Tag: 2021 NFL training camp

Ron Rivera is impressed with Samuel Cosmi after first practice in pads

Samuel Cosmi impressed Ron Rivera on Tuesday. It’s an encouraging sign.

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When Cornelius Lucas began training camp on the reserve/COVID-19 list, it meant rookie offensive tackle Samuel Cosmi would be thrown into the fire immediately, going against Chase Young and Montez Sweat in practice every day.

Through the first week of practice, things went as expected. Young and Sweat had their way with the rookie from Texas.

The pads finally went on Tuesday and, according to head coach Ron Rivera, Cosmi held his own against Young and Sweat.

This is encouraging news.

The coaches knew the only way Cosmi would be ready was to be matched up with Washington’s pass-rushers daily. He would lose more battles than he was expected to win, but the hope was he would improve each day. Now, it’s happening.

Young said last week he wanted to help Cosmi. But the best way he knew to help the rookie was to give him his best each day. Young certainly has done that, and Cosmi is better for it.

When he was at Texas, Cosmi often dominated because of his combination of size and athleticism. He was large and could move, but in watching his film, his technique could get sloppy. That didn’t scare Washington. You can teach technique. You can’t teach Cosmi’s size, athleticism and power.

Lucas is back now and will be in the mix with Cosmi to start at right tackle. If Cosmi can continue his upward trajectory for the remainder of camp — and in the preseason — he could be Washington’s starting right tackle earlier than expected.

Washington cornerback William Jackson III enjoying matchups with Terry McLaurin

William Jackson III and Terry McLaurin are getting better each day going against one another in practice.

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If you’ve been to Washington’s training camp this summer, you’ve probably seen the daily battles between wide receiver Terry McLaurin and cornerback William Jackson III. Even if you’ve not been to camp, you’ve likely read about the two or watched a video.

The third-year receiver and Washington’s new No. 1 cornerback have gone at one another — in a friendly manner — each day in practice. McLaurin has won his share of reps; Jackson has won his share.

After Monday’s practice in Ashburn, Jackson spoke to the media about his battles with McLaurin.

Jackson also spoke of the first time he met McLaurin on the field. It was Week 11 in the 2020 season when Jackson’s Cincinnati Bengals traveled to FedEx Field to face McLaurin and Washington.

Washington would win the game, 20-9, and McLaurin would lead the team with five receptions for 84 yards. Jackson and McLaurin were often matched up with one another on that day.

Jackson said McLaurin is even better now than he was in November, stressing his releases are a lot better. That’s interesting, considering McLaurin said a point of emphasis for him over the offseason was to work on his releases and did so with former NFL receiver Doug Baldwin.

The daily matchups will make both Jackson and McLaurin even better players.

Jackson finished his presser by talking about Washington’s pass-rushers. He’s certainly excited to play behind that group in 2021.

Fans will be excited to see Jackson line up against the opposition’s No. 1 wide receiver this fall as the team has lacked a true No. 1 corner for years.

That should change with Jackson.

 

 

 

Sights and sounds from Washington training camp on Monday

Some of the top photos and videos from Washington’s training camp.

The Washington Football Team was back in Ashburn on Monday to resume training camp. Washington spent the first week of camp in Richmond, culminating in fan appreciation day on Saturday.

Washington was without starting defensive tackle Jonathan Allen was held out of practice on Monday with what head coach Ron Rivera deemed as a hamstring injury. He’s day-to-day.

Quarterback Kyle Allen was also a non-participant, as he injured his surgically-repaired ankle on Saturday and was held out for precautionary reasons.

Here are some of the top photos and videos from Washington training camp courtesy of the team and beat writers.

 

 

News and notes from Ron Rivera’s Monday presser

Ron Rivera talked injuries to Jon Allen, Kyle Allen & Jamin Davis. He praised Cole Holcomb & Khaleke Hudson.

Washington coach Ron Rivera covered several topics in his Monday press briefing. First, the COVID-19 talk; then, the head coach discussed other news surrounding the team.

When practice began on Monday, defensive tackle Jonathan Allen wasn’t with the first-team defense. With Matt Ioannidis and Daron Payne on the reserve/COVID-19 list, there was concern about Allen. Nothing to worry about as Rivera said Allen is dealing with a hamstring injury and is day-to-day.

Quarterback Kyle Allen, who is third on the depth chart, tweaked his surgically-repaired ankle over the weekend.

Kyle Allen is also day-to-day.

Another player not participating in team drills was rookie linebacker, Jamin Davis.

It turns out Davis was poked in the eye and was battling an infection.

Second-year linebacker Khaleke Hudson was getting some run with the first team, and Rivera addressed Hudson after practice.

The Buffalo Nickel spot is ideal for Hudson and his athleticism. Washington has several options there, but Hudson is certainly an intriguing one.

Speaking of linebackers, Rivera praised Cole Holcomb.

One issue that will certainly relieve fans is the condition of running back Antonio Gibson’s toe. Rivera said the toe is not an issue for Gibson now.

 

 

Ron Rivera ‘very pleased’ with player turnout for COVID-19 vaccines on Sunday

The team held a vaccination event on Sunday for players and Ron Rivera was pleased with the turnout.

Washington head coach Ron Rivera met with the media after Monday’s practice in Ashburn. It was the team’s first practice back at team headquarters after spending the first week of training camp in Richmond.

After a day off, Rivera had plenty to go over on Monday. One of the top items was COVID-19. Washington had its seventh player go on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Sunday when Daron Payne was placed on the list.

Rivera told reporters over the weekend that multiple players had signed up to be vaccinated on Sunday. The head coach was happy with the turnout.

Another important question was how Rivera would be view unvaccinated players when it came time for roster decisions. If two players were battling for one spot, would a player’s vaccine status be held against them? The head coach said absolutely not.

It will be interesting to see the team’s latest vaccination rate when the new numbers are released. The percentage had already climbed as of Friday before the latest round of vaccinations.

Washington will have some tough decisions to make at wide receiver

The competition at wide receiver has been outstanding in training camp so far. Washington will be forced to make some tough choices over the next month.

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One year ago, you could argue that wide receiver was the weakest position on the Washington Football Team. Second-year pro Terry McLaurin was special — but there was little else.

Boy, how things change.

Washington signed Curtis Samuel in free agency to serve as the team’s No. 2 wideout. Samuel was coming off a career year and can line up all over the place on offense. The WFT also added reliable but injury-prone veteran Adam Humphries.

Then, in the NFL draft, Washington was fortunate when North Carolina wide receiver Dyami Brown fell to the third round. Suddenly, the Football Team had some depth at wide receiver.

Washington would also return some promising younger players such as Cam Sims, Steven Sims Jr., Kelvin Harmon, Isaiah Wright and Antonio Gandy-Golden. There was also seventh-round pick Dax Milne.

One week into training camp, it’s clear which players are making the 53-man roster. McLaurin, Samuel, Brown, Cam Sims and Humphries all feel like locks to make the roster. Humphries could be a surprise cut, but he has a nice rapport with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.

The biggest question is, how many receivers will head coach Ron Rivera keep?

Most NFL teams keep five or six receivers on the roster. That number could vary depending on which players contribute on special teams.

Washington needs a punt returner. Of those players in camp, Sims Jr., DeAndre Carter, Wright, Milne and Humphries could all get looks at punt returner. Sims has done it before but hasn’t been overly successful.

Carter is the player to watch. The 28-year-old is on his eighth NFL team and can return punts. He’s also had a strong camp as a receiver. That versatility could help him land on Washington’s 53-man roster.

Sims Jr. entered camp squarely on the roster bubble after struggling at times last season. He has looked good this summer.

Sims Jr. has talent. He looked like a future keeper in 2019.

Next is Gandy-Golden. A fourth-round pick last season, Gandy-Golden failed to make an impression before his injury last season. The 6-foot-4 Gandy-Golden is impressive and is another receiver standing out this summer.

A player who is quietly off the radar is Harmon. As a rookie in 2019, Harmon caught 30 passes and looked to be a part of the future as a reliable possession receiver. The previous coaching staff really liked him. Unfortunately for Harmon, he was injured before training camp began last summer and was lost for the season.

He’s back — and catching everything.

Wright caught 27 passes as a rookie undrafted free agent in 2021. He can also return punts.

Milne, the rookie from BYU, has also impressed coaches in camp. He seems like a longshot, more like someone who could begin his career on the practice squad.

What has helped these receivers so far in camp is the absence of Samuel. Nursing a groin injury and also on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Samuel has yet to practice. It has opened the door for others, and they have taken advantage.

Regardless of what happens between now and the end of the month, Washington has some tough decisions to make at wide receiver. The team is going to cut multiple good players who will latch on somewhere else. It’s likely the preseason could make or break some of these young receivers.

Being in a position to cut good players is a problem Washington is glad to have.

Washington defensive tackle Daron Payne placed on reserve/COVID-19 list

Daron Payne is the seventh Washington player placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list over the past week.

The Washington Football Team placed defensive tackle Daron Payne on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Sunday.

Payne is now the seventh member of the team placed on the COVID list. On Saturday, the WFT placed offensive guard Brandon Scherff and reserve offensive tackle David Sharpe on the list.

Washington was off on Sunday after traveling back from Richmond to Ashburn. The team will be back on the practice field Monday.

Of the seven players on the COVID-19 list, Scherff, Payne, wide receiver Curtis Samuel, offensive tackle Cornelius Lucas and defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis are either starters or are expected to be significant players on the 2021 team.

Head coach Ron Rivera opened camp last week, expressing his frustration on his team’s lower vaccination rate as compared to other teams. Rivera, who underwent treatment for cancer during the season in 2020, is immunocompromised.

Washington opens the preseason at New England on Thursday, Aug. 12.

Washington coach Ron Rivera talks COVID, Allen, Collins & more in Saturday presser

Washington coach Ron Rivera covered a number of topics in his final press conference from Richmond.

Washington Football Team head coach Ron Rivera met with the media after Saturday’s final practice in Richmond. Rivera began his presser by answering a question about right guard Brandon Scherff and reserve offensive tackle David Sharpe, who were not on the practice field.

He wasn’t too happy in announcing that Scherff and Sharpe were placed in “the protocol,” meaning the reserve/COVID-19 list. Washington now has six players on the list.

Rivera noted how players going into the COVID protocols impacted the coaching staff and their ability to properly evaluate the players.

Rivera did feel a bit more optimistic because multiple players were scheduled to get vaccinated on Sunday. However, some players were “dug in” about not getting the vaccine.

Another potential area of concern could be backup quarterback Kyle Allen. Allen, who dislocated his ankle last season, went down on Saturday. Rivera said Allen “tweaked his ankle.”

Rivera continues to praise safety Landon Collins.

Saturday was Washington’s final day in Richmond, but Rivera was extremely pleased with the city.

Washington now returns to Ashburn for the remainder of training camp.

 

 

Washington co-CEO Tanya Snyder addresses fans at fan appreciation day

Tanya Snyder addressed fans at fan appreciation day. She even tossed souvenirs to fans.

The Washington Football Team wrapped up their short week in Richmond with fan appreciation day on Saturday. The team reported on Tuesday and began practice on Wednesday.

Now, Washington heads back to Ashburn for the remainder of camp.

Fan appreciation day was unlike any other in recent memory. Gone were the players going to the fence to take pictures and sign autographs for fans. Perhaps that will return in 2022.

There was the new dance team, which performed for fans on Saturday. Also new this year was the owner addressing the fans.

No, it wasn’t Dan Snyder who addressed fans. It was his wife — co-CEO — Tanya Snyder, who addressed and spent time throwing souvenirs to lucky fans.

Thank you so much for coming today. There’s a lot in store so please stick around. We just wanna say, everybody, starting with Coach — we got a great, new, fabulous coach — we are in a new era with Ron Rivera, and everybody is definitely showing up. They promised us, you heard our players, they’re going to show up for you. So please show up for them.

The final part of her speech felt more like a pep rally, which the folks in Richmond loved.

I have been on the sidelines for 22 years, and I’m much more active and involved now with my husband. We couldn’t be more excited about our new leadership. They are wonderful, so strong outside of football, and the best in their class in everything they’ve done. You’re going to see a lot of growth, listening to our fans, and we want to see you in the stadium. So, thank you again for coming today and we look forward to seeing you next Friday.

It’s a new day in Washington. From Ron Rivera to Jason Wright to Tanya Snyder, fans are actually buying in once again. Next up is filling FedEx Field with burgundy & gold.

WATCH: Terry McLaurin gives cleats to a young Washington fan

Washington Football Team wide receiver Terry McLaurin found a way to connect with fans on fan appreciation day.

It was fan appreciation day at Washington training camp on Saturday in Richmond. In past years, fan appreciation day meant fans would line up and get the opportunity to receive autographs from some of their favorite NFL stars.

In the current world, with COVID-19 still being prevalent, that isn’t an option this summer.

Washington Football Team wide receiver Terry McLaurin found another way to give back to fans on Saturday. McLaurin took a pair of his cleats and directed Washington’s communications coordinator to give them to a young fan. McLaurin specifically pointed out the young fan.

According to John Keim of ESPN, McLaurin also gifted his gloves to another fan wearing a No. 17 jersey.

McLaurin is not only a great player; he is one of Washington’s most popular players, too.