Day 5 of Washington Commanders training camp brought the focus back to the little things Dan Quinn wants sharpened in Ashburn: longer drives, tighter execution, and more stress on a secondary that’s about to get tested.
Before practice, Quinn said this three-day stretch - Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday - is meant to “power up, stack, and clean up” the parts of the install that still need work. The plan for the day reflected that. Washington was set to run longer sequences, which would ask more of the defensive backs and give the coaching staff a better read on the receivers in space.
Quinn also spent time on the group of free agents Washington has brought in this year, starting with Fabian Moreau, who was signed today to fill in for the retiring Ahkello Witherspoon. Quinn pointed to Moreau’s versatility and noted that he already knows Daronte Jones from their two seasons together with the Vikings.
There was praise, too, for some of the other additions. Quinn said he likes LB Leo Chenal’s winning standards and said he is very high on EDGE Odafe Oweh, one of Washington’s big offseason signings.
A few position battles are still very much alive, including left guard. Quinn said Chris Paul has dropped 20 lbs since last season, another sign that the competition there is far from settled.
On offense, Quinn said the new system will lean more on zone concepts and play-action. He also singled out Brandon Coleman, saying he has “always been quick off the spot”.
Quarterback Jayden Daniels got his own compliment when Quinn talked about his red zone touch. Asked about it, Quinn said, “That’s not luck.”
The rookie conversation came up, too. Quinn said Antonio Williams is further along as a rookie than Luke McCaffrey was, while noting that McCaffrey had recently changed positions from QB. He also described Jaylin Lane as more of a returner who was added to the receiving room later.
After practice, Javon Kinlaw and Bill Croskey-Merritt are scheduled to speak, along with players available on the field.
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