The latest news from around the division.
3 standouts from Commanders OTAs – Zach Selby, Commanders.com
Some Washington players are already turning heads.
The Washington Commanders wrapped up their first OTA practice of Phase 3, and while nothing seen at this time of year should be taken as an indication of how players or the team will perform in September, there were a few standouts on Wednesday. Here are three players that caught our eye.
Trey Amos
There’s no telling at this point just how many snaps the second-round pick will get as a rookie or where he will land on depth chart, but Amos made the most of his snaps in seven-on-seven drills.
Amos, who the Commanders considered taking with their first-round pick, held his own against several of the team’s veterans. In one of his more impressive plays, he managed to stay upright after his feet got tangled with Michael Gallup and got under a tipped pass for an interception on the second play of the drill. He nearly got a second one later in the day while working against Luke McCaffrey and kept up with Deebo Samuel when lined up against him.
Although general manager Adam Peters said Amos is an all-around cornerback, the Commanders primarily view him as a perimeter defender. As shown during his reps against Samuel, his large frame allows him to be physical at the line of scrimmage with bigger receivers. Amos still has months before he is ready to be a regular defensive contributor, but he’s off to a good start.
Jayden Daniels
Daniels didn’t have many eye-catching moments during Wednesday’s practice. He was as comfortable and collected as ever, leading the offense during drills and dishing out the ball to his receivers with accuracy and poise.
Daniels, who appears slightly more muscular, has clearly been putting in the work to stay on top of his game this offseason, and that deserves some credit.
“I gotta go out there and prove myself each and every day, no matter if it was last season, this season, 10, 20 years down the road. You have to prove yourself each and every season,” Daniels said.
By all accounts, Daniels has had an excellent offseason and earned some praise from his teammates and coaches for it. “He’s…as focused and relentless as you could be about getting better,” said head coach Dan Quinn. “And so that’s why I said for us around here, we appreciate that.” Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury echoed that sentiment, saying Daniels is “very highly motivated to be as good as he can be.”
Jalen Hurts embracing change under Philadelphia Eagles new offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo – Kelsey Kramer, AtoZSports.com
A new offensive coordinator this year is nothin new for Jalen Hurts.
The Philadelphia Eagles made another big change this offseason, swapping out Kellen Moore for Kevin Patullo as Jalen Hurts’ new offensive coordinator.
That makes technically five offensive coordinators (Doug Pederson (2020), Nick Sirianni/Shane Steichen (2021), Shane Steichen (2022), Brian Johnson (2023), and Kellen Moore (2024). Patullo) since Hurts entered the NFL in 2020 and at least ten different playcallers for him dating back to high school. It’s a lot of change for any quarterback, but Hurts just keeps rolling with it and is embracing the change.
“I know in the past, I would have given a number on that matter. But things evolve and things change and so we’ve just really bought into that,” Hurts said. “That’s an important thing. I think that’s something I’ve learned as well, that you have to be able to evolve as time goes on. And so given coach Kevin Patullo and his new role now, and him being one in charge of offensive leadership — you get new pieces and new ideas that come from everyone.”
The silver lining is that Hurts is finally getting some consistency. Patullo was promoted from within, moving up from passing game coordinator to offensive coordinator.
It also helps that Hurts has a ton of control over the offense, so it doesn’t really matter who is in charge anymore, since it’s Hurts’ offense.
Cam Skattebo Reveals Giants Drafted Him Despite Notable Pre-Draft Blunder – ProFootballNetwork.com
Skattebo thought he messed up on his pre-draft visit to New York.
Cam Skattebo didn’t just break out in 2024 — he bulldozed his way into the national spotlight, racking up over 2,300 total yards and 24 touchdowns on his way to putting the NFL on notice. The Arizona standout was selected 105th overall by the New York Giants, but that was the last team he expected to land with.
Skattebo’s tough, physical running style earned him comparisons to NFL players like Kyren Williams and made him a guaranteed Day 3 pick. However, the 23-year-old thought he blew his chance with the Giants during the top 30 visit when he was late to his first-ever meeting with the front office.
“I never thought it was going to be New York cause I was actually late to the first meeting ever, on my 30 visit,” Skattebo said on the “St. Brown Podcast”. “I was five minutes late to the bus pickup. I thought I was cooked there.”
Skattebo further revealed he was expecting to be drafted 100th overall by the San Francisco 49ers before falling to the Giants. His reaction when the Giants called him was, of course, one of relief and joy.
“Getting the call on draft night, it’s like, ‘Hey, you’re going to be a New York Giant,’” Skattebo said. “I’m like, ‘holy cow.’…After I was drafted and they FaceTimed me, I told them I’ll never be late again.”
Skattebo was lucky to still get drafted by the Giants, but it wouldn’t have been possible without his production in college. Nevertheless, the Arizona State star knows there’s a big difference between college and professional football, and that he will have to prove himself all over again with the Giants.
“How many snaps of the NFL have you seen me play?’’ Skattebo said when asked about how he maintains his work ethic. “Zero, right? I’ve proved nothing. I’ve proved what I am in college, but I’ve proved nothing at this level.
