Sports  

Report from Day 1 of Commanders Training Camp

Lynnell Willingham will be covering the Washington Commanders for MCM during the 2024 season beginning with training camp in Ashburn, Va.

Nell’s Super Six Pack: Top 6 observations from Day 1 of Commanders Training Camp

Fast pace. High energy. Heightened sense of urgency. All phrases that accurately describe Wednesday’s opening session of training camp for the 2024 Washington Commanders. Although it’s only day 1, plenty of things stood out during practice today, and as expected, competition was sky high!

6. The debut of 2nd round pick Johnny Newton

Heading into training camp there is plenty of optimism surrounding this football team and what they could be defensively under new, creative defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. During Wednesday’s session, we got to see the debut of a young man that many folks dubbed the steal of the draft, 2nd round defensive tackle Johnny Newton out of Illinois. Newton had not participated during the on field portion of the off-season up until Wednesday due to off-season foot surgery. During individual drills his get off and burst flashed, no surprise as he’s best known for his ability to rush the passer. Despite him not participating in team drills Wednesday, expectations internally are MASSIVE for what he could provide to a defensive tackle rotation that already boasts the Alabama duo of Jon Allen and Daron Payne. Expect Newton to continue to get more work as he ramps up his workload throughout camp.

 

5. Marcus Mariota and Jayden Daniels splitting first team reps

One thing that has been made very clear during the first off-season under new Head Coach Dan Quinn, nothing is given, everything is earned. That’s even true for number 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels, the anticipated face of the franchise moving forward. During Wednesday’s session, I felt Jayden Daniels took another step towards earning the starting QB job. While splitting reps with the 1st and 2nd team, Daniels was super decisive with the football getting it out on time with accuracy and touch. That touch was on full display during the play of the day. Daniels hit third-year running back Brian Robinson Jr in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown, placing the ball where only Robinson had a shot at it. Deep ball accuracy was a major strength for Daniels during his time at LSU and it seems as if he’s picking up where he left off in college.

 

4. WR3 battle heating up

2024 Training Camp for the Washington Commanders is going to be FULL OF COMPETITION as I continue to mention, including at wide receiver. With Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson penciled in as the top two wide outs on the depth chart, the fight for wide receiver three is WIDE OPEN. Washington added a few new faces to the group by way of the draft and free agency, selecting Luke McCaffery in the 3rd round and signing veteran Olamide Zaccheaus, both took reps with 2nd team offense and are expected to compete for the gig. One name not to forget: 4th year wideout Dyami Brown, he got the first opportunity in camp to run with the 1st team offense as the third wide receiver. The intriguing part of this battle is all 3 guys in the mix bring something different to the table, McCaffery listed at 6’2 is the biggest wide receiver on the team and is great in 50-50 situations. Zaccheaus, listed at 5 ‘8 is more of a jitterbug that does a great job getting in and out of his routes. Coming out of UNC Dyami Brown was viewed as one of the best deep threats in his draft class, inconsistent QB play has limited his opportunities to show off that skill, with Jayden Daniels expected to be the starter, Brown may finally have a QB who can get him the ball deep.

 

3. Emmanuel Forbes doing what he can for a bounce back year

 

2023 was a year to forget for 1st round cornerback Emmanuel Forbes. Between getting benched and missing some time due to injury, last year did not provide a ton of optimism for what Forbes could be as an NFL corner. In year 2 under new defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr, Forbes is getting the first crack at outside corner alongside Benjamin St Juste. During the 11 vs 11 work he looked crisp and didn’t allow much separation. What stood out the most? Forbes is doing all he can to bounce back in 2024. He spent about 15 minutes post practice with defensive backs coach Jason Simmons getting coached up and asking questions. If Forbes struggles again in 2024, it won’t be because he didn’t put the work in.

2. Jamin Davis’ transition to edge rusher, a work in progress

 

When the Commanders drafted linebacker Jamin Davis back in 2021 it was considered a reach by many pundits. Since then, Davis hasn’t quieted the noise. From inconsistent play, to off the field trouble, it has not been a strong start. Jamin is a pretty good athlete but lacks the football IQ and instincts to be a quality NFL linebacker. Good news for Davis, this new defensive staff led by defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr has a vision and plan to maximize his skillset. Davis made the full time switch to edge rusher this offseason beginning in OTA’s and that continued on day 1 of camp. Davis spent most of his time running with the 3rd team during team drills at defensive end. I watched every snap very closely, he did not win a single pass rushing rep. Look, there are no pads, but he has a long way to go as an edge rusher as expected. I wonder if he has the play strength to consistently play on the edge? I’m not counting him out, but it’s going to be an uphill battle.

 

1. Day 1 standouts:

  • QB- Jayden Daniels

  • RB- Brian Robinson

  • DE- Dorance Armstrong

  • LT- Corn Lucas

Photo courtesy Washington Commanders.

Write a Comment

Related Articles