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Top quotes from the first full week of Commanders training camp

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It's hard to believe, but we're already seven days removed from the Washington Commanders kicking off the first training camp of the Dan Quinn era.

Over the course of the past week, we've seen the vision that Quinn and general manager Adam Peters laid out in February start to take form. Jayden Daniels continues to show promise as he earns the right to be the starting quarterback; practices are shorter but more dense with opportunities for players to compete for roster spots; and both sides of the ball are starting to get more comfortable with their respective systems.

Players and coaches have also spoken out about the new energy surrounding the practice field, and they all agree that it's a sign the franchise is headed in the right direction.

Let's take a look back at reflect on some of the top quotes from the first full week of camp.

WR Jahan Dotson on if QB Jayden Daniels is fitting the ball in places he didn't think were possible:

"I mean, with him, anything is possible and he's showing you that. Me and [WR] Terry [McLaurin], were just talking about it on the sideline. You know, he's putting the ball in in places where it makes our job so much more easier, because he is putting it where only you can get it and the defender has no play on it. You truly got to cherish stuff like that and be thankful for it because not everyone can do that. He's a special talent and he's showing you guys, he is showing us each and every day and we're just excited that he's on our side."

QB Jayden Daniels on his thought process not being the official starting quarterback:

"No, I like competing. I'm a competitor, so regardless if I was announced the starter or not, you still got to compete. You still can't be content of your job, comfortable. I think it is just your job to seal the deal. You got to go out there and compete. So for me it's not a problem at all. I like competing, that's up to DQ and [General Manager] AP [Adam Peters] for the decisions and stuff like that, but for me I can control how hard I go out there and practice and how I compete."

WR Terry McLaurin on if things have been different this season compared to previous seasons:

"Definitely. I've experienced a lot in my going on six years here and I could just at least speak to just this year and I feel like the continuity from the top down is very clear what the objective is, bringing in good people who are really good at their job and are gonna be competitors in what they do and bring their best selves to the building each and every day. I think that started from [Managing Partner Josh Harris] Mr. Harris and the ownership group and I think that goes down to [General Manager Adam Peters] AP and [Head Coach Dan Quinn] DQ and our coordinators and the leaders on this team and our position coaches. So, when you have that one voice, that one mission, I think it makes it very clear what the expectation is. And there's not a lot of deviation from that because if you wanna be a part of this team in this organization, you have to fit that mold or you probably won't be here."

HC Dan Quinn o*n what he's seen from Daniels' footwork in camp:*

"Yeah, I think the more that you ask quarterbacks, that'll be always something. Because so much of their power comes from their legs. He absolutely has worked really hard on that. And like a lot of quarterbacks, when they're away from here, have some specific things and people that they work with, and Jayden's no different than that. Yeah, he's worked exceptionally hard. You can just see all these leveling up happen with him as well. And that's kind of the fun part about the young rookies because their ability to ramp up fast and improve, it happens so quickly and it keeps going and going. And so sometimes there's valleys to go, but in his case, you're just seeing all this momentum build for what he can be."

DT Jonathan Allen o*n what head coach Dan Quinn brings to the table in terms of leadership:*

"Yeah, it's been a lot. I mean, I think he brings a lot of competition amongst the guys. He's going to challenge us every day and he brings a lot of energy. As a coach, when he first came in, I asked a lot of guys around the league about him. I haven't had one bad thing said about him. Everyone who's ever played for him has loved it, and so far, I've been loving it."

LB Bobby Wagner on what it means to build an identity at a position group:

"I think as far as the team, you want to figure out who are you going to be, and it's more so setting a standard and understanding what you're going to bring to the table every single day. Because once that standard's set, you have to live up to that. And so you have days where you may not hit that mark, and you should have the people around you tell you the truth and raise your level. And everybody's raised their level. As far as linebackers, we're the generals. You are the ones that everybody's looking at for the play call. We're setting everybody up, we're getting everybody lined up and we have to take pride in that. Being leaders, being the voice and being an extension of the coaches. And controlling the middle ,and making plays, and having fun, and bringing everybody together. I think we are in the middle for a reason and things in the middle keep everything together. So, that's kind of the identity that we start to form, not just with myself, but everybody that plays the linebacker position."

TE Zach Ertz on what are some things he feels he has gotten better with from when he was younger and his work in the red zone:

"Yeah, I think at this point in my career, there's really not a coverage that I haven't seen. And so, when I was young, you know, the game is a lot faster than it is now. You feel like the guys are moving a lot faster than they are now. But I'm also able to play almost a step ahead or two steps ahead because I understand what the defense is trying to do. So, if they're playing a certain coverage, I want to attack where they're vulnerable and maybe when I was younger, it took me a few steps into the route to really see what they were gonna do on a certain play. But now I can pretty much understand it, what they're trying to do pre-snap. So, I'm almost two steps ahead than when I was younger cause I had to react versus now I can anticipate. And obviously the red zone, red zone third down game on the line or situations that I've always wanted to excel in. I feel like I've done that throughout my career and it comes with a lot of trust from the coaches and the quarterbacks but I take a lot of pride in that area as well."

DT Daron Payne on what it's been like working for Defensive Line Coach Darryl Tapp:

"He has a lot of intent in what he does and the drills that we do. And the work that we put in, we just don't come out here and just do things to waste time. He thinks about it and preps ahead and does things to get us in good shape and have good technique."

QB Marcus Mariota on how much QB Jayden Daniels picks his brain throughout the day:

"Plenty, and that's what's really been cool for me to have that dialogue. Because I think when you have a guy that's willing to learn that wants to absorb as much knowledge as he can, I think that really makes the whole room better. For Jayden, he's a young guy, but, you know, we got to do it as a part of our group. We have to kind of create these scenarios and these experiences for him that way when he gets into the game, it's not something that's brand new. I think he's done a great job asking questions and we can also always just kind of keep bringing him along."

LB Frankie Luvu on how important it is to get little things right early in camp:

"Oh man, I think it's very important. This is where we build the brick-by-brick foundation and the standards that we want our team to be at in December. So it's the little things right now we don't have the pad on, so from there on we need to work on our techniques, our fundamentals, our steps, just playing smart football and taking and looking out for each other, but at the same time, we're competing between the whistles and on that field."

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