The Washington Commanders will take the field on Wednesday morning for the first practice of training camp in preparation for the 2024 season.
On Tuesday, general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn met with members of the media to preview camp, and both are excited to get started.
It’s go time. Dan Quinn and Adam Peters ready for camp. Excited to get started. #Commanders. @wtop pic.twitter.com/RLlhfoYtOj
— George Wallace (@GWallaceWTOP) July 23, 2024
“There are so many things that I’m looking forward to,” Quinn said. “But to sum it up, this camp will be challenging, it will be demanding, and it’s also going to be fun as hell. This is where we start writing the chapter of what this 2024 Commanders team will be about.”
Hard focus on quarterback Jayden Daniels
Each year, there are plenty of storylines entering camp, and this year is no exception. The biggest storyline will be the development of quarterback Jayden Daniels.
How will the No. 2 overall pick and Heisman Trophy winner progress throughout the summer? And how will Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury get him ready?
“When he’s ready, we will know,” Quinn said. “When he’s ready, he’ll also know.”
“But as far as the reps go, obviously with him and Marcus [Mariota] and moving around, there’ll be certain days that will feature more of another. Certainly not a secret. It’s a journey and a process. When we know, we’ll say it,” he added.
Position battles to watch
There are two positions that should be the most scrutinized throughout camp as the competition heats up: Left tackle and cornerback.
It’s no secret that the left tackle position is a very important one, protecting the blind side of the quarterback. The team bolstered the interior of the offensive line this off season with the signing of Tyler Biadasz to play center and left guard Nick Allegretti.
But the question is: who will start at left tackle? Veteran Cornelius Lucas is still here, and could be the choice; but there are now other options including third-round pick Brandon Collins and veteran Trent Scott.
In the secondary, second-year corner Emmanuel Forbes Jr. is a player that will have a lot to prove. He was drafted last year in the first-round but struggled. He had only one interception and was benched at times throughout the year. He is excited for a fresh start with a new coaching staff and eager to prove that he belongs.
Joint practices
The Commanders will practice with the Jets and Dolphins ahead of their preseason games this summer. Since the elimination of the fourth preseason game, teams have been scheduling joint practices more and more. It’s a good opportunity to get the starters prepared in a controlled environment.
Quinn is looking forward to the competition part of it, to see how his team fares against others that run different systems.
As far as what Peters looks for on the evaluation side, “You get to see our guys against a different offense or defensive scheme,” he said. “How do they adapt to that? How do they play against that? And you get to see them against different players too.”
Expect those two days of work to be key practice sessions this summer.
What does a successful season look like?
This new regime understands that this is a process and fans shouldn’t expect to see this team make a huge jump to double-digit wins — although anything is possible. Being that this is step one in the process, Quinn isn’t necessarily focused on wins and losses just yet.
“I think No. 1, we want to start off and make sure our identity, and who we are and how we play, has to come along strong,” Quinn said. “If you get that first and get that right, that’s when a lot of the success will follow. But you can’t put the record before you have the identity and who you are. So, I’m hopeful that when you and our fans and families see us play, they see that identity coming to life.”
“The speed, the physicality, the winning football in the most critical moments — those are all the things that are going to make up our identity, and we’ve got to use this time to start establishing that in the very best of ways,” he added.
It’s a brand new day in Ashburn, Virginia, and the fun begins on Wednesday morning.
For more in-depth discussion on the Commanders and the 2024 Olympics in Paris, listen to the DC Sports Huddle.
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