Commanders

Commanders LBs coach Ken Norton Jr. highly praised ILB Dominique Hampton, saying he’s showing improved football intelligence. 

“Dom has really worked hard this offseason. He’s really changed his body. And he’s strong, he’s fast. He’s really upped his ability to communicate playing a middle linebacker,” he said via the team’s site. “He has to do a great job of communicating. He’s really upped his IQ about how to understand the defenses, because being in the middle and making different checks and calls, you have to be right. Now when he says something, he knows it’s important because everybody’s listening.”

Eagles

Eagles OLB Nolan Smith said he’s not looking to fill former DE Brandon Graham‘s shoes now that the veteran has retired from Philadelphia.

“You can’t fill nobody’s shoes — I would never do that. BG’s too great in Philly. The more I go in Philly, the more he does, you can’t do that. I can try my best to emulate that and bring that juice and bring that energy every day like he does.” he said via Zach Berman.

Smith said the next step for his game is to become a premier pass rusher and run defender.

“Be that pass rusher. I’ve got to crush the run in order to rush the passer. When you play the game the right way, don’t chase sacks — be a football player, truly.” he told Berman.

Smith added he draws a lot of inspiration from Von Miller in DC Vic Fangio‘s defense during their time together with the Broncos and wants to model his game after the future Hall of Famer.

“Watching Von Miller in (Fangio’s) defense made me want to be the person I am today,” he said via Berman. “Relentless. Like, who is that guy? What does he do during the offseason? Why is he always at the ball? …Coach Fangio, watching him and how he molded those guys, it’s nothing for me to listen to him. To be coachable? Are you crazy?” 

Giants

Veteran Giants QB Jameis Winston was asked if he believed he would be in consideration to get playing time this season, given that the team also signed Russell Wilson and drafted Jaxson Dart in the first round.

“When it comes to that I focus on what I can do,” Winston said, via Pro Football Talk. “And what I can do is come to work with the intention to get better every single day. Not concerning myself with the room, seeing how I can serve the room, but my job is to be the best Jameis Winston that I can be. And Jameis Winston incorporates being a leader, peppering on the young buck, learning things from the older veterans, assisting the older veterans, learning from the three-year quarterback that’s been in this room. It encompasses a lot. But I stay focused on what I would love and what I would love is to be my very best.”

• Giants QB Tommy DeVito was asked if he still sees a future in New York:  “For sure. The plan has always been to be here, especially when I was a rookie. Trying to continue that for as long as possible.” (Jordan Raanan)

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