The Washington Commanders' desire to move quarterback Jayden Daniels under center more often in his third season has been a major talking point this offseason -- not because it's a controversial decision, but there was some speculation on how Daniels would look executing plays that are at least more foreign to him than lining up in shotgun or pistol.

As it turns out, the answer to that question is that Daniels didn't look much different under center from how he runs any other play. He's still mobile, accurate with the football and able to uncork a deep shot at any given moment. He looked sharp going through his first practice open to the media since last season, which is what many have come to expect of the former No. 2 overall pick.

Although it might have felt like business as usual, the fact that Daniels looked unbothered learning a new offense requiring him to do things he's not as familiar with should be reassuring to both fans and coaches after an injury-riddled second season that he admitted was a disappointment. Daniels, head coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator David Blough all believe the new scheme can maximize Daniels' skill set, and while it is just one practice in May, there's at least more confidence that they're right.

"I love what Blough's doing," Daniels said. "I love how he's creating and designing different things, and then we're going from there. But for me personally, it's just how can I get better as a football player."

Getting Daniels more snaps under center was one of the first -- and only -- things Blough and Quinn revealed about the Commanders' new offense. They wanted to give the team more options in the running game and a play-action passing game that presented more challenges for defenses. The hope, Quinn said before practice on Wednesday, was that the offense would be more efficient and generate more explosive plays, but the changes could also help elevate Daniels and his career.

Daniels, who worked primarily in the shotgun and pistol formations during his first two NFL seasons, only took 32 snaps and attempted 18 passes under center in that span. Quinn promised reporters attending practice that they would see Daniels under center more often, and that ended up being true. Daniels still lined up in shotgun, but there was more of an emphasis on getting him under center, particularly play-action and run drills.

Quinn said "we just need reps and time on task" for Daniels to get more comfortable, but Daniels already seemed like playing under center wasn't a big change for him. He connected with wideout Treylon Burks near the sideline for a long completion after faking a handoff during play-action drills and later did the same thing with Terry McLaurin a few plays later. Daniels' mobility and athleticism were highlighted whenever he had to roll out to make a throw, but so was his tendency to keep his eyes downfield to survey his options.

Daniels brushed any perceived difficulty with playing under center.

"I mean, I always did that," he said. "You gotta be versatile in whatever you can, and I had to be well-rounded. So, ever since I got in the NFL, it's kind of just been the thing. So, it's not anything like super new to me."

Daniels does have a sample size of working under center going back to his college career. He played under center on occasion at Arizona State and has been getting reps at it this offseason. So, while it's not something he was asked to do frequently prior to this upcoming season, it's not a completely new concept for him.

It also helps that Daniels looks comfortable in the offense, which Quinn said goes back to Daniels' "mental quickness." The scheme might be different, but Daniels shows the same intent and communication that he did in his first two seasons.

"He makes things that are difficult look easy," Quinn said.

Not that any of Daniels' teammates are surprised by his dedication to the new scheme, but they have taken notice of how quickly he is absorbing the new concepts. Burks said Daniels is learning things "super fast," while Jaylin Lane said it felt like Daniels was a "founder of the offense."

Veterans like Sam Cosmi can tell how much Daniels has studied in the offseason.

"They've done a good job building his confidence to help our confidence [with] learning this offseason," Cosmi said. "He has full range of everything. They're giving him more on his plate when it comes to the mental aspect, but he's doing a phenomenal job."

The Commanders have high expectations for what Daniels can accomplish in his third season. They know what they can get out of him when he's healthy and available for a full season, as he took them to an NFC Championship in his rookie year. This new scheme is part of helping him get back to that level, and they want to see him continue growing as a communicator so he can efficiently get in and out of the huddle and make checks at the line of scrimmage.

But like playing under center, there aren't any concerns from the team about whether he'll be able to do those things in Blough's offense. There might be more on his plate, but that isn't changing how he approaches the game itself.

"You'll hear him more even as you're watching practice from the side due to the nature of how we're doing things in and out of plays," Quinn said. "So, I would say that's one different [aspect], but from the work ethic and him getting himself ready to play, that's one of his calling cards, and so, he's always one that's way out in front in that space."