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Commanders Mandatory Minicamp Day 1: Takeaways, Quotes & Clips From June 16

The Ashburn Notebook: Mandatory minicamp is officially underway. From field drills and player rotations to video clips and player pressers, here is everything you need to know from Day 1.
Philip Hughes|
Washington Commanders Mandatory Minicamp Day 1
Washington Commanders Mandatory Minicamp Day 1 | HTTR4LIFE LLC (screenshot)

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Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders opened mandatory minicamp in Ashburn, Virginia, on Tuesday, entering the last portion of Phase 3 of the offseason program.

Head coach Dan Quinn spoke before practice, making it clear to everyone that the roster is not decided in June. The team then began the first mandatory minicamp session, which was followed by several player interviews. The team is set to spend the next three days going through their offseason program for the last time, then take several weeks off before training camp starts in late July.

Dan Quinn Quotes

Dan Quinn on Daniels processing and adapting to different systems and styles:

“System-wise it's different. So, I would say like his mental quickness is so elite. I would say in this system there'll be less, there's more chances for him to put onto a different play. So, some recognition from a defense, what's their disguise look like? How do you go into those spaces? I don't know if that's processing but as much like pre-snap recognition and getting in the play that we'd like to be in into that space, then allow some of his athletic ability or processing for a certain play to take over. So, it's different but I would say it's not all processing. Some of it's like, you know, pre-snap indicators, what could he do to put it into a better play, and that's a process to go through as well and he's done a really good job of that.”

Dan Quinn on what he notices from the new offensive and defensive schemes:

“Yeah, I think the offensive side, I'll start there first. Their ability to get in and out of plays quickly, I think that's one. What disguise looks like. How can they change a play and get into the next one to give us the best advantage on a particular play. I would say recognition and knowing there's a couple of plays that they could have as their menu. They might have three different plays in their pocket going to the line of scrimmage, and so the ability to get in and out of those takes a lot of discipline. That's been one thing that I've been pleased with. I'd say they're ahead of the curve on that. Defensively, I would say I like the disguises that I see, you know, from the back seven in this type of format. Like it's much different to evaluate the offensive line and defensive line, you know, it's not the same game without their pads. So, disguising the movements on the defense, I think that's something that I've been impressed by. The communication from linebackers back and forth. Those would be two things that jump out to me so far.”

On minicamp being the time to evaluate different positions and see who’s a good fit for the team:

“It's probably a step even further back than that. [ At ] my first base, I want to see, where are they? Alignment, assignment. And so, for the players who don't get the most reps, like, ‘Man, if I only got more, if I only got more.’ Here's your chance. How are you going to respond to it? What does that look like? So, during this time, it's not so competitive that you put yourself at like, ‘Okay, here it is.’ The camp's a much better view and lens for that. You're going to see today where the defensive players won't make a play on the football that's in the air. So those are more guided, but it does give you an insight into where you're at, who's really hitting the marks, who's behind. It does give you a better assessment from the roster in whole. And if we can nail that, I think that adds to a more competitive environment for camp. ”

On evaluating kickers now and into training camp:

"Just like you would think, each time we go, we get about six or seven at a time, and same scenario, same day. So, we don't have one kick one day, and one kick the next. We wanted all the spaces to be similar. So, if you had a rack of six or seven kicks at 30 yards, 37, 45, 50 yards, and we do that on a continual basis, it kind of gives you a good sense for where you're at. Obviously, there's nothing like getting into the preseason and getting going, but these two guys have really put in good work. It'll take a while like at some other positions, that's no different. But we're pleased with the work that those two are putting in together.”

Commanders Beat: Live Tweets During the First Session

Player Interviews After Practice

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Philip Hughes
PHILIP HUGHES

Philip Hughes covers the Washington Commanders with a focus on daily news, film analysis, roster construction, player development, and the fan culture surrounding one of the NFL’s most scrutinized teams. A longtime sports writer and content creator, Hughes has spent more than 20 years building football audiences across the interwebs and following the daily beat of the NFC East. email: hailbng+si@gmail.com

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