If day one of padded training camp practices in Washington was the pinnacle of excitement, day two was more of the same, with slightly worse weather conditions. It was cloudy and a bit wet on Wednesday morning, but players were still flying around and playing with energy.
The crack of pads is once again becoming more normal, and positional hierarchies are starting to form in certain areas, though it’s tough to make any major calls as of yet. Regardless, here are some major takeaways from the second day of padded practices in Washington:
Bryce Love can be legitimate offensive threat
With Adrian Peterson taking a veteran’s day off on Wednesday, the RB1 role was Love’s to work with for the day, and he did not disappoint. Being allowed to work as an every-down back, Love was able to show a lot of versatility out of the backfield both in the running and passing game, and he impressed the coaches along the way.
Rivera on Bryce Love. Said it's been "amazing" to watch the RB return from that knee injury. Emphasized Love offers more versatility than he was allowed to show at Stanford.
— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) August 19, 2020
Rivera said he really appreciates how hard Bryce Love has worked to get back. Rivera said he was multi-denominational and said Love could be an "every down back."
— Zach Selby (@ZachDSelby) August 19, 2020
Washington has had to deal with the unfortunate situation surrounding Derrius Guice, who on Wednesday morning was reportedly accused of raping two women during his time at LSU, but the depth at running back has seemingly been able to hold up despite that loss. If Love can keep up this production once the games get going, Washington should be just fine in the backfield.
Alex Smith continues to progress
When talking to media members after practice was over on Wednesday, Smith declared that Wednesday was the best his leg has felt since the injury, and he is playing without pain as of now.
Of course, things are going to change a bit once he is actually taking contact from opposing players, but this is still a major step in the right direction.
Alex Smith says “today is the best I’ve felt out there for sure.”
— John Keim (@john_keim) August 19, 2020
Alex Smith says he’s thought about taking another hit “more than I can say. That’s been in the back of my head throughout this process.” Says he’s determined not to let that fear dictate his decision making.
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) August 19, 2020
There’s no telling when Smith will actually be able to take on full-contact from defenders trying to bring him down, but what matters is that he’s working towards that goal each and every day.
Energy is key at practice for Washington
Ron Rivera got on his players at the end of Tuesday’s session for not constantly flying around from drill to drill, and at some points being stationary. Despite Rivera’s undressing, multiple reports from media members were that players were bouncing around the field, and that same energy was kept up on Wednesday.
Washington's coaches were energetic today, and Rivera said it was important for them to set the tempo for the team. The players will follow what the coaches do, Rivera said, and that's when the players will take ownership of the tempo for practice.
— Zach Selby (@ZachDSelby) August 19, 2020
If the coaches can continue to bring the energy in practice, the veterans will soon be the models of the uptempo style, and that will trickle down to the young guys as well. Something that has not always been prevalent in Washington is players flying from drill to drill under the last coaching staff, but Rivera is making that one of the main points going forward.
Young players are stepping up
There have been a few players thus far through these two days of camp that have made solid impressions on the coaching staff. Among them are TE Marcus Baugh, DE Jordan Brailford, DL Ryan Anderson, and LT Geron Christian.
It is too early in camp to be declaring any position battles won just yet, but the reps that these players are getting early on can be monumental down the road, as they work to make the final roster cut and get an increase of snaps on the field once the regular season comes around. Without preseason games this year, this work that players are getting in training camp is of the utmost importance, and it will be intriguing to watch how they continue to take advantage of it going forward.
Minor injury for rookie Chase Young
When the team went to 11-on-11 drills this morning, rookie DE Chase Young was off to the side, not participating. Reporters noted that he walked off the field fine, but he did have a wrap high up on his thigh/hip area. When talking to media members after practice, coach Rivera noted that Young is dealing with a minor hip-flexor injury, and they are trying to be careful with it.
Chase Young dealing with a hip flexor, per Rivera. The rookie largely watched today out of precaution. Hope to minimize the issue rather than have a 4-5 day problem. So, yeah, we have a new topic.
— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) August 19, 2020
Nothing major, but something to keep an eye on going forward.
