafe Oweh said after practice. “Get guys off the spot. That’s what he [defensive coordinator Daronte Jones] tells the D-line.”
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
The Athletic (paywall)
The Commanders have a plan at wide receiver. But is it good enough?
Washington seems heavy on slot receivers and thin on potential outside receiving threats. The player with the best shot to play outside opposite McLaurin could be Burks, the 2022 first-round pick by the Tennessee Titans who signed to Washington’s practice squad last season when injuries depleted its receiving corps. Burks showed plenty to like in his eight games, but he hasn’t started more than nine games in a season, and after one day of camp this year, he was sidelined with what Quinn described as “foot soreness.” Burks was back on the field Saturday, and his availability going forward may ultimately determine his value to the team.
For now, the Commanders have essentially created a No. 2-receiver-by-committee, with a multitude of skill sets — slot experience, ability to play outside, yards after the catch, speed, route running, shiftiness and so on.
Washington can point to 2024 to support its claim that it can succeed without a proven “No. 2” on the roster. Olamide Zaccheaus, an unheralded offseason signing, proved to be a key contributor throughout that season, and there’s no reason to think any of Washington’s additions this year couldn’t do the same.
But that model also required Daniels having the greatest rookie season of any quarterback and leading the team in rushing yards as well as passing yards, and for the team to have nearly everything fall in its favor; it won six games (playoffs included) on the last play from scrimmage.
On the other hand, Washington knows first-hand the risk in not having a deep and proven receiving corps.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Last Man Standig (paywall)
Ranking the Commanders’ 10 most indispensable players entering the 2026 season
Not every indispensable player is among Washington’s best. Here’s which absences would most dramatically alter the Commanders’ season.
8. John Bates, TE
The Commanders intend to use 12- and 13-personnel more frequently this year. That means an increase in snaps for Bates above his standard 45-50 percent clip. He actually played 51% last season despite missing two games [Note from Bill-in-Bangkok: The comment about missing two games is irrelevant. In the NFL, a player’s snap percentage over a season or multiple games is calculated using only the games in which they were active and dressed. Games where a player is inactive (on reserves list, benched or scratched from the game-day roster) are excluded so they do not artificially drag down a healthy player’s participation rate]. Washington can still deploy heavier personnel packages without him, but the running game loses its best in-line blocker. Among the realistic Week 1 roster candidates, only Ben Sinnott comes within 17 pounds of Bates’ 256-pound frame.
6. Nick Allegretti, C
Head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters emphasized Allegretti’s football smarts and competitiveness when explaining why they see him as the starting center. He also brings extensive NFL experience, something Julian Good-Jones (one career start) and sixth-round rookie Matt Gulbin (none) cannot match. Washington signed Trey Hill, 26, on Sunday, but he has only three career starts and has appeared in just one game over the past three seasons. That’s a lot to ask from an emergency replacement. Maybe Brandon Coleman eventually slides to center, but that’s more likely a 2027 discussion than a realistic 2026 option outside of an emergency.
For more from Ben Standig, CLICK HERE
Photos
Commanders.com
PHOTOS | First day in pads
The Washington Commanders put on the pads for the first time in this year’s training camp on Monday. Take a look at the top photos of the action.
Podcasts & videos
Sonny Styles’ First Training Camp: Exclusive Interview | Next Man Up | Washington Commanders | NFL
NFC East links
Pro Football Talk
Cowboys TE Princeton Fant carted off with knee injury
Cowboys tight end Princeton Fant was carted off from Monday’s practice after an apparent left knee injury.
Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reports Fant was scheduled for an MRI to determine the extent of the injury.
The Cowboys also have Jake Ferguson, Brevyn Spann-Ford and Luke Schoonmaker at the position.
Fant took a knee-to-knee hit after being blocked backward into running back Israel Abanikanda during the Cowboys’ first padded practice of training camp. He was unable to put weight on his left leg, requiring a cart to leave the field.
Fant signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee in 2023. He has appeared in 11 games in three seasons, playing mostly on special teams.
Pro Football Talk
Jerry Jones would be “open to” selling a minority share of Cowboys to Mark Cuban
Via Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News, former Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says he’s “open to” buying a piece of the Cowboys. And Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says he’s “open to” selling one to Cuban.
“That’s exactly why if you’re me, you would be open to that is because of the man,” Jones told Watkins. “I have all the respect in the world for him and I know what he did for the Mavericks and what he’s done for basketball. He’s in additional to financial boatstreams of your team, you want to associate with the highest quality of [a person] who loves the game and then also at the same time wants to do something about it. Mark leads the way in that.”
“I’m sure our Harbinger fund would be open to it,” Cuban told Watkins on the possibility of buying an interest in the Cowboys.
The Harbinger fund, however, isn’t one of the private-equity funds approved to buy slices of NFL teams. Besides, Jones may want Cuban as a partner, not Cuban’s private-equity fund.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
