Commanders Hope to Give Rookies More Playing Time
The Washington Commanders have thrown first-round rookie Jayden Daniels into the fire by making him the Week 1 starting quarterback.
However, they have taken a more methodical approach for second-round defensive tackle Johnny Newton and third-round offensive tackle Brandon Coleman.
Newton sat out of the opener, but played 12 snaps in a win against the New York Giants while Coleman has gotten a few drives of action in both games so far. Coach Dan Quinn hopes to ingratiate them more into the system and give them more playing time as the season rolls along.
"Those two guys need reps in playing time and so I'm glad that the trajectory's finally here," Quinn said. "We had to battle through some of the injuries early on with both of them, but we knew at the time, if you guys remember what I was talking about, we knew this wasn't season-ending and those kind of things. And it was frustrating at the time for them and for us. But the good news is now, okay, those are behind us and we're moving forward and they're gaining more experience as we're going."
The more reps Newton and Coleman get, the better off they will be as individual players and the team as a whole. They represent the future for the Commanders, so the more growth they have will be a welcomed sign for the team.
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