- 1 day ago
Training camp is here, and Grant & Danny spotlight the Commanders players they'll be keeping a close eye on as camp gets underway.
From established stars to breakout candidates, rookies, and players fighting to earn bigger roles, they discuss which names could have the biggest impact on Washington's 2026 season and why they're worth watching over the coming weeks.
Subscribe to 106.7 The Fan for daily Commanders coverage, training camp updates, analysis, and more throughout the NFL season.
From established stars to breakout candidates, rookies, and players fighting to earn bigger roles, they discuss which names could have the biggest impact on Washington's 2026 season and why they're worth watching over the coming weeks.
Subscribe to 106.7 The Fan for daily Commanders coverage, training camp updates, analysis, and more throughout the NFL season.
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00:00So, training camp gets started officially tonight.
00:03There's a press conference, Peters, Quinn going to speak.
00:06That's the kickoff, if you will.
00:08But the first practice, the thing you guys care about,
00:12the Triscuit crackers that we'll put into our stomachs,
00:15that's tomorrow morning.
00:16We'll be all over it here on GND.
00:18We'll get some interviews for you.
00:19We'll be out there with a full report from practice
00:21come 2 o'clock tomorrow, or I guess whenever the Nats end,
00:24because they're playing a day game against the Blue Jays,
00:26and we're on shortly thereafter.
00:27But I figured we could kick off camp officially here on GND Toby
00:33with one of our vintage spotlights.
00:36We normally do these going into game weekends throughout the fall,
00:39but we will put the spotlight on various players
00:44who are in the news or are notable or interesting for some reason.
00:48And you can go with the whole roster at this point.
00:50But here we go. Spotlight.
00:51I'll go Antonio Williams, the third-round pick out of Clemson,
00:54getting ready to make his camp and commander's debut
00:57in front of thousands of fans in the days ahead.
01:00What will he be as a rookie?
01:02And will he get a true opportunity to make a significant impact this year?
01:07This was a guy that the commanders felt like,
01:09from what I've heard internally from them,
01:12was a top-five player in the class going into last season.
01:14Then he had a down final year collegiately.
01:16But go back to his third year's penultimate college campaign,
01:2075 catches, 11 touchdowns.
01:22They think he can play in the slot.
01:23They think he can play outside.
01:24If you sign Diggs or Iyuk or a veteran to be named later,
01:28maybe the expectations for him go down.
01:30But he was the 71st pick in the draft.
01:32They think he should have been going well before then.
01:35Do not be surprised if Antonio Williams emerges
01:38as the number two receiver behind Terry McLaurin in this offense.
01:42Spotlight, Adafi Owe.
01:44You went out and spent a big-time contract on him this offseason.
01:47Four years, up to $100 million.
01:50And you don't sign someone to play the edge rusher position
01:53if you don't think that they're going to be effective against the passer.
01:55Last season, played all 17 games, finished with 7.5 sacks.
01:59But which version of Adafi Owe are you going to get?
02:02In five games with Baltimore, no sacks.
02:04In 12 games with the Chargers, 7.5.
02:06You're hoping you get more of what you saw there.
02:08In 2024, he had 10 sacks.
02:10So you're hoping to see this guy really emerge.
02:12And seeing him out at OTAs, he was very, very impressive
02:17just in terms of seeing the physique in person.
02:19And I'm curious to see if he's going to be able to take that
02:22and apply that as a pass rusher.
02:24I think he'll immediately be a good run stuffer.
02:26I think he's got the length to be similar to what Dietrich Wise was supposed to be,
02:30but obviously an upgraded version here as a pass rusher as well,
02:33getting the $100 million contract.
02:34But is he going to be able to be that game wrecker?
02:36I think this defensive scheme is going to put their guys up front
02:39in one-on-one opportunities.
02:41Can he win those one-on-one opportunities
02:42and be the guy that the Commanders paid big-time money for this offseason?
02:46Spotlight Brandon Coleman, the offensive lineman
02:50who was once drafted in the third round.
02:52Coleman out of Texas Christian was chosen with the 67th pick.
02:57He was barely out of the second round when he was taken.
03:00Very, very start of the third round.
03:02He's not a starter as we enter the third year of his career.
03:05That feels problematic for where he was drafted,
03:08except that when he played tackle, he actually played really well.
03:11He was a pretty solid left tackle.
03:12They got to the NFC title game.
03:14They understandably supplanted him with one of the best tackles in the sport,
03:17Laramie Tunsil.
03:18So he moved over to the right side, and then they drafted a right tackle
03:20in Josh Connerly.
03:21So then he had to move to guard, and he wasn't as good at guard.
03:24So then they supplanted him with Chris Paul, and now you're kind of wondering,
03:27well, is he a starter?
03:28Is he just your swing tackle?
03:30Is he a swing guard?
03:31Is he the first guy up at three or four positions?
03:33There's enough value in that in today's NFL that that makes some sense,
03:37but it's certainly not why you draft a guy just outside of the second round.
03:41So can he push Chris Paul?
03:43Can he close in on a starting job?
03:46Will he get a chance to compete again for a guard spot?
03:49Remember, last year when he lost that job, he was not that healthy.
03:52He was missing practice time.
03:53He wasn't on the field a ton.
03:55That's something to monitor.
03:56I think Coleman's book is not written yet.
03:58I really like the player.
03:59Spotlight Mikey Sanrestill.
04:01This is a do-or-die type of season for a third-year guy picked in the second round.
04:05We've seen flashes of really good play from Mikey Sanrestill,
04:09but are you going to get some of that consistency?
04:11He's played inside and outside, been much better as an outside corner.
04:15They signed Amik Robertson, who you would think is going to fill in right away
04:18as their nickel cornerback, which would leave Mikey Sanrestill outside with Trey Amos.
04:22Can he prove in year three that he is that guy,
04:25that the Commanders should be banking on to be one of their starting outside corners
04:28or just one of their starting corners, period?
04:30I think this is a big year for him.
04:32I think this scheme, like I talked about with Adafi Owe,
04:34I think they're going to be able to get some pressure on the passer.
04:37I think that should help out the back end.
04:39And I think a defense that is going to disguise things,
04:42force guys to move all over the place,
04:44I think it relies on guys having a high football IQ.
04:47And I think that's where you see Mikey really stand out.
04:49When it's something that relies on his football IQ,
04:52I think he does a really good job of that.
04:54Maybe sometimes he can get beat with some of the physical concerns,
04:57but I think his football IQ is still really high.
05:00So if they can utilize that, tap into that a little bit,
05:02I think you could see him have a good season in year three.
05:05Spotlight Bill.
05:07Jacory Kroski-Meritt, the seventh round pick last year
05:11at 245 overall out of Arizona.
05:14Remember, he had missed college time and only played in a game the previous season.
05:18Well, as a seventh round pick, he was the talk of camp a year ago,
05:21stole the starting job, ended up having a success rate of almost 54% running the football,
05:28one of the highest levels in the National Football League,
05:31800-plus yards and eight touchdowns for him as a rookie, 4.6 yards per carry.
05:36That's Alfred Morris-esque.
05:38And that's about where he was over 4.5 per pop.
05:41That's an area Brian Robinson couldn't get to.
05:43A lot of guys here haven't done that.
05:44He's got home run ability.
05:45We saw him hit a 72-yard long ball for a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys
05:50that ended up in the bleachers in batting practice.
05:52He's got the ability to hit for extra base hits and homers.
05:56Is he the first and second down back?
05:58What roles are carved out in the backfield?
06:01Rashad White averages 50 catches a year over four seasons in Tampa.
06:05I like him on two-minute, four-minute in the passing game.
06:09I like him out of the backfield on third down.
06:11Catron Allen's a thumper.
06:13He's got some Chris Rodriguez to him.
06:14They drafted him in the sixth round.
06:16Does he end up taking some first and second down work away from Bill?
06:19Can Bill stay healthy?
06:20He was on and off the field all of camp last year.
06:23Ja'Cory Krosky-Meritt, huge, huge training camp loading here.
06:27Spotlight Josh Connerly.
06:28You need him to be good at right tackle.
06:30And last season there were ups and downs.
06:32And I think that's to be expected.
06:33When you draft a kid, Josh Connerly, that late in the first round,
06:37at pick number 29, generally if you're going to get an offensive tackle there,
06:40there's going to be some concerns.
06:41And for him, you're not sure that he's quite ready to play at the NFL level yet.
06:45He could have returned to Oregon for another year, opted to come out in the draft.
06:48I would say that if he would have stayed in college and come out,
06:51he would have been right in the running with Spencer Fano,
06:53who went number nine overall this year's draft.
06:55Francis Maui Noah went number 10 to the Giants.
06:57I think he would have been right in the running there for a top 10 pick.
07:00So I think that talent is there.
07:02How does he progress in year two for this team?
07:04You've got to remember he's only 22 years old.
07:07Seeing him out at OTA's minicamp, he slimmed down a little bit.
07:11He started to kind of get into what his professional body is going to be.
07:15And I think they're going to like some of the versatility he gives this offense.
07:19Getting him out in space if they want to run some screens and do some stuff of that nature,
07:23I think he's going to excel there.
07:24But really, you need him to step up in year two and protect Jaden Daniels.
07:28He was good at times as the season wore on.
07:31You need more of that consistency because you're in the NFL.
07:34You can't just say, well, he's just facing Micah Parsons and Brian Burns.
07:37You're going to have to face those guys.
07:39I need you to step up.
07:39So in year two, hoping to see him take a big step.
07:41He's super important because if he is a stalwart, standout, stellar, legit, stud right tackle,
07:50then you're set on both edges.
07:52If he is a year this year like last year, you might not even be set at the position.
07:57Maybe Coleman has a shot again at tackle.
07:59Now, I happen to believe in the upside.
08:01I think the athleticism, the footwork, the size, he's got everything, checks every box.
08:06Him going in the first round, to me having seen him, makes all the sense in the world.
08:10But the results were not necessarily there, and so he's got some work to do.
08:14I think that's a good one.
08:15Last one for me, I'm going to go paint with a broader brush here.
08:18Not one guy, but a group.
08:21Spotlight linebackers.
08:24They're probably only going to have two on the field for the most part at any given moment,
08:27and that could change some.
08:29As Durante Jones digs into his bag of tricks.
08:33But who are the two?
08:34I would hope that within a few weeks into the season, Sonny Stiles is up to speed and knows
08:39everything well enough.
08:40He does not come off the field as an all-world athlete, seventh overall pick, guy that can
08:45play multiple positions.
08:46You could use him at edge and safety and wherever else you want to.
08:50Leo Chanel is one of the most athletic linebackers in league history in terms of RAS score.
08:53Frankie Louvre is a really good pass rusher.
08:55Which two are used most often and in what ways and in what roles?
09:00What does that look like?
09:01Do they use Chanel more on running downs and then Louvoo coming downhill as an A-gap plugger
09:07and blitzer and crossfire guy on passing downs?
09:11Chanel, I think, can run and turn and actually cover a little bit.
09:15So, how do they go about operating at linebacker where they've gone from the least athletic
09:20room in the league to maybe the most athletic room?
09:22I am absolutely fascinated by that.
09:25Yeah, I'll spotlight a position group as well.
09:27How about the tight end position?
09:29Chigakonkwo, we kind of have an idea of what he's going to be able to do for this team this
09:32season.
09:33I think if he's at his best, he's maybe going to be their second receiving option and
09:37people are really excited to see what he can do.
09:39But it's the other guys.
09:40John Bates, Ben Sinnott, Colson Yankoff.
09:43They're going to run a lot of two tight end, maybe even three tight end stuff.
09:46If you want to compare them to the Chicago Bears offense with Ben Johnson, last year
09:50Colston Loveland led them in receiving.
09:52But Cole Comet had 350 yards receiving as well.
09:55Their second tight end.
09:57Who steps up as that number two tight end?
09:59Is it simply John Bates?
10:00Because you know he's a great blocker.
10:01I think you can obviously depend on him as the blocker.
10:04Can you depend on him as a pass catcher?
10:06Ben Sinnott, this is a make or break season for him.
10:08Going into year three, similar to what I mentioned with Mikey Sanders still.
10:11I think there's still more to be tapped into there in the passing game.
10:15He's a solid blocker.
10:16But can he show something as a run after the catch guy similar to what Chig can give you?
10:20And Colson Yankoff, is this a chance for him?
10:23And after what he did last season to really wow some fans in the preseason, does he get
10:28more of an opportunity if Ben Sinnott doesn't step up?
10:30So who's the number two tight end after Chig Okonkwo?
10:33I think that's a big question to be answered here in training camp.
10:35That is your spotlight ahead of training camp on Grant and Danny.
10:39So now it's your opportunity.
10:41We want to know at 800-636-1067.
10:44That's 800-636-1067.
10:47Who are you most excited to see at camp?
10:49If you're going out to practice or if you're not, like most of our listeners, because there
10:52are only a handful of open practices again.
10:55Who's the guy who you're going to be seeking out content of and checking in on and searching
10:59the name of to try to figure out what is being said about them?
11:03Who's that player for you going into camp in 2026?
11:06800-636-1067.
11:08GND on the fan.
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