Daily Slop – 15 Aug 24: Eyes on Mikey Sainristil and others at Commanders joint practice in Miami today.
A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East and the NFL in general.
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Washington Post (paywall)
Mike Sainristil plays ‘star,’ and the Commanders think he can become one
The rookie from Michigan has a dizzying job description as a modern-day nickelback, a position that has had evolving responsibilities in recent years.
Mike Sainristil, welcome to the NFL. Here is your job description as a modern nickelback: Do everything.
Be ready to cover the league’s best receivers from the slot without the sideline to protect you. Is that a tight end? Match up with him, too. Also, be ready to blitz off the edge. Remember your responsibilities against the run — watch out for that 320-pound guard barreling your way. Is your head spinning yet? We’re just getting started.
A slot defender — who matches up with a player between the offensive tackle and wide receiver — used to be considered a specialist. Those days have passed. Nickel packages, with five defensive backs and just two linebackers, are now the norm. The Washington Commanders, under Coach Dan Quinn, give the slot defender a name befitting its importance: star.
Sainristil, 23, played a similar position at Michigan. At under 5-foot-10 and 182 pounds, he is smaller than most players. Washington was undeterred and drafted him in the second round in April.
The team believes his mix of explosiveness and intelligence readied him for an early, demanding role.
