Early in Commanders training camp, the sounds on the field tell as much of a story as the sights.
Nine o’clock: air horn. Players plod through stretch lines to the beats of rap producer Mike Will Made It and the verses of Kanye West.
— but when the defense dominated Thursday, Coach Ron Rivera was more concerned by his ears than his eyes.After Sweat and others chirped the offense hard, Rivera said there was “a fine line” between constructive and destructive feedback. In the post-practice huddle, he told players to win the rep, “wolf a little bit” and then explain to their teammates how they had beaten them.
Washington’s camp has been distinct for its new voices. Carson Wentz, not Ryan Fitzpatrick, is yelling: “Green 80! Green 80!” Safety Darrick Forrest, not former special teams ace Deshazor Everett, calls out protections on punts. The colorful, deafening instruction of During 11-on-11, offensive coordinator Scott Turner will call out the personnel grouping — usually “11! 11! 11!” for three wide receivers, one running back and one tight end — and relay the play call to Wentz through a walkie-talkie. They stand about five feet apart, but because Turner calls plays from a skybox during the season, they practice radio communication.