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Daily Slop – 11 Jun 24: Commanders Minicamp opens today

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Texans front office executive leaves for Commanders

In a surprising move, KPRC2’s NFL and Texans insider Aaron Wilson broke the news that the Houston Texans’ Director of Team Development Dylan Thompson was leaving the organization to sign with the Washington Commanders.

Wilson reports that the position with the Commanders is “for a similar role.” The reported lateral move comes as a bit of a shock due to several factors. Thompson is highly-regarded as seen by the recent comments of reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud and Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson Jr.

Why would Thompson leave the Texans?

I guess the biggest question is: Why did Thompson depart? The young players like Stroud, Anderson Jr. and others have spoken glowingly about how he’s helped their transition to the pros, both on and off the field.

Receiver Nico Collins has worked off to the side with the former quarterback Thompson since they both arrived in 2021 and continued into this offseason. Collins could be seen yearly, working on different types of catches to fine-tune his game.

While Thompson may not be the main reason why Collins blossomed into the talent that he’s become, it does illustrate his value in different facets.

Three years in Detroit followed by three years in Houston. Maybe he felt his path had run its course in the bayou city and he was looking for a new challenge. It may have been due to business or personal. We may never know.

What we do know is that the Texans lost a talent from their organization today and a great person. Washington deserves kudos for adding Thompson as he’s an ideal get if you’re looking to spread enthusiasm and character through an organization with plans on a culture change.

Commanders Wire

Texans QB C.J. Stroud raves about new Commanders hire Dylan Thompson

In this role, Thompson is responsible for helping all players, specifically younger players, acclimate to the NFL. A former college quarterback at South Carolina, Thompson made a positive impact on last year’s NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, C.J. Stroud, with the Texans.

According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 in Houston, here’s what Stroud said about Thompson last year.

“I think I grew tremendously, man,” said Stroud. “I know he’s going to be mad at me for this, Dylan Thompson. Oh my gosh, Dylan is one of the best human beings that I’ve ever met in my life. There’s a ton of people, great people in this organization, but DT has been the main person.

More from Stroud on Thompson.

“You talk about a brother like to somebody who loves you no matter what happens on that field, you can feel that. I just appreciate that and now he’s going to be mad at me, but, man, he’s a great person, and really one of the reasons why I feel like we were very successful this year.”

Stroud said this without anyone asking about Thompson specifically. That’s how much Stroud valued Thompson.

Washington is often compared to Houston as a best-case scenario. A new coach, a dynamic young quarterback selected No. 2 overall, and a last-place team heading into a new season. A phenomenal rookie class played a massive role in the Texans’ turnaround, led by Stroud.

Commanders Wire

5 things to watch during Commanders mandatory minicamp

Who lines up as the starting secondary?

[I]t doesn’t sound like Forbes would start if the season began tomorrow. While head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. have praised Forbes, he will need to earn the job. As of now, it looks like Michael Davis would start opposite of St-Juste, with Martin and Chinn as the top safeties.

Rookie DT Johnny Newton

In a social media post on Monday, Newton shared the following picture showing he was no longer in a walking boot. While it’s extremely doubtful he can participate this week, that could be good news as he hopes to return for training camp.

Commanders.com

Michael Davis still looking to prove himself in Year 8

Davis said coming to a new team after spending his entire career on the West Coast feels he’s joining the league as UDFA again. His resume is a bit fuller than it was back in 2017, though. As a starter for two coaching regimes, Davis recorded 349 tackles — leading the team’s cornerbacks from 2020-22 — as well as eight interceptions, 69 pass breakups and two fumble recoveries.

That kind of production does get recognized by some of Davis’ new teammates, but that does not guarantee him a starting spot on the depth chart, despite him routinely playing with the first group in OTA practices. The Commanders’ secondary underwent some of the most change this offseason with players like Kendall Fuller leaving for the Miami Dolphins, and the players who remain from the previous regime, such as Emmanuel Forbes Jr. and Benjamin St-Juste, are slated to be heavier contributors but still must answer questions about how they fit into the scheme.

Davis, who has played in more games than any cornerback on the Commanders’ roster, wants to add some stability to the position group.

“I still gotta prove myself to them,” Davis said. “I still gotta prove that I’m still that dog.”

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