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
[M]inicamp is set to begin May 9. Here are some things to watch over the next few days.
The offensive line is not normally the main attraction during an NFL practice, but most of the media’s attention will be focused on No. 29 overall pick Josh Conerly Jr. and how the rookie looks learning the Commanders’ offensive scheme.
General manager Adam Peters did a good job of hyping Conerly up in his press conference at the end of the first round. The Commanders could have traded back and acquired more picks — something many analysts predicted they would do — but passed on those opportunities because they believed Conerly was too good of a prospect.
Although the Commanders have one of the smallest draft classes in the league this year, they aren’t lacking raw athletic talent. Each player had top 25 Relative Athletic Scores (RAS) for their respective positions, and some of them outperformed their peers at the NFL Scouting Combine.
While contact in practice isn’t allowed this time of year, the athletic skill sets of players like cornerback Trey Amos, linebacker Kain Medrano, wide receiver Jaylin Lane and running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt should be enough to get fans excited about the potential roles on the team.
There will also be several tryout players at the Commanders’ facility looking to get noticed by either Washington or another NFL team. Gabriel Taylor, the brother of the late former Washington safety Sean Taylor, is reportedly going to be among the group of players trying out for the Commanders this weekend.
Last season, Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud struggled through Year 2. In recent seasons, other OROY winners have similarly taken a step back. Garrett Wilson, Ja’Marr Chase, Saquon Barkley and Dak Prescott, to name a few, each earned a statistical regression in their second season.
It’s a list that Washington Commanders QB and reigning OROY, Jayden Daniels, is out to stay off.
“I’m sitting down and watching film and trying to eliminate some tendencies, as much as possible,” Daniels told Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports this week. “Talking to the coaching staff on areas that they feel like I need to improve on and having conversations so we can all hit at full speed.”
It’s May, the draft is behind us and a new collection of rookie quarterbacks are taking their first steps into the NFL. There’s no better time than now to take stock of the league’s quarterbacks playing on these economically friendly deals.
Some are speeding toward a massive pay...
