Hogs Haven
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, and a sprinkling of other stuff
His arrival to Washington marked a reunion with fellow linemen Nick Allegretti and Andrew Wylie. All three were responsible for protecting quarterback Patrick Mahomes with the Kansas City Chiefs during the 2021 season. Allegretti and Wylie provide Niang with familiar faces and a sense of comfort most mid-training camp signings don’t have.
“It’s easier to ask questions, I know who to go for,” Niang said of his conversations with Allegretti and Wylie after his first day in Ashburn. “We’ve dealt with each other before, so we know how each other operates.”
Niang is essentially learning an entirely new football vocabulary in joining the Commanders, despite having run the same plays. Allegretti and Wylie’s experience playing in Kansas City has been key to Niang’s quicker-than-usual ability to pick up Washington’s verbiage when it comes to offensive play calling.
“The nice thing is, especially if he may have to play tackle or guard, he’s got both me and Wylie who know how he speaks,” Allegretti added. “We know all of his language from Kansas City, so it’s easy to say, this play is like that play or this play is like that. So just give him the comparison, because football plays are pretty damn similar.”
Niang took snaps during special teams drills during his first training camp practice with the Commanders on Thursday. He spent the majority of the time observing team drills and chatting with offensive line coach Bobby Johnson. The New Canaan, Connecticut, native continued to ramp up for his second full practice Sunday, taking offensive snaps at right tackle with both Sam Hartman and Josh Johnson at quarterback.
Coming off an awe-inspiring victory in Super Bowl LIX, Philadelphia heads into the 2025 season with great expectations. But before the franchise’s fervent fan base starts planning a February trip to Santa Clara, California, for Super Bowl LX, the Eagles need to prove they remain atop the conference.
Despite their spectacular roster and steely focus, the reigning champions won’t have an easy time advancing out of the NFC, thanks to a group of emerging teams built for a title run. Armed with talented quarterbacks, formidable fronts and ball-hawking defenses, a group of conference foes are well-equipped to knock the Eagles off their NFC perch.
Here is my ranking of the top three NFC teams poised to challenge Philly for conference supremacy.
If Jayden Daniels can guide the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game without an elite roster in Year 1, he can lead a vastly improved squad to Super Bowl LX in Year 2. The 2024 Offensive Rookie of the...
