Commanders Training Camp: Jayden Daniels dropping dimes and Johnny Newton's debut highlight Day 1
Washington Commanders training camp officially kicked off on Wednesday and there is plenty to talk about, from Jer'Zhan Newton's official debut, to Jayden Daniels making big plays during practice. We've waited months to get here, so let's not waste any more time and dive into the main takeaways from Day 1. 1. Jer'Zhan "Johnny" Newton looked […]
Washington Commanders training camp officially kicked off on Wednesday and there is plenty to talk about, from Jer'Zhan Newton's official debut, to Jayden Daniels making big plays during practice.
We've waited months to get here, so let's not waste any more time and dive into the main takeaways from Day 1.
1. Jer'Zhan "Johnny" Newton looked good after getting cleared for training camp
The Commanders began training camp with excellent news, as Newton passed his physical on Tuesday, clearing the way for a debut the next day.
"He'll begin an individual process, you won't see him in some of the teamwork today, like we had discussed yesterday, but we'll follow along that process," Commanders head coach Dan Quinn told reporters Wednesday. "But it's some great news. He absolutely busted his ass to do everything he can to get ready, so what a great sign for him."
Newton is slowly ramping up, which makes a lot of sense. He's not limited by the injury – you just don't want to rush a player into full action immediately after they're cleared. The timing of everything is ideal: The trenches can't be fully evaluated until pads come on, and that wont' happen for several practices. Newton and the Commanders can use the next few days to ramp up and then potentially be ready to go once the pads are on.
"He's so ready to go," said Quinn. "He's got such a prove-it mentality to him, that what is assuring is, there's no missteps along the way. We're hopeful that he could get back soon, and so to have it now, and all the night walkthroughs and all the install that goes with that – that's a big deal. And so we're really pumped that he's able to start with us. He's really worked hard at it."
Still, Newton looked good in whatever he did participate in on Wednesday, which is obviously a big development.
"I'm excited to see what he can do out there," Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen. "He looked good. You know, they're trying to take it slow with them. Obviously, you don't want to throw them out there too soon. But from what I've seen, he looks really good."
2. Dan Quinn is not a patient man
Quinn refers to the job that he and general manager Adam Peters has taken on as recalibrating and not rebuilding. Not only did he talk about what that means before Wednesday's practice, he made sure to mention he's not going to be waiting for things to happen: He expects his coaches and players to develop in an efficient manner, off the bat, that leads to wins and championships.
"I'm not the best on patience," said Quinn. "I'll say that because somebody asked me over the summer, you know, rebuild, and that feels like real estate, to me. That's why I said recalibrate. It's not rebuilding – we're not buying an old house. It's how quickly can we get to become good, at so many different parts of our football [team]. I'm just the opposite of patience, to be honest with you. I wanted urgency and all that we're doing, but it takes a lot of prep behind the scenes to go out and execute, because if the execution and the communication is not game-like, how could you perform in the game well, if you're not pushing those standards out on the practice field?
"So out here, it should be as competitive and game-like as we can [make it], while taking care of one another. But as far as… patience… That's not part of what I talked to the team about, at all."
Quinn has been all about building a culture during first year and the above comment is another instillment. The "behind the scenes" phrasing is about building the culture, process, and infrastructure in the right fashion, which then sets up a path to success.
He shouldn't have to wait on that to happen, either. That's something the team can control and if everyone can execute the task as needed, good things should come.
3. Commanders emphasize red zone on Day 1 after being one of the NFL's best red area teams in 2023
The Commanders converted 63.3% of their red zone trips into touchdowns in 2023, which was fifth-best in the NFL, per Pro Football Reference. The four-point difference between field goals and touchdowns can easily decide who wins and loses a game, so it's encouraging to hear that Washington kicked off training camp with a heavy focus on red area work.
"Things happen much more quickly [in the red zone], you know, the route, the field, the locations, where it goes," said Quinn. "So, seeing that type of communication early, we thought that would be a good way to, go…
"… It's such an important part of what we do. We didn't want to wait."
It's also important for Jayden Daniels, who's very likely to be the starter come Week 1. Things do get a whole lot harder for offenses, thanks to the smaller field defenders have to guard. The shrunken area leaves a lot less room for error on the offense's end and gives the defense a boost, ultimately.
"The spacing and timing is even more paramount when you're in the red zone," Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin said Wednesday. "That's why you have to be really detail-oriented, and where your splits are as receivers, tight ends, all skill positions and the depths of your route. You don't want to be in someone else's space when you're running your route."
Daniels made a couple of nice plays on Wednesday, most notably a 20-yard touchdown pass to running back Brian Robinson. Per reports, he was able to connect with McLaurin a couple of times, as well, which is obviously encouraging. Their developing rapport will be fun to monitor over the coming weeks.
"He [Daniels] just has a natural feel for that and you can see it by the way he operates, but also by his actions as well."
4. Position battle updates at quarterback and left tackle
Per Commanders.com's Zac Selby, Cornelius Lucas opened as the starting left tackle and Marcus Mariota opened with the 1s during team drills.
These updates aren't surprising, at all. It's all about what happens, next. Daniels should be the starter come Week 1 and Lucas is the favorite at left tackle, but rookie Brandon Coleman has a chance to give him a run for his money and veteran Trent Scott is looking to make a name for himself, as well.
5. Jayden Daniels was "dropping dimes" during practice
And, of course, what would a Commanders training camp takeaways post be without a section for Daniels?
According to reporters, Daniels looked good throughout practice, with one even going as far to say the former Heisman winner was "dropping dimes". That exact phrasing wasn't backed up by others, but the reviews were strong enough to warrant the description.
The takeaway, here, is it's awesome to see Daniels get off to a fast start. What's more important moving forward is how consistent he is. If he can stack practices like this right off the bat, then the "official" starting job will belong to him in no time.
