WASHINGTON — Washington Commanders tight end Logan Thomas is a quarterback at heart. He grew up in Lynchburg, Virginia and played college ball at Virginia Tech as a QB. He was drafted in the fourth round by the Arizona Cardinals in 2014 and stayed under center for a short time before a transition to tight end. He said it was the only way for him to stay in the NFL.
All that is to say, change is something Thomas is familiar with — even when it's difficult.
"Especially the run blocking, pass blocking -- that stuff wasn't natural to me and I'm still learning it," he said of his challenges at tight end. "Reading coverages and having hands — that's natural. I grew up playing receiver. I grew up catching the football and running around with my grandpa in the side yard."
His first completion as a quarterback was an 81-yard touchdown pass. But it came against the Denver Broncos, the same game in which Peyton Manning threw his 500th TD.
"I got trumped," he said with a laugh.
Now, he says his time as a quarterback feels like a past life. But he says there might be a trick play in the Commanders playbook that calls for the tight end to throw a pass.
"In past years we've had one or two," he said. "I don't know... I guess we gotta keep everybody on their toes."
Another big transition for Thomas? New ownership, and big changes on the defensive side of the ball. The Commanders have struggled this season. The team parted ways with two recent first-round picks who were supposed to be foundational pieces for a difference-making defense that has instead contributed to five losses in six games after a 2-0 start. At the trade deadline, the Commanders dealt Montez Sweat to the Bears, and Chase Young to the 49ers.
The moves give Washington five picks in the first three rounds of the first draft since Josh Harris and his group bought the team from longtime owner Dan Snyder for $6.05 billion.
With Harris in charge, the Commanders might soon be charting their own course to “Trust the Process” of getting younger with the aim of becoming a perennial playoff contender.
"It's just like any other week, man. We just gotta keep playing," Thomas said of the mood in the locker room. "All the Legos will stack up and fall into place the way they're supposed to if you play and approach it the right way."
Thomas is a father of five boys, and lots of pets. His boys watch him play and he says he tries to represent the sport well, if they end up playing football in the future.
"I think it's really cool to have them around it and see it, and see how it's supposed to be done, see the work ethic that it takes," Thomas said. "Whether they play football, or any other sport, or regular life it's a great teaching lesson."