Hogs Haven
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.com
Chig Okonkwo is not new to the DMV. He spent four years in the area while playing for the University of Maryland, and he was an important piece of the Terps’ offense with 52 catches for 447 yards and five touchdowns during his senior year.
So, Okonkwo is excited about starting a new chapter of his career in what he calls his second home. It also helps that he’s going to be in an offense that wants to highlight what he does best: getting in space and making plays.
“That’s the plan for me is to take that next step of my career and becoming the player that I know I can be,” Okonkwo said after Tuesday’s OTA practice. “I feel like this is definitely the place to do it.”
[O]ver the last two OTA practices that have been open to the media, he’s shown off much of what enticed the Commanders to sign him this offseason. Like the Tennessee Titans, the Commanders intend to use Okonkwo as an all-around tight end, but where Okonkwo shines the most is through his ability as a pass-catcher, where he can be put in motion before the snap, make catches in the middle of the field and break tackles for yards after the catch.
A to Z Sports
“[For the] two and a half months or three months we’ve had Chig, it’s been really exciting to kind of see him grow,” new Commanders offensive coordinator David Blough told reporters ahead of Commanders OTAs. “… We’re excited about the explosiveness that he adds to the offense. So as we go, I think we’ll definitely find what his role is in the units.”
Believe it or not, over the span of his rookie contract he led the Titans in receiving yards once, was their second most productive receiver twice, and was WR3 in his “lowest” role.
Chig is athletic, fast, and a yards after catch demon. He’s been quoted early on saying “every time I get the ball, I’m trying to do the most” and for the entirely of his rookie contract those words consistently came to life. He’s a violent runner who becomes a man possessed in space. It’s a ton of fun to watch, and it’s usually pretty effective.
JP Finlay
Motion will…allow McLaurin to operate from different parts of the field and could free up the remaining group of wide receivers from being...
