The Washington Commanders have only one Organized Training Activity (OTA) remaining after Wednesday’s open practice. Washington has Thursday off before wrapping up OTAs on Friday.
The next challenge for the Commanders is the mandatory minicamp which runs from June 11-13.
During Wednesday’s OTAs, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels worked in 11-on-11 drills for the first time in front of reporters since he was drafted in April. That represented the latest stage in his development as he previously faced the defense in 7-on-7 work.
There were reports of Daniels having at least one rough series on Wednesday, according to JP Finlay of 106.7 The Fan and NBC Washington.
Rough series for offense and Daniels. Thrown out back of end zone intentionally on 2nd down, would have been picked on 3rd on under thrown corner fade
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) June 5, 2024
Relax. We haven’t even made it to training camp yet.
Zach Selby of commanders.com offered the following update on Daniels in 11-on-11 work:
The Commanders went through 11-on-11 drills today for the first time in front of reporters, marking the first time we’ve seen Daniels go against something resembling an NFL style pass-rush. He had to scramble out of the pocket a couple of times, but Daniels remained calm as blitzers closed in around him. He went through his progressions, had impressive footwork and zipped the ball to his targets. It’s still just June, but it’s a good sign of his development.
Aside from Daniels’ pocket presence, the most noticeable difference was how loud practice was during 11-on-11 drills. The defense was being vocal, communicating their reads to one another, while the offense was making checks at the line of scrimmage. Clearly, being on the same page has been a focal point for the new coaching staff, and that extra attention is paying off.
This is when you want Daniels to struggle — and then shake it off with a strong series. That’s apparently what happened on Wednesday. Daniels is going to take his lumps for several reasons. For as talented as he is, he’s only now facing an NFL defense for the first time. Secondly, the entire offense is learning a new offense with several new starters, including Daniels.
Finally, the defense is always ahead of the offense at this point in the offseason.
Washington has one more OTA practice (Friday) and holds its mandatory three-day minicamp next week, which will mean more good work for Daniels.
