Washington Commanders General Thread

Don Wassall

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Hopefully Dax Milne earns his own thread, but for now I'll place this article here. Hmm, let's see, "Milne went from no stars coming out of high school to preferred walk-on at BYU to an NFL Draft pick, and he did it with really only one season of big-time production." As if Milne's background is something unusual for White high school football stars at most positions. The NFL easily could have a large number of White players who were unfairly stigmatized by the racist "recruiting services" and had to walk on and yet still excelled. Too bad we don't have a master list compiled for easy reference to show the media clowns and DWFs. (Also note how Milne is called a "smaller receiver" despite being 6'0" and 193 lbs. That's average sized for the NFL.)

Washington Football Team got a late-round gem in Dax Milne

by Sayre Bedinger

The Washington Football Team obviously set out to make major improvements on the offensive side of the football in the 2021 offseason. Not only did they bring in veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, but they added to the wide receiver room through free agency with one of Ron Rivera’s old Carolina Panthers pals Curtis Samuel, who was also a teammate of Terry McLaurin’s at Ohio State.

Washington also brought in Charles Leno Jr. to start at the left tackle position and Samuel Cosmi in the second round of the NFL Draft who could wind up being a rookie starter at right tackle next to franchise player Brandon Scherff.

After adding Dyami Brown in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Washington Football Team may have added one of the top late-round steals in the entire class in former BYU receiver Dax Milne.

Just as though he were the less famous younger brother, Milne has been in the shadow of superstar quarterback Zach Wilson over the course of the past year as Wilson ascended to the second pick in the entire draft.

Someone had to catch all of those Mahomes-like throws from Wilson.

That someone was more often than not Dax Milne.

Milne went from no stars coming out of high school to preferred walk-on at BYU to an NFL Draft pick, and he did it with really only one season of big-time production.

After catching just 31 passes in his first two seasons for the Cougars, Milne exploded along with Zach Wilson this past season to the tune of 70 receptions for 1,188 yards (17 yards per reception) and eight touchdowns.

He was not just benefitting from some amazing work done by Wilson, either. Milne made some catches that were absolutely ridiculous all throughout the 2020 season.

Milne’s highlight reel receptions weren’t enough to get him picked before the seventh round. He’s a smaller receiver at 6-feet, 193 pounds. He doesn’t have elite long speed or explosiveness to compensate for that lack of size but he is quick, runs good routes, has strong hands, and can track the ball down the field with anyone in this class.

The Washington Football Team is pretty loaded with intriguing former late-round players at the wide receiver position. It might take Milne having an other-worldly training camp and preseason in order to crack this roster, but he will undoubtedly land on his feet with some NFL team and I think he’s going to carve out a long career for himself.

https://nflmocks.com/2021/05/29/washington-football-team-gem-dax-milne/

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Don Wassall

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Cole Holcomb was a walk-on at North Carolina. Amazing, who'd a thunk it!

Cole Holcomb Will be Breakout Star in 2021

by Russell Shavatt

Washington Football Team linebacker Cole Holcomb has had to put in a considerable amount of work to get where he is today. He began his college career as walk-on, turned the opportunity into a scholarship, and is now on the verge of achieving star status for the burgundy and gold.

The former University of North Carolina product concluded his four-year tenure in Chapel Hill by totaling an impressive 327 combined tackles. The tenacity with which Holcomb operated as a collegiate athlete catapulted him into becoming a draft-worthy prospect. Washington chose the 6-foot-1, 240-pound former Tar Heel defender in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

Cole Holcomb has produced early for the Washington Football Team
Although Holcomb’s time with the Washington Football Team has been brief and moderately productive, he has earned his share of “wow” moments. One of those moments came courtesy of a Week 7 game from the 2020 season. A matchup that saw the Washington Football Team best the hated Dallas Cowboys 25-3 at FedEx Field.

Midway through the second quarter, the Dallas offense had a third-and-nine opportunity from their own thirty-six yard line. Quarterback Andy Dalton hurriedly dropped back to pass, but was quickly engulfed by a hard-charging Holcomb. The young linebacker blitzed from the middle of the defensive formation, and proceeded to take the soul of Dallas running back Ezekiel Elliot en route to the sack.

Elliot had proved to be an effective blocker prior to the collision, but Holcomb’s display of speed and brute strength was more than the former All-Pro back could handle. If you don’t remember the play, please see the clip below via Twitter.

While the clip is only a quick reference involving one of the 555 total snaps that Holcomb took on defense in the 2020 season, it demonstrated everything that is special about his game. His game is a little bit reckless at times, but when he sees an opportunity to make a play for the greater benefit of the team, he puts in a great deal of effort to make it.

There are a number of linebackers across the National Football League that can fill the stat sheet when it comes to producing tackles. In fact, there is a place in the league for those linebackers whose ceiling is becoming an expert in art of tackling.

It is the view of this writer that, moving forward, Cole Holcomb will become more than just a stat-producing tackling machine. The talented defender has the athletic profile need to develop into a legitimate playmaking threat, in addition to recording tackles at a high level.

According to Pro Football Network analytics guru Kent Lee Platte, Holcomb put up a 9.64 (out of 10) Relative Athletic Score prior to the 2019 draft. His 4.51 40-yard dash, 2.6 20-yard split, 1.59 10-yard split, 6.7 three-cone drill, 4.14 short shuttle, and 11-foot broad jump all measured in at an elite level. Simply put, he graded out highly on testing designed to measure a player’s agility, speed, strength, and overall explosion.

Elite athletic numbers don’t always translate to the football field for all players, but they can provide a picture used to determine whether a player has high-end potential or not. When an elite athletic profile matches up with on-field production, the sky is really the limit for the particular player.

Entering the 2021 campaign, Cole Holcomb has the ability to transition from being a run-and-hit linebacker to a consistent playmaker. What will that transition look like? The transition for Holcomb may involve more tackles for loss or minimal gain, sacks, passes defensed, interceptions, and forced fumbles.

Each area of playmaking opportunity can have a real impact on the next play, series, and game. Who knows? The next time Cole Holcomb tramples over an opposing running back for a sack, or dives for an interception after a tipped pass, it could have serious implications on the team’s success by the end of the year.

In closing, there’s an old saying that reads “sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words.” Sometimes, a three or four-second highlight can provide a potential glimpse into the future. The battle between Holcomb and Elliot showed a linebacker who has all the necessary tools in order become the next breakout star in Washington.

https://riggosrag.com/2021/06/30/washington-football-team-cole-holcomb-breakout-star-2021/

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Don Wassall

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From that article:

Apke has worn out his welcome for many fans, but his move to cornerback has undeniable upside. He already tested as a historic athlete at the safety position, but his Relative Athletic Score at cornerback is one of the best ever. Translating his numbers to the CB position, he comes away with a RAS of exactly 10. More simply put, Apke would test as the most athletic CB in history.

Apke’s 4.34 40-yard dash and 41.0-inch vertical aren’t unique to him alone, but having those numbers at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds makes him a special talent. Additionally, he also has a 6.56 three-cone on record, which alludes to otherworldly natural agility.

So Apke is more athletic than any Black CB ever, at a position only Blacks are allowed to play. And yet of course he was racially slotted to play safety. Kinda makes you wonder if even cornerback would be majority or mostly White if the playing field in football was level.

If Apke does play cornerback, the hysteria would be ten times worse than it already is for him the first time he makes takes an imperfect angle, or misses a tackle, or, God forbid, is beaten deep for a touchdown, you know, the kind of thing that happens routinely to Black DBs, especially when covering good receivers. He needs to leave Washington, but at this point it's highly unlikely any team would give him an opportunity to start at safety much less cornerback. Another super-White athlete screwed by the Caste System.
 

Leonardfan

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Interested to see if Apke gets a fair shot. They did everything they could last year to replace him. I hope this works out but with Black Jack Del Rio coaching defense I am not optimistic.
 
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Freethinker

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From that article:

Apke has worn out his welcome for many fans, but his move to cornerback has undeniable upside. He already tested as a historic athlete at the safety position, but his Relative Athletic Score at cornerback is one of the best ever. Translating his numbers to the CB position, he comes away with a RAS of exactly 10. More simply put, Apke would test as the most athletic CB in history.

Apke’s 4.34 40-yard dash and 41.0-inch vertical aren’t unique to him alone, but having those numbers at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds makes him a special talent. Additionally, he also has a 6.56 three-cone on record, which alludes to otherworldly natural agility.

So Apke is more athletic than any Black CB ever, at a position only Blacks are allowed to play. And yet of course he was racially slotted to play safety. Kinda makes you wonder if even cornerback would be majority or mostly White if the playing field in football was level.

If Apke does play cornerback, the hysteria would be ten times worse than it already is for him the first time he makes takes an imperfect angle, or misses a tackle, or, God forbid, is beaten deep for a touchdown, you know, the kind of thing that happens routinely to Black DBs, especially when covering good receivers. He needs to leave Washington, but at this point it's highly unlikely any team would give him an opportunity to start at safety much less cornerback. Another super-White athlete screwed by the Caste System.
One of the more interesting camp and preseason stories to follow. Could be Jason Sehorn all over again, as he was drafted at safety when he was a natural CB.
 

Bucky

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Agreed guy's. No brainer to move him to his natural position. Of course he'll be even more an island now.
 

Red Raider

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I think CB is a better position for him. He’s not a great tackler so he wouldn’t be tasked with open field tackles as much or tackling RB’s/TE’s as often. I think at safety he was a little out of place and was thinking too much. Corner would allow him to focus on one thing and use his athleticism to stick to receivers. Hell, he only played safety in the first place because he’s white. He was a great receiver in high school and should’ve never been a safety to begin with, his skillset and athleticism was much better suited for offense.
 

white lightning

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If Troy Apke makes it as a starting cornerback it would be epic. We all know he is capable. I do agree with Red Raider that he would by dynamic as a wide receiver too! I just hope he makes the team and is a starter!
 

white lightning

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Apke covered him like a blanket. No easy task but Apke has elite athletecism better than most starting cornerbacks in the NFL. Thanks
for posting this. Man would I love to see him become the next Jason Sehorn.
 

jacque

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Apke went nuts at practice yesterday. 2 awesome picks, making huge plays and clamping everyone, getting a lot of credit from reporters
 

Don Wassall

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  • A name that hasn't gotten a lot of run in this space — but one that has consistently done well — is Dax Milne. The seventh-round rookie wideout still appears to be on track for a practice squad spot because of how many other receivers reside ahead of him in the pecking order, but the BYU product is holding his own in practice thanks to his reliable hands and polished route running. If he has to be in the lineup at some point in 2021, coaches will likely have confidence in him, and hopefully, he can grow and become a more regular contributor down the road. https://www.nbcsports.com/washingto...oesnt-let-rain-interrupt-washingtons-schedule
 

Don Wassall

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Ryan Fitzpatrick is out 6-8 weeks with a hip injury. According to Ron Rivera the team is not looking to sign another QB so this is a big opportunity for Taylor Heinicke.
 

Bucky

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Let's go Heinicke!

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Don Wassall

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This moronic DWF writes one of those "stock up, stock down" articles that are so common. Cole Holcomb had 11 tackles on Sunday, but guess what -- his stock's down. Apparently he should have also had a couple sacks, two or three interceptions, and returned punts and kickoffs:

"How many plays did Washington’s linebackers make on Sunday? Forget tackle stats. Yes, Cole Holcomb and Jon Bostic combined for 19 tackles. But how many impact plays did this group make? It’s a recurring theme. This group wasn’t bad or didn’t make any glaring mistakes, but there was no tangible impact on the game. Washington needs rookie Jamin Davis to get up to speed in a hurry. In going back and watching the game, I was encouraged by several of Davis’ snaps. I look forward to him playing more with Holcomb in the near future."

WR Terry McLaurin had just 4 catches for 62 yards, but yep, his stock is up:

"Don’t blame Terry McLaurin for his rather pedestrian stat line on Sunday. He wasn’t even targeted in the first half. Of course, Washington only had the ball for around nine minutes. Heinicke began to target McLaurin immediately in the third quarter and it paid off. McLaurin made the catch of the week and had three receptions on the Football Team’s opening drive in the second half that led to a touchdown."

https://washingtonfootballwire.usat...s-loss-to-los-angeles-chargers-football-team/
 

SneakyQuick

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The thing about sportswriters is that most of them haven’t played the sports they write about. They’re just jocksniffers and prob have been their whole lives. Then they write what is essentially propaganda. Not shocking


By the way are they ever gonna pick a new name for this team?

the Washington lobbyists?
The Washington imperialists?
The Washington diversity hires?
 

Extra Point

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How about the Washington Palefaces.
 
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