The Washington Commanders finished their training camp practice at FedExField last night (Saturday, Aug. 6), and head coach Ron Rivera, quarterback Carson Wentz and wide receiver Terry McLaurin spoke with the media. Here are some of the highlights from their press conferences.

Ron Rivera

On his thoughts about the crowd:

• "I was very pleased. I really appreciate the fans coming out today. What we are looking for is that energy. We are just trying to get our guys to understand how important it is to have the fans out there and how important it is for our fans to be there and bring that energy. I think the players fed off of that. There were some really good things. One thing I hope everybody appreciated was the aggressive nature in which we played today. The way we ran the ball and threw the ball downfield. The things we were doing on defense in terms of the different coverages we were using and the pressure we brought. This is going to be real good tape for us to evaluate with. It really plays with talking with the coaches as practice was going on about the different things that we did. We had a couple of live periods. We changed the tempo up so we could get things going. We kind of eased it back down so we made sure we were working on the details. We've got a lot of confidence and were very pleased with what we did today."

On WR Curtis Samuel and what he expects to see from him to know he is ready to go:

• "A big part of it is his route running and his timing. There was one where he was trying to time out a ball across the middle with [QB] Carson [Wentz]. I'm not sure if you guys saw, it came in high and hot and he was trying to get that feel for Carson and I think Carson was trying to get a feel for his timing as he was breaking across the middle. But when you watch him, you watch him get from one zone to the other and kind of impacting the defenses as he goes through. I mean you have to pay attention to his speed and it causes certain things to happen with the defenses. Then when you see him with the ball in his hand, you see just how dynamic he is."

On the biggest adjustment QB Carson Wentz has made:

• "I think one of the big things is the terminology and understanding the terminology and understanding how the progressions are set, we may go through a progression a different way for that. There comes a time for understanding how a combination is hard and the different receivers and who the receivers are. When you have [WR] Terry [McLaurin], [WR] Jahan [Dotson], [WR] Curtis [Samuel], and [WR Kelvin] Harmon out there it's a 4x1 relay team those guys can fly down and run, we can put some bigger guys out there, put [WR] Cam [Sims] out there with them and now you got a different set of timing, you have a bigger target as well. We can put some tight ends out there and we haven't had all the tight ends out there, we're down to four and there's still a lot of things that must work together and still be developed together."

On addressing the fans post practice:

• "It's exciting! It really is. I really do appreciate the fans that came out tonight, I really appreciate their support. There's something exciting about being in your home stadium."

On S Kamren Curl:

• "Kam was a guy that came in and already had a good sense of what it took to be a good player. Last year we saw his development and we saw how he was learning the nuances of the game. You see him be a pro in how he handles his preparation, the way he takes care of himself, and the way he practices. He's become such a solid football player, and there's room for growth for him to be even better."

Carson Wentz

On how he feels about timing and rhythm of the offense:

• "Feels good, could definitely get better. But it's still early, we're only two weeks into camp and those are the things that particularly we're working on. We're also not game-planning for our defense. You know, seeing different looks and all those things. So, I feel like it's in a good place, but it's just going to keep getting better. Far from perfect, but it's fun developing chemistry with those guys."

On if this system is more complex than previous ones:

• "I wouldn't say more complex, they're all different. They all have their own little nuances and it may be a very similar play, but how we want to stretch the defense or attack the defense, how we want to bring the play. There's all those different things. Quite frankly, that's one of the fun parts of the game for me is always learning. Always trying to learn and get better. Even little details in a route, in a scheme, knowing where your check-down is, all those things has been fun. To keep pushing the envelope on learning and understanding, and I feel like I like it a lot better."

On how he felt being here and entering the home locker room:

• "Feels a little different, feels a little different. Running out there, even getting cheered for that was fun, not getting booed. So no, it was cool. Good experience out there, like I said, just to feel a little glimpse of the energy. You know, and hopefully, obviously, we'll see a lot more of that this Fall. Yeah, it was cool to see a little glimpse of it."

On what he has learned from Scott Turner:

• "Nothing specific that I'll share necessarily but just you know little nuances within concepts, how you know it's a similar play I've been running my whole career, but we're gonna line a little differently or we're gonna come out of our break a little differently or attack the defense differently when you get different coverages and just some different things that I may have never thought of before, just some little things that can kind of help understand how he's seeing it, so we could be you know on the same page as we're progressing."

On his connection with Cole Turner:

• "Yeah, I mean he's a big target. Big target, friendly target. For a rookie he's come in and done a nice job. Nice job learning the X's and O's, and the same conversations I'm having with Terry and Curtis, same with him. You know if we're a little off on a throw here I'm not going to over-analyze it, we're just gonna talk about it so we're all on the same page. If it's my fault, his fault, doesn't matter. So he's been really receptive to trying to get better, trying to learn and understand this offense as quickly as you can. But yeah, he brings a big body, a big target with a lot of range and it's been fun working with him."

Terry McLaurin

On timing with QB Carson Wentz and the wide receivers:

• "Yeah, I definitely think it is a work in progress. I feel like we are connecting more as the weeks go on. This was nice to kind of get in more of a game like atmosphere in the stadium, get used to operation time. Next week is going to be a good week for us to continue to build on what we have been doing well this off season, in camp. The first game of the preseason is at the end of the week so I think we have a chance to go out there and make a good impression for ourselves and try to get some momentum through the preseason and into the regular season."

On how his relationship with QB Carson Wentz is coming together:

• "I think just feeling man and zone. I know him and I had a rep in the last few days, and we ran the same concept today and we kind of got to talk it out a little bit more. You get the feel of it a little bit. I think it's hard to get every rep of every concept that we run down pat, but I think just the overall communication is big as we go along and do this process. I think we're both competitive, you want to hit them all and that's the expectation. But, as long as we're on the same page we expect when the games come around to really start making those plays even more." 

On what he noticed about WR Marken Michel:

• "Since Marken got here last season, he's been a guy who I don't even think has missed a practice. That's a guy who really knows how to get open and separate. He can play in the slot. He can play in both outside positions. I think he can really have a chance to help us this year. I think it'll be really cool to see him out in the preseason doing his thing. He's really confident in his ball skills and when he runs his routes. I think he's a very versatile piece and it's fun going out there with a guy who likes to have fun playing football and is just looking to make an impact. Those are the kinds of guys that find their way on the team and find a way to make an impact. They're so available and ready to make plays whenever they have the opportunity."

On if he has a noticed a difference with fans since he signed his extension:

• "I've always gotten love from the fans but it just kind of seemed a little more, and I humbly accept that. It's really cool to be able to make an impact on so many people and to be one of the leaders on this team. Coming into the league, you want to make your mark and now to be in a leadership position is something that I want to continue to enhance and build on, and to continue to give them something to cheer about. I want to be able to show that I work with the team, and the team believes in me, and up my level in play and make an impact on the other guys in my room. Anytime I get to go out there and hang out with the fans and show them love, smile, give them compliments, and just appreciate them for supporting me and the rest of my teammates, I'm gonna do that because that's one of the great things about football. Seeing the fanfare and getting the love that we get from these fans. I'm really looking forward to this season and seeing how that grows for all of us."

On things to look for to know that timing is improving:

• "I think we are definitely in communication on where we are expected to be for the quarterback. So, if depending on the leverage, if we are supposed to take the route high or bring it low depending on the leverage of the defense and I think we are doing a good job of really working through those things now I feel like even when we miss some of the deep balls or some of the long passes. It is still good to get those reps to see it run against our defense and get a feel of what it is supposed to look like. I think, like I said, we are continuing to progress as much as we can. I think the touchdown that Carson and I had today felt like a game rep, where the timing was there with the back shoulder fade and things like that. So, you want to have those reps to put in your pocket because those are the ones that give you confidence and the ones you don't quite connect on you go look at the film and see was I good on my steps. I kind of just look at it from my perspective. Was my demeanor good? Did I land marking? Did I come down with the ball? So, I think it is still a work in progress, but I think we are all doing a good job of just trying to be quarterback friendly and make plays together."