Daily Slop – 4 Aug 24: Mikey Sainristil, Brycen Tramayne, Hall of Fame returners, and Jayden Daniels’ sacks

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Washington Post (paywall)

Jayden Daniels took sacks at LSU. Will it be an issue in the NFL?

Historically, sacks kill offenses, but a deeper look at Daniels’s college stats suggests the Commanders rookie can overcome them at the next level.

Overall, Daniels was sacked on 20.2 percent of the dropbacks in which he was pressured, which ranked 79th in the FBS and was more than two percentage points higher than the national average.

The only other first-rounder with a worse “pressure-to-sack” rate was Chicago’s Caleb Williams (21.9 percent), but the data also suggests Williams was more elusive in the pocket as he tried to buy time and make explosive plays. It took longer to sack Williams than any other quarterback in the country (4.2 seconds on average), whereas Daniels went down more quickly (3.5 seconds, 43rd).

The worry: If Daniels got sacked at a relatively high clip behind a strong offensive line at an elite program, the problem might get worse when he plays for a rebuilding NFL team with a line that, uh, looks pretty thin at tackle.

But when opponents couldn’t bring down Daniels, he cooked them. It takes fewer numbers to explain this because people have seen the highlights that led to him winning the Heisman trophy.

Pressure didn’t stop him from hunting big plays; last year he led the FBS in yards per attempt on throws when pressured (11.1), and nearly half of his completions on such throws gained 20 yards or more (48 percent, fourth). And on 104 pressured dropbacks, Daniels committed just one turnover.

“So that’s the trade-off: A few more sacks may be worth it as long as Daniels continues to take care of the ball and exploit defenses working to create pressure,” Starrett wrote in an email.

The criticisms of Daniels might remind Commanders fans of those about Sam Howell, who spent a stretch of last season on pace to break the single-season sack record. (Ultimately, he merely led the league with 65.)

But Starrett found that Daniels’s sack problem was never even close to as severe as Howell’s in college and that Daniels protected the ball much better.

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Commanders.com

Three standouts from Week 2 of Commanders training camp

Mike Sainristil was advertised as a player who could do it all, and so far the former Michigan defensive back has lived up to the reputation.

“What I have seen is excellent ability to stay connected man-to-man,” Quinn said. “He’s a very good communicator, very intentional about that.”

Sainristil has spent most of his defensive snaps as the starting nickel cornerback. Quinn feels that he has established himself at the position because of his “exceptional quickness” and ability to thrive in run fits and guarding skill players on multiple routes. He’s also shown impressive ball skills, as he nearly intercepted a pass intended for Jamison Crowder during Friday’s one-on-one drills.

Sainristil has also appeared in the rotation of players catching kicks during kickoff return and punt return drills. The coaching staff doesn’t want to take him away from his primary position, but they do want to see how much they can get out of him.

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Riggo’s Rag

3 under-the-radar Commanders staking strong claims at 2024 training camp

Some new and forgotten players are making Dan Quinn’s job that much harder.

Brycen Tremayne – Commanders WR

This one is going to catch a lot of people by surprise. Though the Washington Commanders have a reasonably clear top four or five wide receivers, it’s not as if the rest completely lack talent.

It’s the norm for NFL teams. Everyone can play. But what makes Brycen Tremayne stand out are a few things. Primarily, that he is 6-foot-4.

As a part of the current Commanders group, he would add a type of diversity that other members simply can’t. Tremayne would give Washington’s offense a great change-of-pace type player who can continue to stand out with impressive snags like the diving one he caught in a recent practice from Marcus Mariota. The former Stanford star finds himself on the bubble, just close enough to [maybe] make the roster.

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Commanders Wire

Devin Hester advocates for Brian Mitchell to be selected into Pro Football Hall of Fame

On Saturday three-time All-Pro Devin Hester had his Hall of Fame commencement speech and shouted out former Washington specialist Brian Mitchell.

“I hope me being here today opens up the doors and brings some attention to other guys like Brian Mitchell and Josh Cribbs,” Hester said. “Because I’m not the only returner who deserves to be in the Hall of Fame; I’m just the first.”

Hester’s mention of Mitchell has sparked lots of discourse over Mitchell’s absence, including from Commanders senior executive Martin Mayhew.

Commanders fans have been pounding the table for Mitchell to be selected since he became eligible in 2008. Mitchell’s resume speaks for itself, even though he’s yet to be named a semifinalist.

The two-time All-Pro is second behind Jerry Rice in all-purpose yards and is the NFL’s leader in kick return and punt return yards. He should, without question, be the next returner named to the Hall of Fame.

Hopefully Hester’s comments can knock some sense into the selection committee sooner rather than later, so Mitchell doesn’t end up as another Washington Hall of Fame snub.

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Commanders Wire

Why should Commanders fans be excited this season?

“You should be excited because, regardless of the score, regardless of the record, you are going to be proud of what you see on that field. I can always guarantee that.”

Allen was rather upbeat despite being disappointed when last season came to a 4-13 close.

“There’s a lot of change going on in this organization for the better. The fans are excited, the players are excited.” Allen mentioned how several players have expressed to him how they loved playing for Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt.

“I can see it, the energy they bring day in and day out. They make football, for me personally, fun again. I feel like I am back in high school again, having fun with the guys while also working harder than I ever have before. It’s been incredible.”

When Quinn was hired, it was a surprise because the media had convinced the DMV that the new hire would be Ben Johnson or Mike Macdonald.

“I went into it with an open mind and wanted to see what he was about and how things were going to be run. After listening to his excitement and passion, I knew that I at least wanted to see it. Once I started seeing it, there was no doubt: I wanted to be here.”

Now in his eighth season, has Allen lost any of his drive? “I’m feeling hungrier than I’ve ever been, trying to work harder than I ever have, doing all the little things. I am just excited to be out here.”

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Podcasts & videos

Bootleg Football: The Commanders finally have real, genuine hope.

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Washington’s Zach Ertz & Austin Ekeler: Commander’s key adds, Dan Quinn & Jayden Daniels | The Pivot

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Could Quan Martin be Commanders breakout player in 2024?

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NFC East links

NFL.com

Eagles see renewed urgency in camp as team looks to move past last season’s collapse

Early practices indicated that new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore will incorporate more pre-snap motion than the Eagles had last season and that Saquon Barkley will be an important safety net for Jalen Hurts. Hurts has looked comfortable and settled this summer — during practice, he constantly talked to his teammates and coaches. Coach Nick Sirianni said Monday that he thinks Hurts has looked sharp so far, and he made a point of noting that he is particularly pleased to see Hurts reacting to pressure by sliding his feet and checking down with a pass to, among others, Barkley. Last season, pressure on Hurts, and how the offense failed to adjust to it, was a glaring part of the late-season struggles.

Given that the Eagles have arguably the best wide receiver tandem in the league with Brown and DeVonta Smith, those issues were especially confounding. Brown raves about how many special players there are on Philadelphia’s offense, but to take the next step and return the team to the Super Bowl, he said the Eagles “can’t have guys not doing what they’re supposed to do.” Why is he convinced the Eagles have moved past last season?

“How hard guys are working, that’s all you can gauge that by,” Brown said. “Guys are not sitting around and waiting for stuff to happen. Or pouting. That’s all that matters. All I care about.”

The current reality for the Eagles, even if they don’t want to dwell on it any longer, is that until they look competent to start the 2024 regular season, the specter of last season’s collapse will linger.

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Pro Football Talk

Daniel Jones didn’t enjoy watching Hard Knocks

In the first season of offseason Hard Knocks, it became clear that last season could have been quarterback Daniel Jones’s final season in New York.

In the end, the Giants didn’t draft his replacement. But it wasn’t for lack of interest or effort.

In a new interview with Tyler Dunne of GoLongTD.com, Jones talks about his reaction to Hard Knocks and the motivation it gives him.

“I’m very motivated by this and by being as good a player as I can be,” Jones told Dunne. “Definitely didn’t enjoy watching that and it was a tough situation in a lot of ways, but that’s the reality of the NFL. My job is to be on the field and play good football. So that’s something I’ve got to understand and it is what it is at this point. It’s about playing the game and playing well now. . . .

“Look, obviously there’s something inside of you that kind of gets going and it ticks you off a little bit to see. It’s not fun and not something that you’re excited about. Like I said, it is what it is at this point and it’s my job to play well regardless.”

He’s entering the second-year of a four-year, $160 million deal. The contract provides the Giants with an easy escape after 2024. Which basically makes it a make-or-break season for Jones in New York.

“There’s some similarities to that first year when they didn’t pick up the fifth year [in 2022], but you’ve got to understand that and take from it what you can to help you play better for sure,” Jones told Dunne. “Understand the situation and be able to do your job at a high level. So that’s part of playing quarterback in this league. I’ve had to deal with it before and I know I can handle it.”

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ESPN

NFL training camp 2024 live updates: Latest on roster battles

New York Giants

After a few rough days and practices, quarterback Daniel Jones and the Giants offense got back on track Thursday. Jones connected on a pair of deep balls for touchdowns, one to Malik Nabers and the other to Jalin Hyatt. The problem for Jones had been underthrowing balls deep down field at the start of camp. Offensive coordinator Mike Kafka didn’t think it had to do with Jones’ recovery from a torn ACL in his right knee last year. Instead, he attributed it to timing and familiarity.

Still, they were going to keep throwing them. It was almost as if coach Brian Daboll knew it would only be a matter of time. Practice makes perfect. He said before Thursday’s improved performance: “Time on task. Keep working on them. We’ll get ‘em!”

They did on this day, leaving a much better taste in the mouths of the team’s offensive players than from earlier this week. — Jordan Raanan

(Last update: Aug. 1)

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