Category: 2021 Training Camp

Ryan Fitzpatrick describes being sacked by Sean Taylor

Ryan Fitzpatrick flinches at the sight of a Sean Taylor jersey during Washington’s training camp. He was joking — we think.

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Ryan Fitzpatrick entered the NFL all the way back in 2005 as a seventh-round pick of the St. Louis Rams. His first NFL start came on Dec. 4, 2005, against the Washington Football Team.

Fitzpatrick made his NFL debut the week before, coming off the bench to replace injured starter Jamie Martin, and led the Rams to a come-from-behind win over the Houston Texans.

Roaming Washington’s secondary that day was the late, great Sean Taylor. In that game, Taylor brought down Fitzpatrick for a sack in what would be a 24-9 Washington win.

Fitzpatrick met with the media on Thursday after practice and was asked about that game.

“I just saw a Sean Taylor jersey out there and flinched,” Fitzpatrick said. “He was obviously an incredible player. At that time, I probably didn’t know who sacked me because I was trying to figure out what I was in the huddle with. He was obviously a great player.”

It was a cool moment in Fitzpatrick’s press conference, which certainly made plenty of longtime Washington fans smile.

Ryan Fitzpatrick describes being sacked by Sean Taylor

Ryan Fitzpatrick flinches at the sight of a Sean Taylor jersey during Washington’s training camp. He was joking — we think.

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Ryan Fitzpatrick entered the NFL all the way back in 2005 as a seventh-round pick of the St. Louis Rams. His first NFL start came on Dec. 4, 2005, against the Washington Football Team.

Fitzpatrick made his NFL debut the week before, coming off the bench to replace injured starter Jamie Martin, and led the Rams to a come-from-behind win over the Houston Texans.

Roaming Washington’s secondary that day was the late, great Sean Taylor. In that game, Taylor brought down Fitzpatrick for a sack in what would be a 24-9 Washington win.

Fitzpatrick met with the media on Thursday after practice and was asked about that game.

“I just saw a Sean Taylor jersey out there and flinched,” Fitzpatrick said. “He was obviously an incredible player. At that time, I probably didn’t know who sacked me because I was trying to figure out what I was in the huddle with. He was obviously a great player.”

It was a cool moment in Fitzpatrick’s press conference, which certainly made plenty of longtime Washington fans smile.

WATCH: Washington press conferences from training camp on Thursday

Ron Rivera, Chase Young, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jamin Davis all met with the media on Thursday.

The Washington Football Team took the field for day two of training camp on Thursday. Washington’s top three quarterbacks — Ryan Fitzpatrick, Taylor Heinicke, and Kyle Allen — all saw plenty of action on the practice field.

The defense ruled the day on Wednesday, but the offense was a bit better on Thursday. Washington is still without wide receiver Curtis Samuel, who was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

After practice, head coach Ron Rivera met with the media to discuss everything from Chase Young to Ryan Fitzpatrick to COVID-19.

Young, Fitzpatrick and rookie linebacker Jamin Davis also met with the media.

Here’s a look at all four press conferences from Richmond on day two of Washington training camp.

Curtis Samuel, Matt Ioannidis added to COVID-19 list

Washington fans will have to wait a bit longer to see Curtis Samuel.

The Washington Football Team will have to wait a bit longer for wide receiver Curtis Samuel to take the field this summer.

On Thursday, the team placed Samuel, defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis and cornerback Chris Miller on the reserve/COVID-19 list. This list is for players who either tested positive for COVID-19 or were in close contact with someone who tested positive.

Samuel, who is nursing a groin injury from minicamp, was originally placed on the physically unable to perform list Tuesday.

Ioannidis is returning after missing most of last season with a bicep injury. He was placed on the COVID-19 list in Nov. 2020.

Washington did receive some good news on the roster front Thursday as defensive tackle Tim Settle was returned to the active roster. Settle was originally placed on the non-football illness list on Tuesday.

Washington adds Justus Reed and Nick Guggemos to training camp roster

Washington added depth at tight end and defensive end in Reed and Guggemos.

The Washington Football Team signed a pair of players to their training camp roster on Thursday morning before practice.

Justus Reed is a 6-foot-3, 255-pound defensive end who originally signed as an undrafted free agent with the Tennessee Titans. He was waived in June. Reed played his senior season at Virginia Tech, where he recorded 28 tackles, including nine for loss and 6.5 sacks.

Reed had a bit of a long college career. He began at Florida in 2014 before injuries derailed him. From there, he would go to Youngstown State, where he would spend the next three seasons and earned All-Missouri Valley first-team honors in 2019.

Reed transferred to Virginia Tech as a graduate student in 2020.

Washington also signed tight end Nick Guggemos. Guggemos is a 6-foot-5, 231-pound tight who played collegiately at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota.

Guggemos signed with the Seattle Seahawks after the 2021 NFL draft but was released one month later. Guggemos spent three years away from football and participated in the University of Minnesota’s pro day earlier this year, where he impressed with his speed and athleticism.

Guggemos was signed after Washington waived Deon Yelder on Monday, and Tyrone Swoopes did not report to training camp.

Washington adds Justus Reed and Nick Guggemos to training camp roster

Washington added depth at tight end and defensive end in Reed and Guggemos.

The Washington Football Team signed a pair of players to their training camp roster on Thursday morning before practice.

Justus Reed is a 6-foot-3, 255-pound defensive end who originally signed as an undrafted free agent with the Tennessee Titans. He was waived in June. Reed played his senior season at Virginia Tech, where he recorded 28 tackles, including nine for loss and 6.5 sacks.

Reed had a bit of a long college career. He began at Florida in 2014 before injuries derailed him. From there, he would go to Youngstown State, where he would spend the next three seasons and earned All-Missouri Valley first-team honors in 2019.

Reed transferred to Virginia Tech as a graduate student in 2020.

Washington also signed tight end Nick Guggemos. Guggemos is a 6-foot-5, 231-pound tight who played collegiately at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota.

Guggemos signed with the Seattle Seahawks after the 2021 NFL draft but was released one month later. Guggemos spent three years away from football and participated in the University of Minnesota’s pro day earlier this year, where he impressed with his speed and athleticism.

Guggemos was signed after Washington waived Deon Yelder on Monday, and Tyrone Swoopes did not report to training camp.

Washington rookie Jamin Davis has an impressive first day of training camp

Ron Rivera singled out Davis for his performance on Wednesday.

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Washington first-round pick Jamin Davis had his first NFL training camp practice on Wednesday. The rookie linebacker lined up with Washington’s first-team defense and, by all accounts, had a good day.

After practice, head coach Ron Rivera spoke to the media and singled out Davis.

“Jamin stood out right away,” Rivera said, per Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post. “And again, he’s one of the guys that we’re counting on to be able to handle these situations and circumstances.”

Coaches have said they want to try Davis at all three linebacker positions, but the long-term plan is for him to be the middle linebacker. On Wednesday, he played the “mike” and apparently handled the position well.

The biggest key for young players is retention. And Davis impressed Rivera in that aspect.

While coaches love Davis’ versatility, it’s in the team’s best interest for him to succeed at middle linebacker. An athletic “mike” backer is essential for today’s pass-happy NFL.

Lining up alongside Davis was Cole Holcomb at “Sam” linebacker and former middle linebacker Jon Bostic at “Will” linebacker.

It will be interesting to follow Davis and his progress this summer.

 

5 takeaways from day 1 of Washington training camp

Ryan Fitzpatrick looked good in his training camp debut. What else went down on the first day of training camp?

The Washington Football Team opened training camp on Wednesday in Richmond, and the day featured plenty of excitement.

Washington, which reported to Richmond on Tuesday, had its first practice of training camp Wednesday. Perhaps the most exciting part of the day had fans back on the sidelines for practice.

Washington coach Ron Rivera certainly appreciated seeing fans back.

So, what happened on the field?

Here are our top five takeaways from Washington’s first day of training camp practice.

 

 

 

 

Terry McLaurin talks after the first day of training camp

Terry McLaurin spoke about vaccines, Ryan Fitzpatrick and how he got better in the offseason.

After the Washington Football Team completed their first training camp practice, No. 1 wide receiver Terry McLaurin met with the media.

One of the top topics of conversations was COVID-19 and vaccinations. McLaurin admitted he was vaccinated. While he respects the choice of every player’s choice to be vaccinated or not, McLaurin is going to do what he feels is best for the team.

Washington coach Ron Rivera made headlines on Tuesday when he said he was “beyond frustrated” at the team’s low vaccination rate. Rivera referenced his own situation as a reminder. Rivera was diagnosed with cancer last year and went through treatments throughout the season.

In speaking about vaccines, McLaurin specifically mentioned his coach’s personal situation.

“We have to be mindful of that,” McLaurin said.

McLaurin didn’t only talk about vaccines on Wednesday. he also spoke about his new quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick.

McLaurin and Fitzpatrick connected multiple times on Wednesday, one of which was captured by Washington’s official Twitter account.

Finally, McLaurin talked about the offseason and what he worked on. One area of improvement for McLaurin was beating cornerbacks off the line.

It was a good first day for McLaurin and Washington’s wide receivers.

 

 

 

 

Washington rookie Samuel Cosmi has a golden opportunity with Cornelius Lucas out

Cornelius Lucas begins training camp on reserve/COVID-19 list. This could be an opportunity for Samuel Cosmi.

The Washington Football Team reported to Richmond for the beginning of training camp on Tuesday. The team made several roster moves before practice begins on Wednesday.

One of those moves was presumed starting right tackle Cornelius Lucas beginning camp on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

While that’s bad news for the veteran Lucas, it is potentially big news for second-round pick Samuel Cosmi.

The 6-foot-6, 309-pound rookie ran with the second team at right tackle during the spring, while Lucas was with the first team. Coaches always expected the two to compete in training camp, with Lucas going in as the starter.

During his time at Texas, Cosmi played right tackle before transitioning over to left tackle. Some believe that’s the plan with Washington. But, for now, Cosmi must earn the right tackle position.

It’s not known how long Lucas will be out. Hopefully, it’s just a few days. But those few days could be huge for Cosmi. He can show coaches he can hold his own against Washington’s outstanding edge rushers in practice. If he can do that, the job could be his to lose.

Lucas played well last season at left tackle. Was he a star? No. However, he wasn’t nearly as bad as some in the fan base insinuated. Lucas deserves an opportunity to start. Unfortunately, a prolonged absence could be all that Cosmi needs to get ahead of Lucas to start at right tackle.

Regardless of who wins the job, Washington will enter 2021 with terrific depth at offensive tackle.