Category: Latest Washington News

Chase Young named NFL’s 17th best edge defender despite playing in zero games

Young hasn’t taken an NFL snap just yet, but he is already being considered among the best in the league at his position.

[jwplayer UFtwXGNG]

Sometimes when your team walks away from the NFL draft with an all-star talent, it gets pretty hard not to have incredibly high expectations. That’s a battle that every Washington fan has been internally going through this offseason, ever since Chase Young became a member of the team in April.

After Young had one of the best college seasons by an edge rusher in NCAA history, many are calling for him to do similar things in the NFL. Some will warn you against expecting Young to have a major impact in his rookie season, but the good people over at Pro Football Focus don’t see an issue with aiming high with aspirations for the rookie. They recently ranked the top 25 edge defenders in the league, and Young landed at No. 17 on that list, despite not having played an NFL game just yet.

It might seem like madness to rank a rookie this high before he has taken an NFL snap — we have all seen highly touted rookies amount to nothing at the next level — but it speaks to just how dominant Young was in college and how confident we are in his transition. PFF College grading has done an excellent job highlighting elite pass-rushers from the college ranks, and the two dominant edge rushers at Ohio State who preceded Young — the Bosa brothers — both hit the ground running in the NFL. Young produced the highest pass-rush grade we have ever seen in college (95.4) and the best pass-rush win rate (22.3%). He should be a force right out of the gate.

So far in training camp, Young has lived up to the billing when on the field — he’s missed a couple of practices with a hip flexor injury — and the duo of him and 2019 first-round pick Montez Sweat could end up being lethal.

Might Washington have two edge defenders ranking in the top 25 come 2021? Who knows, it’s not out of the question.

[vertical-gallery id=40493]

Vernon Davis says he was ‘hurt deep down’ by Washington’s decision to change name

The former Washington tight end was unhappy with Washington’s decision to change their team name this offseason.

[jwplayer UFtwXGNG]

When the Washington Football Team made the decision to become the Washington Football Team earlier this offseason, many fans were upset about the change to tradition. A historic legacy had been built under the former name, and the decision to change it threatened what many believed was their identity.

One of those people who felt this was was former Washington tight end Vernon Davis, who told TMZ recently that he was pretty upset hearing about the name change.

“I feel like a part of me has been taken away,” Davis said “I grew up a Washington Redskins fan, right? I’ve always wanted to play for the team as a kid. I always had dreams and aspirations to play for that team.”

“So, for them to change the name, it really hurt. It hurt deep down inside.”

The team has yet to decide what their mascot will be going forward, but they will be known as the Washington Football Team until further notice. The new name will be something that fans, sponsors, and players agree on, which hopefully will make all parties happy.

“But I understand it’s a business. It’s all business,” Davis said. “If there’s a lot of complaints and everyone’s asking and if it’s going to shine a better light on the organization, and just everything in general, I think it’s best.”

[vertical-gallery id=40493]

Highlight déjà vu: Haskins-to-McLaurin play nearly identical to TD catch at Ohio State

Haskins and McLaurin hooked up for an impressive TD on Monday, which was nearly identical to a highlight they had at Ohio State in college.

Twitter circles in Washington were abuzz on Monday morning when the video of the highlight-reel throw and catch from QB Dwayne Haskins to WR Terry McLaurin hit the web.

Near the end of practice, QB Dwayne Haskins fired a rocket downfield for a streaking Terry McLaurin, catching him in-stride as McLaurin beat Greg Stroman for a diving catch in the endzone. McLaurin quickly got up and punted the ball in celebration, tearing his helmet off and boasting with his teammates.

The video received a lot of attention online, with NFL superstar WR Michael Thomas shouting out McLaurin for the catch, and Ohio State — which is where both Haskins and McLaurin played together in college — mashed up Monday’s highlight with a similar play from their time together on Columbus. Take a look…

Though it’s on the opposite side of the field, the play is nearly identical. We’ve seen throughout this training camp that both Haskins and McLaurin have a special connection on the field, and they routinely hook up for stellar plays. This video helps remind us why — they’ve been doing it for a long time, and there’s no end in sight.

[vertical-gallery id=40493]

Chiefs’ HC Andy Reid says Ron Rivera will attack cancer with ‘grit and toughness’

A long relationship has tied Reid with Rivera, and the Chiefs’ HC has confidence that Rivera will be able to face cancer head-on.

News of Washington head coach Ron Rivera’s cancer diagnosis spread quickly across the NFL world, with many players and coaches who know him well sending their well-wishes and love to the beloved head man, many of whom stated something along the lines of “cancer doesn’t stand a chance against Rivera.”

One of the people to mirror that message was Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid, who had Rivera coaching under him for a bit in Philadelphia. Reid was asked about Rivera’s situation after practice recently, and his words were extremely encouraging. Here is the interaction, with the question asked by KC Star reporter Herbie Teope:

Q: You have a tight relationship with your former assistants, and two nights ago, Washington Head Coach Ron Rivera announced that he has cancer. What was your reaction when you heard the news, and have you had an opportunity to offer him words of encouragement?
REID: Well, I did. Ron lost a brother to cancer, so this is something he dealt with. He watched his brother with it, he understands the importance of getting it taken care of and he’ll attack it. He’s a linebacker and once a linebacker, always a linebacker. So, he’s got that grit and toughness and he’ll need that as he goes forward. But he’s in the right frame of mind. He’s a positive guy and he’s staying positive with this. But at the same time, he knows he has to bear down on it, and that’s what he’ll do.”

Watching as Rivera has dealt with the early reactions of a lymph node cancer diagnosis has been encouraging, and he’s continually said that he wants things to remain ‘business as usual’ going forward, with a backup plan that DC Jack Del Rio will step in as HC should Rivera need to miss some time for treatment. The form of cancer is reportedly very treatable and curable, and Rivera will do everything needed in order to take care of it. Judging by the comments from coaches around the league, he will be able to use it as motivation for not only him, but the rest of his team to get better as well.

[vertical-gallery id=40493]

WATCH: Dwayne Haskins hits Terry McLaurin in-stride for diving TD catch

The play of Washington training camp took place on Monday, with Haskins hitting a diving McLaurin in-stride for the toughdown.

When this play happened in training camp on Monday, players went wild in celebration, and reporters quickly took to Twitter to alert Washington fans of the highlight that was soon to come.

Well, now it’s here, and it’s just as great as advertised. Near the end of practice, QB Dwayne Haskins fired a rocket downfield for a streaking Terry McLaurin, catching him in-stride as McLaurin beat Greg Stroman for a diving catch in the endzone.

McLaurin quickly got up and punted the ball in celebration, tearing his helmet off and boasting with his teammates. NBC Sports Washington’s reporter JP Finlay dubbed it ‘the biggest play of camp’ thus far, and we see nothing wrong with that evaluation.

Imagine this coming to fruition on Sundays when the games matter? It can’t come soon enough.

[vertical-gallery id=40420]

Kyle Allen gives Dwayne Haskins credit for picking up new offense quickly

A big question this offseason was about whether or not Haskins could grasp the new offense in time for Week 1, but he’s doing well so far.

While quarterback Dwayne Haskins had a tough time in his rookie season picking up the new system in Washington and acclimating to the NFL, things weren’t supposed to get much easier for the passer as he entered year two. Though he had a bit of experience under his belt, and he was able to traverse through an unusual offseason exceptionally well, getting into the best shape of his life, the challenge of learning yet another new system, and adapting to another new coaching staff loomed with training camp.

Thus far, Haskins has done extremely well, particularly when it comes to getting up to speed on the new scheme under OC Scott Turner. QB Kyle Allen, who was brought to Washington from Carolina to help fill in the gaps should Haskins need time to adjust, credited the QB1 in Washington on Monday with his ability to learn quickly.

It was a common question over the offseason as to whether or not Allen would end up being the starting QB in Week 1 of the season, giving Haskins some time to better grasp the offense. So far, though, it seems that Haskins is doing just fine, and you can use a Sharpie to jot his name down on the QB1 line of the depth chart.

[vertical-gallery id=40420]

Ron Rivera shouts out TEs Logan Thomas and Marcus Baugh after practice

Two tight ends in Washington, both Baugh and Thomas, have stood out in camp, and they got some love from Rivera on Monday.

Earlier on Monday, we questioned whether or not Washington might be okay at the tight end position, thanks to the breakout of Logan Thomas and Marcus Baugh in training camp.  Our consensus was that it may be a bit too soon to say that Washington will be fine at that position, but the continued growth of those two players, in particular, is something extremely intriguing to keep your eye on.

It seems that head coach Ron Rivera agrees, as he mentioned after practice on Monday that both players are looking great, alluding to an impactful season from both of them.

An interesting thing to note is how Baugh — who went undrafted after coming out of Ohio State in 2018 — has seemingly replaced Richard Rodgers in the TE ranks, with Jeremy Sprinkle finishing out the trio of big pass-catchers.

What’s clear so far is that Dwayne Haskins seems to be loving the addition of some healthy TEs in Washington, and he’s going to them in the passing game as much as he can.

[vertical-gallery id=40493]

Washington officially cuts WR Cody Latimer from roster

Washington officially cut ties with Latimer, who had been placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List this offseason.

It comes as no surprise, but the Washington Football Team has officially parted ways with WR Cody Latimer, who was placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List earlier this offseason after facing felony charges stemming from an incident in Colorado.

This is a move that was expected to be made, so it does not hurt the roster in Washington as it is currently constructed.

Going forward, Washington will utilize a receiver group that consists mainly of Terry McLaurin, Steven Sims, Antonio Gandy-Golden, and Dontrelle Inman, who was signed after Latimer was placed on the exempt list.

Latimer is scheduled to reappear virtually for a preliminary hearing Aug. 20.

[vertical-gallery id=40493]

Ron Rivera says team is trying to be cautious with Chase Young’s hip injury

Chase Young suffered a minor hip flexor injury early in camp, and Rivera says the team may be being a bit cautious with it as to protect him

Remember those first couples of days in training camp where all we could collectively do was watch rookie Chase Young and marvel at the athletic specimen that he was?

It’s been some time since we’ve been able to see him dominate in drills, as the team has been holding him out for the past couple of practices with a hip flexor injury that they say is minor. When talking to the media on Sunday, head coach Ron Rivera addressed the situation again, saying that they feel confident in where Young is, and at this point, they are trying to be as cautious as possible so as not to put his future with the team at risk.

The fact that this injury came early in camp is a good thing, because it gives both the team and Young a chance to adjust going forward, and make sure that he is healthy enough for the first game once it rolls around. With a young and talented player like Chase, there has to be a broader mindset, making sure you have him healthy for years to come, rather than for any single week.

No worries in Washington, just cautious patience.

[vertical-gallery id=40493]

Adrian Peterson says Washington’s camp is ‘night and day’ compared to last year

With a new coaching staff in place, AP says that the difference in focus and effort is night and day compared to last year.

With the new regime in Washington, led by head coach Ron Rivera, the goal going forward was to rebrand the franchise and create a winning culture going forward. Through five training camp practices, the difference is already palpable, according to veteran running back Adrian Peterson, who says that it’s ‘night and day’ from what he saw with the team last year.

As one of the older players in the NFL, AP knows what it’s like to go through camp with a coaching staff who may be on the way out, and he definitely knows what it’s like to be playing with a team who has a goal in mind and is on it’s way to accomplishing that. Luckily it seems that Washington fits into the latter group there.

If that difference can be felt this early on in Rivera’s tenure, it’s fun to imagine what might be accomplished a couple of years down the road. The sky is the limit, players just have to keep working the system and see it work for them.

[vertical-gallery id=40493]