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Daily Slop – 1 Aug 25 – RB Bill Croskey-Merritt is getting tons of hype at Washington Commanders training camp

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A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East, the NFL and sports in general, and a sprinkling of other stuff

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Articles

ESPN

Source: Commanders WR Terry McLaurin requests trade

Washington Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin, frustrated with negotiations on a contract extension, has requested a trade, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Thursday.

With the sides far apart, McLaurin held out for the first four days of training camp before reporting Sunday. There has been no movement toward a new deal, one source said.

After practice each day, he has appeared on the field and signed autographs for fans, many of whom have chanted his name. One young fan asked him Sunday if he had been signed; McLaurin laughed and told him he was funny.

Team sources have said multiple times that the Commanders won’t trade McLaurin. It’s uncertain what interest he will draw from teams, knowing they would have to surrender a package that tempts the Commanders and then pay him more than $30 million per year.

ESPN

2025 Washington Commanders training camp: Latest intel, updates

Thursday, July 31

Rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt — who prefers to be called Bill — will be one of the Commanders’ most intriguing players throughout the preseason. He played just one game for the University of Arizona last season before he was suspended over eligibility issues; Washington drafted him in the seventh round anyway.

It’s hard to tell much about running backs before games are played, but Croskey-Merritt has impressed coaches and teammates with his quick one-cut moves and violent running nature. He flashed again Thursday with a long run around left end.

“It’s the violence of the cuts,” Quinn said, “and that he can get his shoulders square and get downhill fast. So, I’m very excited to see once we get into some opportunities, does he get tackled? Does he not? Does he run through some? But he’s off to a really good start.”

More:

  • Thursday provided another reminder of the good chemistry between quarterback Jayden Daniels and tight end Zach Ertz, especially in the red zone. The first two passes in the red zone today were 10-yard scoring throws to Ertz, the first where he blocked out the safety and the second off a quick play-action throw to the right flat.
  • Owner Josh Harris and minority owner Mark Ein attended practice today, one day ahead of the D.C. Council’s vote on whether or not to approve a stadium being built at the site where they once played at RFK Stadium.
ESPN

Jayden Daniels notices ‘night and day’ difference in 2nd season

That’s because Daniels said he is more used to coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s offense and his teammates. A year ago, Daniels was learning the system and adapting to the NFL and not worrying about leadership. Now, he said, he will chastise teammates at times if they make a mistake and is processing the offense at a faster level.

Not that it limited Daniels last season, when he was named the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year and finished seventh in MVP voting. He threw for 3,568 yards, 25 touchdowns and 9 interceptions while running for 891 yards and another six scores.

Ekeler said Daniels kicked one teammate out of the huddle in practice Thursday after he committed a false start penalty.

“He said, ‘Get out, we can’t be doing that,’” Ekeler said. “That’s leadership we wouldn’t have seen last year. He’s holding the standard, letting everyone know this is how we play. If you’re not playing at this level, you can’t be on the field. That’s awesome to see in a quarterback.”

Washington Post (paywall)

Commanders news and observations: Jayden Daniels still connects with Terry McLaurin

Meanwhile, rookies Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Jaylin Lane continue to pop for Washington’s offense.

Even before McLaurin reported to training camp, Daniels expressed confidence his rapport with McLaurin wouldn’t suffer from the contract dispute. The strength of their connection can be gleaned from the 82 catches, 1,096 yards and 13 touchdowns McLaurin recorded last year.

Still, Daniels and McLaurin are not exactly Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce when it comes to longevity. They have played one season together, which inherently means there’s room to grow. The mutual repetitions they’re missing while McLaurin is away from the field won’t make or break Daniels’s second season. But they matter. Every route Chris Moore or K.J. Osborn runs with Daniels is one McLaurin doesn’t.

“It’s super important for everybody, just to get as many reps as before the big show, the real thing is to happen,” Daniels said. “But I know that time will come. Until then, if that’s us getting in the film room and watching film and just talking, there’s other ways we can do it. Nothing’s changed since Terry’s been back in the building.”

The Athletic (paywall)

Commanders observations: Everyone is watching RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Bill has made his name known at Commanders training camp with his powerful runs, quick cuts and vision behind the line of scrimmage.

On Monday, the team’s first day with full pads, Croskey-Merritt earned his way onto the team-meeting highlight reel with a run up the middle. After taking a handoff from Josh Johnson, the 5-foot-11, 208-pound rookie made two quick cuts behind the line of scrimmage — first left and quickly back to the right — before bursting through a small crease in the line and taking off up the field. Awaiting him on the back end was safety Tyler Owens, who tried to wrap him up, the smack of their shoulder pads eliciting an “ooooh” from fans.

Croskey-Merritt has had a handful of cuts and impressive runs that have not only made him a player to watch in camp, but a young guy who has put some veterans on notice. The Commanders’ running backs room is led by Brian Robinson Jr. and has depth with Austin Ekeler, Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez Jr. But Washington’s rushing corps struggled to produce late last season, and now every veteran on the roster is on a one-year deal or in the final year of his contract.

Laremy Tunsil is one of the largest humans I’ve ever seen

That is all.

Commanders.com

Butler: ‘A blessing’ to be wanted by Commanders after signing extension

Percy Butler was getting ready for training camp when he got a call from his agent.

He had some good news for Butler: the Washington Commanders wanted to sign him to an extension, and he wanted to know if Butler was interested. His response: “Why wouldn’t I be interested?”

Not long after, Butler signed a one-year extension and earned a big hug from general manager Adam Peters. Butler, a former fourth-round pick by the previous coaching regime, proved his value to his new coaches and was rewarded for it. Now, he wants to keep finding ways for him to contribute.

“It’s a blessing for me and my family just to be wanted,” Butler said. “It’s a place that I got drafted by, and just to know that a new coaching staff that came in and wanted to keep me just makes me feel good about myself.”

A to Z Sports

Laremy Tunsil is helping Commanders rookie Josh Conerly Jr.

Veterans aren’t expected to come to a new team and become a mentor for a young player at the same position, but the players that do are the ones that separate themselves from the others and see the payoff on the field. The Commanders have another mentor-mentee relationship budding between two new players that people probably didn’t see coming.

HC Dan Quinn spoke to the media before practice on Thursday and pointed out the connection between Laremy Tunsil and Josh Conerly Jr.

“Last season, Marcus was really instrumental for us with Jaden,” Quinn told the media. “He’s one of the very best teammates I’ve ever been around. That type of connection of player to player is really, really strong. So to see that starting to begin with Laremy [Tunsil] and Josh [Conerly Jr.], and having that much trust in somebody, you know, that Josh does of watching him and learning, you can imagine like, what an invaluable experience that is for Josh.”

Commanders.com

Training camp notebook | ‘Leader is developing’ in Mike Sainristil

Jayden Daniels was looking to start practice on a positive note, so he rolled to his right, spotted Jaylin Lane downfield and fired a pass towards the rookie.

It was a nice throw, and under normal circumstances, it would have been a completion. Second-year cornerback Mike Sainristil had other plans, though, and he made a leaping one-handed catch to secure the ball before Lane could get his hands on it.

Plays like that have become a regular occurrence for Sainristil, who has moved back to being a nickel corner with rookie Trey Amos on the field. He was one of the Commanders’ best defensive players last season, and with a full year in the system, his coaches are starting to see him take another step, both on and off the field.

“The leader is developing and emerging,” head coach Dan Quinn said during his Thursday press conference. “To me, that’s the next step for him. The other players believe in him.”

Heiserman’s Huddle

Will Jayden Daniels Suffer a “Sophomore Slump” in Year Two?

[W]hat has Washington done differently than Houston to ensure that Jayden Daniels won’t regress this upcoming season? Well, for starters, they beefed up their offensive line by trading for five-time Pro-Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil. They also selected former Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. with their first round pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

A better offensive line should allow Daniels to become more comfortable in the pocket, which should not only lower his risk of injury, but also allow him to unleash his deep-ball accuracy, which is an area that he struggled with as a rookie.

Does More Film Matter?

One of the main reasons why many suspect that Daniels is due for a sophomore slump is the fact that opposing teams have had a whole offseason to study film and scheme against him. Although, you’d imagine that the Lions also had a decent amount of time to watch film and scheme against Daniels prior to the NFC divisional round. Yet, they still weren’t able to contain him, so I don’t see why that would change this season.

If anything, the main reason why Daniels would statistically have a worse season in 2025 is because he has a lot more pressure. Both mentally and physically, but in this case, I’m talking about physical pressure. In year two, C.J. Stroud was pressured 51 more times than he was as a rookie. You’d imagine teams plan on pressuring Daniels a lot more in his second season as well, in which case, I just think back to his game-sealing touchdown throw against the Bengals in week three of the 2024 season. Against a Cover‑0 blitz look with no deep safety, Daniels quickly released the ball, connecting with Terry McLaurin on a 27-yard touchdown, giving Washington a 12-point lead with 2:10 left to go.

Expect Jayden Daniels to see more pressure from defenses in year two, but that likely won’t pose as much of a challenge for him.

Podcasts & videos

Dan Quinn, Jayden Daniels, Deebo Samuel, & Daron Payne! | LIVE from Commanders Training Camp

The Highest Scoring NFL Game | Hail Tales: Stories From Washington Football History | Washington

NFC East links

Blogging the Boys

Shavon Revel’s father says he may need another 6-8 weeks to be ready for Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys have an interesting player on their roster in third-round rookie Shavon Revel. This is the case because if not for injury, Revel could have arguably gone in the first round of the NFL draft.

Unfortunately for Revel he tore his ACL while at East Carolina last season. The injury happened in September and there has long been speculation about as to when he will be fully ready. Revel opened training camp on the team’s NFI list (not the PUP list due to his injury happening while in college), and since camp began there have not been many breadcrumbs on the subject.

That changed on Thursday when 105.3 The Fan’s Gavin Dawson noted that Revel’s father told their show that Shavon may need “another 6-8 weeks” to return from injury.

Big Blue View

What does Terry McLaurin’s trade request mean for the Giants?

The news doesn’t directly impact the New York Giants, other than perhaps some schadenfreude.

That said, the Giants are set to play the Commanders in week 1, just 38 days away as of this writing, and as we’re well-aware, the Commanders finished second in the NFC last year. Terry McLaurin has been one of the best and most consistent receivers in the NFL since being drafted in 2019.

He’s finished with at least 77 receptions in each of the last five years, and has topped 1,000 yards in each of those years as well. Over that period, Alex Smith was the only consistently competent fielded by Washington before landing Jayden Daniels.

Otherwise, McLaurin had the likes of Case Keenum, Dwayne Haskins (R.I.P.), Kyle Allen, Taylor Heinicke, Carson Wentz, and Sam Howell throwing him the ball.

Washington is hoping that Daniels is able to build on his incandescent 2024 season and avoid a sophomore slump. Doing so would be significantly easier with McLaurin than without, particularly considering the rest of their receiver depth is lackluster.

It’s widely assumed that the Giants can’t afford to get off to a slow start this year. Their schedule at least looks formidable on paper, and there don’t look to be many likely wins.

The feeling here is that the Giants should want to beat opponents at their best. However, the practical reality is that a 2-0 start is far more likely if McLaurin is elsewhere. At the same time the Dallas Cowboys have their own contract woes with Micah Parsons and OL Tyler Guyton suffered a fractured bone and his status for Week 2 could be in question.

NFL league links

Articles

The Athletic (paywall)

The making of the ‘NFL Top 100,’ and our complicated relationship with it

In 2010, NFL Network produced a show that ranked the 100 best players in league history. Given the show’s success, the network wanted to repurpose the concept into an annual event. Behold, the yearly “NFL Top 100” was born, debuting moments after the 2011 NFL Draft concluded.

The concept was, and still is, simple: Rank the top 100 players of each NFL season, as voted on by their peers. No position requirements or team delegations. Players could even vote for themselves, and ballots could be anonymous.

Why 100? It was a numbers game. A 10-episode series, with 10 players per show, to bridge the gap during the NFL’s slowest time of the year “sounded pretty great,” supervising producer Adam Ryan said.

This year, that bridge is even longer, as the show moved to X. Since June 30, two players have been revealed each weekday on the social media platform, leading to the top 10 unveiling on NFL Network on Sept. 1. From 2019 to 2024, “Top 100” programming never lasted longer than two weeks. This year’s reveal spans 10 weeks.

“We had high hopes it would do well (on X), and it’s exceeding our expectations,” said Ryan, who has co-led the “Top 100” show since its beginning. “It cuts out the middleman because, look, it’s going to social media for debate anyway. Why not just get there quicker?”

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