Hogs Haven
Washington Post (paywall)
The rookie class could be memorable
The Commanders selected just five players in April’s draft, but early returns suggest the class will make an outsize impact on the franchise. Josh Conerly Jr. may or may not be a Day 1 starter, but the improvement he has shown while transitioning from left tackle to right tackle at age 21 has demonstrated his athleticism, intellect and diligence. Cornerback Trey Amos walked in as a starting-level player. Jaylin Lane will be the Week 1 punt returner and showed enough as a slot receiver for coaches to expand his role and play him outside. Seventh-rounder Jacory Croskey-Merritt made so many plays in training camp that Brian Robinson Jr. became expendable. Sixth-round linebacker Kain Medrano hasn’t flashed to the level of his rookie brethren, but he will make the team, and his rangy athleticism makes him a worthy developmental prospect.
The Commanders also used 2025 draft capital, plus other picks in future years, to acquire Marshon Lattimore, Samuel and Tunsil. The veterans need to stay healthy, and the rookies have much to prove. If training camp is any guide, though, General Manager Adam Peters may have executed a master class in asset management with Washington’s 2025 draft picks.
The Athletic (paywall)
In the evening, they hang out, grab some sushi and talk NBA, money, a TV series or family.
Superficially, Wagner, 35, and Daniels, 24, don’t seem to go together any more than yesterday goes with tomorrow.
But like yesterday and tomorrow, one lays the foundation for the other.
Daniels and Wagner spent their childhoods a little more than 20 miles apart in California’s Inland Empire, Daniels in San Bernardino and Wagner in Ontario.
“Nobody wanted to be from the Inland Empire,” Wagner says. “Everybody wanted to be from L.A. So I knew when I grew up, I wanted to make sure I could be somebody that people from the Inland Empire could be proud of. And Jayden has shared the same sentiment.”
Daniels toys with opponents in 2K. Wagner fancies himself a pool shark.
They both think they could have made it in the NBA.
Harmony is achieved because the two of them appreciate their differences as well as similarities. “He’s willing to teach,” Daniels says. “I’m willing to learn.”
Commanders.com
The most encouraging moment for the Commanders had nothing to do with the game itself.
Noah Brown, who missed most of training camp with an injury, was back on the field before kickoff running routes and catching passes. He did not look hampered as he moved in and out of his cuts and ran at full speed, which could mean that he is primed for a return in the next two weeks.
“I was really encouraged by what I saw today, too,” Quinn...
