After a highly beneficial fortnight, organized team activities are winding down for the Washington Commanders. The sessions were voluntary, but most players showed up. The coaching staff also saw some prominent and not-so-prominent names start flourishing with increased responsibilities on their shoulders.
It must be a collective effort if the Commanders want to maintain or perhaps even exceed their exceptional standards in the first season under head coach Dan Quinn. Those who departed the franchise this offseason must be replaced accordingly. Young players need to step up their respective contributions. The veterans must avoid complacency and set the tone through actions on the field and motivation in the locker room.
It sounds like a lot, but the Commanders' culture shift with Quinn leading the charge makes this an attainable objective. Washington is a popular franchise again. However, the mentality stays the same. They'll go on the attack and stop at nothing to achieve their objectives.
There was no sign of Terry McLaurin, Marshon Lattimore, or Laremy Tunsil at OTAs for one reason or another. That doesn't mean some potential alphas didn't come to the fore and make their presence felt in the best possible way heading into Washington's mandatory minicamp.
With this in mind, here are five emerging tone-setters making their mark at OTAs.
Emerging tone-setters making their mark at Commanders OTAs
Jeremy Reaves - Commanders S
Jeremy Reaves is a fan favorite. He's an All-Pro special teamer and a vibrant presence within the locker room who always keeps spirits and standards high. There's also a growing sense that a bigger role is coming for the physical defensive back in 2025.
One thing that saw Reaves go from an undrafted afterthought to an important role player was his instincts. The safety is starting to grow in stature, making plays on the defensive rotation during practice and catching the eye of the coaching staff positively.
Reaves' influence on special teams will continue to be his primary task. Even so, there's an opening in the safety room to carve out more reps behind the projected starting tandem of Quan Martin and Will Harris.
This was a sentiment echoed by defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. The no-nonsense coach acknowledged that he has to find ways of getting Reaves onto the field in pursuit of maximizing his playmaking ability. The former South Alabama standout is forcing the issue, which is exactly what the Commanders were looking for.
It'll be interesting to see if Reaves can keep this up when things get more intense over the summer. But one cannot ignore the positive impression he's made up to now.