Washington Football Training Camp: Recapping the Five Main Stories Heading into the Preseason

1) Concern for Two Big Free Agent Signings

Curtis Samuel and William Jackson III were widely acknowledged as being astute signings during free agency. Both come with good pedigree and are expected to provide significant upgrades in their positions to justify their price tags.

Sounding alarm bells in mid-August is perhaps a bit of an overreaction but a certain amount of concern can be felt over the progress of both players.

Samuel injured his groin in OTA’s and didn’t participate in mandatory mini camp. Six weeks later, on arrival at training camp in Richmond, he was immediately placed on the PUP list and a day later was added to the COVID list. Now off that list he has returned to the PUP list and has yet to work with the offense this summer. Ron Rivera insists that it is now a matter of conditioning rather than the groin injury that is keeping Samuel from fully participating with his teammates, but he needs to be on the practice field developing chemistry with Ryan Fitzpatrick sooner rather than later. Samuel has the benefit of knowing the offense from his Carolina days, but getting those reps with Fitzpatrick will be vital to developing an understanding with his new QB.

Jackson built a strong reputation as an excellent man-to-man cover corner in Cincinnati and it was always going to be interesting to see how he will be integrated into Washington’s more zone-heavy scheme. Reports have trickled out of camp that Jackson has struggled at times to adapt to the change of emphasis schematically. Some early teething problems are to be expected though as he adjusts to the new system but a couple of days of missing practice with a deep contusion won’t have helped his learning curve. It is likely that Jackson will still be allowed to play to his strengths when the season kicks off, but he will need to pick up the nuances of playing more zone if he is to become a number one cornerback.

On a scale of 1-panic, the level of concern for both players is still relatively low, but neither has enjoyed an ideal start to their time in Washington and their situations are worth monitoring.

2) Growth of Sam Cosmi and Rookies Progressing Well

Rookie tackle, Sam Cosmi was thrown in at the deep end at his first training camp. Learning your trade going up against Chase Young and Montez Sweat was no doubt a daunting experience, and reports from the first few days suggested that Cosmi was struggling badly. Whilst not entirely surprising, there was some concern expressed that the teams 2nd round selection was a way off being ready to play.

Thankfully, it appears that Cosmi is a fast learner, as, since the pads have been strapped on during the second week, he has reportedly improved significantly. Blessed with naturally good footwork, it was the use of his hands and arms that was considered to be holding Cosmi back. Over the last few days of practice, reports have been much more positive, suggesting that he was holding his own in the 1:1 drills with Young and Sweat, who have not gone easy on the rookie. He has also found his voice, jawing with Sweat when things got heated. There will undoubtedly be many ups and downs for the rookie tackle as he learns his trade, but working against Young and Sweat is probably the best apprenticeship he could have asked for.

The progress of Washington’s rookies, particularly the early round selections appears to be positive, which is good news in terms of whether they will be able to contribute early in their debut season.

LB, Jamin Davis has been running with the 1’s throughout camp, and is listed as the Mike LB on the first unofficial depth chart. Davis’s speed and hustle have been noticeable, and while he hasn’t been hogging the headlines, it seems that he has come as advertised, and will be a three-down LB who will help address some of the coverage issues that have plagued the team in recent years at that spot.

WR, Dyami Brown, considered by many to be a steal in the 3rd round has been turning heads as he has benefitted from Curtis Samuel’s absence to get more time with the 1’s. Brown is an undoubted deep threat but has been refining his route running to become a more complete receiver. There have still been a few too many drops, something which was a concern pre-draft, but his playmaking ability, work ethic and professionalism has impressed the coaches so far.

CB, Benjamin St-Juste made a positive early impression in OTA’s and mini camp and he has continued to be regularly around the ball during training camp. A surprise pick in many eyes, St-Juste has excellent length and  a real knack for breaking up passes. He has been a pleasant surprise and may allow Washington some flexibility with its other corners, particularly Kendall Fuller who could spend more time in the slot, where he has proven himself to be an elite performer previously.

If Washington can get production from two or three of its rookie class, that will be a major boost to the teams chances of retaining the NFC East title and looking to take the next step of winning a playoff game.

3) Backup QB concerns

Ron Rivera stated that there would be a genuine QB competition this summer for the starting QB gig, although making it clear that Ryan Fitzpatrick had the inside track.

What has become clear is that Fitzpatrick is the undoubted number one, and concerns are growing around the depth chart below him. While being far from perfect, Fitzpatrick has taken control of the offense, showing the control and leadership that you would expect of a veteran QB. Taylor Heinicke is currently QB2 and had an encouraging spring, but has shown nothing in training camp to suggest he can challenge for the top job. The other concern with Heinicke is his durability and an innocuous stray stamp to the foot that set alarm bells ringing last week, which thankfully proved to be a false alarm. Although he acquitted himself very well in the wild card loss to Tampa, Heinicke has no NFL pedigree to speak of and it would not be a huge surprise if the coaches view Kyle Allen as a more long term backup option.

However, Allen is recovering from a gruesome ankle dislocation last season and suffered a small reaction to the surgically repaired joint last week leading to him being absent from practice. He was already behind Heinicke and the lack of practice time makes it almost certain that he will start the season as the number 3 QB, assuming he is healthy.

It could be argued that the current QB situation is better than the Haskins/Allen/Smith triumvirate that began last season, and that may well be true. However, it is clear that the QB position, particularly the depth, remains a concern, both for this season and in the longer term.

4) Landon Collins Ahead of Schedule

When Landon Collins tore his Achilles in October 2020, the timetable for his return was anywhere from 9-12 months. Collins was on the field in the spring, but running by himself and taking mental reps only. It therefore came as somewhat of a surprise when training camp opened and he was fully active with no restrictions.

Collins has revealed that he employed a personal trainer throughout his rehab and was driven to not only return, but prove he was worth the $84 million deal that he signed in 2019. At the time of his injury, Collins was just beginning to become more comfortable in the new defensive system of Defensive Coordinator Jack Del Rio, and the early signs from training camp have been positive. He has slotted back in as the starting strong safety, along side Kam Curl at free safety and has been drawing positive reviews. This is a huge year for Collins as the team can cut its losses at the end of the season with a significantly reduced cap hit, so his timely return to health is a bonus to a Washington defense that is potentially elite.

5) Wide Receiver Competition

Depending on whether Washington keeps 6 or 7 wide receivers, the battle for the 6th and potentially 7th spot will be causing the coaches headaches. The top 5 receivers appear to be pretty much nailed on (McLaurin, Samuel, Brown, Humphries, C Sims) which leaves potentially 5 or 6 receivers competing for possibly one spot. Antonio Gandy Golden, Kelvin Harmon, Steven Sims Jr, Dax Milne, and DeAndre Carter are all trying to make a case for those bottom of the roster spots.

The decision will come down to a number of factors including kick/punt return ability, special teams coverage, and the type of receiver that Rivera and his offensive coordinator, Scott Turner are looking for. Gandy Golden has the potential advantage of being a Rivera draft selection, Harmon is a big, physical target, Sims and Milne are both options in the slot, and Carter is a return specialist, so the coaching staff can potentially go a number of ways. Going with seven receivers would give them some breathing room, but if the rest of the roster composition means that only six make the final cut, some very hard decisions will need to be made.

Washington’s receiver room looks as healthy as it has for a few years, which is clearly a better situation than having to bring in the likes of Dontrelle Inman late in the day, and the competition may raise the overall level of the passing game and in turn the offense.

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