A new offense and new defense means the work doesn\u2019t stop for Washington during the NFL break<\/p>\n
Rookie WR Antonio Williams knows how to get separation. He has a chance for a real role in this offense, as does Treylon Burks. The former first-rounder just needs to stay healthy, something he\u2019s been unable to do so far in his NFL career. Burks did tell me this year feels like a fresh start. Quinn also went out of his way to salute the strong summers for veterans Dyami Brown and Van Jefferson.<\/p>\n
Quick note on Henry – he\u2019s wearing the 30 jersey and when he\u2019s on the field looks a bit like Austin Ekeler. He\u2019s my early pick for preseason leader in rush yards (which does not mean a roster spot but is a silly prediction game we play on the Beltway Football podcast).<\/p>\n
Ben Sinnott and Chig Okonkwo had strong offseasons. David Blough\u2019s offense is going to offer more verticality for the tight end position and expect both to be able to show their athleticism. Okonkwo will be the lead dog at the position but Sinnott might finally be able to prove why he was a Top 100 pick.<\/p>\n
Connerly looks bigger and with broader shoulders than his rookie season. Still the single moment that stood out for me came from the conclusion of minicamp practices when the entire team ran a series of short sprints. [Laremy] Tunsil – the five-time Pro Bowler going into his 11th season and with career earnings of well over $100 million – was grinding out the June sprints. Actions not words.<\/p>\n
I stood on the sideline watching practice with former Redskins RB Ricky Ervins and Commanders team president Mark Clouse. Ervins told a story about the first time he played at RFK and saw the stands bouncing and explained the scene nearly drove him to tears. He asked Clouse if the bounding seats would be re-created at the new stadium, and the team prez explained that it would for a portion of the seats. It was a cool moment of the past meeting the future, something the organization is trying to do and something the fan base desperately wants.<\/p>\n
What we learned about Jayden Daniels and the Commanders\u2019 new offense in minicamp<\/a><\/p>\n The line will do a lot of zone blocking<\/p>\n Quinn said repeatedly during these nonpadded workouts that it\u2019s hard to get real evaluations on offensive linemen in the spring because so much of the job revolves around physicality. What we do know: The offensive line will use a primarily zone-blocking scheme reminiscent of the one Mike Shanahan employed in Washington from 2010 through 2013 \u2014 a system he perfected in Denver in the 1990s.<\/p>\n Zone blocking in the run game is exactly as it sounds: Offensive linemen block an area rather than a man. It requires linemen to be athletic and on the move, and results in a lot of double-teams on defensive linemen.<\/p>\n \u201cUnder-center snaps with some wide zone \u2014 with some pulling \u2014 I\u2019ve done it before,\u201d said Nick Allegretti, who is moving from guard to center. \u201cBut it\u2019s gonna be a bigger part of the bulk of that offense. I\u2019m just getting out in space.\u201d<\/p>\n Because there was no tackling during these workouts, any long rushing touchdown was kind of fake. But during one workout last week, Allegretti and guard Sam Cosmi celebrated a supposed score by jumping on each other because they had pulled and led a running back into the end zone some 25 yards downfield \u2014 just how Blough drew it up.<\/p>\n Rachaad White gains steam in RB battle<\/a><\/p>\n There was a time, just 2 years ago, when running back Rachaad White saw his value skyrocket to the point he was being talked about as a player who might reset the market for his position.<\/p>\n Before the 2024 season, after he put up over 1,500 yards of total offense in 2023, White\u2019s value on the open market was thought to be approaching $10 million per season.<\/p>\n Before the 2025 season, and even after losing his starting job on the Buccaneers to rookie Bucky Irving, White was still getting projections in the range of $7 million to $5 million per year because he was still able to top 1,000 yards of total offense while splitting snaps.<\/p>\n White had over 1,000 yards from scrimmage in 2023 and 2024, including a career-high 1,534 yards in 2023, but his numbers plummeted to a career-low 790 yards from scrimmage in 2025.<\/p>\n When White finally became a free agent in March, he wound up with the Washington Commanders on a 1-year, $2 million contract. That could end up being an incredible bargain for his new team.<\/p>\n 6 Washington Commanders players who lost crucial ground at 2026 minicamp<\/a><\/p>\n Sam Hartman – Commanders QB<\/p>\n There is a battle happening between Sam Hartman and seventh-round pick Athan Kaliakmanis for the QB3 job behind Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota. Despite a decent final day<\/a> of minicamp, the 2024 undrafted free agent\u2019s overall performance was not especially encouraging.<\/p>\n Hartman has spent the last two seasons on the practice squad, and that will probably be his best-case scenario again next season. Kaliakmanis has been more accurate, more poised, and more confident. Unless there is a drastic shift, the former Notre Dame standout will once again face an uncertain future after final cuts.<\/p>\n Foster Sarrell – Commanders OT<\/p>\n Laremy Tunsil and Josh Conerly Jr. are the bookend tackle tandem. Their blossoming relationship<\/a> could be a significant asset to the Commanders, but they still need capable backups who can slot in when required.<\/p>\n Andrew Wylie\u2019s versatility and experience make him the perfect swing tackle. Brandon Coleman and Trent Scott can operate on the edge, though the former is currently aiming to unseat Chris Paul as the starting left guard. The Commanders also brought back Foster Sarrell for a second stint with the franchise, but his consistency at minicamp was somewhat concerning.<\/p>\n Commanders\u2019 1st-Rd Pick Sonny Styles On \u201cMaximizing His Time\u201d | Raise Hail With The Rookies | NFL<\/p>\n 6 losers from the Eagles\u2019 spring practices<\/a><\/p>\n Lemon suffered a hamstring injury<\/a> that caused him to miss at least half of the Eagles\u2019 spring practices. It sounds like Lemon will be full go once training camp begins in late July. Perhaps he hits the ground running there and never looks back. Entirely possible! For now, it\u2019s disappointing that he missed a chance to maximize building on-field chemistry with Jalen Hurts. The Eagles are heavily relying upon their rookie wideout to help replace A.J. Brown\u2019s production.<\/p>\n Stowers had a very quiet spring, in part because he finished minicamp with some kind of undisclosed injury (compression sleeve on his right leg). It would\u2019ve been nice to see Stowers thrive more in this passing camp setting since his receiving ability is supposed to be his biggest strength.<\/p>\n Despite the fact that Jalen Carter did not participate in team drills this spring (thus creating opportunity for younger players to get reps higher on the depth chart), Robinson spent time working on the third-string defensive line next to Uar Bernard, who has never even played football before. It would\u2019ve been nice to see Robinson, who turned 25 last month, mixing in with the starting defense.<\/p>\n How often will Jaxson Dart give the Giants an advantage at QB in 2026?<\/a><\/p>\n Opinions of the NFL cognoscenti are wildly divergent on Dart\u2019s performance last year. Dart\u2019s traditional passing stats were not impressive in 2025. He finished 21st in completion percentage, tied for 25th in yards per pass attempt, 39th in passing yards per game, tied for 25th in TDs, 18th in the traditional NFL passer rating, and 17th in ESPN\u2019s QBR<\/a> (quarterback rating), which is based on their expected points added (EPA) metric but with adjustments for the quality of defense faced. Pro Football Focus<\/a> graded him only 64.2 in passing, only 23nd among NFL starting QBs, although he was eighth (76.9) in running.<\/p>\n And ay, there\u2019s the rub. Dart did as much damage to opposing defenses with his legs as with his arm as a rookie. The problem is, he also did damage to himself by not going down quickly enough to avoid some big hits. That\u2019s something I\u2019m sure will be emphasized in John Harbaugh\u2019s first Giants training camp. There are other questions about Dart as a passer – how accurate he can be on deep balls, improving his footwork to remedy that, speeding up his processing, etc. Throw in the fact that he\u2019ll be operating a Matt Nagy offense rather than a Brian Daboll\/Mike Kafka offense, and that Malik Nabers may or may not be available when the season begins, and anything is possible, good or bad.<\/p>\n With that as background, let\u2019s assess the Giants\u2019 2026 schedule from the standpoint of perceived quarterback advantage\/disadvantage<\/p>\n Washington Commanders (2)<\/p>\n QBs: Jayden Daniels (44.7, but 67.7 in 2024)<\/p>\n The Commanders may be the biggest unknown in the NFL – not only because they completely (and I mean completely) rebuilt their edge defender and linebacker corps, including first round draft pick Sonny Styles, but because 2024 rookie quarterback sensation Jayden Daniels suffered multiple injuries and only played in 7 games. Daniels was better than Dart as a rookie, but worse than Dart in last year\u2019s compromised version. Let\u2019s assume the real Daniels is somewhere in between, i.e., pretty similar to Dart, and that the Giants have someone who can kick extra points and field goals available when they play.<\/p>\n Advantage: Giants (home game), Commanders (road game)<\/p>\n Putting it all together, that gives the Giants a quarterback advantage in six of their games, a disadvantage in nine, and two draws. If you think QB play is the key to winning and that the defense will at least be respectable, that would predict a 2026 Giants team that is improved from last season but still a ways from being a contender. To be honest, I\u2019ve been thinking 7-10 for the 2026 Giants even before Ed invited me to write this piece, so I can\u2019t be surprised it worked out this way.<\/p>\n Every NFL team\u2019s best and worst uniform in franchise history<\/a><\/p>\n Tied for best: White and burgundy (1979-1998)<\/p>\n The Commanders are bringing back a variation of the iconic uniforms from the franchise\u2019s three Super Bowl wins, and for good reason: It\u2019s crisp, it\u2019s clean and it\u2019s a classic \u2014 a reflection of the franchise at its peak. The version from the Gibbs era was even nicer than today\u2019s, however, because players wore baggy sleeves, so the burgundy and gold stripes were more noticeable.<\/p>\n Doug Williams in 1988.Rick Stewart \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n Tied for best: 70th anniversary alternates (2002-2003)<\/p>\n These were extraordinary. The gold pants were actually gold and not mustard yellow, the spear logo \u2014 another throwback the team is bringing back this year \u2014 harkened to the team\u2019s past and the stripes on the sleeves and socks were perfect.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/temp-uni-1.jpg\"\/)
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