Commanders
New Commanders owner Josh Harris delivered a statement laying out the expectations for the team during his tenure.
“Today, my partners and I were entrusted by the NFL with the stewardship of the great franchise,” Harris said, via PFT. “As a lifelong Washington football fan who grew up here, I know that the Commanders are more than just a sports team. This is an institution, passed down from generation to generation. From Day 1, it is our top priority to deliver you a championship-caliber team, and we will strive everyday to ensure that we are a franchise you can be proud of. To Commanders fans everywhere, our promise is simple: We will do the work, create the culture and make the investment needed to deliver for this team and for Washington.”
Giants
At one point during the draft process, there was a first-round buzz for Giants third-round WR Jalin Hyatt. He obviously didn’t go that high, and despite being massively productive in 2022 and bringing game-changing speed, it appears concerns about his readiness for the professional game coming out of Tennessee’s unique offense contributed to his slide. Giants WR coach Mike Groh downplayed those concerns however.
“I think if we had major concerns, then maybe he wouldn’t be here,” Groh said via the Athletic’s Dan Duggan and Charlotte Carroll. “Very pleased with what he’s shown us on the field so far. We didn’t have a lot of concern in terms of making the pick and have a lot of confidence in the kind of player that he can be.”
That said, the Giants have clearly been easing Hyatt into the mix on offense despite what appears to be a wide-open depth chart from the outside looking in. Receiver is a tough transition to make for any rookie no matter what offense they ran in college.
“I wouldn’t minimize that,” Groh said. “It’s a big step up in competition, it’s a big step up in terms of what they’re being asked to learn and understand. They’re all learning new techniques. Really, every receiver in college football — none of them run the same route tree that they’re going to run in the NFL. Then it’s our job to find the things that the players do well and put them in positions to do the things they do well over and over again.”
Lions
Lions OC Ben Johnson said he loves the team’s depth at quarterback behind QB Jared Goff. Johnson added that QB Nate Sudfeld is exactly what he’s looking for in a backup.
“Yeah, no, I love the room right now,” Johnson said, via Lions Wire. “There is a great camaraderie in there and I think that is really important when you need to find that backup quarterback position.”
Behind Sudfeld, the team also has rookie QB Hendon Hooker and rookie QB Adrian Martinez. Both of whom Johnson said has potential to develop.
“It’s not only a guy that can go in there and win games, but for the majority of the season, if all things go right, he is there to support that starter,” Johnson said. “And we have that right now, not only with Nate (Sudfeld) and Hendon (Hooker) and Adrian (Martinez), we have a good group. And they are learning, they are growing.”
Johnson is eager to get the pads on during training camp to see exactly where the team is at behind Goff in a full-speed scenario.
“And once again, we are evaluating consistently we are putting pressure on them consistently to see what they can do out on the field in team settings. The truth really comes out, I believe, when you have the bullets flying for real, which we can’t have right now. So, the training camp will really tell us where we are at behind Jared, but so far, I feel really good about that room.”
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