Commanders 

Commanders’ seventh-round RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt only appeared in one game last season with Arizona after the NCAA ruled him ineligible to play following his transfer from New Mexico. Croskey-Merritt is glad to be back on the field in Washington’s training camp. 

“I haven’t played in a while, but it felt great,” said Croskey-Merritt, via Ben Standig. “I haven’t had pads on in a minute.”

Corskey-Merritt showed his one-cut running style at New Mexico in 2023, rushing for 1,190 yards and 17 touchdowns. 

“That’s when I found my flow,” Corskey-Merritt said. “This is what I like to perfect when I’m on the field.”

Commanders HC Dan Quinn wants to see how Croskey-Merritt can develop his running style as he hits the second and third levels of defenses. 

“As you get to the next (defender), can you have a plan for the middle-field safety?” Quinn said. “That’s the lesson. Just because I got through the hole doesn’t mean it’s ending. Can I now make another player miss?”

Cowboys

Cowboys RB Jaydon Blue entered training camp with a bit of turmoil after Glenn Smith, who is a former Dallas offensive assistant in 2000-2001, claimed people within the organization are skeptical about the fifth-round rookie’s work ethic. Blue responded to Smith’s criticism, saying it added “fuel to my fire.”

“All that did was add a little fuel to my fire,” Blue said, via Nick Harris of the Star-Telegram. “Of course, I know I’m not lazy. I know the work I put in. As you can see, I’m having a great camp so far. I’m just ready to continue building on that.”

Blue said he is enjoying working with veteran QB Dak Prescott and Dallas’ first-team offense.  

“It’s fun being in there with Dak, man,” Blue said. “He’s a very smart quarterback, he’s a veteran. He makes our job at the running back position a lot easier, sometimes he’ll tell us where to go. It was fun getting some reps with those guys with the ones, and I’m just looking forward to keeping competing.”

Cowboys OC Klayton Adams said Blue has “been awesome” in their offseason program. 

“Jaydon’s been awesome,” Adams said. “He’s fun to be around, he’s got a bubbly personality. Loves football, extremely competitive. When the ball is in his hands, exciting things happen. He is, in my opinion, blossoming.”

• Cowboys HC Brian Schottenheimer on Blue: “I think in the spring he picked it up slower than we had hoped. But not now. He’s got it. He’s figuring it out. He’s one of those guys that doesn’t say much, but there’s a big time competitive fire in there. He wants to be great. He wants to be elite. He knows he’s talented. “I think he’s realizing, ‘OK, I’m really talented. I’m really good. But I’m in the NFL now. And most of these guys are really, really good so I have to do the things off the field, preparing mentally in the class room, studying a little bit extra the installs for the next day, taking care of my body.’ It’s been fun to see.” (Machota)

Eagles

The Eagles signed veteran CB Adoree’ Jackson to a contract this offseason. Philadelphia DC Vic Fangio thinks “it’s time” for Jackson to prove his quality as a cornerback in the NFL after GM Howie Roseman pushed to sign him. 

“I think it’s time for [Jackson] to show that,” Fangio said, via EaglesWire. “In Tennessee, when it came time to re-sign him after his contract was up, they didn’t. The Giants, his contract was up, they didn’t. It’s time to show who he is or who he isn’t. He had a very good day yesterday. It’s too early to say what his experience is or isn’t right now. He’s played a good bit of ball, but I think this is the place where he’s got to show who he is and be the player hopefully that people have always thought he could be. I didn’t watch a whole lot of tape on him. Howie wanted to sign him, and when Howie wants to sign somebody, it doesn’t matter what I say. So we just took him in.”

As for CB Kelee Ringo entering the third year of his career, Fangio said the cornerback has his “first real opportunity” for a marquee role. 

“He’s doing fine. He’s competing,” Fangio said. “He’s in great shape, and probably this is his first real opportunity, and I think he’s trying to do his best to take advantage of it, and he’s right there.”

Giants

Giants OLB Brian Burns understands that New York “looks great on paper” at this point in the offseason, but they need to prove they can achieve their potential. 

“Everybody feels encouraged and excited and hyped up at the beginning of the season,” Burns said, via ProFootballTalk. “At the same time, we look great on paper, but we ain’t do shit yet, you understand? So it’s all on us. We can take this as far as we want to go. Everything looked good with the names that we have and the potential and this and that, but until we put that shit to stamp, ain’t really nothing to talk about.”

Burns hasn’t needed to speak up to hold the team accountable because everybody appears to be on the same page. 

“I don’t feel like it’s needed,” Burns said. “I feel like everybody’s working hard. Nobody’s entitled to whatever hype that we do have. I think everybody has a common understanding that we need to get out here and show.”

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