SNIDER: Commanders begin with creating chemistry

It is 90 minutes of individuals trying to become a team while still shining brightly. Moments in an increasingly hot offseason practice where futures are often fashioned even before donning pads.

If the Washington Commanders are to return to competitiveness with their new coaching staff, front office and largely incoming players, chemistry becomes paramount. That won’t be easy with 30-plus players – the team’s largest single season turnover since 1945.

OTAs provides flashes of players and plays that may define this fall. Of course, it all begins with quarterback Jayden Daniels, the “JD5” many fans hope is the healthy second coming of “RG3.”

Daniels quickly validated becoming the draft’s second overall choice with a strong arm, agile running and quick playbook understanding. But, it’s not enough and coach Dan Quinn knows so. Offseason practices with no pressure on the passer let him look better than usual. A little throw-and-catch sessions.

So, coaches dialed up situationals for 11 on 11s on Wednesday. Let’s see what Daniels does with a running clock under two minutes when precious moments are burned by a receiver forgetting the drill was hot.

Daniels anxiously awaited the ball, knowing evaporating seconds were killing a scoring chance. He immediately spiked the ball on second down. It was good awareness that springtime drills represent fall failings if not taken seriously.

“I think the situation work we've been working really hard on and so some of the timing and mechanics are different from college in a two-minute setting than it is in the NFL,” Quinn said. “And, so like that type of urgency, seeing [Daniels] being comfortable in that environment, I would say that's one example of many that shows the work that he is putting in."

The Commanders have seen 100 percent participation over the past month of OTAs, which isn’t that unique. Chase Young’s perpetual absence was often the only person missing over recent years. However, a new staff benefitted greatly by the full house before moving to minicamp next week by realizing what its roster can do.

“It's been exciting because now you can try different people at different spots,” Quinn said, “maybe some matchups that you wanna see. Some man coverage versus zone. How is that look gonna go?

“The competition during this phase of spring football is certainly different than it is in training camp. It's speed, it's your execution, but not the physicality. So, we don't wanna go too far in the evaluation physically because so much of this evaluation is assignment, where we're at, the communication. If we get that part right, then we know when we get to camp, we'll really let it rip. But getting the part of the communication, the speed right, then we can add the last element to it."

The collective wasn’t missing individual playmakers. Luke McCaffrey is making a play for third receiver. Jeff Driskel is pressing for No. 2 quarterback. Brian Robinson won’t surrender the prime running back to Austin Ekeler as he darts through small interior gaps. Emmanuel Forbes added seven pounds to put a little meat on his chicken legs.

It’s an emerging team filled with potential stars. They’re just not for public display quite yet.