Washington Commanders Training Camp Takeaways: Jacory Croskey-Merritt hype is real and the team runs unique drills in second padded practice

Today marked the second padded practice for the Washington Commanders in Ashburn, Virginia, and these are the practices where you get to see what you have with your team, especially in the trenches and the run game. I wasn’t at practice today, but the local media on hand shared some major takeaways on what they […]

Josh Taylor — Washington Commanders News Writer
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Abdullah Konta @Dullah_Vision: Washington Informer

Today marked the second padded practice for the Washington Commanders in Ashburn, Virginia, and these are the practices where you get to see what you have with your team, especially in the trenches and the run game.

I wasn’t at practice today, but the local media on hand shared some major takeaways on what they saw in practice today, including another big day for some rookies and drills I’ve never seen before.

The run game was in full effect today

HC Dan Quin said leading up to padded practices that these are the times you’ll get to see how the running game looks since you’re able to be more physical and apply contact to drills. With today being the second padded practice so far, there were a lot more opportunities to shine for the running backs.

Seventh-round rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt, aka “Bill”, has been stacking good days since training camp started and even started getting reps with the first team offense. The hype is real when you see him run in practice. The sharp cuts and the speed he shows are something that’s been missing from the Commanders’ backfield.

The joint practices and preseason games can be a ramp that ultimately pushes Croskey-Merritt up the depth chart. The coaching staff also featured running back drills I’ve never seen before, with pads stacked on top of each other like they were the offensive linemen at the goal line.

Javon Kinlaw brings some juice

I’ve told many people that DL Javon Kinlaw took me by surprise when I saw how big he was at practice. He’s one of the players who can’t wait to put pads on and make some noise in the trenches. Today, he brought the energy and stuck his nose in the backfield a good bit just to let the offensive line know that these are the real practices.

People criticized the signing of Kinlaw and how much Adam Peters gave him, but man, I think Kinlaw becomes a fan favorite this year. The New York Jets had Kinlaw at a bigger size than he was comfortable with, and he’s already slimmed down a lot, so he can get back to playing freely at the size he’s comfortable with.

Ertz continues to fight Father Time

Nobody expected veteran Zach Ertz to have the kind of season he did last year and become Jayden Daniels’ second option on offense, but that’s exactly what happened. Ertz should pick up right where he left off last season, and he was a highlight of practice today with multiple touchdowns from Daniels.

The red zone is where Ertz maximizes his production, and he’s getting plenty of open looks in the red zone drills at practice. Daniels will have no shortage of weapons on offense this season.

Other notes from Training Camp

  • Deebo Samuel hasn’t had a single bad practice. He’s been my top player since training camp started.
  • Jayden Daniels bounced back since the defense had a field day last week. His throws look sharp.
  • Laremy Tunsil and Josh Conerly Jr. are glued to the hip.
  • Jaylin Lane will be a threat Week 1. He keeps getting better every pracitce and his speed pops.
  • The depth in the secondary is really good. Jonathan Jones, Noah Igbinoghene, and Tyler Owens have all day really noticable days and have been consistent.

I’ll be back in Ashburn for practice on Saturday, so stay tuned for more updates on the Washington Commanders training camp practices.

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