Commanders
- Commanders DC Joe Whitt said they plan on using DL Javon Kinlaw “all over the line” and thinks he’ll match up well on the edge against tight ends: “He’s an intriguing young man to work with.” (John Keim)
- Whitt has also been “really pleased” with DL Daron Payne: “He is leading by example. This year you can see him taking that leadership role to the next step.” (Keim)
- Veteran CB Marshon Lattimore hasn’t been at OTAs, but Whitt said they’ve kept communication with him: “We’ll see where he is when he gets here.” (Keim)
- Whitt called S Jeremy Reaves their “special teams ace” but wants to discover a role for him in their defense: “He’s our special teams ace, but I have to find a role for him on defense because he just makes plays.” (Nicki Jhabvala)
- Whitt is confident third-year S Quan Martin can become one of the best safeties in the NFL: “This kid has the potential to be one of the better safeties in the league.” (Jhabvala)
- Regarding sixth-round LB Kain Medrano, Whitt is curious to see if he lines up at linebacker or safety: “Is he Frankie [Luvu] or is he Jeremy [Chinn]?” (JP Finlay)
- Commanders HC Dan Quinn said RB Brian Robinson, Jr. has had a great offseason: “He looks really healthy.” (John Keim)
- Commanders WR Michael Gallup is dealing with a hamstring strain and wasn’t on the field for minicamp on Tuesday or Wednesday. (Nicki Jhabvala)
- Commanders CB Marshon Lattimore talked about what’s different this spring after having a hamstring injury last season: “Just the burst, you know, just getting out of my breaks and all of that. I was dealing with a hamstring, you know that takes a lot out of you, and it takes a long time to heal. And I was just trying to battle through that. But now, since I’ve got a full offseason, I just feel great, I feel explosive.” (JP Finlay)
Cowboys
Cowboys HC Brian Schottenheimer said he is always going to remain true to himself when he took the head coaching job after taking advice from his late father, Marty Schottenheimer.
“I will always be authentic,” Schottenheimer said, via the team’s website. “I’m never going to stand up here and pretend to be something I’m not. I think that’s a recipe for disaster in this business. I’ve seen it. I’ve seen it fail. I think I shared with you what my dad said, ‘If you ever get a shot to be a head coach, one thing you should never do is change. Just be yourself.‘”
Schottenheimer has focused on building relationships with players as a way to build camaraderie and establish a new locker room culture.
“I was taught at a young age by my father that you can outwork people in this business. You don’t belong in this organization if you don’t value relationships,” Schottenheimer said. “This business has never been about Xs and Os. It’s about people, and when I thought about it, I can’t imagine sitting up here with a better group of people, a better family to do this with. So I thank you guys for that opportunity.”
Schottenheimer has trust in the culture that he’s trying to build within the organization.
“There’s a standard. The standard is we want to be the best. Will we be the best culture? I don’t know, but we’re going to try,” Schottenheimer said. “And will we make mistakes along with it? Absolutely. We’ll make mistakes and then we’ll fix things. The culture that we’re building here is something that I truly believe in and that most of these players that we have, they believe in it. Or if they don’t believe in it yet, hopefully then seeing my conviction makes them buy it.”
Schottenheimer added that the relationships they build within the organization and with the players will help when they undergo a rough patch that otherwise would sow doubt with the team.
“For them to share their stories with their teammates allows them when they’re out there on the field having a tough day, and it’s hot and they’re pushing through a padded practice in Oxnard, they’re able to truly pull together and work together,” Schottenheimer said. “I think that’s going to help us finish games, finish practices. When you have a tough moment, you have a tough stretch in the season, you work through those problems because they believe in one another, and more importantly, they love one another.”
Giants
- Giants HC Brian Daboll said WR Malik Nabers is progressing with his toe issue and revealed he’s done some walk-through stuff. (Jordan Raanan)
- New York OC Mike Kafka has been calling plays through every open spring practice, per Dan Duggan.
- Giants WR Darius Slayton mentioned WR Jalin Hyatt put on 15-20 pounds this offseason. (Raanan)
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