Daily Slop – 6 Aug 24: Dyami Brown, Mikey Sainristil, Jayden Daniels, and a throwback to the ‘87 replacement team

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

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Commanders.com

Dyami Brown wants to be reliable option for Jayden Daniels

Dyami Brown feels like he’s back in college working in the Washington Commanders’ new offense. That could lead to good things in 2024, both for the Burgundy & Gold and Brown himself.

“It’s a no-huddle type system,” Brown said. “In college, we didn’t switch sides. We kind of don’t switch sides here. We just want to go and be able to play fast.”

Brown, a third-round pick by the Commanders in 2021, was one of the more exciting prospects in that year’s receiver class, getting back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons at UNC and becoming the first FBS player since 2000 to average at least 20 yards per catch in consecutive seasons. He was also one of the best contested catchers, as he had 21 such grabs in 2019 and 2020 combined.

Other than a few moments scattered throughout his four-year NFL career, Brown has yet to show off that skill set. He’s determined to change that in a new offense led by a different regime.

“I just want to stay consistent, stay focused and be locked in,” Brown said.

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Commanders Wire

Report: Commanders removed themselves from trade talks for 49ers star Brandon Aiyuk

The Commanders have long been considered Aiyuk’s preferred destination. He played with Daniels at Arizona State in 2019, and the two have maintained a close relationship since. Aiyuk teased a potential trade to Washington since Daniels was drafted in April.

Maiocco said the Commanders are no longer an option:

The Commanders have removed themselves from trade talks for Aiyuk, and the Steelers effectively no longer are an option after they declined to meet the 49ers’ trade demands, the source said.

The Pittsburgh Steelers were believed to be Aiyuk’s other primary suitor but balked at San Francisco’s asking price. The 49ers do have the framework of a deal in place with two teams, the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots.

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The Athletic (paywall)

Commanders still mum on starting job as QB Jayden Daniels continues to impress

The organizational approach since selecting the electric playmaker is letting Daniels go at his own pace.

“It is a journey and a process,” Quinn said on July 23, the day before Washington opened training camp. “And so as we’re going, when he’s ready, we’ll know. And when he’s ready, he’ll also know.”

The Commanders’ fan base, including the hordes of children screaming, “JAY-DEN,” at practice for Kids Day, is ready for the inevitable announcement. Teammates aren’t playing it cool when asked for impressions about the rookie quarterback in training camp.

“I think Jayden has done a phenomenal job,” tight end Zach Ertz said following a recent practice. “I’ve been impressed with him from the moment he got here.”

“He’s just being where his feet (are) at,” said running back Brian Robinson, with a nod to Daniels’s living-in-the-moment energy. “He’s poised. He’s a hard worker. He comes to work every day, just looking to take that next step and improve. He’s done that every single day.”

When asked about the reigning Heisman Trophy winner’s development, Quinn aims for restraint, but the occasional “he’s doing outstanding” praise slips out. Not every practice is cleaner than a military barracks before inspection, and Washington’s defense adheres to Quinn’s call for a competitive showing. Yet, in every session, there is a moment when observers are reminded why Washington and other teams coveted Daniels entering the draft.

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Sports Illustrated

Washington Commanders CB Mike Sainristil, ‘Listening to Vets and Seeking Guidance’

Washington Commanders rookie Mike Sainristil is leaning on the knowledge of his more experienced teammates.

While Commanders head coach Dan Quinn has preached competition across the board, Sainristil is one of the few players whose starting job has been relatively unchallenged this training camp.

“Sainristil has been somebody that’s been really, consistently strong. It’s run fits, it’s coverage, it’s all of it that goes into that position,” the Washington coach said recently about his rookie defensive back. “Playing nickel is a lot like playing safety. There’s run fits, there’s calls, there’s checks and things happen quickly, and Mikey has certainly shown he’s up for the task to be in that spot.”

Quinn isn’t the only one noticing Sainristil’s veteran-like consistency and presence. He’s very quickly become a fan-favorite in this year’s draft class and reporters can’t say enough about his habit of being around the ball.

Even though he hasn’t been able to make that signature splash play every rookie wants to make for his team, the consistency he’s brought to the field has been invaluable. And it’s the influence of the veterans around him he credits in part for how comfortable he’s been able to get in the Commanders defense in a very short amount of time.

“I think the team’s in a great spot right now, competing every single day, going hard, getting each other better,” says Sainristil. “Coaches are doing a great job and then we’re doing a great job taking coaching. Just coming out here, it’s battling every single day. I feel like I’m in a great spot mentally, physically taking care of myself, finding a routine for myself, listening to vets and seeking guidance, asking questions. So I love where we are right now.”

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Podcasts & videos

The Replacements | Hail Tales: Stories from Washington Football History | Podcast | Washington Co…

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NFC East links

ESPN

NFL training camp 2024 live updates: Latest on roster battles

NFC EAST

Dallas Cowboys

For the first time since tearing the ACL in his left knee in September, All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs was in full pads.

Diggs was activated off the physically unable to perform list last week, and he has been worked in smartly to keep him progressing without any setbacks. Diggs went through some individual drills before jumping into 7-on-7 work. He was not tested much but gave up one catch in a scramble situation. He nearly had an interception on a short Trey Lance pass to David Durden, showing the burst that has made him one of the better corners in the league. — Todd Archer

(Last update: Aug. 5)

New York Giants

The Giants’ first of two joint practices with the Detroit Lions was at times a Royal Rumble. At one point, quarterback Daniel Jones even jumped into the mix.

“You try to stand up for your guys,” Jones said afterward.

Thankfully, he was quickly pulled away from the skirmish by coaches. The Giants don’t want their starting quarterback, who’s coming off an ACL tear, in that kind of mix. From a bigger picture, New York more than held its own against a Lions team that made the NFC Championship Game last season. At least from an offensive perspective, the Giants probably got the better of Detroit.

This is a far cry from when these same teams met last summer and the Lions dominated. Perhaps most impressive was Giants rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers, who had nine balls thrown in his direction and caught all nine (although it was debatable whether one deep ball was in bounds). He has a chance to be special. — Jordan Raanan

(Last update: Aug. 5)

Philadelphia Eagles

Former New York Jets offensive lineman Mekhi Becton appears to be making some inroads in the competition for the starting right guard job. Second-year player Tyler Steen got first crack, but an ankle injury sidelined him for several practices, allowing Becton to make a push. He graded out well in the intrateam scrimmage the Eagles held Sunday night, according to coach Nick Sirianni.

“I like the things he can do, but we’re so early in this,” Sirianni said. “We’ve got a lot of football left to play. I don’t want to say, ‘Hey, he’s got to do this to earn this.’ He’s in a competition for his job.”

Becton, the No. 11 pick in the 2020 draft, is attempting to make the transition from tackle to guard. There have been some bumps along the way to go with the highs, including a false start Monday with the offense backed up near the end zone. On the next play, Jordan Davis shot through his side of the interior (it’s not clear whose responsibility Davis was) and tackled Saquon Barkley for a safety. — Tim McManus

(Last update: Aug. 5)

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Blogging the Boys

Cowboys stock watch: The rise of the fullback, the fall of a veteran

Fallers

RB Ezekiel Elliott

We never expected to see the old Zeke again, but unfortunately, Elliott now just looks old. Rico Dowdle is earning the starting job on the practice field, which shouldn’t surprise us, but even guys like Luepke and veteran Royce Freeman are drawing more positive reviews. It’s hard to imagine Zeke not making the roster given all of the non-football factors, including an almost fully guaranteed contract, but he may end up with a smaller share in the rotation than most have projected.

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NFL.com

Daniel Jones explains involvement in Lions-Giants joint-practice scuffle: ‘You try to stand up for guys’

The G-Men found themselves in a few scraps during their Monday session with the Detroit Lions, a day that grew to become so chippy even quarterback Daniel Jones got involved in the fracas.

Jones was eventually pulled from the scrum by a coach, per SNY, but not before he was able to get involved enough to earn some respect from his teammates.

No NFL team needs its quarterback getting banged up by unnecessarily involving themselves in extracurricular activities during camp, especially not Jones, whose injury history has proven to be a constant hindrance to his development.

Execution is the goal. Jones can provide moral support from outside the fight the next time one (inevitably) breaks out.

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NFL league links

Articles

Sports Illustrated

Training Camp Takeaways

Caleb Williams has had the standard rookie ups and downs, but is pretty far ahead at this point, in large part because of the plan the Chicago Bears laid out for him. They put in formations, cadence and terminology with him before the draft—in their allotted three one-hour Zoom sessions—and Williams used the 40 days between OTAs and camp (we’ll have more on that soon on the website) effectively. He’s the starter, and I’d bet he’ll play well as a rookie.

• Jayden Daniels has hit all the markers the Washington Commanders had for his progress. Head coach Dan Quinn didn’t want to preach competition and open it up at every position just to hand a rookie the quarterback job. But the overwhelming likelihood, especially with how the scheme should help highlight Daniels’s strengths, is that he is the guy. Getting to see him run the operation in a preseason game probably helps get Washington there. What the Commanders already know is that the 23-year-old’s work ethic and ability to retain information is elite, which sure is a good starting point for a quarterback.

• Drake Maye has had rough moments, to be sure, but New England Patriots people attribute that to him running with the second team, and how the team’s offensive line depth issue has really shown up with that group. What’s impressed his coaches most is how good of a processor he is on the field—he can go, in his progression, from one to two to three fast, and even threw a touchdown pass to his fourth read in red-zone drills the other day. He sees things right away, and his footwork has come a long way, too. That said, to this point, Jacoby Brissett has been the best quarterback in camp.

• Michael Penix Jr. has been impressive in Atlanta, particularly while he’s run the second-team offense against the first-team defense. He’s come along fast with the operational elements he had to learn, getting guys in and out of the huddle, and he’s getting a better feel for progressing to the backside of some of the Falcons’ new passing concepts. What Atlanta can already see is his ability to push the ball down the field. Those there say he’s giving the team a handful of wow throws every week.

• J.J. McCarthy, unsurprisingly, has shown himself a fast study. The accuracy and arm the Vikings saw on tape are there, as are the intangibles—his work ethic in particular. That said, Minnesota is still working through his fundamentals and footwork in accordance with their scheme, and that, again, as expected, is taking some time. So progress is coming steadily, but Minnesota’s been pretty committed to its plan to bring McCarthy along step by step, with Sam Darnold still taking the majority of first-team reps (and showing the arm talent of a former third overall pick) and giving them the flexibility to sit the rookie, if that’s what’s best. Also big for McCarthy’s development (and Darnold’s, too)? Getting to face Brian Flores’s varied defensive scheme in practice every day.

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