Everything Dan Quinn Said Before Commanders’ Final Training Camp Practice

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn spoke with reporters before practice Tuesday morning. Quinn is focused on wrapping up this training-camp block while preparing for the joint practice with Baltimore and looking ahead to roster cut day coming up on Sunday.

Quinn also discussed the status of Odafe Oweh and Trey Amos' injuries, the camp Quan Martin has had, Sonny Styles' development, roster evaluations, new-playcallers, and the importance of special teams on this squad as it relates to making the final 53.

Opening statement

“Good red-zone emphasis for us as we're hitting today. Then we'll head to Baltimore. As coaches, we love joint practices as much as preseason games. In fact, there's incredible evaluations, matchups that you get to see, new schemes to go against. So, having our team together for a few days is definitely an added bonus for that as well. So, we'll head on the road this afternoon and get rolling for the next few days.”

What's the level of concern about Odafe Oweh and Trey Amos being ready for the regular season?

“Yeah, I'd say I'll have a better answer for that into next week, John, as we get ready for those practices. We're fortunate that we have that space in between. They're both working hard and making progress, but I don't know if I'd have a number to gauge it just yet. And so, that would be kind of my time that I'll have a better sense.”

Are there certain position battles that are more difficult to decide than others, and how important is this week for those evaluations?

“Yeah, I think so. When you have two big evaluations in a week, that's also nice because there's kind of some that will play the majority in the practice and some that will play the majority of the game. So, it's almost like two different neighborhoods to go. But, yeah, there are definitely spots, and some of them aren't starting spots, but like, okay, the last at this position, this position, this position. Who would also be part of the 70-man roster when you have a deep group at some spots? So, the injuries play into that some, John, because, for example, Laremy and Johnny, who are the longer variety. The guys that we're talking about now, they're going to be back. So, that definitely factors in when those type of ones happen. It's an important week for us, and one that, like, I don't love Sunday, but I love tomorrow, I love Friday. Sunday's hard about what that means and represents, but the lead-up to that is a lot of fun.”

With new play-callers on both sides of the ball, how much are you evaluating the operation and personnel groupings during joint practices and preseason games?

“Yeah, and I tried to do that more in this camp than I ever had prior, just for that same purpose — for the play-caller, for the assistants, for the grouping. So, they don't know what's happening. There's been a number of practices, today included, that I and the equipment managers have just the down and distances. So, I know what's coming next and they're ready, but the coaches on the sideline don't. And so, I want it to be in that part of the stress, to be as much game-like as I can. It's not the same, but it helps. And so, the practices, we have some down and distances pre-scripted, so that can go a little bit more smoothly. The games help a lot because you just get into weird scenarios. Okay, now it's some of the game management. It's like, all right, both of the halves, two-minute-wise, I liked how we were using the clock. We didn't convert in this game, but in the previous game we did. So, those are ones that are the hardest to simulate in a practice, just not just a shot clock, but the game clock to work down. And so, I liked having those. They've both done a really good job of talking through the staff, being prepared, going through it. So, I like the progression that they have. Good plays, bad plays — as a play-caller in the NFL, you're going to get punched in the face. It's part of calling plays in the NFL. And so, having that, ‘Oh, I wish I had that one back,’ or like, I want them to experience that and have that emotion and not be the angry play-caller on the next play. ‘Well, now I'm just going to do this or do that.’ And so, having the discipline to stay within what you're looking to do. What you don't do and you get in the preseason is specific matchups that you would get to. So, that's not something that we generally do during this time of year. You can design it. You can practice on a certain play, but it's not quite the same, if that makes sense, or in-game, this guy's down, who are we going after? Who do we have to take care of?”

With training camp nearing its end, has any player surprised you with how he's performed?

“I don't know if surprise is the right word, but I've really felt an energy from Quan Martin. From practice, from the games, from the way he's helped on special teams — not helped, the way he's played on special teams — I've just felt an intensity and an urgency about him. So, I don't know if surprised or if that's the right answer for that specific question, but he's one that jumps out to me. Man, he's throwing a really good camp, and I feel it. I feel it in play and confidence and moving forward. And the way he's gone about it has been impressive to me, just putting his head down and getting to the work.”

What's the most difficult part of going into a joint practice with the team as banged up as it is?

“I think you just want to make sure that you're not overloading it to that spot. Most teams are going through the training camp process of guys being out. Had it been a regular-season game, I would say a number of these players, ‘Okay, they're going to go and do it.’ But I think when you're in this space, the smart play is to think of all the games that you're going to be playing. And so, Jeff Kaplan and their team does a good job of that. But more than anything, just communicating with one another and where we're at to go. But it's very valuable, the experience of it.”

When players are practicing through bumps and bruises, does that factor into how you evaluate position battles?

“No. At some point, everybody's going through that. It is training camp. They're sore, hurt, tired. If they were at risk, then we wouldn't put them out there in this space. So, everybody's dealing with the sore, the tired, all of those. And so, the ones that can play and are doing it right, they do it. The ones that we have to keep a closer eye on so an injury doesn't get worse, on the medical team, I trust that.”

Do you have any specifics on Jacory Croskey-Merritt's injury?

“Lower body. And he's doing well. He's working over to the side. You may see him some today. But it happened on, I think, the day before we left for the game.”

After seeing Sonny Styles play a decent amount in the first two preseason games, what have been your takeaways from him?

“I liked how square he plays at linebacker. When you're an in-the-box player at linebacker, and we haven't blitzed him a lot downhill, you want to see somebody who can play square, take on blocks. He did a nice job of using his hands. That's been an emphasis for us going into it. He's got command at the line of scrimmage, in a call, out of a call. So, those are the things that I saw in the limited space in the games. You guys have seen a lot more. I think what I've seen at practice, you feel speed and playmaking ability to get to spots that's difficult to get to. But you'd say he could play man-to-man because of the speed, but I'd also say the zone parts of his game are going to be exceptional because he has quickness as well as speed. And so, sometimes you might see a person who's fast, but they have to build up to it, where he's got initial quickness to get to a certain location. And that's a big deal.”

At the beginning of camp, you talked about wanting the team to be in 'crazy shape.' How have you seen that manifest itself throughout camp?

“Sure. Probably the best examples are when I do some of the longest periods, the longest drives. That's when I can really gauge the conditioning because, as much as the training and the running, when they get into the football-specific padded long drives, long series, I'll walk over to the huddle, I'll see where they're at. And to see them just kind of looking at me, ready for the next play, ready for the next moment, that was a good sign for me, knowing where they're at. So, there's been very few times where somebody was, ‘Hey, I need to come out. I'm over the limit,’ in that spot where I can't go and play. And so, to see those guys battle through that, that was a good sign for me of knowing that they were able to handle the hard moments as I ramped up the training camp. Last week was kind of the peak of that. And so, putting them into the tough spots, I knew that was going to be the case. It was leading up into this past week, and then it'll start into this week, kind of stand there, and then we'll taper it off. But I wanted to put their feet to the fire and find out where they were, and they passed that.”

We didn't see Ben at practice yesterday. What's his status for this week?

“For this week, he won't be. He injured his oblique in the game, and so he's kind of in the return-to-football phase for him. As he's going there, we haven't ruled him out for the game, but unlikely based on not going today and not going tomorrow.”

When you're evaluating deep position groups like safety, linebacker and wide receiver, how important is special teams when determining the initial 53-man roster?

“It's critical, for sure, because you want to make sure, when you're thinking about who has a role on the 48, who has a role. And if you don't, that definitely plays a factor of what their development would look like. And so, you do try to think in those ways as well. And you want to think in the bigger picture, not like one game or one week, but what their role would be. So, Larry has a good evaluation process to go through practices and drills and games and that to see who can add what. And sometimes you may even see that in the preseason game. I didn't see him there in practice, and you see him there in the game. That's all part of finding out who could add value offensively, defensively and then on the covering side.”

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