Commanders’ 2nd year right tackle is leaner, stronger, and ready to take the next step forward in ‘26
Editor’s note: Each day, Hogs Haven compiles a collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East, the NFL and sports in general, with a sprinkling of other stuff. Enjoy!
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OTA notebook | Defense shows speed, McCaffrey and Burks stand out
Former third-round pick Luke McCaffrey is one of the players they are hoping will develop this summer, and he had a strong day with three catches from Daniels. One of them was a contested grab while working against Jeremy Reaves, who tried to make a play for the ball but had it snatched away by McCaffrey, who kept both feet in bounds.
Washington’s defense was flying around fitting runs well during the first 11-on-11 period of the day, but what stood out the most was how much communication happened before the snap. Calls were relayed effectively by every defensive player on the field, and players were making checks to counter the offense. That might be a basic, and even expected requirement for playing solid defense in the NFL, but it was a positive sign to see the unit developing good habits during the offseason while learning a new system.
Heavy.com
Trey Amos : Working toward return to practice
Amos (lower leg) is not participating in the Commanders’ OTAs, Ben Standig of Big 100 Washington D.C. reports. Amos is present, but rather than drilling with the team, he’s still rehabbing from the fractured fibula he suffered back in Week 10 of the 2025 campaign. There is still no concrete timeline for his full return to football activities, and in the meantime, veteran Antonio Hamilton could see increased work on the boundary with the first team.
Last Man Standig
Terry McLaurin isn’t dwelling on last season’s setbacks; he’s learning from them
The contract dispute. The holdout. The Week 3 quad injury that sidelined him for seven of eight games. The frustration of watching a promising season unravel after signing a lucrative contract extension.
Most players would gladly erase those memories. McLaurin views them differently.
“I don’t want to forget it because I grew a lot from that situation. I learned a lot during it,” the two-time Pro Bowl receiver said following Tuesday’s OTA session.
When not thinking about how best to convert completions from quarterback Jayden Daniels, McLaurin spent the offseason reflecting on circumstances that were “not going my way.”
“I don’t look at [adverse situations] that happen in your life as a negative thing like I used to. … I’ve taken those opportunities to see it as a learning and growth experience.”
That perspective doesn’t mean McLaurin, now entering his age-31 season. ignored the football lessons from last season.
The biggest?
“I can answer that honestly. Missing that time with a young quarterback is extremely important,” McLaurin said following Tuesday’s practice during the second week of OTA sessions.
Taking attendance
One week after Laremy Tunsil’s surprise participation in the initial OTA session, Washington’s left tackle was not part of Tuesday’s practice. Tunsil was expected to pop in and out ahead of the three-day mandatory minicamp (June 16-18).
Cornerback Trey Amos (fractured fibula), absent last week, joined teammates for stretching but did not practice.
Croskey-Merritt missed a second consecutive open OTA session with an undisclosed issue. Though dressed for activity, the 2025 seventh-round pick worked on the side field during practice.
Commanders Roundtable
Josh Conerly on his new look: ‘Dieting, eating a lot cleaner, eating a little less’
“Huddling up is something I haven’t done since I don’t know, maybe little league,” Conerly added. “Playing at Oregon, we were always fast tempo, on the ball, and obviously last year we were in that offense as well. So I feel like it’s been a lot easier to get clear communication.”
The scheme shift could materialize into the number one question for Conerly’s sophomore season, but the chance to put together a complete season will also be a box for the University of Oregon product to answer in 2026.
This offseason, Conerly said he went back to the University of Oregon to workout with his college coaches before reuniting with star left tackle Laremy Tunsil in Alabama. Yet there’s even more reason to be confident in Conerly’s potential for year two after revealing he’s still between 310 and 315 pounds, his same playing weight as last season, but put a premium on his body and frame this offseason to “cut down a lot of body fat.”
“Dieting, eating a lot cleaner, eating a little less,” Conerly said about the offseason transition.
Commanders Roundtable
Washington Commanders Notes: Two Roster Moves, Season Ticket Perks
The Commanders announced that veteran tight end Anthony Firkser has been signed, marking his second consecutive season in the NFC. Firkser spent the first four seasons of his career in Tennessee where he tallied over 1,100 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 106 catches across 58 games. He then played in 24 games with the Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs since the 2022 season. He’s coming off a season where he registered eight catches for 53 yards in seven games with the Lions in 2025, joining a unit that offensive coordinator David Blough was complimentary of ahead of the second week of OTAs.
In order to make room, the Commanders announced that wide receiver Ja’Corey Brooks has been released.
Meanwhile, the Commanders also announced several new perks for season ticket holders, including new menu items featuring ten items under $5, like a hot dog and pretzel, and five items under $10, like Ben’s Bowl of Chili and a Smashburger and chips.
Washington also announced that the number of training camp practices open to season ticket holders has doubled from last year with six practices now available, along with additional perks in London for the Commanders’ week four matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.
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Bleeding Green Nation
Makai Lemon injury: Eagles wide receiver reportedly dealing with hamstring issue
Rookie first-round pick Makai Lemon watched Tuesday’s media-attended OTA session from the sideline while wearing a sleeve on his right leg.
The good news is that Lemon’s injury isn’t said to be serious; he’s expected to be fully ready for training camp, according to SportsRadio 94WIP’s Eliot Shorr-Parks.
The bad news is that Lemon’s soft tissue issue — which Quinyon Mitchell revealed is a hamstring injury — is expected to keep him out of the remainder of Philly’s spring workouts.
This development is hardly the biggest deal. But considering that the Eagles are likely to be heavily relying upon Lemon as a rookie, it would be preferable to see him getting any many reps as possible while he aims to learn the offense and build chemistry with Jalen Hurts.
It’s unclear when exactly Lemon’s injury occurred. He seemingly participated in last week’s OTA practice on Tuesday before the media-attended session on Wednesday. Maybe it happened in Friday’s practice that was closed to media? Or yesterday’s practice that was also closed?
Big Blue View
Did the Eagles open the door for the Giants to win the NFC East when they traded AJ Brown?
We don’t know for certain, but it does sound like the decision to move Brown was driven by interpersonal dynamics behind the scenes. If so, that supersedes what happens on the field, as a fractured locker room is impossible for any team to survive.
As Harbaugh said back in January, the Giants still have to beat the Cowboys and Commanders. But all three teams’ primary goal is beating the Eagles to take the division crown away, and it’s entirely possible that Philly just traded away the division when they traded A.J. Brown.
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CFP Reshuffles Its Schedule to Avoid More Head-to-Head NFL Competition
For the first time in the 12-team CFP era, the four quarterfinal games in the upcoming postseason will not be played on consecutive days.
TNT Sports will air the first quarterfinal matchup in the Fiesta Bowl, which will be played Dec. 30 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The remaining three quarterfinals—the Cotton, Peach, and Rose bowls—will be played two days later on New Year’s Day across TNT Sports and ESPN.
In previous years, one quarterfinal was scheduled for New Year’s Eve and the other three for New Year’s Day. (In 2025, the Sugar Bowl was delayed from New Year’s Day to Jan. 2.)
However, this year Amazon Prime Video’s 2026 Thursday Night Football slate concludes with a Ravens-Bengals matchup on New Year’s Eve. Last year, Amazon’s regular-season NFL finale was on Christmas.
The CFP national championship game will be played on Jan. 25—the latest date ever for the game—which was announced back in January of 2025.
The past two years the title game has been played on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but in 2027 the holiday (Jan. 18) falls on the NFL’s wild card weekend, when ESPN has a Monday Night Football broadcast.
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