Daily Slop – 3 Jul 25 – What’s ahead for Mikey Sainristil as he moves back to slot corner?

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Challenges facing Mike Sainristil as he shifts back to the slot

Sainristil immediately won the starting slot cornerback job, but after the secondary had multiple issues in the opening weeks of the season, the Commanders kicked him outside and he steadily improved over the course of the season. He came up with two huge interceptions in the playoff win over the Lions, one of which was a truly exceptional play that showed the upside in his game.

The Commanders happen to play the exact coverage that the Lions were looking for. They play quarters coverage and you can see how safety Quan Martin attaches to the basic cross from the slot receiver. That leaves cornerback Mike Sainristil on the outside in a really tough position. He’s playing with outside leverage against a post route where he should have help inside but actually doesn’t. On top of that, he’s doing it against one of the fastest receivers in the league. But Saintstil plays this perfectly. He keeps his cushion to try and stay on top of Jameson Williams vertical threat. Once Williams breaks inside to the post, Sainristil gets a strong idea of what the offense is trying to do. Instead of trying to stay on top of the route, he gets aggressive and goes for the ball by undercutting the route. He times it perfectly and arrives in front of Williams as the ball does, intercepting the pass in the end zone.

However, playing outside wasn’t always the plan for Sainristil. He was drafted to play in the slot, largely because of his size. At his size, he’s more suited to playing inside.

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Commanders.com

Commanders tease new alternate uniforms for 2025 season

The decision by the Commanders to design new alternate uniforms comes in light of the NFL making multiple adjustments to their uniform policies in recent years. In 2021, the NFL approved an update that allowed teams to wear alternate helmets in the 2022 season; in 2024, the league expanded upon that policy to allow a third alternate helmet design; and earlier this year, the league informed teams that they could wear throwback or alternate jersey up to four times per season — up one more from the previous three.

The Commanders currently have three uniform combinations: their home jersey, which features burgundy as the primary color; their white jerseys worn during away games; and their all-black alternate uniforms, which features homages to the military as well as Washington, D.C. The team also brought back their gold pants, which debuted last season, as a nod to its historic past.

Not much is known about the Commanders’ new alternate uniforms, other than that the helmet will feature the Commanders’ “W” that was reveals as part of the franchise’s rebrand in 2022. However, the team has been dedicated to blending its past with the future, and their are several classic looks over the franchise’s 90-plus years of history that they could pull from.

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Commanders.com

Commanders 2025 training camp preview | Safety

The opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of the team unless specified by a direct quote.

• Can Will Harris help the Commanders improve in coverage? Jeremy Chinn played well for the Commanders in 2024 and was one of the team’s best tacklers, but it was clear that he struggled at times in coverage. The Commanders ranked 30th as a team in that category, according to Pro Football Focus, and that was something they set out to change this offseason. They believe Harris, who previously worked with Marshon Lattimore as a member of the New Orleans Saints, is part of the answer. Harris might be a little less physical at the point of attack but is slightly better in coverage with a career-high five pass breakups last season. The hope is that Harris will allow Washington to be more versatile in the secondary and give offenses different looks compared to last year, which should elevate the entire defense.
• Will Quan Martin turn into the safety his coaches believe he can become? Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. had high praise for Martin during OTAs when he said Martin could become one of the league’s better safeties. Those are high expectations, but Martin has stepped up ahead of his third season. He’s no longer making mistakes Whitt said “we can’t afford to make,” and he has become a leader in terms of communicating calls and understanding the scheme. That, along with the natural talent that helped him record a career-high in tackles as well as two interceptions, makes his coaches excited about what he could become this season. Martin made a considerable jump in production from his rookie to second season with more snaps and looks primed to take another one in 2025.
• Who emerges as key depth pieces at the position? Although we’re still over a month away from the first unofficial depth chart being released, it seems fair to assume Martin and Harris will be the starting safeties. After that, it’s anyone’s guess how the position will play out. We do know some things about Washington’s plans; Whitt wants to find a bigger role for Reaves, who signed a contract extension last month, outside of playing special teams. Tyler Owens, another core special teams player, could have a bigger role if he can build on the development he showed as a rookie. There’s also Percy Butler, who has some likeable qualities but is entering the final year of his contract. There are some good players in the group, but they’ll need to prove they deserve bigger roles in camp.

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Heavy.com

Trenches Re-Loaded: Can Commanders’ D-Line Surprise in 2025?

The Washington Commanders didn’t just reload this offseason; they rebuilt their defensive front with a purpose. After several years of inconsistency, injuries, and unmet expectations along the defensive line, Washington enters the 2025 NFL season with a deep, versatile, and physically imposing group of linemen that’s could draw comparisons to the elite trenches of teams like the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers.

With the NFC East once again shaping up as a physical warzone and the Eagles’ dominant offensive line still setting the standard, Washington is betting big that their revamped defensive front can change the narrative, control the line of scrimmage, and become the foundation of a playoff-caliber defense.

To win in the NFC East, you have to win up front. That’s been true for decades, and the Philadelphia Eagles have made a habit of bullying opponents in the trenches on both sides of the ball. Washington knows this, and their moves this offseason clearly reflect a desire to build a unit capable of punching back and winning.

Philadelphia still boasts All-Pros across its offensive line, but the Commanders are closing the gap. Few teams in the league now have the rotational depth that Washington has assembled. The goal is to keep bodies fresh, unleash waves of pressure, and create chaos, especially against quarterbacks like Jalen Hurts and Dak Prescott.

Quinn’s defense is predicated on disruption, speed, and versatility, and this defensive line group appears to check all three boxes. By pairing pass-rushers like Armstrong, Kinlaw, and Wise with high-effort gap stuffers like Payne, Newton, and Goldman, the Commanders can now adapt to any offensive front they face. They’ll also be more capable of generating pressure with just four down linemen, a massive advantage in today’s NFL, where blitz-heavy defenses often get burned.

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Riggo’s Rag

Ryan Kerrigan adding another weapon to Frankie Luvu’s game

One look at Kerrigan working closely with Luvu at Commanders minicamp, captured by Scott Abraham of 7News DC, shows what’s in store for the best blitzing defender on the roster.

There are a myriad of reasons Commanders general manager Adam Peters should have signed or drafted an elite edge-rusher, but didn’t. The presence of Luvu has to be one of the strongest.

The 28-year-old is already arguably the most efficient pass-rusher on the roster. Numbers from Pro Football Focus after a Week 5 game against the Cleveland Browns summed up how effectively Luvu uses his pass-rushing opportunities.

He often blitzed inside gaps or ran stunts and twists to the outside, but Luvu also showcased an ability to put his hand in the dirt and win off the edge. Letting him do this more often will not only offset letting 2024 team sack leader Dante Fowler Jr. walk in free agency after a career year, but also make up for the lack of dynamic athletes still on the depth chart.

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