The Commanders made a huge addition to the passing game. Veteran receiver Stefon Diggs is now a Commander, after agreeing to a one-year deal earlier this week.
Head coach Dan Quinn said the Diggs addition was a “big deal,” for the Commanders. He has received positive reviews after formally joining the team on Friday.
We’ve seen quarterback Jayden Daniels throw to Diggs and work with him after practice, but Saturday marked the first time Daniels had spoken publicly about Washington’s new receiver.
Diggs,
as you might expect, made a solid first impression on his new quarterback.
“It’s great, man,” Daniels said during an interview on the Commanders’ Next Man Up podcast. “The guy came in with a lot of focus, energy – he’s hungry and willing to get better and push everybody. His resume, his career, speaks for itself. I’m excited to be able to work along with a guy like that, who has been so great over all these years. He overcame adversity from where he was drafted in the league, to all the stuff he has been through on the field – his (ACL) injury – and I’m excited to learn from him, too.”
Diggs said on Friday that he and Daniels will build chemistry organically over the summer, with extra work and a steady dialogue about how the two can work well together. Daniels agrees that’s the core of what must happen.
“Open communication, constant communication, watching film and talking through a lot of different routes,” Daniels said. “The work after practice (is key). We need to put in the work and the time to get better each and every day. I know he’s willing to do that, too.”
While this is Daniels’ team and his offense to orchestrate and execute, he’s willing to listen to someone with Digg’s experience level.
“It’s just his feel for a lot of things he has seen throughout his career,” Daniels said. “He’s had a lot of different coverages thrown at him. He was the top guy in this league for some time. So, to pick his brain on stuff that he sees and why he runs certain routes in certain ways, I’m excited to learn from that.”
Diggs joins a group of pass catchers that includes top-tier receiver Terry McLaurin and will help form a formidable pairing that should help Washington’s offense thrive. When asked what to expect from that pairing, his answer was simple.
“Hopefully,” he said, “a lot of touchdowns.”
Daniels also talked to NFL Network about Diggs. Here’s what he had to say:
