Camping Out Day Nine | Episode 31

Paris from The Washington Times. Let's go check up what they had to say, and now we have Pete Haley from NBC Sports Washington. Before we get started, I always love when you have the cooler out here when you're sitting up like so you really you have like a little like little chair like stamping. Well, why the cooler? So I lost the standard OTAs because I'm oh, it's devastating and I was gonna go get a new one. But I tried out the cooler on day one and

I'm like, this is great. I got my drinks ready again. You pop out some doritos if I knew two on the sideline. It's got good butt coverage, little stiff, but for the most part it works. So it's it's I like having positioned flex just like Ronevera, and it's it's doing well for me. So we're all about foot position flex here in Nashburne. And you know, speaking of position flex, we got to talk about Percy Butler, right, I mean, that's one of the ultimate position flex with the players

right now. He had a really good play in here during team drill, has kind of stood up Jadie McKissick. What have you seen at him so far? As he really kind of like been that versatile player that Rivera said he would be. So yeah, that play I wrote it down from my observations post. What was cool about that is Butler's like the speed guys supposed to thrive in special teams and when he's running in space. But that was like he was almost a linebacker like sitting

in the hole and just stood up. McKissick was able to hold him until reinforcements showed up. Like that was like, Okay, I didn't know he had that part to his game. I thought it was going to be a rangy guy. But seeing him hit like that with no real momentum before it was really really cool. So I think the young safeties, all of them behind McCain and Curl are having really good camps. I think Derek Forrest, Butler, Jeremy Reeves, I think that's a really good competition to watch. Now.

I think you know, he said he he loves being on special teams. How ut special teams do you think he's actually going to play? Because you know everyone if there's been a lot of talk with special and off of the bout, how like special teams players like they love it and then as soon as they have an impact, like, well, sorry, Kather, we're gonna have to take him in. I feel so bad for Nate kats Or. He has these special team superstars every year and they just get stolen from him.

I think Butler's going to be used there pretty much because you know, backup safety. Sure, he wanted to stay healthy, but that's where the backups have to thrive. Like at Johan Dotson, Okay, you don't want to risk an ankle Indrea on a punt return. But Butler, like, if you're making this team, which he's going to, you need to be able to do multiple things. And I think a guy like him and a Derek Forrest, you see him on kick coverage, punk coverage. That's when they're really going

to stand out. You know. No safety is Derek Forrest, the guy who's kind of made a couple of flashy plays here and there. It seems like he's really taken a couple of strides of his development this year. I'm surprised to see how comfortably he looks back in the secondary. I thought he's going to be more of an in the box guy. But when he's dropping back handling some of those posts and those deeper routes, looks very smooth.

And I asked him about a couple of days ago and he just says that, you know, veterans like Kennel Fuller helping him, but he just understands this defense. He says, when he looks at a formation, he now knows what to look for when emotion happens. What that means, He says, his eyes are helping his brain and certainly showing out on the field. A couple about the offense, and yeah, we have you know the couple of Titans Logan Thomas

down base. They're not out there right now. Cole Turner, he went over there to the tent a little bit, get checked out Curtis Hodges and Samus Reyes or the two that were in the starting group. Out of those two, who has really stood out to you the most so far? As much as I love the story of Samus Reyes, I think Rogers has impressed me more, just so big him and Hodges. Forget which one he asked about, but there Curtis Hodd Sorry, I'm just have Armani Rodgers on

the mind. But we have a hole list the players we just got swirling around in our head right now. But especially when they have commanders on the back of their uniform, it's hard to tell who's who. But the Rogers and Hodges both really tall, really lanky tight ends who give Wentz and other quarterbacks this big targets so again, Rays is really fun to watch, really fun to talk to. It seems to be a very strong blocker. But if you're looking for those receiving threats after Turner and Thomas,

I think it's Hodges and Rogers. Those names are too similar for me to be saying so much over and over, I'm gonna stop, Yeah, no, I get you, um you know. And last on the offensive line, it seems like we've got a little bit more stability there. Now we have Wish Schweizer over there right guard, Keith Fishmael over there starting center. You know, with Chase really is still going through his recovery. I mean, do you think Schweizer has kind of kind of taken a little bit of a

step ahead in that role there at right guard? Yeah, I think so. I think with Trey Turner out, I mean, we know what he can do. He's an established veteran, but he's missed a lot of days and at some point, you know, if that's going to be a battle, you gotta go with the guy who's in playing shape and has been building that trust with the lineman. So between that and I think Keith Fishmail is shown out well to show that he can be a very reliable backup center.

A lot of interchangeable parts in the middle, and with John Matsko leading the charge, I got faith that he's going to put a good five out there no matter who it is. All Right. The very very last one is we're rapping a week two now, we got one more day out there FedEx feel before we go into week three when we get started for preseason. What's one thing that you can take away from this from this second week of training camp. I love what the starting

corners have done, William Jackson and Kendall Fuller. Jackson's been telling us that he feels more at home in the system, and I believe him after watching how he plays. And Kennel Fuller has always been so steady, but this camp he looks to be more than steady, looks to be sort of a shutdown corner in his own rights. So I really like what those two are doing, and I'm excited to see if they get a little passed rush, if they can get their hands or more passes and

converts some more turnovers. Now with we have the man, the myth, the lead himself. Matt Paris from the Washington Times. You know that last period we write was more of a goal one situation. The defense had a lot of energy positions, definitely because Casey two Hill had a couple of really nice plays. You know, Rivera was talking yesterday about how much he's really seen out of Casey called him like a try hard guy. What have you seen out of Casey? Exactly? That? I mean also intelligence too.

There was the play with Antonio Gibson. They ran it, and two Hill just immediately stuffed it out and it's a really impressive read. And then later came in and forced the fumble or you know, was part of a pile that forced the fumble, caught it in the air and ran it all the way back. So yeah, he's had a strong day to day and that's needed because Washington is going to need another edge rusher with Chase

Young out and so maybe two hills that guy. Another guy he's been really high on his fa Obada, you know, with those the six socks that he has. You know, he looks fresh out there, but he's not been playing really well too. I mean, do you think he's working a lot of like the more specifics off the RIVERA has been talking about, like it turns like his get off, his like you know, leveraging that kind of thing. Well, yeah,

I think so. I mean, you know, Obada is really interesting because he's from the International Pathway Program and so you know, this is a guy who's still relatively new to football. It's his sixth year, and I think you're starting to see now that he's used to playing NFL football, he's actually starting to hone in on those finer details of being a pro and everything that comes with being

a pass rusher. So you know, he's had an oppressive camp, mostly worked with the two so far, but I think he could be a situational guy coming in on third downs of let's say they take James Smith Williams off the field for third down. He's a guy that could come in there and be that situational pass rusher. Well, you know, even though the often if they could, if the Elphins would get it passed off, they were pretty much running in some really tight coverage from the corners.

You know, Pete was talking about how he's really been impressed with the starters, William Jackson, Kendall Fuller. Have you been just as impressed with them? Yeah? Yeah, I do. And I think the thing that sticks out about the secondary in general is that just of how much in sync they are, and that wasn't the case really a year ago. You know, you could see William Jackson getting used to this scheme. But now they kind of all

playoff each other. And I think where it's most apparent is even before the snap, you hear Cam Curl checking in with people and them kind of being all on the same page. And I think it's really translated to the field. Yeah, you know, Kendall four has been probably one of my biggest stars of camp so far. I mean, no matter what he's who he's going up against, what plays make, he's always other just like getting pvus and interceptions. I mean, do you expect a really big jump from him, Yeah,

I mean we could. I don't know necessarily about a big jump because I think he's always been pretty consistent, right, Yeah, even if you look at last year, I think he was probably the best part of that secondary except maybe Cam Curl. But you know, Curl or Fuller plays with vision and that's what the defense really requires, and so you know, he really fits in. And it's kind of interesting because when he was previously here the first time,

he was a great slot corner. But he's better suited for the outside now and I think that's a tremendous credit to him to making that adjustment. You bring up Curl and you haven't seen too much out of him so far in camp, but I mean, like you really need to make all these flashy plays. I mean, he seems like he's pretty much been as advertised we respected the past couple of years. Yeah, that's kind of who

Cam Curl is. I mean, he's I think maybe the most underrated player on the team national from a national perspective, I don't know if people realize kind of how good he is. I agree with that, yeah, but in terms of you know, he's made some athletic plays. There was a play a couple of days ago where he left up and grabbed back Carson Wentz interception, and so you know,

we're seeing things from him. He just has a remarkable feel for timing and so you know it, He's kind of always had that, but you're even seeing it more in your three right, So last one before we get you back into the team session here is there. I guess we're going through like a halfway period of camp. Now, we're going to have a practice a facts feel before we're going to week three. What's one big thing you

can take away from the second week of practice? Yeah, you know, I just think the offense is still very much a work in progress and you would start to like to see them turn a corner at some point here. But I think that's what this first preseason game coming up here next week will be a really good measure of that. It's just so much trying to get the timing and adjusting to Carson Wentz's kind of, you know,

ability to throw around the field. So you know, it's a work in progress right now, but it's kind of fun seeing it come together. That's all we have for you today, but be sure to check out your daily Command Center camp coverage every weekday on the Commander's YouTube channel. I'm gonna go back to my tank because I'd basically live here like everybody else, and I will see you tomorrow.