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Training Camp Daily 8/19: Guard Wes Martin Benefits From Facing Top-Notch Competition

Elijah Walter Griffin Sr./Washington Football Team
Elijah Walter Griffin Sr./Washington Football Team

Training camp is here, and we have you covered as the Washington Football Team prepares for the 2020 campaign.

Stay up to date with "Training Camp Daily," which comes out every weekday evening.

Also be sure to check out "Washington Football Live 2020" every weekday from 9 - 9:45 a.m. and "Virtual Happy Hour" from 2:30 - 3 p.m. Both shows will be streamed on all of the team's social media platforms.

Here's what you need to know:

The Washington Football team conducts training camp at the Inova Sports Performance Center in Ashburn, Virginia, on Aug. 19, 2020. (Elijah Walter Griffin Sr./Washington Football Team)

THE LATEST

Wes Martin is competing to start at left guard, and what better way to win the job than to excel against the Washington Football Team's young and talented defensive line?

"Those are great reps to have," Martin told Senior Vice President of Media and Content Julie Donaldson on Tuesday. "Those are great looks to see for sure getting ready for Week 1."

A fourth-round pick in 2019, Martin appeared in nine games as a rookie and started five at right guard in place of the then-injured Brandon Scherff. Martin said working with the first-team offensive line was an invaluable experience he's taken into this year's training camp, where he's been the starting left guard for the first two padded practices.

"There's little things here and there, small technique things," Martin said about what he wants to improve on. "There's always little things to fine-tune and get better at. Those things are always going to be there, so just have to keep working to fine-tune them."

QUICK HITS

Geron Christian Sr. has gotten the coaches' attention: Working next to Martin is Geron Christian Sr., who has been the starting left tackle since padded practices began. A third-round pick in 2018, Christian was seen as a developmental prospect who could become a quality starter after a few NFL seasons. The coaching staff hopes he can put it all together in 2020.

"The biggest thing with Geron more so than anything else is that he's an athletic football player," Rivera said. "He moves very well. He's a smart, young man who's picked things up very nicely. He just hasn't had a chance to play a lot of football, so we're really interested in watching him, especially if he's going to play and participate and do some of the things he's done. He's done some really good things. He's caught our eye. He's caught our attention."

Alex Smith's end goal is to play at the highest level: Washington activated Alex Smith off the Physically Unable to Perform list Sunday, and he has participated in 7-on-7 drills for the past two days. Smith has not shied away from his ultimate goal of performing at the highest level, but he's not getting ahead of himself.

"I think over the course of this rehab process, for me I've done the best when I've really focused on the steps and the next step and not really dwelling on something too far down the line," Smith said. "For me the next step is to certainly try to continue thriving in the opportunities I'm given, but obviously getting into a team scenario, getting in on 11-on-11 and seeing if I can play."

Terry McLaurin's fantasy football potential: Terry McLaurin is clearly Washington's No. 1 receiver, and he's one of the top 15 wideouts in the NFL for 2020, according to Pro Football Focus. That gives him immense fantasy value, which ESPN fantasy sports analyst Matthew Berry elaborated on in his annual Love/Hate column.

"The team sees McLaurin as the DJ Moore in this offense, someone who got 135 targets last season en route to a WR16 finish," Berry wrote. "I don't know for sure who will be the QB for Washington, but I do know that person will be looking early and often for Terry 'McScorin,' whose mid-seventh-round ADP is a bargain."

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