One week into training camp, and you could make the case that the Washington Commanders‘ defense has been the more impressive side of the ball. That’s noteworthy because Washington’s offense was among the NFL’s best last season. However, it’s early in camp, and the defense almost always has the early advantage.
While Washington’s defense deserves praise for how its started training camp, several offensive players have stood out at various times over the first week. Two of those players were Day 2 draft picks from the 2024 NFL draft: tight end Ben Sinnott and wide receiver Luke McCaffrey.
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We’ve profiled each player recently and specifically predicted a breakout campaign for McCaffrey. So, it’s no surprise that when head coach Dan Quinn speaks to the media, he’s asked about the progress of some of his young players.
This week, Quinn discussed Sinnott and McCaffrey.
“Two players come to mind going into second year on the offense regarding the skill spots, Luke and Ben, and in different ways they both made their impact, and you see them just the confidence, so much more knowledgeable in the system,” Quinn said.
“There was a play Ben had on a seam route yesterday that took a certain check against the blitz that he and [QB] Jayden [Daniels] had to go execute. A year ago, that would’ve been harder for him to have that nuance. And you saw that yesterday with Ben.”
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Next, Quinn focused exclusively on McCaffrey:
“With Luke, it’s been a lot of the same where he can go outside and inside, but the smallest skill work adjustments have been made,” he said. “He was always somebody that could pick up on the offense quickly. He’s got a background as quarterback, but you kind of see maybe before there was still sometimes, I think like a quarterback now you see him thinking like the receiver. And I think, although that sounds like counterintuitive, more knowledge wouldn’t that be better? The finest of the details at the receiver position, that that’s what I see now.”
This is not the first time Quinn has praised Sinnott or McCaffrey. Far too often, some in the media and fans don’t believe a player is having a strong training camp if his name isn’t mentioned every day on social media. Sinnott has received some positive attention as of late, but we haven’t yet heard a lot of chatter on McCaffrey. That shouldn’t be a bad thing.
Just remember: if a player isn’t all over the practice highlight reel on X, it doesn’t mean he’s struggling.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Dan Quinn continues to praise these two young Commanders