Dan Quinn had high praise for these two young Commanders

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn met with the media on Tuesday to discuss training camp. While the players reported on Tuesday, the grind begins on Wednesday when they hit the field for the first time this summer.

What is Quinn looking for from some of his second-year players not named Jayden Daniels and Mike Sainristil?

“We had about, I guess, 10 rookies or so that were on the roster, maybe the 53, either at some point or most of the time last season," Quinn said. "And that's pretty traditional that you see this jump happen from year one to year two. So, this spring, man, did we see it in [TE Ben] Sinnott and we saw it in [DT Jer’Zhan] Newton and [LB] Jordan Magee and others."

Quinn then singled out two of his second-year players.

"We are really excited to see [DE] Javonte [Jean-Baptiste] and [T] Brandon [Coleman] and some of the others in this role that they're going into their second year, it's a big deal," he said. "And most of it is confidence, ‘I've done this, I know what to do, I worked on this skill.’ And once you get to that space where you're not relying on just your talent anymore, but the skill that you've developed at the position, that's the secret sauce, man."

Quinn wasn't done discussing these young players, as he again focused on Coleman and Sinnott, in particular.

“I think when you ask the question of what did I see on the field? On the offensive side, Sinnott and Coleman, they jumped out to me in some different ways. Brandon, moving inside the guard and putting in the work to do that. Sinnott, coming off shoulder surgery, rehabbed so hard that during that offseason part, he and [G] Sam [Cosmi] were two of the ones we saw every day, still, while they were getting themselves ready. And I saw that confidence come out onto the field."

Coleman, a third-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft, was Washington's primary left tackle last season. While Coleman was fine in that role, many believed he would be better suited inside, with some even suggesting he has Pro Bowl potential at guard. This offseason, Coleman didn't sulk or pout when Washington brought in Laremy Tunsil and Josh Conerly Jr. to start at the tackle positions. He worked.

Sinnott, one of the Commanders' three second-round choices in 2024, had a quiet rookie season. While he appeared in every game, he caught only five passes for 28 yards and a touchdown. He was third on the depth chart behind veteran Zach Ertz and blocking extraordinaire John Bates. Both players re-signed this offseason, but coaches have consistently praised Sinnott's offseason work. Ideally, Sinnott could take some of Ertz's snaps this season, preserving the veteran for later in the season while allowing the young tight end to play significant snaps.

Everyone expects Washington to be good again in 2025. One key to sustaining that success is growth from your existing players. The Commanders have several second-year players who, with significant improvement this season, are better than any free-agent signing. Newton, Sinnott and Luke McCaffrey all come to mind. If those three young players can become impact players for Washington in 2025, watch out.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Dan Quinn excited about these second-year players