Washington Commanders OTAs Week 2 Notebook: Terry McLaurin's role will be expanded, a standout WR emerges, and an improved defense
The Commanders are heading into the second week of OTAs, and we're already seeing plenty of storylines and developments in Ashburn on both sides of the ball.
The Washington Commanders kicked off Week 2 of OTAs, and as always, there was PLENTY to talk about.
I was joined by Abdullah Konte from WINSports on my YouTube Channel “Covering the Commanders” to recap everything he saw at practice, and came away with a lot of insightful nuggets.
David Blough speaks on Terry McLaurin and changes ahead
We got to hear from new offensive coordinator David Blough before practice, and he dropped some intel on WR Terry McLaurin’s role this season.
“I think we may move him [McLaurin] around a little bit more,” Blough said. “You know, we will do the things that he does well to try to put us in advantageous positions. So, he’s done an excellent job so far with handling what we’ve thrown at him. And then, you know, we’re gonna keep asking him to keep pushing the envelope to build on the great career he’s already had, and then try to take another step.”
One of the main issues with Kliff Kingsbury’s offense was that Terry McLaurin lined up on the left side about 73% of the time. He only saw roughly 7 snaps in the slot and 18 snaps on the right side of the field.
Blough won’t shy away from moving McLaurin around, along with every other WR. McLaurin has already impressed this offseason, and the offense needs him to continue to do so.
Another standout WR impresses at OTAs
McLaurin hasn’t been the only WR to make noise at practice, with Treylon Burks making impressive catches already this offseason. Burks has looked the part in Blough’s offense, and he could have a major role if the Commanders decide against adding another WR.
The biggest thing for Burks in 2026 is staying healthy. He’s always had the talent, but not the durability. He’s also still falling on catches in practice, which is something he needs to work on, especially without pads. Sometimes staying healthy is knowing how to protect yourself from injury.
The WR room needs to show more than it did last year, and the addition of Antonio Williams will be a massive help. We’re still watching to see whether Adam Peters adds another WR before the season.
Abdullah also said on my show that WR Luke McCaffrey looks noticeably bigger and probably in the best shape of his life. That’s what you want to see in year three from a player like Luke. Luke also had three catches at practice, with one being a contested catch where he took the ball away from safety Jeremy Reaves.
Sonny Styles’ leadership continues to grow
We’ve seen Sonny Styles on the field in practice, and it’s obvious how athletic he is, but it’s everything else that he’s doing well that deserves the attention. The first thing that has stood out to the media at practice is how vocal Sonny Styles is on the field.
His playcalling and vocal leadership can be heard from the media side of the field, and the players notice it, too. EDGE Odafe Oweh called Sonny Styles a “baby Bobby Wagner”, which is the highest praise a rookie LB can get. Oweh said that Styles can already command the defense and communicate in the huddle, and that he has a bright future ahead.
Sonny Styles has also been seen wearing the green dot on defense, which means he’s the main communicator on defense and the one calling out the plays to the defense. Dan Quinn said many players will get the opportunity to wear the green dot, which included Styles, but it’s great to see him wearing it this early and running with the opportunity.
Other standouts on defense
EDGE Odafe Oweh continues to flash with his speed and length off the line of scrimmage, which should heat up even more when pads come on, and the team gets physical. The pass rush this season will be a huge emphasis, and still be drastically improved.
Abdullah said the secondary was better at practice as well, and Nick Cross was a standout with his ability to close in on plays. Commanders’ Senior Writer Zach Selby mentioned a play where Cross got to McLaurin quickly after a short pass, which is great to hear, because the safety room has been lacking speed and coverage over the last few seasons.
Selby also noted that Percy Butler had what looked like an interception on a low throw from Marcus Mariota. The safety room behind Nick Cross has A LOT of questions to answer, and so far, Quan Martin has seen a lot of reps as a starter at OTAs.
The offseason practices are just kicking off, so make sure you subscribe to the Substack, along with the YouTube channel, for more content on what’s going down in Ashburn!