Washington Football Team training camp 2021: 5 players to keep an eye on
Washington Football Team head coach Ron Rivera did a remarkable job last season. Not only did he lead an inexperienced team to the NFC East championship, but he did so while battling cancer.
Washington went 7-9 in 2020, which was good enough to win the division and make the postseason. They were beaten by eventual Super Bowl champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in the Wild Card round. Few can stop a Tom Brady-propelled juggernaut, after all.
After struggling to find a consistent starting QB last season, Washington's front office signed NFL veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick to lead the offense this year. The young, hungry Washington defense returns and should be a destructive force again in 2021.
As training camp approaches, here are five Washington Football Team players to watch out for this pre-season.
#1 - Ryan Fitzpatrick
Veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, 39, is the presumed Week 1 starter for the Washington Football Team. This is Fitzpatrick's ninth NFL team in his 16-year career.
Can Fitzmagic work some magic for the Washington Football Team in 2021?
Head coach Ron Rivera will be hoping that there’s still some “Fitzmagic” left to guide the team back to the playoffs in 2021. Training camp will show what kind of shape Fitzpatrick is in.
#2 - Terry McLaurin
Heading into his third season in the NFL, Washington Football Team's Terry McLaurin looks ready to take another step towards stardom. He averaged 12.9 yards per catch in 2020, along with 1,118 total yards and four touchdowns.
The arrival of Ryan Fitzpatrick should help McLaurin take another leap with a regular starter he can form a partnership with over the course of the season.
#3 - Chase Young
Pass-rushing monster Chase Young helped propel the Washington Football Team to an unlikely NFL playoff berth last season. The 22-year-old recorded 7.5 sacks in his rookie year, a total he will look to build on in 2021.
Like all rookies last year, Young didn't get to experience a regular NFL training camp to prepare for his first season. A full pre-season training camp should set the second-year pass rusher up for a stand-out campaign.
#4 - Montez Sweat
While Chase Young garnered most of the headlines last season, Montez Sweat quietly produced a career-high season with nine sacks, 45 tackles and one interception. The edge rusher combined with Young to form one of the league's most watertight defensive-end tandems.
The six-foot-six, 262-pound Sweat will head into training camp as one of the leaders on the Washington defense.
#5 - Jamin Davis
Washington drafted Kentucky linebacker Jamin Davis 19th overall in this year’s NFL Draft. The rookie joins one of the NFL’s premier defenses.
Davis had a 42-inch vertical leap at his pro day and has the athleticism to make an immediate impact in the NFL. Keep an eye out for how the rookie performs during this year’s training camp.