Commanders

Commanders’ seventh-round RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt only appeared in one game last season with Arizona after the NCAA ruled him ineligible to play following his transfer from New Mexico. Croskey-Merritt is glad to be back on the field in Washington’s training camp.

“I haven’t played in a while, but it felt great,” said Croskey-Merritt, via Ben Standig. “I haven’t had pads on in a minute.”

Corskey-Merritt showed his one-cut running style at New Mexico in 2023, rushing for 1,190 yards and 17 touchdowns.

“That’s when I found my flow,” Corskey-Merritt said. “This is what I like to perfect when I’m on the field.”

Commanders HC Dan Quinn wants to see how Croskey-Merritt can develop his running style as he hits the second and third levels of defenses.

“As you get to the next (defender), can you have a plan for the middle-field safety?” Quinn said. “That’s the lesson. Just because I got through the hole doesn’t mean it’s ending. Can I now make another player miss?”

Cowboys

Cowboys RB Jaydon Blue entered training camp with a bit of turmoil after Glenn Smith, who is a former Dallas offensive assistant in 2000-2001, claimed people within the organization are skeptical about the fifth-round rookie’s work ethic. Blue responded to Smith’s criticism, saying it added “fuel to my fire.”

“All that did was add a little fuel to my fire,” Blue said, via Nick Harris of the Star-Telegram. “Of course, I know I’m not lazy. I know the work I put in. As you can see, I’m having a great camp so far. I’m just ready to continue building on that.”

Blue said he is enjoying working with veteran QB Dak Prescott and Dallas’ first-team offense.

“It’s fun being in there with Dak, man,” Blue said. “He’s a very smart quarterback, he’s a veteran. He makes our job at the running back position a lot easier, sometimes he’ll tell us where to go. It was fun getting some reps with those guys with the ones, and I’m just looking forward to keeping competing.”

Cowboys OC Klayton Adams said Blue has “been awesome” in their offseason program.

“Jaydon’s been awesome,” Adams said. “He’s fun to be around, he’s got a bubbly personality. Loves football, extremely competitive. When the ball is in his hands, exciting things happen. He is, in my opinion, blossoming.”

• Cowboys HC Brian Schottenheimer on Blue: “*I think in the spring he picked it up slower than we had hoped. But not now. He’s got it. He’s figuring it out. He’s one of those guys that doesn’t say much, but there’s a big time competitive fire in there. He wants to be great. He wants to be elite. He knows he’s talented. “I think he’s realizing, ‘OK, I’m really talented. I’m really good. But I’m in the NFL now. And most of these guys are really, really good so I have to do the things off the field, preparing mentally in the class room, studying a little bit extra...