The Daily Slop – 31 July 2026
Editor’s note: Each day, Hogs Haven compiles a collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East, the NFL and sports in general, with a sprinkling of other stuff. Enjoy!
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Commanders links
Articles
The Athletic (paywall)
The Commanders have remade their roster; they will still rise or fall with Jayden Daniels
For Washington to bounce back to the team that earned its way to the NFC title game in 2025, the Commanders need their lodestar to again play light and with joy — and to throw seeds past opposing defenders’ earholes on the way to his receivers’ hands, the way he did in his historic 2024 rookie season, when he was the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. The dazzle, the swagger, the hope that the franchise can compete again year in and year out in the NFC, the new stadium that will now rise where RFK once stood: It all emanates, first, from Daniels.
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A new year presents another chance.
Daniels got healthy, working out with his longtime trainer and quarterback coach, Taylor Kelly, who works at the development group 3DQB in Huntington Beach, Calif. He organized separate workouts for his offensive skill players in Los Angeles: one in April, and the second just a couple of weeks ago at UCLA. McLaurin, Dyami Brown and other receivers, along with tight ends and running backs, took part in on-field drills and off-field bonding with Daniels and third-string quarterback Sam Hartman.
A better defense should also create more than 10 measly turnovers — second-lowest in the league last season — and get Daniels and the offense the ball in plus territory. Blough’s offense should lessen potential risk to Daniels by leaning more on the run.
In all ways, now, the Commanders will go as Daniels goes. And says. And acts. And performs. The phrase people in sports use these days is “I’m built for this.” We will soon see how the first two years of Jayden Daniels‘ time in Washington have shaped the third and all the years that will follow.
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JP Finlay
Training Camp Day 2: Minor (injury) bug bites
1) Quinn says Allegretti will be ok. 2) NFL rosters are currently sitting at 90 men. By the end of August those rosters will be at 53/70, so there will be experienced centers either hitting the wire or available to poach off other practice squads. Maybe this Allegretti calf issue will encourage Adam Peters to add a veteran after roster cuts.
It’s also possible that Washington would actually go with Matt Gulbin, the 6th-round rookie out of Michigan State, if Allegretti missed time. But maybe they’re not ready to do that in July.
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Listen, it’s not good news that Allegretti strained his calf on the first day of camp. Coupled with fan confusion over the offseason release of Tyler Biadasz and not adding another veteran snapper in free agency, it seems worse.
It’s something to monitor, for sure, but probably too early to worry.
Burks’ injury lands a bit different, mainly because of his lengthy injury history. A 1st-round pick in 2022, Burks has never played more than 11 games in a season. He’s a big, strong receiver with good hands that runs good routes. He’s just never been able to stay healthy, and like Allegretti’s calf issue, foot soreness on the first day of training camp is unnerving.
The good news is unlike at the center spot Washington did much more to build WR depth this offseason. The team brought in veterans Dyami Brown and Van Jefferson, so they’re in better shape then last year when the injury bug hit the WR room.
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Could the Burks foot scare hasten the organization’s desire to sign a veteran free agent wideout? Maybe. And Stef Diggs remains available.
Onto the notes:
John Bates didn’t get much action (maybe a vet day?), so in his place there was plenty of work for Chig Okonkwo and Ben Sinnott. It was another impressive day for both tight ends, although arguably the catch of the day belonged to Colson Yankoff.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Last Man Standig
Nick Allegretti, Treylon Burks injuries serve as an early reminder of the NFL’s fragile plans
The Commanders are banking on center Nick Allegretti enhancing the offensive line communication directly in front of Jayden Daniels. Wide receiver Treylon Burks is a tantalizing talent with overt athletic gifts.
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Washington made several bold choices in the offseason. Much of its ample free-agent spending occurred on all three levels of the defense that ranked last in yards allowed and 31st in turnovers. Premium draft capital was used on first-round linebacker Sonny Styles.
Washington also invested on offense, headlined by the signing of tight end Chig Okonkwo and drafting third-round receiver Antonio Williams. There were more subtle choices on that side of the ball. Perhaps none more than positioning Allegretti as the line’s man in the middle after an unsuccessful pursuit of free-agent center Tyler Lindenbaum.
Neither injury is expected to keep the player sidelined for long. Other bumps, bruises, and worse for others on the roster are inevitable, no matter the best-laid plans. Thursday’s news reminded the hopeful that you just never know what the next day will bring.
For more from Ben Standig, click here
Commanders.com
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Training camp notebook | Defense has strong Day 2 performance
It’s becoming clearer by the day that this year’s defense is much faster than the one that was on the field last season. The Commanders started the day with another competition — a first-and-goal drill — and the defense was the clear victor in the five-minute series. Things started off well with a touchdown from the offense, but a play was later ruled dead as Jayden Daniels scrambled to avoid pressure. Daniels was “sacked” on the following play (the pocket collapsed around Daniels, which forced the coaches to blow their whistles), and his end zone shot to Jaylin Lane fell incomplete.
Although there is still plenty of work to be done, it appears that the secondary and pass rush are working well together to create difficult scenarios for the quarterbacks. It’s worth pointing out that most of the snaps taken in team drills have been in the red zone, where it’s more difficult for receivers to find open space downfield, but all the quarterbacks have needed more time than normal to find targets and are working through their progressions thanks to the coverage from the secondary. At the same time, the Commanders’ pass rush is putting pressure on them, which has led to some off-target throws. That should please defensive coordinator Daronte Jones, who wants to emphasize creating turnovers after the unit generated just 10 takeaways in 2025.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
ESPN
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Latest news from Commanders camp
Thursday, July 30
Washington’s tight ends have been far more active as a group than they had been the previous two seasons.
Newly-signed Chig Okonkwo can be used all over, with wide receiver Terry McLaurin saying he runs routes like a big receiver. That versatility was evident again Thursday, but it’s also not just Okonkwo — all the tight ends, including 2024 second-round pick Ben Sinnott, have run a wider variety of routes.
“It’s not even close,” Sinnott said. “So many different variations. Today we’re lining up at number one [receiver on the outside], we’re running five-step ins, we’re running corners, we’re running options, we’re running flat [routes]. We’re just doing everything. It’s so much fun. It’s a breath of fresh air for this offense and how it uses tight ends.”
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NFL.com
Top 11 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year candidates in 2026
Rank 3 – Sonny Styles – Washington Commanders · LB
We haven’t seen off-ball linebackers win DROY in back-to-back seasons since DeMeco Ryans, Patrick Willis, Jerod Mayo and Brian Cushing corralled the award in four straight years from 2006 to ’09, but Styles has the potential to produce the kind of debut campaign that would make him the worthy successor to the Browns’ Carson Schwesinger. Styles had jaws dropping at the NFL Scouting Combine with a historic performance that included the highest vertical jump (43 1/2 inches) by any combine prospect 6-foot-4 or taller and any prospect weighing 240-plus pounds since at least 2003. The rave reviews have followed the seventh overall pick into camp. “He doesn’t seem like a rookie. He seems like an eight-year vet,” fifth-year LB Leo Chenal told DC News Now. “… He’s an animal on the field. He’s a monster out there. The way he carries himself, the way he’s disciplined in his routine. It’s really showing up every day. He’s really consistent.” Replacing Bobby Wagner is a huge ask of any player, let alone a rookie, but Styles has the pedigree to not allow the moment to get too big for him.
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Odds to win: +750
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Sports Illustrated
The Good and Not So Good From Commanders’ Second Training Camp Practice
Washington’s defense created three turnovers, young pass-catchers flashed and both kickers remained perfect during Thursday’s practice
While it’s great to see the receiver room still producing evenly, the competition for WR2 remains unsettled despite Washington’s younger room taking advantage of the opportunities they get.
The kicking competition had a great day, as both Jake Moody and Drew Stevens finished 6-for-6. It’s always good to see your kickers doing well, but in terms of how the competition goes, this was an uneventful day.
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While Washington’s defensive success in the first two days is great, overall it’s just exposing offensive mistakes that should not be ignored. Knowing that Croskey-Merritt had issues fumbling last year and then seeing him drop it on the ground today is a bit concerning. Ball security is what limited him some in his rookie season.
Interceptions in camp are not that shocking when you are telling the defense to play overly aggressively to create turnovers. Turning the ball over three times in one session, however, should give the offensive staff several workable areas of concern to address in the film room.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
ESPN
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Every NFL team’s best training camp, preseason riser ever
Washington Commanders
OT Joe Jacoby
He was a late addition as an undrafted free agent out of Louisville in 1981 — and he was so low on the roster that coach Joe Gibbs initially thought he was a defensive lineman. Jacoby was the last offensive lineman added in camp, but he eventually started 13 games as a rookie (eight at left tackle). He became a fixture at left tackle over the next eight seasons before moving to the right side for the majority of his final five seasons.
Jacoby started 148 games, earned three first-team All-Pro honors and made the Pro Bowl four times. The organization has long felt he belongs in the Hall of Fame, calling him the best player on the fabled “Hogs” offensive line in the 1980s and early ’90s. — John Keim
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The Athletic (paywall)
Inside Laremy Tunsil’s offseason: The workouts, fuel and people who make it happen
Every offseason, Washington Commanders left tackle Laremy Tunsil follows an immersive program he developed with his team of trusted specialists, including his longtime strength and conditioning coach, dietician, personal chef and private offensive line coach.
For nearly a month leading to training camp, Tunsil isolates to focus on football.
The days begin around 7 a.m., and every hour, every detail has a purpose. It’s an exercise in mental fortitude that, this year, unfolded in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
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“I learned this process through trial and error,” Tunsil told The Athletic. “I probably didn’t have the answers my first year and my second year, but I had good guys around me. I could just ask some questions from the (Ndamukong) Suhs, the Cameron Wakes, the Mike Pounceys, Ja’Wuan James.”
Tunsil’s program was built over years and tailored to him. The personalized approach is integral to Divine Tree, the full-service management company he runs with longtime business partner and manager Laolu Sanni. His five Pro Bowl selections are the proof of concept.
Tunsil’s 6-foot-5, 313-pound body is his business, and for much of his career, business has been booming.
To stay among the NFL’s elite tackles, Tunsil invests heavily — in his training, recovery and diet. He’s also quietly invested in his teammates, a less heralded aspect of his career that has especially benefited a couple of younger Commanders linemen. This offseason, Tunsil invited second-year tackle Josh Conerly Jr. and guard Brandon Coleman to Alabama to train alongside him.
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Photos
Commanders.com
PHOTOS | Camp Day 2 in the books
Check out the top photos of the Washington Commanders’ second day of training camp
Podcasts & videos
Kay Adams: I Spent a Day with the Washington Commanders at Training Camp
Training Camp Day II: Terry and Jayden; the Defense
Commanders Training Camp Day 2: More practice observations, issues at center & a win for the defense
NFC East links
NFL league links
Articles
ESPN
Mayfield felt ‘disrespected’ and ‘undervalued’ by Buccaneers’ offers
Baker Mayfield said Thursday that he felt “disrespected a little bit” that he and the team could not reach an agreement on a new contract before his imposed deadline of the start of training camp, and that he and his agent were “not presented with an offer that’s appealing whatsoever.”
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He said that all contract discussions would cease until after the 2026 season concludes.
“That’s really the disappointing part — to feel undervalued after thinking you’ve earned it,” said Mayfield, who led the Bucs to back-to-back NFC South titles in 2023 and 2024 before an injury-marred season derailed his and the team’s efforts in 2025.
He said even if the Bucs wanted to continue to try to negotiate, he said he won’t be speaking to the organization and that, his agent is “not going to be bothering him with it unless he’s actually recognized for his value.”
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
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