Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn held a joint press conference today ahead of training camp, which is set to kick off July 24. Here are five takeaways from their assessment of the team.

1. Not a secret, but a journey

The Commanders have been patient when it comes to naming a starter for the 2024 season, and with camp officially kicking off tomorrow, Quinn is still choosing to be silent about his intentions regarding whether Jayden Daniels or Marcus Mariota will take the first snap in Week 1.

Washington's approach, Quinn said, does not come from wanting to keep things under wraps; rather, it's all part of the process for the quarterback position as well as the rest of the roster.

"It's not a secret, but it is a journey and a process," Quinn said. "As we're going, when he's [Daniels] ready, we'll know. And when he's ready, he'll also know."

There was a clear separation when the Commanders started OTAs and minicamp with Mariota working with the starters and Daniels sticking with the backups and rookies. As the offseason progressed, however, it was Daniels who took more snaps with the starters and Mariota working with the second group.

For training camp, Quinn said there will be certain days where one quarterback will be featured more than the other. The number of reps each player receives is not meant to be a hint that one is ahead of the other in terms of a competition, but rather an intentional move by the staff to see how each player adjusts to the circumstances.

So, while it's reasonable to assume that Daniels will be the starter at some point, the Commanders intend to let things play out.

"When we know, we'll say it," Quinn said.

2. Short vs. long-term success

The Commanders have a long-term goal of turning themselves into a team that will regularly compete for Super Bowls. Although there are examples of that happening sooner for some teams than others, the reality is that process can take a while to accomplish. A realistic goal is for that to happen three to four years in the future.

At the same time, the demand for immediate success is an ever-growing shadow that looms over every team, including the Commanders. So, as Peters takes on being a general manager for the first time in his career, he wants to find the balance of striving for short and long-term success.

"It's always something you're trying to do constantly, seeing the big picture, but also, we're here to win games," Peters said. "This is a 'not for long' league."

Both Quinn and Peters seem confident they have put together a roster that will at least be more competitive than it was in 2023. Regardless of whether Daniels is the starter in Week 1 or later in the season, the abilities he showed over the last two years at LSU could spark a more exciting offense in 2024. The offensive line is still a question mark, but it looks like it's more stable than it was last December.

But despite having some of the most available cap space in March, the Commanders didn't stretch themselves too thin from either a financial or draft perspective. They took calculated swings at players they knew could lay the foundation while also elevating the roster in the immediate future.

Peters said he and assistant general manager Lance Newmark are focused on winning right now, but the other members of the front office, like vice president of football operations Brandon Sosna, allow them to also build for the future.

"We're always ready to help win right now while having all of us keep an eye on the future and make sure we're able to sustain success for a long time," Peters said.

3. Develop an identity

As much excitement as there has been around the Commanders since the 2023 season ended, it is worth noting that the franchise is entering the first year of a new regime with a rookie quarterback and a rebuilt roster that went 4-13 a year ago. Going from fourth to first is possible, of course, but doing so in one of the best divisions in football will be tricky.

So, what would qualify the 2024 season as a success for Quinn and Peters? Obviously, they want to win as many games as possible, but finding their identity is just as important to them.

"Who we are and how we play, that has to come along strong," Quinn said. "If you get that first and get that right, that's when a lot of the success will follow."

Quinn and Peters had a clear vision for how they wanted to structure the roster in their first season together. They entered the draft looking for players they believed had the "Commander tag" -- a term they used for players who had certain desired characteristics. In free agency, they signed a mix of experienced veterans and those still looking to prove themselves on "prove it" deals. More than half the roster is different from what it was in 2023, and most of them have never played together before.

Peters and Quinn will now get to see how much that effort will pay off, but they have some idea of what they're going to see from their players this season.

"You're gonna see a great effort team, a competitive team, playing fast and physical," Peters said. "We've seen that out there all spring, and we're excited to see it here in camp."

4. The benefits of join practices

The Commanders will get a little extra competition with two of their preseason opponents this year, as they will have joint practices with the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins over the next month.

Though the joint practices will only last one day, Quinn and Peters see the value of providing more tests for their players.

"You measure yourself against the other team," Peters said.

For Quinn, the joint practices provide an opportunity to see how his players will fare against another offense or defense after seeing their own for weeks. When players see the same opponents every day, Quinn said, they get used to certain habits and can predict how plays will unfold.

"When you go in those other practices, you better be pure to what you're reading and how you're gonna do it," Quinn said.

Peters, however, looks at joint practices from the perspective of an evaluator. He'll be keeping an eye on the back of the Jets and Dolphins' roster for players who could help the Commanders if they get cut. The Commanders pick second on the waiver wire this year, so they will essentially get their pick of whoever they want to add once training camp is over.

There's also the chance to get a look at more scenarios in a controlled environment, which Peters said is "invaluable."

"You get a chance to see guys compete with less of a chance of getting hurt, which is a big, big deal and against a scheme that's different than yours, so it's really, really valuable."

5. More competition leads to more answers

Quinn and Peters are encouraging competition at every position so they can find the best players to put on the field during gamedays. Some positions will have fewer opportunities, like defensive tackle, while others will play themselves out all the way until the end of camp.

While finding starters is important to Quinn, there are layers to what competition can bring to the roster.

"How does the chemistry work? Then, also not just the competition at the position, but like what specific things make a player unique, and then how would we play that player?" Quinn said.

Every player wants to be a starter, but outside of the offensive line and hopefully the quarterback, most aren't on the field for every snap. The coaches will move the players around the field based on the situation to give the team the best chance to win.

The only way to find those answers is for players to compete with each in those simulated situations during practice.

"What specific things does this tight end do versus this back, what about this back versus this linebacker?" Quinn said. "So, finding the roles and owning those are as important as the competing, because once we establish what those roles are, now we can plug and play people into doing those things."