The Washington Commanders were trotting off the field after practice, but Josh Conerly wasn't done working just yet. He's emphasized working on his stance this offseason, and he spent another 20 minutes fine-tuning his sets in pass protection.
All the while, Laremy Tunsil was standing over him, offering pointers to the second-year offensive tackle.
The extra attention from Tunsil -- a five-time Pro Bowler -- isn't new for Conerly. Tunsil has taken an interest in Conerly's development since his rookie season, and the former No. 29 overall pick has soaked up all the extra bits of knowledge. Tunsil has high hopes for what Conerly can achieve, and he's willing to do whatever he can to help him reach his potential.
"I see myself," Tunsil said of Conerly. "I don't wanna sound cliche. I see a dog. I see somebody who wants it. He wants to be great."
Conerly, who entered the NFL at just 21 years old, looks stronger and more confident heading into his second season. His arms have more definition, and his face is a bit thinner. He dropped his body fat percentage and replaced it with muscle, mostly by dieting, eating cleaner and eating less. Conerly joked that it's now easier to sit on a bull rush, but it's allowed him to play with more comfort on the field.
Tunsil said all that progress is the result of him and Conerly "working our a** off" in Alabama, where Tunsil goes to train during the offseason. It's long been a yearly tradition for Tunsil to work with his own trainers in the offseason instead of attending the team's voluntary workouts, and it's hard to argue with the results. Tunsil is one of the best left tackles in the league who holds his own against the likes of Myles Garrett and prides himself on the improvements he has made as a run blocker.
But Tunsil also remembers what it's like to be in Conerly's position as a young player trying to find his way in the NFL. Tunsil had players like Branden Albert, who spent his last three seasons with the Miami Dolphins when Tunsil was just starting his career, Mike Pouncey, Ja'Wuan James and several other offensive linemen who showed him how to be a professional player and have a long career.
Tunsil sees Conerly's determination to be one of the top players at his position, which helped encourage him to offer a helping hand. He offered Conerly the chance to work out with him in Alabama, where he could learn how to build a routine, eat the right kind of food to stay in shape and learn from Tunsil's strength trainers.
"We're working every day; every single day," Tunsil said. "He came to work with me every day. He ate right. It's protein for lunch and breakfast. There's no carbs for dinner. There's supplements every day. It's a routine that we have to live by."
Conerly has already shown improvement from his rookie season, which started uneven with him going against some of the NFL's top pass-rushers in consecutive weeks but did improve near the end. He's using his athleticism to make blocks in the Commanders' new offense, which he believes will cater to him and the rest of Washington's offensive linemen. It allows them to "go out there and just be the athletes that we are," which was one of Conerly's strengths in college at Oregon.
Tunsil already saw a bright future for Conerly before he took a snap for the Commanders, saying last offseason that "JC's gonna be a dog, and I'm not just saying that just to blow smoke up his a**." One year later, Tunsil hasn't changed his mind.
"He has a lot of room for improvement, and he can keep getting better," Tunsil said. "That's why I'm on him. That's why I'm telling him to come and build this routine."
