Category: Latest Washington News

Blocking out the noise is Chase Young’s goal amidst sky-high expectations in 2020

Expectations for Chase Young to be the next great thing are through the roof, but the rookie wants to block out the noise and get to work.

There aren’t many high expectations for the Washington Football Team to perform well in the 2020 season, but the same can’t be said for the defensive line, and specifically, rookie DE Chase Young, who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 draft, and arguably the best overall player in his draft class.

Before he has even taken a snap in the NFL, Young is already being compared to legendary players like Julius Peppers and Von Miller. For an established player to receive that kind of attention may be tough, but for a rookie? It’s almost unheard of. When talking to the crew at #GMFB on NFL Network Wednesday morning, Young addressed this premature praise.

“That’s really a touching word for a rookie coming in, but that’s why I try to just block out the noise, good and bad,” Young said. “I just try to focus on every day, taking one step at a time. I can’t really say too much about what other people think about me, I just keep doing my thing.”

Young will have the benefit that most early first-round rookies don’t have by walking into a situation that’s already built for him to succeed. With a defensive line in Washington that consists of five total former first-round picks, the attention will not be solely on stopping Young, and he should be able to have an impact because of that.

Will that allow him to live up to expectations in his rookie year? We’ll see. It doesn’t seem like he’s too concerned about that just yet, though.

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Chase Young says there’s a target on defense in Washington’s back to be dominant

Chase Young knows that he’s going to be part of a great defense in 2020, but those high expectations put a target on their backs.

One of the biggest storylines for the Washington Football Team going into the 2020 season is surrounding the defensive line, and how dominant it has the potential to be going forward. With the addition of Chase Young, who was selected No. 2 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, a group of five former first-round picks, plus the ever-talented Matt Ioannidis, is set to disrupt offenses across the league this coming season, and hopefully for years to come.

While the line was solid in 2019, it’s the addition of Young that has so many people excited about what’s possible this season. On Wednesday morning, Young joined the crew at #GMFB on NFL Network to discuss just what it means to walk into such a great situation in his first year as a pro.

 

“I feel like we’re going to be real good, man. They said that we got a D-line full of first-rounders, and I only feel like that puts a target on our back and it’s going to make us rise to that standard,” Young said. “That’s what I’m hoping, and that’s what I know we’re gonna do in this coming season.”

One of the biggest comparisons that have been made this offseason — aside from throwing Young’s name in the same sentence with legendary players like Julius Peppers and Vonn Miller — is one of the San Francisco 49ers and Washington Football Team, as far as D-line talent goes. In 2019, the defensive front in San Fran carried the team to a Super Bowl appearance, and now some have gone as far as to question whether or not Washington’s front-five can be quite as good. Young’s thoughts?

“You know, I feel like people can do what they want,” Young said with a chuckle. “I feel like as a group, we know what we want to accomplish, we know what we have to do to try and get in that D-line level where not a lot of teams can get you. Every day just know that we’re working and we’re busting our butts and we’re just focusing on what we have to focus on just to try to get there.”

It may be a far cry to ask Washington’s front to carry the team to even a playoff appearance, but the future is bright with this unit, and success could be just around the corner.

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There’s a silver lining in not having fans at Washington games in 2020

Fans will not be in attendance at FedEx Field this season, but Washington could use that to their advantage on a truly neutral field.

Remember that scene in the Dark Knight Rises when Bane gives Batman the epic speech about darkness before their big fight?

“Oh, you think darkness is your ally. But you merely adopted the dark; I was born in it, molded by it.” 

That’s how a lot of Washington fans should feel now that the team has announced that no spectators will be allowed at home games this year, and many other franchises are expected to follow suit. While it is a major bummer for those fans who routinely did show up to FedEx Field week in and week out to sport their burgundy & gold yelling loudly for their favorite team — of which there were many — the announcement of no fans in Washington may help the WFT more than any other team in the NFL. It may sound like a joke, but there is some truth in the fact that they are used to a lack of fan support, so the change won’t be anything new.

On the contrary, a lack of fans could actually go quite far in helping Washington, simply by neutralizing the playing field. Over the past couple of years, a growing trend has emerged as opposing teams’ fanbases flock to D.C. in hoards to support their team as they play Washington, which usually created a tough playing environment for the home team, who rarely had the majority of fan support in the stadium. Now, with a true neutral site, we may start to see some benefits from that.

We are not by any means trying to say that it’s good news that fans will not be allowed at Washington games, but simply point out a silver lining. As 2020 rolls on and we all continue to try and adapt to the circumstances around us, it’s important to try and find the small victories that can carry us through into the future. A fanless NFL experience will be unlike anything we’ve ever see before, but if everyone comes together (metaphorically, of course) we may be able to make it work going forward.

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‘The sky is the limit for that guy:’ Ryan Kerrigan is happy to be leader for Chase Young

Ryan Kerrigan knows that he’ll play less of a role in Washington this year, but he’s happy to play the role of leader for rookie Chase Young.

As a veteran player who is 1.5 sacks away from becoming the franchise leader in Washington, it would be easy for Ryan Kerrigan to hold some type of ill-will towards rookie DE Chase Young, who will likely be pushing him from his starting role on the defensive line this season.

However, when talking to the media on Tuesday, Kerrigan said that he’s felt the leadership role come naturally to his this offseason, and he’s enjoyed working with Young and helping him to get better as he grows and tries to be the best player that he can be in the NFL.

For Young, it’s hard to imagine a better situation to come into during his rookies season. Having the ability to learn from one of the best players in franchise history, while playing alongside a group five former first-round picks on the defensive line is something that a young player could only dream of. Now we will get to see just how easily Young is able to acclimate to the NFL, and grow into his role on that potentially dominant defense. As Kerrigan said, the sky is the limit.

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Ryan Kerrigan has made it known he has no desire to play anywhere other than Washington

Kerrigan is one of the biggest fan favorites in Washington, and he said on Tuesday that he has no desire to ever leave the program.

There was a lot of speculation this offseason about what the Washington Football Team might choose to do with veteran DE Ryan Kerrigan. After selecting Chase Young with the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft, it became clear that Kerrigan would be unlikely to fill the starting DE role on the defense any longer, as Young and Montez Sweat led the charge of young players on the defense.

So with one year left on his contract, and a hefty salary for 2020, it was routinely discussed whether or not he would be traded or cut to save some money against the cap at a position where Washington wasn’t quite in dier need for production.

On Tuesday, Kerrigan told media members that contrary to these notions, he’s made it very clear both privately and publicly that he has no desire to leave Washington.

To this day, Kerrigan remains a fan-favorite in Washington, and he stands as the reigning Iron Man in the franchise, where he finally had his 139-straight games-played streak ended in 2019. Seeing him in a different uniform would be extremely bizarre, but if he can control it, that’s something that will never happen.

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Dwayne Haskins isn’t worried about stats; ‘I want to be a great leader’

Going into his second season, Haskins isn’t concerned with putting up huge stats, but rather wants to be a team captain and leader.

For a young quarterback in the NFL, it’s hard to ask them to do anything but focus on being the best they can be on the field, and put up the stats necessary to win games. However, a truly great young QB is able to figure out how to be a leader of his teammates early on in his career, and develop a voice in the huddle and locker room long before he has the accolades to warrant a major say.

For Washington QB Dwayne Haskins, that’s what he’s focused on in 2020. He isn’t concerned with the stats or numbers that will be attached to his name this year, but he wants to be a great leader for his team and earn a Captain patch on his uniform.

Most quarterbacks in the NFL are captains, so it would be a natural progression for him to step into that role in Washington. If he is able to command a lot of respect among his teammates, and others can look to him for leadership, it’s arguably one of the biggest wins that could take place in Washington this season.

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Dwayne Haskins wants to be more of a run-threat mobile quarterback in 2020

Haskins didn’t do much with his legs in 2019, but going into his second year he wants to get better at extending plays with his feet.

During his rookie season in the NFL, we got a little bit of a feel for what Washington quarterback Dwayne Haskins could do with his arm when given time to operate, assuming he made the right reads and fired to the open man. However, what we didn’t see much of was his ability to get out of the pocket and put his feet to use.

In his nine games during 2019, Haskins rushed only 20 times, picking up 101 yards and seven first downs along the way. He was often scrambling to avoid a sack, and while the stats aren’t too impressive, there were a few moments where it seemed that there might be a future in the running game if he kept it up. This year, with a slimmed-down frame and heightened comfortability with the offense, Haskins said on Tuesday that he is excited to see what he can do with his legs.

We know that the new offense in Washington could be highly conducive of this, as it was designed to help Cam Newton get into the open field and extend plays in Carolina. Assuming that Haskins can add more concepts to his book of knowledge and figure out how to get out in the open while protecting the ball, watching him grow as a mobile quarterback could be a huge development in Washington.

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Report: Charges against Derrius Guice allege that he strangled girlfriend until she was unconscious

The charging documents against former Washington RB Derrius Guice reveal some gruesome details about allegations of strangulation.

The charging documents facing former Washington running back Derrius Guice have come out, and according to a report from The Washington Post, he allegedly strangled his girlfriend until she was unconscious, and then later woke her up crying.

The Post got a hold of the charging documents for Guice, which revealed that on several different occasions, the running back allegedly pushed the woman to the ground, strangled her, or threw her phone into the street. The woman reportedly took several photos of her injuries from the incidents, which are being used as evidence.

Guice was released by the Washington Football Team last Friday after the allegations came to light, and Guice turned himself in to the police in Loudoun County. On Sunday, the third-year running back cleared waivers, and will now become a free agent in the NFL, though his future is uncertain as he continues to deal with the legal system, as well as a potential punishment from the league.

On Monday morning, Washington head coach Ron Rivera stated that it was his decision to release Guice from the team, but he wished not to discuss the situation in much detail.

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Ron Rivera says TE Logan Thomas is starting to blossom in training camp

There isn’t much confidence at the TE position in Washington, but Rivera notes that Logan Thomas is really coming into his own.

One of the biggest worries in Washington heading into the 2020 season rests at the tight end position, where there was a major need entering the offseason, and many fans have been left unsatisfied with the moves that were made to fill that hole.

With Logan Thomas, and Richard Rodgers, and Thaddeus Moss all added to the roster, it’s hard to project much confidence that the pass-catching group will be much better than it was in 2019. However, when talking to the media on Monday morning, head coach Ron Rivera noted that Thomas has surprised quite a few people at training camp so far, and he is really coming into his own at the position.

If Thomas can bring any production at all, it will be a step in the right direction for a TE group that had a major part in the struggles that Dwayne Haskins went through in his rookie season. A TE is a young quarterback’s best friend, so if Thomas or anyone else can step up this coming year, it will be incredibly beneficial to Haskins.

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Don’t let Chase Young’s introduction overshadow Montez Sweat in 2020

Chase Young is the hot topic in Washington, but we can’t forget about Montez Sweat and the dominance he can bring in his second season.

It’s easy to get swept up in the selection of Chase Young with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, but it’s important that fans of the Washington Football Team don’t let his shine get too bright, especially when there are so many other players that deserve shine on the defensive line in Washington.

It was just over a year ago when DE Montez Sweat was drafted in Washington, another first-round pick to go along with the ultra-talented depth of the defensive front. While much of this summer has been focused on Young, who many expect to be a generational talent at the position, Sweat has been able to fly under the radar. However, with the 2020 season fast approaching, he may pop up and surprise a lot of people who forgot just how good he was.

When talking to the media on Monday, Rivera admitted that his staff in Carolina was very high on Sweat in the draft, so it’s understandable that the new coach in Washington is excited to get to work with a bigtime player like the former Mizzou star. With defenses focusing on trying to stimy a Chase Young rookie showcase this season, don’t be surprised to see Sweat get off the ball and wreck the opposite side of the line. We saw a bit of what he could do in 2019, and with some diluted attention thanks to additional talent, the sky is the limit for this defensive front.

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