OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Kids tend to be loud, especially when dozens congregate in the same, tight space. Crank up the volume when they spot familiar professional athletes like Chase Young and Terry McLaurin.
Whether wearing Washington Commanders’ gear or the Baltimore Ravens’ purple and black, these young fans standing near the visiting team’s entrance and exit area made their presence felt Wednesday. They roared with glee when Young arrived for the second day of joint practices and screamed for McLaurin as the fan favorite walked off the field.
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Another critical piece of Washington’s season-long aspirations walked relatively anonymously toward the exit, steps away from McLaurin. A member of the organization tried helping the tunnel-vision youth.
“What about Kam Curl?” he yelled.
It’s not that the fourth-year safety is some anonymous cog. Many recognize his growth since being selected in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft and the versatility he offers. Like others in Washington’s secondary, Curl hasn’t had a breakout moment, at least, not the kind that would garner attention from the posters-on-the-bedroom-wall crowd.
Read: Commanders 53-man roster: First impressions after final cuts
Then there’s the praise-worthy defensive line with four starters selected in the first round, including Young, the 2020 Defensive Rookie of the Year, and Pro Bowl defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. That’s where any analyst or television broadcast would begin when highlighting Washington’s top-10 defense.
There might be some competition if the Commanders’ deep secondary keeps up the impressive work displayed throughout the summer and over two days against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens’ offense.
“You know, we know we got a D-line. Our D-line is the best in the league,” Curl said. “They’re gonna get the popularity, but we got to get some recognition for the DBs, too.”
❌❌❌@D__Johnson10 | #HTTC pic.twitter.com/kuapsDHW1b
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) August 16, 2023
That comes with more established street cred. Of the projected top seven defensive backs, only veteran cornerback Kendall Fuller has played more than three seasons, and five have played two seasons or fewer. Yet there’s real investment in the group: Four players were selected in the top three rounds during the Ron Rivera era, including the top two selections in the 2023 NFL Draft, cornerback Emmanuel Forbes and safety Quan Martin.
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Besides actual playing upside, one upside with youth is typically a more daring nature while trying to prove they belong. That’s played out this summer.
“Flying around and making plays on the ball. Coverages real tight,” Curl said. “We’ve got a lot of smart guys. I feel we have a real good group this year.”
That showed at times against the Ravens during a pair of chippy practices. Skirmishes broke out again Wednesday, though primarily in drills with the offensive and defensive line squaring off.
“Today, the last couple of days have been physical days,” left tackle Charles Leno Jr. said. “I feel like we ain’t backing down from nobody.”
GO DEEPER
Solid day for Lamar Jackson as tempers flare at Ravens-Commanders joint practice
The defensive backs have a similar vibe about them. Again, chalk up some bravado to young people feeling indestructible and the nature of the position where a next-play mentality is required. Cooler heads appreciated the chance to test themselves against another team.
“I love it because you get out there and you just play ball,” Fuller said. “You just play what you see. And even that, that’s a little bit different from a game because, from a game, you got film that you can go out there and watch. From a technique standpoint, there’s no film, no knowledge of what they do. You just line up, play your technique and trust that your technique is gonna allow you to make plays.”
The secondary thwarted several passes during red zone work. Cornerback Benjamin St-Juste, safety Darrick Forrest and reserve cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields all had a pass deflection or forced an incompletion. Cornerback Danny Johnson and safety Percy Butler combined for excellent coverage on a deep throw at another point of practice.
“Everybody’s locked in,” Martin said. “We knew what we had to come out here and do today. So being able to lock in and go on the field and do what we said we were going to do is pretty good.”
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Wednesday’s highlights included Curl’s matchup with Ravens Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews. Jackson fired a seam pass that Curl spotted quickly enough to make a play on Andrews at “his hands” for an incompletion. It’s the type of play against a high-level opponent that will generate more notoriety.
Here's soon-to-be-paid Safety Kam Curl locking All-Pro TE Mark Andrews down
Lamar had nowhere to throw and tried to force it in but Kam was having none of it#HTTC #RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/DT6ZGXbv7z
— RefTheDistrict (@RefTheDistrict) August 16, 2023
“He can make plays all around the field,” Fuller said. “He’s just coming out being the same Kam Curl, and that’s all we need him to do.”
Baltimore’s passing attack had its moments and would have picked up more chunk yards if Jackson hadn’t struggled with accuracy. Forbes had a rougher time on day two against some of the Ravens’ lesser-known receivers, along with three-time Pro Bowler Odell Beckham Jr. Signed by Baltimore this offseason, Beckham had the rookie beaten on a double-move, but Jackson’s pass was underthrown.
“He’s definitely got some speed,” Beckham said of the impressive Forbes. “But I told you: I’ve still got a little bit left in here.”
This group has more than a little work remaining to reach its potential. Fuller passed on declaring this unit as Washington’s best since the team drafted him in 2016.
“It is early right now. I think my second year we had a pretty deep group, too,” Fuller said, referencing a secondary with Josh Norman, D.J. Swearinger and others. “Ultimately, all that’ll tell once we get out there on Sundays and go out there and make plays.”
Curl’s done that often on game days, so his potential contract extension is a topic for discussion, at least outside the building. He’s lacked in creating turnovers — no interceptions or forced fumbles in 2022 — as did the entire secondary last season (eight INTs, four forced fumbles in 17 games).
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Those are the types of plays kids of all ages notice. Not that Curl looks for it, even if he steps away from those yelling for their heroes
“Nah, nah, it’s all good,” a smiling Curl said. “I don’t even want all that attention.”
If Curl and Washington’s secondary shine bright, he might not have a choice.
QB1 announcement is coming … eventually
We know Sam Howell will be Washington’s starting quarterback barring an alien abduction or some other random act. Taking virtually every first-team snap all summer — after months of the team positioning the second-year player for this opportunity — is a giveaway. Therefore, don’t panic over Rivera not stating the obvious when asked Wednesday if he was ready to declare his QB1 officially.
Be prepared for this unshocking reveal after Monday night’s game against the Ravens at FedExField or, more logically, at some point Friday when the team returns to practice.
Rivera, who said he was “pleased” with Howell’s Tuesday showing, explained he will go through Wednesday’s practice tape with offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and quarterback Tavita Pritchard on Thursday; the team bused back to Ashburn after Wednesday’s session.
“We’re traveling today, so we’ll sit down tomorrow and go through it and talk about Sam and really just evaluate that and evaluate Jacoby (Brissett) as well,” Rivera said. “Jacoby did some really good things, too, so we feel really comfortable about the quarterback room right now.”
It’s conceivable that some see seasoned Brissett as the better bet, at least for a quick start. Those people likely work outside of the team’s headquarters. Those people haven’t spent months prepping and planning for Howell — or practicing against him, like Fuller.
Howell completed an out route back in Ashburn against him, “which pisses me off,” Fuller said, “but to see him be able to put those throws in spots that DBs can’t get it — I think the good NFL quarterbacks, that’s what separates a lot of times college from the NFL. … To see him have the confidence to make those type of throws, to throw ’em and things like that, it’s been good to see.”
.@Sam7Howell sidearm 🫢@ANG_Recruiting | #HTTC pic.twitter.com/LngtkWax1m
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) August 16, 2023
Like Rivera, Howell was content with the first-team offense’s showing in Baltimore. That said, Wednesday ended with a thud for the Howell-led offense. The final session in 11-on-11 began with two screen plays that went nowhere, a penalty, running back Brian Robinson getting swallowed by a Ravens lineman and pass rush pressure forcing Howell to scramble.
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Even then, Rivera found a silver lining.
“They ran a couple of pressures against us in the first couple of plays, and we were a little rough there,” Rivera said. “But then, as they settled down, I thought Sam handled it very well.”
Same with the quarterback’s reaction to the lack of a QB1 update.
“I just take it one day at a time and try to do everything I can to take advantage of the opportunity that I do have,” Howell said when asked about Rivera not naming a starter. “Take advantage of those first-team reps that I have right now and try to do everything I can to solidify myself as this title.”
Injury updates
Young remained limited to individual work since suffering a stinger in Washington’s preseason opener at Cleveland. St-Juste was an active participant after working on the side Tuesday, as was cornerback Nick Whiteside. Tight end Logan Thomas (calf) and wideout Kyric McGowan (undisclosed) did not practice.
Training camp road trip Day 2.
Chase Young just arrived to a nice roar from a pack of kids here. He will do individual drills but no team work. pic.twitter.com/0jIJ7l4NWZ
— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) August 16, 2023
Guard Saahdiq Charles (calf) practiced for a second consecutive day. However, the potential starter exited before the practice concluded. “He was feeling it a little bit,” Rivera said. “So we just kind of sat him down just to be careful.”
A surprise with the first-team DL
The coaching staff rotated players into Young’s spot, though Efe Obada took most of the first-team snaps. But others picked up snaps, like Casey Toohill and … wait, is that Andre Jones?
The seventh-round rookie from Louisiana did indeed join the headliners in practice against Baltimore’s starters. Consider the practice promotion as recognition for a raw, athletic edge rusher who has sometimes popped in training camp.
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“Wow, he’s a dynamic young man,” Rivera said. “He’s got some explosion off the edge. He’s got a lot to learn in terms of technique and the scheme itself . … He’s a guy that we gotta pay a little extra attention to this week.”
Jones made our initial 53-player projection as a long-term prospect. That no longer feels like a surprise. The long-limbed lineman has likely passed fifth-round rookie KJ Henry in the eyes of the coaching staff, based on Rivera’s enthusiasm and Henry’s quiet summer. Jones has undoubtedly exceeded the head coach’s expectations.
“Yes, he has,” Rivera said. “We thought this would be one of those learning things, and he seems to be assimilating very nicely, but as I said, he’s still got some more things to learn.”
New ownership means new business
One change following the franchise sale occurred officially Wednesday: The Commanders landed a new corporate sponsor, Verizon
Commanders announce a new corporate sponsor. Ownership change impact. pic.twitter.com/lMwkR1QtYO
— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) August 16, 2023
(Photo of Kamren Curl, 31, and Jeremy Reaves, 39: Alex Brandon / Associated Press)
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