Training camp is here, and we have you covered as the Washington Football Team prepares for the 2020 campaign.
Stay up to date with "Training Camp Daily," which comes out every weekday evening.
Also be sure to check out "Washington Football Live 2020" every weekday from 9 - 9:45 a.m. and "Virtual Happy Hour" from 2:30 - 3 p.m. Both shows will be streamed on all of the team's social media platforms.
Here's what you need to know:
THE LATEST
Head coach Ron Rivera has been high on quarterback-turned-tight end Logan Thomas from the moment Washington signed him as a free agent in March. He's even compared the 28-year-old to three-time Pro Bowler Greg Olsen, saying that he sees "glimpses" of the same athletic ability.
Washington activated Thomas off the Reserve/COVID-19 list Sunday afternoon, and now Rivera is ready to see how Thomas looks in Washington's new offensive scheme.
"We saw a guy that is starting to grow and blossom in the tight end position," Rivera told reporters Aug.10. "I had a chance to watch some pretty good tape on him when he was with Detroit, and we really felt that this is a guy who has the skillset we're looking for to be one of our tight ends."
Thomas has had a winding seven-year journey since getting drafted as a quarterback by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth-round of the 2014 draft. His career as an NFL signal caller was a short one; he played in two regular season games and had 81 passing yards, all of which came on his first-career attempt and resulted in a touchdown.
He spent the next two seasons moving from one practice squad to the next, making stops with the Miami Dolphins, New York Giants and Detroit Lions. Two days after the Lions signed him to their practice squad, the Buffalo Bills brought him onto their roster. By then, Thomas had transitioned to tight end, and he started to receive more significant playing time, catching 19 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown.
In Washington's evaluation of Thomas, Rivera said tight ends coach Pete Hoener felt "very strongly about the guy's abilities" because he was a "smart and savvy football player."
"Remember he is a converted quarterback, a guy that has a skillset that is a little unique because of his understanding of the way offenses work," Rivera said.
Thomas returned to Detroit in 2019 and had the best season of his career at tight end. He started in three games, had 16 receptions for 173 yards and averaged 10.8 yards per reception. He even caught a 12-yard touchdown pass against Washington in Week 12.
Rivera believes Thomas is on the cusp on growing into a talented tight end. He's now getting to see the next stage of Thomas' development on the field.
"He's got enough athleticism that he can be dynamic," Rivera said. "We're pretty excited about who he is."
QUICK HITS
Montez Sweat is a "tremendously gifted athlete": Rivera liked Sweat coming out of the draft when he was with the Carolina Panthers. He said Sweat has been growing and developing since Washington drafted him 26th overall in 2019, and his presence makes the defensive line even more dynamic. "He's a tremendously gifted athlete," Rivera said. "I'll be honest, just kind of going back and looking at him from his college tape and remembering him putting his hand on the ground and how explosive he was off the line of scrimmage and then seeing...that whole group of guys we have, we have the ability to have a special unit."
Rivera feels "very good" about the running backs: Washington released Derrius Guice on Aug.7, but Rivera remains confident in the makeup of the running back group. Many of the players have little to no experience, but Rivera wants all five of them to compete to be the feature back of the group. "We're going to have guys who will have a lot of opportunities between now and the opener, and we'll get an opportunity to see which guys are the best ones for us."
COVID-19 safety protocols are mentioned every day: This year's training camp has been unique because of the safety protocols, and Rivera has stressed to his players that "we all have to own this together." Whether it's just a friendly reminder or a team meeting, players are reminded daily to stay safe and isolated. "We wanted to make sure everybody knew them, everybody understood that there are consequences if we fail to follow those protocols," Rivera said. "So, we had to make sure everybody knows. We've been very fortunate so far."
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