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Commanders Reacts Survey: Which DTs and DEs will make the 53-man roster?

Washington Commanders v New Orleans Saints

Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Poll questions!!

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Washington Commanders fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

In today’s Reacts survey, we have two questions related to the defensive line and which players are most likely to fill out the back end of the depth chart.

Last season, the Commanders brass decided to open the season with an 8-man group that was basically 4 defensive tackles and 4 defensive ends, though a number of players were capable of playing more than one position. Later on, the team added a 9th player to the DL group and kept the depth chart at 7 players for most of the season.

Based on what they did last year, it seems reasonable to think that the team will have 8 or 9 players comprising the defensive line group.

I think there are six players in the DL group who are locks or near-locks for the roster.

  • Dorance Armstrong
  • Daron Payne
  • Javon Kinlaw
  • Deatrich Wise
  • Johnny Newton
  • (Clelin Ferrell)

Honestly, I don’t think Clelin Ferrell is a roster lock, but I believe that if I included his name among the DEs in today’s survey, he would get the bulk of the votes, making the exercise largely pointless, so I’m treating him, in this article, as if he is in the roster lock group.

Personally, I might’ve been a bit hesitant to include Deatrich Wise in this group, but his $3.1m contract with $2.35m in guaranteed money argues that the team is committed to having him on the roster this year.

In today’s two questions, you are invited to pick, from two short lists, one defensive tackle and one defensive end who will make the 53-man roster for the Week 1 opener against the Giants.

Question 1 - Defensive tackles​



The three candidates are all experienced NFL veterans who have played between 7 and 9 seasons each, and who all have a cap hit of just over $1m. Two of the players — Sheldon Day and Carl Davis — were with the Commanders last year. Each spent time on both the practice squad and the 53-man roster, though Day was active for 12 games while Davis was active for only 3.

Eddie Goldman has gotten a lot of attention from Commanders fans and media after being signed in March free agency. While Goldman was active for 17 games with the Falcons in 2024, he played 30% of his team's defensive snaps, compared to 35% for Day and 23% for Davis.

Goldman is well-known among fans for having missed 3 NFL seasons by his own choice. He opted out of the 2020 COVID year, and retired ahead of the ‘22 season, missing both the ‘22 and ‘23 seasons before signing with Atlanta in 2024.

Sheldon Day was, statistically, the most productive of the three, with 24 tackles, 2 tackles for loss and a QB hit.

Much has been made of Goldman’s size — he’s listed on the team site at 6’3”, 332 lbs. Davis is listed at 6’5”, 320 lbs, and Day at 6’1”, 285 lbs.

Question 2 - Defensive ends​



The dark horse here seems to be Andre Jones Jr, a former Ron Rivera draft pick who has played only 188 defensive snaps in 2 seasons, though he did play 250 special teams snaps as a rookie.

The remaining 3-horse race includes a 2nd-year player drafted by Adam Peters in the 7th round last year, Javontae Jean-Baptiste, and a pair of 7-year veterans in Jalyn Holmes, who started last season with the Jets but finished with Washington, and Jacob Martin, who has played for 6 NFL teams and was with the Bears last season where he spent nearly 2 months on IR to open the season.

When I listed Jalyn Holmes as a defensive end in another article earlier this offseason, a question was raised about whether he was a DE or a DT. I decided to find out for myself if the PFF charting I had relied on for that article was accurate or flawed. I picked one game — the 19 snaps Holmes played against the Eagles in Week 11 — and charted his alignments for the entire game. I learned two things. First, Holmes can be identified quickly on film because he plays with a long compression sleeve on his left arm but not on his right, and, second, PFF is pretty good at tracking pre-snap alignments. My alignment chart matched that of PFF almost exactly.

In watching subsequent game replays this offseason, it was pretty clear that Holmes’ primary position in Joe Whitt’s defense was at defensive left end in 2024, typically lined up as more of a 7-tech than a 5-tech, though he moves around a bit. In ‘24, out of 265 defensive snaps, he lined up at 5-tech or 7-tech on the left side 126 times, and as the RDE 97 times, with DE comprising 84% of his defensive snaps in Whitt’s schemes.

For a look at Holmes on film, you can read Mark Bullock’s defensive line film breakdown, which was published yesterday and which is also linked in Wednesday’s Daily Slop.

Holmes played only 28% of defensive snaps last year compared to 32% for Jacob Martin, but Holmes played 43 more snaps overall because Martin missed 6 games with a toe injury. While their production on a per-game-played basis is fairly comparable, a look at the contracts signed by the two players ($2.4m/$1m guaranteed for Martin; $1.2m for Holmes) indicates that the front office is more committed to this year’s free agent addition than to last year’s free agent addition.

Another advantage might be Martin’s special teams play. Last season, he lined up on special teams 206 times in 11 games, far out-stripping the competition from the three players who were on the Commanders roster last season.

As with the DT position, the coaches have a choice between the familiar (Holmes, Jean-Baptiste) and the new (Martin). Unlike the DT position, the contract situation may tip us to which player has the inside track to a roster spot.

Comments & Results


Of course, we invite you to answer the survey questions below, but also feel free to expand on your answers and provide nuance in the comments section. I rely on those comments when discussing the results of the survey when they are posted in a separate article the next few days.

POLL QUESTIONS


Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/2025/7/9/...which-dts-and-des-will-make-the-53-man-roster
 
Daily Slop - 9 July 25 - Will the Commanders adopt more 3-4 principles in 2025?

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A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East, the NFL and sports in general, and a sprinkling of other stuff

Commanders links

Articles​

Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)​

Could the Commanders adjust their defensive fronts this season?


The Commanders use a base 4-3 defense, but could they adopt more 3-4 principles in 2025?

I’ve been wondering if a potential scheme change could be on the cards. I don’t think it will necessarily be a huge scheme change, more of a package that they did use last year but one that could become much more of a staple for them this season. The Commanders are a base 4-3 team, meaning when they line up in a base defense, they have four defensive lineman and three linebackers on the field. But I’m wondering if head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. might be considering using more three-man fronts that look more like a 3-4 defense.

This was something I first wondered about last offseason when the team drafted Johnny Newton in the second round. Newton joined Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen as notable defensive tackles and I wondered if the Commanders might try and get all three on the field at once. They did do that at times last year, but that package was heavily restricted, first by Newton’s injuries that held him out during the offseason and then by Allen’s injury that kept him out for a good chunk of the season too.

So without being able to use all three of Allen, Newton and Payne for a good chunk of the season, the Commanders had to stick to their normal four-man fronts. But the run defense was really struggling, especially on the edge. That led to the Commanders trying out some different ideas to help sure up the edges, including using Daron Payne as a defensive end in those four-man fronts.

Against good rushing teams, the Commanders employed this tactic more frequently down the stretch, often using Jalyn Holmes at the other end spot too. Holmes is a bigger defensive end, listed at 6-foot-5, 283 pounds. That’s getting closer to undersized defensive tackle than defensive end type of size.

Here’s an example of Payne and Holmes playing the end spots against the Falcons, with Newton and Allen inside. Again, this is a four-man front but with three defensive tackles on the field, and the fourth defensive lineman is almost an undersized defensive tackle rather than a typical defensive end. Payne plays on the strong side of the offense, meaning he has to contend with both the left tackle and the tight end. But being a defensive tackle that is used to double teams from guards and centers, a double team from a tackle and tight end is light work for him.

At the snap of the ball, Payne is super aggressive with the tight end, driving him backwards to try and establish an edge. He successfully creates that edge, forcing Robinson to cut his run back inside. Bobby Wagner fills the lane inside but Payne also does a great job working across the tight end and left tackle to fill the lane himself and assist the tackle for a one-yard gain.

That is certainly one way the Commanders can get three of their defensive tackles on the field at the same time and be a bit more stout against the run; simply playing someone like Payne at defensive end instead. However, that significantly lowers your pass rush threat on the edge. Payne isn’t an edge rusher and lacks the pass rush ability to provide much of a threat off the edge there, so if a team spots him at defensive end, they could simply have a gameplan call built in to shift into a passing play to take advantage of that matchup. So what alternatives do the Commanders have? Well, they showed another variation last year too.

On this play against the Eagles, the Commanders are in their base defense with four defensive lineman and three linebackers on the field. Like we’ve seen with the plays above, Daron Payne is playing as a defensive end here with Holmes on the other side, enabling the Commanders to get three defensive tackles on the field in Payne, Newton and Carl Davis. But to avoid having Payne on the edge in any potential passing situation, the Commanders shift their front. Holmes and Newton line up as they would in the normal 4-3 front, but Davis and Payne shift inside. Davis aligns head up on the center, like a 3-4 nose tackle would, while Payne is more of a three-technique defensive tackle playing on the outside shoulder of the right guard.

With those two shifting inside slightly, the Commanders need to replace Payne on the edge. Fortunately, they have a very versatile linebacker in Frankie Luvu, who shifts down from his linebacker spot to play on the edge. With this shift, the Commanders defense is using their 4-3 base personnel, but the formation is much more like a 3-4 defense. In fact, the only real difference between this front and a 3-4 defense is that Holmes has his hand in the dirt as a defensive end, rather than standing up on the edge like Luvu does.

Before the ball is even snapped, this just looks a lot more secure against the run. When the play unfolds, you can see the outcome for yourself. The Eagles attempt a counter scheme to the right with the left guard pulling to kick out Luvu on the edge and the tight end following him to wrap around for the first second level defender he can find. But Luvu reads the run well and blows up the pulling guard, while Daron Payne beats the downblock from right tackle Lane Johnson. Between those two winning their blocks, the back has nowhere to go and eventually he’s wrapped up in the backfield by a pile of Commanders defenders.

That front resembled a 3-4 defense but with Holmes having his hand in the dirt instead of standing up. That’s more of a personnel thing. Holmes is a bigger defensive end that is trusted against the run in obvious running situations. The Commanders can be very flexible with this type of look due to the personnel they have.


Commanders.com

2025 opponent breakdown | Dallas Cowboys

  • Can the offensive line return to its former glory? There was a time when the Cowboys’ offensive line was considered the best in the NFL with Zack Martin at guard and Tyron Smith at left tackle. It is still a good group, but Smith left in 2024 and Martin retired. The Cowboys are hoping the draft picks they have made in recent years — tackle Tyler Guyton, center Cooper Beebe and guard Tyler Booker — will provide stability for the foreseeable future. There’s reason to believe in all three players; Beebe is a physical blocker who knows how to move in the interior; Guyton is raw but has traits that the Cowboys can develop; and Booker was one of the best offensive line prospects in the draft with good technique. There is confidence that the group will be good at some point, but the Cowboys might need to streamline that process.
  • Will Prescott have another strong season in 2025? It seems like Prescott puts up top five numbers about every other year. The trend started in 2019, when he passed for 4,902 yards and 30 touchdowns. He only played five games in 2020 with an injury and went 2-3 in those starts. The next year, he hit a career-high in passing touchdowns and passed for 4,449 yards. That was followed by another disappointing performance in 2022, when he led the league in interceptions in 12 starts. The 2023 season was arguably his best, as he led the league in completions and passing touchdowns. And of course, there was last season, when he battled injuries and passed for just 1,978 yards. If we follow the trend, that means the 2025 season should be a good one for Prescott. He still has Lamb as his No. 1 receiver and a quality defense to get him the ball back. This isn’t a revolutionary take, but the Cowboys’ success hinges on Prescott. When he’s in form, the Cowboys can be a dangerous team and even a Super Bowl competitor. When he’s not, they’re a team that is simply fighting for a lower seed in the playoffs.
  • Who will be the starting running back? The Cowboys’ running back position has been in flux since Elliott was first released from the roster. Dowdle played well as their primary option and even rushed for 1,079 yards, but the team clearly believes they can do more at the position. There are currently three contenders for the spot on their roster — Sanders, Javonte Williams and Jaydon Blue. Sanders has failed to repeat his Pro Bowl performance in 2022 and rushed for 205 yards last season. Williams is younger and had more production in recent years but has yet to rush for 1,000 yards. Blue, who the Cowboys drafted in the fifth round, could be a name to watch in training camp. He had nearly 1,100 scrimmage yards in his last season with Texas, including 368 receiving yards. He is a smaller player but has versatility that could help open up Dallas’ offense. All three running backs will likely get time, but it will be interesting to see how the Cowboys solve what may be their biggest offensive question.

ESPN

Ranking NFL WR, TE, RB groups for 2025: Best and worst teams

13. Washington Commanders​


2024 rank: 26 | 2023 rank: 21

The arrival of quarterback Jayden Daniels and coordinator Kliff Kingsbury leveled everyone up in Washington. Terry McLaurin, finally given a quarterback worthy of his talents, soared on a per-route basis; he finished 16th in yards per route run and nearly doubled his prior career high in touchdowns, racking up 13 before adding three more during the postseason. He didn’t set a career high in receiving yards by virtue of not getting the same target totals he saw at times in previous seasons, but he was at his efficient best with improved quarterback play.

Wideouts Olamide Zaccheaus and Dyami Brown exceeded expectations before leaving this offseason, while Noah Brown should return in a lesser role. The big addition at receiver is Deebo Samuel who averaged 110 scrimmage yards per game during his All-Pro season in 2021 and 64 scrimmage yards per contest across his five other seasons. He’s a true outlier in terms of generating yards after catch year after year, and he should fit well as part of all the screens the Commanders run, but he has also had consistent issues with fumbles, drops and injuries. Projecting a Samuel turnaround like the ones we saw for reclamation projects such as Zach Ertz and Austin Ekeler last season is more difficult considering he’s leaving an offense built by Kyle Shanahan.

Ertz and Ekeler are back, and Brian Robinson Jr. has developed into a reasonable between-the-tackles runner, but I want to see whether this team’s high 2024 draft picks develop. Second-round tight end Ben Sinnott and third-round wide receiver Luke McCaffrey were along for the ride as rookies, combining for 194 receiving yards during the regular season. The Commanders didn’t need to integrate them into the lineup when things were working, but it isn’t as if they were facing historically stiff competition beyond McLaurin, either. One (or preferably both) of the young guys breaking out would be a big help for Washington, with regards to both its roster construction and standing in these rankings.


NFL.com

Commanders unveil ‘Super Bowl Era’ alternate uniforms, helmet


The new Washington Commanders ownership continues to celebrate the past of a historic franchise, announcing Wednesday a “Super Bowl era” alternate throwback uniform that hails a glorious run in club’s history.

The uniforms are a blend of the new name and logo with the kits of their Super Bowl runs of the 1980s and 1990s. The team will wear the throwbacks for three standalone games in 2025: Week 9 against the Seattle Seahawks on “Sunday Night Football,” Week 13 against the Denver Broncos (SNF) and Week 17 versus the Dallas Cowboys on Christmas Day (Netflix).

“We are excited to celebrate Washington’s rich history with these iconic, Super Bowl Era uniforms this season,” Commanders team president Mark Clouse said via press release. “Ever since Josh Harris and our ownership group acquired the team back in 2023, they’ve placed great value in finding ways to connect the past and present and pay homage to those that made the Burgundy & Gold what it is today.”


Washington Post (paywall)​

Commanders’ alternate uniforms take things back to the glory days


Building a bridge to the past has been a central theme to the Washington Commanders’ turnaround under owner Josh Harris. It will be strengthened further as the team introduces an alternate uniform this season that pays tribute to the franchise’s most successful years.

The “Super Bowl Era” alternates, as they’re billed, are near replicas of the ones worn by Washington during its trio of Super Bowl victories (XVII, XXII and XXVI), in the 1980s and early ’90s.

The NFL allows teams to change uniforms only once every five years, except in certain circumstances (an ownership change is one of them), and requires any proposed alterations to be submitted to the league for approval more than a year in advance of the season in which they wish to use them.

The alternates are added to the Commanders’ closet alongside their usual home-game uniforms with the burgundy jersey and pants; their road attire with the modern white jerseys and burgundy pants; their alternate all-black uniforms that were introduced as part of the team’s rebranding in 2022; and the gold pants Washington brought back last season after a six-year hiatus.

When asked whether the team plans to make the Super Bowl Era alternates the basis of another redesign, a person with knowledge of the Commanders’ thinking said the team will “continue to evaluate” its options.


Commanders.com

PHOTOS | Commanders unveil ‘Super Bowl Era’ alternate uniforms


Take a closer look at the Washington Commanders’ new alternate uniforms that honor the team’s most successful era.








NFL Top 100 Players of 2025:@Commanders OL Laremy Tunsil is ranked No. 86! @NFLFilms pic.twitter.com/biLCE0CTgI

— NFL (@NFL) July 9, 2025

Podcasts & videos

Beltway Football: Commanders new “Super Bowl” era uniforms are close to perfect​



Episode 1,109 - Guest: Logan Paulsen.
- Excellent insight on the schematics of Kliff Kingsbury's offense
- Kliff in 2024 vs. Kyle Shanahan in 2012
- why David Blough is so well-regarded; could he succeed Kliff?
- how John Bates is an elite blocking TE https://t.co/QGoimxIabk

— Al Galdi (@AlGaldi) July 9, 2025

NFC East links

Blogging the Boys

Dead money evaluation, Part II: How the Cowboys rank and how it impacts their ability to win games


We know the front offices of the Cowboys and Eagles operate quite differently. Howie Roseman is constantly dealing with heavy dead-money hits. He’s shown a strong willingness to hit the reset on any position group necessary, change up personnel, and deal with the financial consequences later. The Eagles have not been fazed by monstrous dead-money hits.

It should surprise no one that the Eagles have the largest dead money total over the last five years at a whopping $333 million. The Cowboys, on the other hand, are in the lower quadrant of NFL teams during this span, coming in just under $140 million. We can already feel your blood boiling as this information might suggest expensive dead-money charges show a willingness to take chances, while a more cautious approach, minimizing dead money, will get you nowhere. Is that true? Let’s examine.

Here are the dead money hits for all 32 teams over the last five years (figures courtesy of spotrac.com).

  • Red = the 10 highest dead-money hits for that year
  • Green = the 10 lowest dead-money hits for that year
  • Yellow = the 12 teams in between for that year


The Eagles are marching to the beat of their own drum with nearly $60 million more dead money than the next-highest team. They are regularly among the teams with the highest dead money hit each year. They are also the defending Super Bowl Champions. Not only are the huge dead money hits not holding them back, but they’re somehow flourishing in that environment. Should more teams be taking that approach? Is there any correlation between dead money and wins?

We’re glad you asked because that’s the main purpose of this two-part article. Let’s look at that table again, only this time let’s add a column to include each team’s win total (including playoffs) since 2021. With this information, the data looks like this



If we focus on the eight teams in the top quadrant and the eight teams in the bottom quadrant, something interesting is revealed.



Suddenly, the perception changes. The Eagles are a winning team, but they are an anomaly rather than a blueprint for success. Some really bad teams are in that top quadrant, including the worst team over the last five years, the Carolina Panthers.


Big Blue View

NFC East notebook: Big questions as training camp approaches

Washington Commanders​

Daniels changes everything—but the defense must hold​


Jayden Daniels didn’t just win Offensive Rookie of the Year, he flipped the identity of the franchise. Now, the Commanders are looking to build on a 12-win season with a retooled offensive line, a new weapon in Deebo Samuel, and a deeper secondary. But it’s the defense that could make or break them.

Washington’s run defense was one of the league’s worst in 2024, but after ranking 30th in yards allowed, GM Adam Peters made stopping the run a top priority this offseason. The Commanders are banking on a revamped front and a more cohesive scheme under Joe Whitt Jr. to give Daron Payne the support he lacked last year. In the secondary, Marshon Lattimore is back to full health and will be the anchor. Rookie Trey Amos could see early playing time if he impresses in camp.

Key losses: DT Jonathan Allen, WR Dyami Brown, S Jeremy Chinn, DE Dante Fowler Jr, T Cornelius Lucas, CB Benjamin St-Juste

Key additions: T Laremy Tunsil, DT Javon Kinlaw, S Will Harris, WR Deebo Samuel, CB Jonathan Jones, K Matt Gay, OLB Jake Martin, T Laremy Tunsil

Key draft picks: T Josh Conerly, CB Tre Amos, WR Jalin Lane

Position battle to watch: CB2

Tariq Castro-Fields and Amos are both getting early reps behind Lattimore.

[Bill Horgan: Tariq Castro-Fields plays for the Eagles, not the Commanders]


Discussion topics

Pro Football Focus

2025 NFL secondary rankings: Ravens and Chiefs take the top spots

8. Philadelphia Eagles


The Eagles falling to eighth on this list might raise eyebrows, especially after the secondary’s dominant Super Bowl performance. But they lost Darius Slay and C.J. Gardner-Johnson in free agency and are looking to replace them with cornerback Adoree’ Jackson and rookie safety Andrew Mukuba. While Vic Fangio is a defensive wizard, expecting Philadelphia to immediately get plug-and-play production at the level of their predecessors is a tall order. Still, a unit returning Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean — both phenomenal as rookies — will be tough to throw against.

24. New York Giants


The Giants’ two highest-graded secondary players in 2024 were rookies: cornerback Andru Phillips and safety Tyler Nubin. To bolster a secondary that has struggled for several years, the team signed safety Jevon Holland and cornerback Paulson Adebo this offseason. If the young players continue to develop and the new additions maintain their strong play, this unit could emerge as a surprise in 2025.

28. Washington Commanders


The Commanders’ secondary was one of the NFL’s worst in 2024, yet the team still came within one win of a Super Bowl appearance. To address the unit, they added safety Will Harris and cornerback Jonathan Jones in free agency and selected cornerback Trey Amos in the second round of the draft. Rookie play is often volatile, and both veterans are coming off down years in PFF’s advanced coverage metrics. If Marshon Lattimore can return to form and Noah Igbinoghene replicates his tight coverage skills, Washington’s secondary could be a surprise unit in 2025.

31. Dallas Cowboys


The Cowboys’ secondary looked like a strength just two years ago, but injuries, coaching changes and key departures have depleted the unit’s depth. Cornerback DaRon Bland followed his record-setting 2023 season with a difficult 2024 campaign after returning from injury. Trevon Diggs has been unable to replicate his 11-interception season from 2021, totaling just eight picks since while missing significant time due to injuries. While there is still talent in this group, the prime years of these players may already be behind them unless an infusion of youth provides a spark.


All aTwitter


History doesn’t fade…it fuels the future. pic.twitter.com/MFJbsyMymH

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) July 9, 2025

Throwing it back. Running it forward. pic.twitter.com/jAzT37Jfs7

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) July 9, 2025

Just look at this. Josh Harris nailed this design. #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/2xvUUnxxSZ

— Wam (@wamupnxt) July 9, 2025

.

Bringing back the old school look for the alternate uniform, connecting the past to the present. #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/vkIrNZ4MT2

— Chris Bryant (@HogfarmerChris) July 9, 2025

Cool detail from the set of the uniform release.

The #Commanders had different jerseys from throughout team history hung up behind players. Bobby Wagner is standing in front of a throwback London Fletcher jersey here.

Sick detail #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/a1X87WrZ0k

— SleeperCommanders (@SleeperWSH) July 9, 2025

One super impressive part of the Super Bowl uni reveal - no leaks, no mistakes. Opposite of the 2.2.22 debacle. Credit to all the folks over there in Ashburn.

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) July 9, 2025

The name font on the back of the jersey is an 11/10 and such great attention to detail pic.twitter.com/QaEkS8pYee

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) July 9, 2025

Rick Snider’s Washington says the Washington Commanders made a uniform change. Uh, yay? Gimme one minute. pic.twitter.com/Si89pj9PqJ

— Rick Snider's Washington (@Snide_Remarks) July 9, 2025

Congratulations to Laremy Tunsil for being voted 86 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2025 #RaiseHail #NFLTop100

— Commanders27 (@Commanders27) July 9, 2025


Adam Rank has the Commanders going 7-10 this year.

What do you think❓#RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/z6aaWZxpnZ

— Chris Bryant (@HogfarmerChris) July 8, 2025

2025 NFL Quarterback Tiers

based on expected performance in 2025

now, let's dive into all 38 QBs one-by-one: pic.twitter.com/nV0wKWl4CT

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) July 8, 2025

Jayden Daniels:

60% of throws into the end zone scored TDs

#2 only to Lamar Jackson

#3 best of any QB in the last decade

scrambled on a league-high 13% of his dropbacks

posted 595 scramble yards (188 more than the next QB)

added LT Laremy Tunsil & WR Deebo Samuel

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) July 8, 2025

Cousins on the #Falcons drafting Penix, from Quarterback on Netflix: "Certainly, if I had the information around free agency, it certainly would've affected my decision. I had no reason to leave Minnesota with how much we loved it there if both teams are going to be drafting a…

— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) July 8, 2025

On brand https://t.co/BnJxpaKOnZ

— COMMANDERS FOOTBALL (@HogsHaven) July 8, 2025

Jon Bernthal and Washington Redskins legend Dexter Manley! pic.twitter.com/AcziDZkuRy

— COMMANDERS FOOTBALL (@HogsHaven) July 7, 2025

Me watching the first ep of #quarterbacknetflix knowing that @JayD__5 & my @Commanders are gonna beat each of these teams at pivotal points in their seasons #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/MmsFhntZyD

— DH (@DWillDoesItAll) July 8, 2025


Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/2025/7/9/...-commanders-adopt-more-3-4-principles-in-2025
 
Washington Commanders 2nd year UDFA Spotlight: RB Michael Wiley, DT Norell Pollard, QB Sam Hartman, SS Ben Nikkel

Washington Commanders v New York Jets

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images

Which returning UDFAs will capitalize on their second chance?

“He needs a year on the practice squad to develop before having a chance at a roster spot.”

How many times have we read this line or one like it when discussing undrafted free agents? It is common practice to say undrafted free agents should be stashed on the practice squad to give them a chance to develop. Rightly so, as most don’t have the skill set to compete at the NFL level right away. Many times, undrafted players that don’t make the final roster toil away in camps and offseason activities without ever seeing the light of day, but occasionally some break through to carve out roles on NFL teams. Examples include currently rostered Commanders Andrew Wylie, Trent Scott, and, of course, All-Pros Frankie Luvu and Jeremy Reaves.

Eleven UDFAs were signed by Washington after the 2024 draft. Today, I will offer a brief refresher on the four who remain that are entering camp for a second chance at a roster spot.

Michael Wiley, RB (5’10”, 210 lbs.): Last year, Wiley profiled as third-down back and possible backup for Austin Ekeler. The former Arizona running back opened some eyes in preseason with 17 attempts for 67 yards and 2 touchdowns, while adding six catches for 37 yards. Some fans, and even a writer or two, had him as a possible inclusion to the final roster in August. Ultimately, he was waived and re-signed to the practice squad.

When Ekeler went out during the season, it was Chris Rodriguez, not Wiley, who was called up to the roster. At this point, he would seem to be a long shot for a roster spot, especially with the addition of Croskey-Merritt, but Bill profiles with below average third-down ability as he enters his rookie season in the NFL. Wiley could compete for McNichols’ spot as a do-it-all game day backup and special teamer.


Michael Wiley is a RB prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored an unofficial 8.02 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 350 out of 1765 RB from 1987 to 2024.

Splits projectedhttps://t.co/wWe0HxGUKC pic.twitter.com/6I1jbmKkDb

— RAS.football (@MathBomb) March 2, 2024

Wiley with the burst and dive for the TD pic.twitter.com/5sKGSOMgRt

— Mark Tyler (Hogs Haven) (@Tiller56) August 26, 2024

Watch this little stutter and shimmy by Wiley pic.twitter.com/wyVQ1sGaID

— Mark Tyler (Hogs Haven) (@Tiller56) August 26, 2024

Norell Pollard DT (6/1”, 283 lbs.): It is easy to forget Norell Pollard, as the former Hokie secured just one tackle in preseason before being placed on injured reserve. Yet another undersized, athletic, defensive lineman in the Dan Quinn/Joe Whitt mold, he played every game in college over a five year span (61), starting in 48 of them. Pollard’s claim to notoriety was a pass rush win rate that surpassed Johnny Newton’s. He has already developed an arsenal of pass rush moves, so hopefully he added strength and weight this off-season.


Virginia Tech IDL Norell Pollard might be the most player in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Was quietly one of the best interior pass rushers in the country in 2023

Rank Among in 2023
. Pass Rush Grade ( )
. Grade on True Pass… https://t.co/K9KTlByeBI pic.twitter.com/MwGtDRPi94

— Clay Fink (@clay_fink) March 28, 2024

Highest pass rush win rate among 2024 NFL Draft defensive tackles:

• Byron Murphy II, Texas - 20% (6 sacks)

• Michael Hall Jr., OSU - 18% (2 sacks)

• Norell Pollard, VT - 16% (3 sacks)

• Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois - 15% (8 sacks)

• T’Vondre Sweat, Texas - 15% (2 sacks) pic.twitter.com/BgUWUQRaQC

— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) February 4, 2024

Sam Hartman, QB (6’1”, 209 lbs.): Hartman’s rookie preseason was also forgettable beyond some mop up work in the first preseason game. He missed most of camp with a shoulder injury, but was waived without an injury designation at final cuts. Re-signed to the practice squad, he made a brief appearance on the roster as the emergency third quarterback during Marcus Mariota’s four games on IR. Upon Mariota’s return, he was once again waived and re-signed to the practice squad. Average arm strength and athleticism will always limit his potential, but his processing speed and ability to create plays off schedule will keep him in the mix at QB3. The team didn’t add anybody to the room this offseason besides Josh Johnson, and I’m not sure that counts.


Sam Hartman is a QB prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored an unofficial 3.81 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 568 out of 916 QB from 1987 to 2024.

Splits projectedhttps://t.co/XdeHiYvsI2 pic.twitter.com/9ry28S6jVx

— RAS.football (@MathBomb) March 2, 2024

Sam Hartman has some wheels! pic.twitter.com/1kdfHT9GJn

— Mark Tyler (Hogs Haven) (@Tiller56) August 10, 2024

Ben Nikkel, SS (6’1”, 210 lbs.): As a former college walk-on, Ben Nikkel knows about succeeding over long odds. He transferred to Iowa State after spending two years as a wide receiver at McPherson College. Nikkel spent most of his college career on special teams, but saw snaps at defensive back in his final year. Ben finished the season with 40 tackles and three pass breakups while finishing second on the team with eight special teams tackles. He tested off the charts at the Big 12’s Pro Day and caught the attention of national scouts.

Nikkel also had a forgettable preseason, suffering an undisclosed injury after the second game, before being waived with an injury settlement. He re-signed to the Commanders’ practice squad in October. Mark Tyler was recently spotted in the comments section reporting Nikkel has an outside shot at a roster spot this year. Here’s an excerpt from his NFL Draft Profile:

Nikkel might not be talented enough to handle backup safety duties without more coaching and experience, but he deserves a look for his special teams work. He has good size and races down the field like his hair is on fire, both on kickoffs and as a gunner. Nikkel played on all five phases of special teams at Iowa State, but he’s nowhere near ready to take NFL snaps at safety.

Ben Nikkel is a SS prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored a 9.66 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 38 out of 1079 SS from 1987 to 2024. https://t.co/iGvmVy8xlr pic.twitter.com/YAxmBZVewU

— RAS.football (@MathBomb) April 24, 2024

It’s sometimes said that everyone deserves a second chance, but that’s not always true in the NFL, and for these four players, this season could be their last — or the next step in building a good career. What are the most likely outcomes for these four players? Answer in the comments below.

Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/2025/7/10/24465024/washington-commanders-2nd-year-udfa-spotlight-updated
 
Is Luke McCaffrey ready to step into a bigger role for the Commanders’ offense?

NFL: Dallas Cowboys at Washington Commanders

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

It was a tough rookie year for Christian’s little brother. Despite seeing the field in all 17 regular season games and Washington’s three playoff contests, Luke McCaffrey became the forgotten man in the Commanders’ receiving corps.

All-22 film will show he did a nice job creating separation and getting open; however, he was not a go-to option for rookie phenom Jayden Daniels - who trusted getting the ball to his veteran guys like Terry Mclaurin, Zach Ertz and Noah Brown.

Despite not having a huge role in the offense, Luke showed he was a very willing blocker and did a nice job returning kicks.

Now, with a year under his belt and things hopefully beginning to slow down for him a bit on the field, what is in store for McCaffrey in year two under Kliff Kingsbury?



My friend Kyle Odegard, who is an Arizona Cardinals insider and US/PR Outreach Lead for Press Insights, was kind enough to share this Q and A he did with Ed McCaffrey via The Escapist.

Ed McCaffrey said his son, Luke, is “hungry” to carve out a bigger role with the Commanders in Year 2.

“I can already physically see the difference in him from last year to this year. And he’s very confident. … Now he’s got to go out and compete.”https://t.co/rIJnFGsyI6 pic.twitter.com/RcxVE45XJy

— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) July 7, 2025

Below is a portion of the Q and A with Ed McCaffrey about his son Luke’s development from year one to year two with the Commanders. Kyle was kind enough to send me the paraphrased question version. You can read the entire Q and A here: https://www.escapistmagazine.com/ed-mccaffrey-interview/

Ed McCaffrey on Luke’s mental and physical state as training camp nears

“He’s hungry, man. He’s hungry to get on the field, hungry to compete. This is his first NFL offseason. When you’re a senior in college, you go right from being in college to playing in a bowl game, to getting ready for an All-Star game – he played in the Senior Bowl – to getting ready for the Combine and then your Pro Day.

“You never really have a full offseason of training, and in my experience, it took me a year or two to get an NFL frame, an NFL body. I thought he did great last year. He was chomping at the bit to get on the field more and more. He’s going to do the same this year. But man, I can already physically see the difference in him from last year to this year.”

Ed McCaffrey on Luke’s comfort level in the Washington offense

“He’s very confident. They had him play all five receiver positions last year, so he knows every position on the field. They’ve got Deebo now, which is cool, so we’ll see whether they play him outside or in the slot. Physically, he’s ready to go. Mentally, he’s ready to go. Now he’s got to go out and compete.”

Ed McCaffrey on the pairing of Kliff Kingsbury and Jayden Daniels

“Coach Kingsbury did a great job (last season). It’s so important to have the right play-caller with the right quarterback. He’s the perfect play-caller for Jayden Daniels. You couldn’t have picked a better play-caller for Jayden Daniels.”



Where is Luke’s best fit?


I think Luke McCaffrey’s best fit is in the slot, where he can use his quickness (6.7 3-cone and Combine best for wide receivers 4.02 short shuttle) and size to create mismatches for opposing defenses. That being said, there is some competition there, as rookie Jaylin Lane is a very accomplished college slot receiver with even better speed than McCaffrey.

Washington could use some size on the outside and Luke has shown to be pretty good at tracking the deep ball, so he could push Noah Brown for reps opposite Terry Mclaurin. At 6’2” and now weighing over 205 pounds, McCaffrey, who boasts 4.47 speed, could be a nice outside target in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense.

Ultimately, his training camp progress this summer should give us more insight into just how he will fit into this offense. Best case scenario is he becomes a chess piece Kliff can move around the offense to help create favorable matchups. Him learning all of the wide receiver positions as a rookie should really help in year two.


2025 predictions


As a rookie, McCaffrey caught 18 passes for 168 yards. He also chipped in 10 kickoff returns for 299 yards (with a long of 47). We know McLaurin and Deebo Samuel will receive their share of targets. Zach Ertz and Austin Ekeler should also get plenty of looks as safe options. Where will that leave player like McCaffrey and Lane?

Here are my predictions for him in 2025:

-16 games

-6 starts

-38 receptions

-425 yards

-3 TD’s



Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/2025/7/10...er-role-for-the-washington-commanders-offense
 
Daily Slop - 12 Jul 25 - Everybody’s talking about the Commanders defensive line this week!

Washington Commanders v Dallas Cowboys

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East, the NFL and sports in general, and a sprinkling of other stuff

Commanders links

Articles​

Commanders.com

Commanders 2025 training camp preview | Defensive line

  • Can the Commanders maximize Kinlaw? There were plenty of questions when the Commanders signed Kinlaw to a multi-year deal, but they believe they have the tools to get the most out of his skill set. For one, Peters was part of the front office that drafted him, so he has a strong idea of his strengths and potential. Washington’s defensive line coach, Darryl Tapp, worked with Kinlaw with the San Francisco 49ers and helped improve his skill set after dealing with multiple injuries early in his career. Quinn, who played defensive line in college, also has a strong working knowledge of the position and can offer assistance throughout the year. Plus, the Commanders believe Kinlaw is an ascending player, and they hit on signing players at the right time last year when they brought in Frankie Luvu and Tyler Biadasz. Kinlaw has a 6-foot-5, 319-pound frame and used it well at times to stop the run for the 49ers. He also has some skills as a pass-rusher, which the Commanders will need after releasing Jonathan Allen. Although it’s a gamble, like all free agent signings, the Commanders believe Kinlaw has more to give, and they’re going to help him maximize those traits.
  • Will Newton take the next step? The Commanders were surprised when Newton fell to them in the second round, and they took him believing he could provide a boost to their interior pass rush. Newton took more time to develop last season because of injuries, but he made a good impression on his coaches during OTAs and minicamp. Newton believes he is ready for a bigger role, and Quinn said he saw an “uptick” in his play strength. The key will be for him to remain healthy, but assuming he can do that, he looks primed to compete for a starting job opposite Payne.
  • Can they stop the run? This is the biggest question the Commanders had to answer during the offseason. Saquon Barkley is going to remain in the NFC East for a while longer, and if they hope to get past him and the Eagles, both in terms of the division standings and the playoffs, they must find ways to contain him. Although they didn’t make any flashy signings at defensive line, they did raise the talent level up front by bringing in bigger, more physical players who have a history of being solid run-stoppers. Martin and Wise both know how to set edges in the run game — a problem for the team last season, and players like Goldman have the size profile to stop up the middle of Washington’s defense. In theory, the Commanders have the pieces to at least be better at containing running backs, but those new pieces must mesh with the veterans to create a more cohesive position group. It’s often unwise to make aggrandizing proclamations in the summer, but much of Washington’s success in 2025 will hinge on whether they can be better on the ground.

Hogs Haven

What did the 49ers see in Javon Kinlaw?


Washington defensive end Javon Kinlaw was originally taken with the 14th pick in the 2020 draft by the San Francisco 49ers. As anyone paying attention knows, Adam Peters was a key component of the front office that selected him. This piece is a look back at the circumstances surrounding the drafting of Kinlaw, to see if we can glean what the 49ers front office, and perhaps even Peters, saw in Kinlaw when they took him out of South Carolina during the “COVID draft.”

In May 2020, Kinlaw’s former coach heaped a ton of praise on the recently drafted player, but he was also frank about what he saw as a weakness: A lack of range in his pass rush moves.

In a recent review of Kinlaw, Mark Bullock picked up on the fact that, 5 years later, this issues still remains: “The quickness and movement skills at his size are rare. The power and length will give almost all interior lineman issues if used properly. But he’s just a bit erratic with it all right now and that allows more savvy blockers to get the better of him.”

Kinlaw’s bull rush is dominant, and according to Bullock, he “sees plenty of potential for him as a run defender as well,” but it’s about creating a consistency in both phases of the game that has not existed for Kinlaw to date. We’ll see if Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. have the ability to coach Kinlaw up to a level where he can finally realize the potential people have been talking about since before he entered the league.


Commanders.com

2025 opponent breakdown | Seattle Seahawks

  • Can Darnold recapture the magic he had in Minnesota? Darnold was one of the best stories in the NFL last season, as he led the Vikings to a 14-3 record on his way to passing for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns. The Vikings chose to put their faith in JJ McCarthy, their first-round pick from last season, and let Darnold sign with the Seahawks. It’s possible Darnold has breathed new life into his career, and the Seahawks struck big on a similar situation with Geno Smith. However, there are questions about whether his success is partly due to the Vikings’ roster as well as Kevin O’Connell’s play-calling. Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak doesn’t have O’Connell’s reputation, but there are some interesting pieces on Seattle’s offense that could help Darnold capture the success he had in 2024.
  • Can Kupp revitalize his career? When healthy, Kupp has proven that he is one of the best wide receivers in the league today. The problem is that he hasn’t been as available since his career season in 2021, when he led the league in catches, yards and receiving touchdowns. He has still managed to put up at least 700 yards in each of the last three seasons, but Kupp is now 32 years old. Kupp likes the “new, but exciting” vibes in Seattle, and assuming he stays healthy, him and Darnold could make for a good pair. However, seeing as Kupp has only played a full season twice in his career, he will need to prove he can stay healthy.
  • Does Lawrence still have pass rush juice? Although Lawrence’s prime is behind him, he has proven he can be a solid pass-rusher throughout his career. He started in 34 consecutive games from 2022-23 and earned two Pro Bowls in the process. But, like Kupp, Lawrence is now in his early 30s and coming off a season where he only played in four games. The Seahawks clearly have confidence in his availability, which is why they gave him a three-year deal in his first NFL stint away from the Dallas Cowboys, who drafted him in 2014. It’s unknown at this point where Lawrence will fall in the roster. He could become a starter, as he has been for most of his career, or he may end up being more of a rotational piece. Lawrence’s resume has earned him the benefit of the doubt, but he will have to show his recent injury is behind him.

Heavy.com

Commanders Have Reason to Worry About $45 Million Man, Javon Kinlaw


There are ample reasons why the Commanders have been slammed for signing Kinlaw. Reasons beyond the bloated contract.

Those reasons include the player surprisingly pledging to shed weight, despite bulk being his main selling point for this defense. A slimmed down Kinlaw will be a worry when the bigger version still struggled mightily against the run at times in 2024.

Like when six-time Super Bowl-winning former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick took Kinlaw to task. Belichick was appearing on the ManningCast for ESPN’s Monday Night Football, covering a matchup between the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills in Week 6.

He told the Mannings (h/t Awful Announcing) “I think we need to have a little talk with that Jets’ front over there on the sideline… The first thing I’d do is tell (Javon) Kinlaw to play lower and not stand up. I mean, they walked him off the ball on that cutback run… I think I’d start with that.”

Poor technique had made Kinlaw vulnerable, but he also faced other challenges. Notably, a difficulty impacting plays run to the outside.

Those plays included outside-zone runs, something highlighted by Taylor Kyles of Patriots on CLNS Media. Kinlaw (54) lacked lateral agility and was taken out of plays too often.


The Jets have been one of the NFL's more porous run defenses, with most of their big gains allowed coming on outside zone

The #Patriots called OZ once for a 1-yard gain in Week 3, but could have success if they target behind Javon Kinlaw and pick up NYJ's blitzes pic.twitter.com/luvFq2WLkG

— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) October 23, 2024

Plays like these signpost potential trouble for the Commanders regarding Kinlaw. He has the faith of general manager Adam Peters, who was part of the front office for the San Francisco 49ers when the NFC West outfit selected Kinlaw 14th overall in the 2020 NFL draft.

Peters is doubling down on his belief in Kinlaw. It’s a risk along a defensive front short on talent. If Kinlaw justifies Peters’ faith, the deal front-loaded with $30 million guaranteed, per Spotrac.com, will look like a bargain.


Commanders Wire

Is Commanders’ Daron Payne one of the NFL’s top 10 defensive tackles?


ESPN recently ranked its top 10 defensive tackles in the NFL. Dexter Lawrence of the New York Giants was No. 1, while Philadelphia’s Jalen Carter was ranked No. 3. Payne missed out on the top 10, but did land in the “also receiving votes” category.


Last Word on Sports

“Number 1 On the List:” Justin Simmons Speaks On Preferred Team


Training camp is just days away, and safety Justin Simmons is still looking for a new team. After establishing himself as one of the league’s premier options at the position, Simmons joined the Atlanta Falcons for the 2024 season. While he didn’t play up to his previous form, he still had a solid season with two interceptions, seven passes defended, 62 tackles, and two tackles-for-loss. In a recent interview, Simmons explained why he’s still looking for a team.

“I think Atlanta I would still pick 10 out of 10 times if I was in the spot last year,” Simmons said. “But in terms of where I’m at now, being a little bit more picky where we want to go and where we want to call home next…the next two years, a year, whatever it is…but a contender is No. 1 on the list right now.”

Now entering his age-32 season, it makes sense for Justin Simmons to prioritize a winning environment over the largest paycheck. Fortunately for the defensive back, several teams with realistic postseason aspirations could use his services.

Possible Fits​

Washington Commanders​


The Washington Commanders made it to the NFC Championship Game with a rookie Jayden Daniels and a first-year head coach in Dan Quinn. Now, the team has its eyes set on the Super Bowl, and Justin Simmons could add a much-needed boost to this secondary. Daniels can go blow-for-blow with any offense in the league, but it wouldn’t hurt to add a ballhawk like Simmons that can take away the deep ball.


Podcasts & videos

Sophomore Slump or MVP? | 2025 Washington Commanders Season Preview​



Where does this Terry & Deebo Duo rank in the league??

Latest BLEAV in Commanders with @JacksonSports on @BleavNetwork

#RaiseHailhttps://t.co/kwVQ6puzwm

— Anthony Armstrong (@ratedarmstrong) July 12, 2025


He was supposed to be retired, his legacy already cemented.

In 1969, a hire by Washington shocked the NFL and delivered extraordinary excitement to the nation’s capital

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) July 10, 2025

NFC East links

Bleeding Green Nation

The Evolution of Jalen Hurts: Part 1 - Learning When Not to Be a Hero


I’ve wanted to write this series for a while, so I’m excited! Everyone knows that Jalen Hurts has improved as a pro. I don’t think enough people realize that Hurts improvement is simply remarkable. Sadly, I think it’s not covered enough around the league because too many people in the media are afraid to admit that they were wrong about Hurts. I am not one of those analysts who doesn’t change their opinion when faced with new information.


NFL.com

2025 NFL All-Breakout Team, Offense

RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. - New York Giants · Age 25​


After rushing for 839 yards as a rookie, the fifth-round running back has an opportunity to surpass the 1,200-yard mark in an offense that features more efficient quarterback play with veteran leader Russell Wilson set to take over from Daniel Jones. The improved passing game will lead to more light boxes (six or fewer defenders) and wider lanes for the former college wide receiver to scoot through on off-tackle runs and designed cut-back plays. With Wilson also expected to target Tracy frequently on swing, screen and option routes in the pass game, the Giants’ unheralded RB1 could put up massive scrimmage yard totals as a multi-purpose threat from the backfield.


NFL league links

Articles​

Front Office Sports

30 NFL Second-Rounders Still Unsigned With Camps Set to Open


All but two of the NFL’s second-round draft picks remain unsigned after the first pair taken received fully guaranteed contracts in May.

The unusual unsigned mass of second-rounders follows two unprecedented contracts. In May, the second pick of the second round, Jayden Higgins, signed a fully guaranteed deal with the Texans in an NFL first. The first pick of the second round, Carson Schwesinger, signed a fully guaranteed contract with the Browns the next day. Since then, none of the remaining second-round picks have signed, even with rookie report dates fastly approaching.

The second-rounders are vying for fully guaranteed deals, meaning teams will still owe them the entire contract even if they are released for talent, cap space, or injury. These types of deals are rare in the NFL and historically reserved for veterans and first-round draft picks.


Front Office Sports

NFL Likely to Stay With CBS, Targeting Mass Renegotiation in 2029


The NFL holds a change-of-ownership option that could be triggered with the pending Skydance-Paramount merger. The league, however, appears more focused on other goals.

The NFL is not likely to exercise a change-of-ownership option to renegotiate or exit its media-rights deal with CBS Sports parent Paramount Global, league commissioner Roger Goodell said.

Speaking on CNBC at the Sun Valley Conference in Idaho, Goodell instead said the more probable option is to stick with CBS Sports as Paramount seeks to close its proposed $8 billion merger with Skydance Media. The deal is now in front of the Federal Communications Commission for approval.

“We’ve had a long relationship with CBS, for decades. We also have a relationship outside of that with Skydance. So I don’t anticipate that [an opt-out is] something that we’ll see. We have a two-year period to make that decision. I don’t see that happening, but we have that option.”

After another 90-day extension was implemented earlier this week, the Paramount-Skydance deal is now targeted for closing by Oct. 6.

The NFL’s likeliest path remains exercising a broader set of contract opt-outs in its domestic media rights, arriving in 2029 for all of its existing partners, and in 2030 for ESPN. Front Office Sports sources say the league opting out then is a virtual lock, particularly given that the NFL continues to extend its position as by far the most popular programming in U.S. television, regardless of genre.


All aTwitter


New Washington Commanders alternate helmets are available now from @Fanatics. Jerseys will be available to order in early September, and you can sign up for notifications now!https://t.co/eFo2IE5tVk pic.twitter.com/J1vLVvPHr0

— COMMANDERS FOOTBALL (@HogsHaven) July 11, 2025

Still can’t wipe the smile off William’s face! Today, he met Lanier alum & now @Commanders @JacoryMerritt15 at Shock Performance Training! Jacory was so inspiring, kind, gave great advice, & made William feel like a champ. What a moment!! #WashingtonCommanders#Commanders pic.twitter.com/jAUCSlBMzj

— Couch Juror (@CouchJuror13) July 11, 2025

Good morning everyone! We are Wilbur Marshall days away Week 1! #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/FIFB6Clxvt

— Barnaby McShadyside (@commanders_365) July 11, 2025

URGENCY ⚠️

OFFSZN WORK WITH @Commanders linebacker @Magee11Jordan #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/5iqNh2uvgS

— Martino DeSalvaje (@TheCoachSavage) July 12, 2025


Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/2025/7/12...about-the-commanders-defensive-line-this-week
 
How many Commanders would start for the Eagles?

NFL: NFC Championship-Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles

Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

They say to be the best you have to beat the best. The Eagles are the reigning Super Bowl champions, so as of now, all roads to the top go through Philly.

In what I hope will be a fun exercise, I wanted to take a look and see how many Commanders would start for the 2025 Philadelphia Eagles.


Offense:


QB: Jayden Daniels over Jalen Hurts - Daniels’ upside is far greater than Hurts.

RB: Eagles

WR1: Eagles

WR2: Samuel over Smith - I’m going with Deebo here because of the versatility and YAC.

Slot WR: McCaffrey/Lane over Dotson - Yes, I’m taking either of these players over the bust Dotson.

TE: Eagles

LT: Tunsil over Mailata - Tunsil is the better pass protector. Mailata is the better run blocker. Because the NFL is 60/40 Pass/Run, I’m taking Tunsil.

LG: Eagles

C: Toss-up - Biadasz vs. Jurgens

RG: Cosmi over Steen - A heathy Cosmi is a top 10 right guard in the NFL.

RT: Eagles

Defense:


EDGE: Eagles

DT(3-tech): Eagles

DT(1-tech): Payne over Davis - Payne will have another breakout season opposite Kinlaw/Newton.

EDGE: Eagles

LB MIKE): Wagner over Dean - Dean may be younger and more athletic, but Wagner is better.

LB (WILL): Toss-up - Luvu vs. Baun

CB1: Lattimore over Mitchell - Mitchell is a good young corner, but a healthy Lattimore is still a tier above (health being the key word here). This could change after another good year by Mitchell.

CB2: Jones/Amos over Ringo/Jackson - Ringo and Jackson are about as average as they come.

Slot CB: Toss-up - Sainristil vs. DeJean

FS: Martin over Blankenship - This may be a bit of an unpopular opinion now, but I start Quan over Reed.

SS: Eagles



Overall, I have picked 10 Commanders who I believe would start for the Eagles. I have three positions I view as toss-ups (center, WILL linebacker and slot CB). That leave the Eagles with nine.

Breaking down the Big-5:

QB - Commanders (not much to debate here. Despite the SB ring, Jayden is just better).

WR1 - Eagles (Brown takes this one over McLaurin).

OT - Eagles (even though I gave the slight edge at LT to Washington, the combo of Johnson and Mailata is better than Tunsil and Conerly)

EDGE - Eagles

CB1 - Commanders

*I have both tackle spots here in my Big 5, as the importance of a RT has grown significantly. Because of this, the Eagles take the Big 5.

Breaking down each roster by groups:

QB Room - Commanders

RB Group - Eagles

WR Group - Commanders

TE Group - Eagles

OL Group - Eagles

DL Group - Eagles

EDGE Group - Eagles

LB Group - Commanders

CB Group - Commanders

S Group - Eagles

*The Eagles claim the better overall roster, as they pull out big victories in both trenches. Although they lost some key pieces here, they still edge out the Commanders in this ever-so-important area.

The Eagles can also claim both the better offense and defense as they edge the Commanders by one in each.



Creating the Super-Team


Offense:

QB: Jayden Daniels

RB: Saquon Barkley

WR: A.J. Brown

WR: Terry McLaurin

WR: Deebo Samuel

TE: Dallas Goedert

LT: Laremy Tunsil

LG: Landon Dickerson

C: Cam Jurgens

RG: Sam Cosmi

RT: Lane Johnson

Defense:

EDGE: Nolan Smith

DT: Jalen Carter

DT: Daron Payne

EDGE: Jihaad Campbell

LB: Bobby Wagner

LB: Frankie Luvu

CB: Marshon Lattimore

CB: Quinyon Mitchell

Slot CB: Mike Sainristil

S: Cooper DeJean

S: Quan Martin

*The super team above is split evenly with 11 Commanders and 11 Eagles.



This exercise is obviously very subjective, and I imagine if it was done by an Eagles “fan”, it would be incredibly lopsided towards the Birds. However, I did this to show that even though the Eagles are still the better team on paper, I believe Washington has closed the gap.

To be the best you have to beat the best. Washington is well on their way to putting together a team designed to do just that!



Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/2025/7/13/24463696/how-many-commanders-would-start-for-the-eagles
 
Daily Slop - 14 Jul 25 - Rookies report to Commanders training camp on Friday

STYLIZED_W.0.jpg


A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East, the NFL and sports in general, and a sprinkling of other stuff

Commanders links


Zach Ertz describing how he's able to demolish defenses in the red zone for touchdowns by getting under the coverage, working within the route concepts, and trusting his timing with his quarterback. Ace-level stuff. pic.twitter.com/1y8IAVh3Cy

— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) July 11, 2025

Articles​

Washington Times

LOVERRO: Forget the spies — Commanders should open more training camp practices to fans


A surprising 12-5 season left Washington fans salivating for more. The preliminaries begin next week when training camp opens for rookies on July 18, followed by the veterans reporting four days later.

For a team trying to win as much public support as it can for the $3.8 billion stadium, the more exposure to the savior, Daniels, the better. And despite all the good feelings surrounding the release of the Commanders’ “Super Bowl Era” alternate uniforms, this is still a team that finished 30th in attendance last year, worse than the previous 4-13 season, and in some ways is being treated like an expansion team by customers. Being selective about your exposure when you’re trying to sell not just a stadium, but also a product, seems foolish.

When I posed the question to Commanders officials about why there aren’t more open training camp dates, a spokesperson responded only, “We’re excited to host training camp at the OrthoVirginia Training Center in Ashburn again this summer as we prepare for the 2025 season. We’re pleased to once again offer our fans, including season ticket holders, the opportunity to see the team practice this summer along with hosting a day for our military. We also look forward to welcoming those attending training camp and our joint practice with New England this summer.”

Commanders coach Dan Quinn is also worried about spies – but in this case, unwitting spies, perhaps among their own supporters.

They don’t want your iPhone videos showing up in the offices of the Cowboys or another 2025 opponent.

I’ve been told that the technology of hand-held videos has become so good that NFL scouts often go through fan websites looking for video nuggets that would give their team a competitive advantage, and that the Commanders do this as well.

While the team loves the energy of open practices, it must balance them with the need to install systems and plays coaches will use for the coming season, and these generally are not done in a public setting, a team source said.


Riggo’s Rag

Adam Peters is rebuilding the wall in Washington (and fans should be hyped)


The centerpiece was trading for five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil. Then he used his first-round draft pick to select Josh Conerly Jr. It was the first time Washington had used its Round 1 pick on an offensive lineman since Brandon Scherff in 2015, the last OL to make the Pro Bowl in Washington.

Even with the loss of Cosmi, the Commanders appear to be well-positioned to improve their offensive line play in front of Jayden Daniels. When the stud right guard eventually returns, either this season or next, the line should be among the league’s best.

At this stage, only two of the positions are locked in place. Tunsil will be at left tackle, where he has excelled for six seasons. Biadasz locked down the center spot last year, providing Washington with stability it has not enjoyed since Chase Roullier’s early retirement.

After those two, Conerly appears on track to take over at right tackle. But if he needs more time, last year’s starter, Andrew Wylie, is still around.

Wylie is not a dominant player, but he is not a gaping hole either. His pattern has been to start slowly but get better as the season goes on. Conerly eventually should constitute an upgrade, but this is a pretty solid backup plan.


Riggo’s Rag

Commanders urged to monitor injury-plagued former top prospect facing camp cut


Good players will be cut around the league this summer.

Reports suggest that David Ojabo could be on the chopping block unless significant improvements arrive this summer. The Baltimore Ravens’ edge threat finally put a consistent run of games together last season, but he remains firmly on the fringes with the AFC championship hopeful until further notice.

Anthony Palacios from Last Word on Sports believes the Commanders would be a good landing spot for Ojabo if he’s made surplus to requirements by Baltimore. This would be nothing more than a versatile rotational piece, but it’s something to contemplate.

“The Washington Commanders have rebuilt a culture that looks like they’re a team with a winning record for the next decade. However, just because Jayden Daniels is on fire, it doesn’t mean they should ignore improving the defense. They haven’t done much, but sign Deatrich Wise Jr., and while they’re bringing Bobby Wagner back, they could use someone like Ojabo to share the snaps with Dominique Hampton. He won’t make an impact on every snap, but it keeps the Commanders in the right scenery to upgrade even though they’re not looking to improve the defensive line anymore this offseason at least.”

Anthony Palacios

Ojabo was tabbed as a first-round lock before a torn Achilles in 2022. Knee and ankle complications also came up, restricting the player to five games over his first two campaigns. Turning out 13 times last season was a positive, but some of the dynamism and explosiveness that saw the pass-rusher take college football by storm have deserted him.


Podcasts & videos

Bram Weinstein: The Terry McLaurin extension duration​



Ownership is everything in DC Sports. @AlGaldi and I compare Commanders, Nats. We also discuss Terry McLaurin, my theory on this season's QB3 and the Wizards' competence.https://t.co/GoZRK7bIzk

— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) July 14, 2025

NFC East links

Blogging the Boys

Cowboys look to restore home-field success in 2025


The Dallas Cowboys won 16 consecutive regular-season home games from 2022 to 2023. That streak ended quickly last season; the start of a brutal 2-7 performance in 2024 at AT&T Stadium. If Dallas is going to get back to the playoffs this year, getting back to handling their business at home would be a very positive step.

Of course, overall records are ultimately more important than home versus away. In fact, before 2022, the Cowboys tended to either finish with a fairly even split or do better on the road. In 2021, they won seven away games to only five at home. In 2014, Dallas went a perfect 8-0 in away games and only won four at home. It’s why, for several years prior to 2022, there were ample jokes and outright criticism of the Cowboys’ lack of home-field advantage.

Unfortunately, Dallas’ first home game in 2024 was that ugly 44-19 loss to the Saints. In fact, they lost their first five home games, with four of them being total blowouts. Only the lowly Giants coming to visit on Thanksgiving paused the bleeding, but that and a win over Tampa Bay were the only two victories at AT&T Stadium last season.


NFL league links

Articles​

NFL.com

Chargers WR Tre Harris holding out as one of 30 unsigned second-round picks


Harris did not report on Saturday — the deadline for Bolts rookies — NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.

The Chargers are the first team to open training camp, with veterans set for a Wednesday reporting date. However, L.A. is hardly the only team dealing with a second-round conundrum.

Thirty of 32 second-round picks have yet to sign their rookie contracts because of a disagreement over guaranteed money, Rapoport reported.

No. 33 overall pick Carson Schwesinger of the Cleveland Browns — the top pick of the second round — has signed and so too has No. 34 pick Jayden Higgins of the Houston Texans.

Both Schwesinger and Higgins signed fully guaranteed deals, which NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero noted on May 9 — when Schwesinger’s contract was announced by Cleveland — could have a ripple effect. More than two months later, no other second-round selection has agreed to terms, so it’s had a massive effect.


All aTwitter


hi.. i need football szn.. #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/cJiXHVnPbZ

— johnwicc (@wicccsterr) July 13, 2025

The #Commanders are the oldest team in the NFL by average age

Via @NFL #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/gUfwTH8KXm

— SleeperCommanders (@SleeperWSH) July 13, 2025

56 days (8 weeks!) until the @Commanders kick off week 1 of the 2025 season! #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/2Wmj0CsoxS

— MurphCommanders (@CommanderMurph) July 14, 2025


SHOCKER OF A PICK EARLY

The Nationals without a GM or manager opt to go with the high school shortstop Eli Willits

The mlb network desk & their reactions say everything… pic.twitter.com/EzMUXoFtM4

— Jack DeLongchamps (@JDelongchamps) July 13, 2025

For months it’s Anderson or Holliday then they take a 17 yr old and everyone thinks it’s the best pick ever. Hope he’s great.

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) July 13, 2025

Year 5 of a failing rebuild and the Nationals drafted a 17 year old SS instead of a proven (and likely more expensive) college arm in Anderson

Hopefully it works out...

IMO, it's not a great look for the fanbase. Basically telling the fans to buckle up for a continued rebuild.

— Tim Murray (@1TimMurray) July 13, 2025


Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/2025/7/14...-report-to-commanders-training-camp-on-friday
 
Laremy Tunsil has reset the left tackle market twice in his career; should Washington make it happen a 3rd time?

temp_tunsil_b_g.0.jpg


Laremy Tunsil should be a cornerstone of the Commanders team for at least the next 5 years. To make that happen, he will need to be paid a lot of money.

I was listening to the most recent Bram Weinstein podcast today, and Bram’s podcast/broadcast partner, Callow, said something so quickly that it almost slipped by me unnoticed. Almost, but not quite. He said that he didn’t expect Commanders left tackle Laremy Tunsil to be on the Commanders roster beyond his current contract, which will expire at the end of the ‘26 season.

Personally, I think this is a gross misreading of the team’s intent. In my view, when Adam Peters traded for Tunsil, who will turn 31 in thee more weeks, the Commanders GM did so with the intent of locking down the left tackle position for the long-term.

Elite offensive tackles can have very long NFL careers​


For comparison and context, let’s take a quick look at Trent Williams, who was traded by the Redskins to the 49ers in 2020, Williams’ age 32 season. While the career experience of one player may not be predictive of that of another, there are enough similarities between Williams and Tunsil that I think Trent’s experience can inform our opinion (to some extent, at least) of what’s possible for Tunsil.

At the time of his trade to the Niners, Trent Williams was a year older than Tunsil is now. In the subsequent five seasons, Trent has been named to 4 Pro Bowls and has been a 3-time 1st-team All Pro. Heading into his age 37 season, Williams was, this week, named the 4th best offensive tackle in the NFL by ESPN. Tunsil was ranked 7th.

It is, in fact, not particularly unusual for elite offensive tackles to play at a high level well past their age 35 season. Jason Peters played for 21 seasons, retiring at age 41, and while he played a lesser role in his final couple of seasons, he was a full time starter through his age 39 season. Andrew Whitworth earned 1st team All Pro honors in his age 34 and age 36 seasons, and was a full time starter until he retired at the end of the 2021 season at 40 years of age. His team, the Rams, won Super Bowl LVI in the final game of his career.

All of this is to say that Trent Williams, who remains elite at the position 15 years after being drafted #4 overall by the Redskins in 2010, is not some one-of-a-kind unicorn who discovered the fountain of youth. Elite offensive tackles can play long past the age when most running backs, receivers and defensive backs have lost the elite athletic ability that allowed them to thrive in the NFL.

Laremy Tunsil, of course, was drafted 13th overall by the Dolphins in the 2016 draft when he fell due to the appearance on the internet — just 10 minutes prior to the start of the draft — of a video that showed him smoking out of a gas mask bong. Most draft pundits had Tunsil ranked as the best player available in the leadup to that draft, making his fall to #13 a massive slide.

His fortunes were not permanently damaged by the draft day drama. He has been named to the Pro Bowl five times in the past six years, missing Pro Bowl honors only in 2021 when he missed 11 games due to having surgery on his thumb. Similarly, Trent Williams had been named to 7 consecutive Pro Bowls prior to missing the 2018 and 2019 seasons with the combination of a knee injury and skin cancer.

At 31 years of age, Laremy Tunsil, who has been among the best OTs in the NFL for years, should have another 5 to 9 as a high-end starter, and could actually have the best years of his career ahead of him, based on the evidence of Whitworth and Williams each earning 1st team All Pro honors for the first time at age 33 or later.

Tunsil should be seen as a cornerstone player by the Commanders​


Laremy Tunsil is a very good player. One indication of how good is that he was unveiled at #86 in the NFL’s Top-100 players this week — his 5th appearance on that list.

Tunsil has started all 125 games in which he has appeared and is a five-time Pro Bowler. In 2016, he earned PFWA All-Rookie Team honors.

From 2019-2024, Tunsil played for the Houston Texans where he started in 81 games and earned Pro Bowl honors in each season. In 2024, Tunsil registered an 89.1 pass block grade from PFF among all offensive tackles. He also had a pass block win rate of 93 percent on 411 total snaps, tied for the seventh best among all offensive tackles, per ESPN analytics.

Since 2022, Tunsil has earned a 91.7 pass blocking grade (second among all offensive tackles) and allowed a presser rate of 3.1 percent, the third best among all offensive tackles.

Tunsil is easily the most accomplished player on the Commanders offensvie line and instantly becomes one of Washington’s headliners on offense.

A lot has been made of the fact that Tunsil led all NFL linemen in penalties in 2024. Last season, he was penalized 19 times. According to NBC Sports, he had 12 false starts, 3 illegal formation penalties, 2 holding calls, an ineligible man downfield penalty, and an unnecessary roughness penalty.

Twelve of those penalties occurred in the first four weeks of the season, with 6 flags being thrown in Week 3 (all 3 of the season’s illegal formation penalties and 3 false starts) vs the Vikings. That points to: (1) a crew of officials out to prove a point in Wk 3 when he was hit with 32% of his season-long penalties, and (2) a player who adjusted pretty successfully from October onward, getting flagged a total of 7 times in the final 13 games.

Despite these mitigating factors, Tunsil made no excuses and took responsibility for doing better in 2025. In a video interview, Tunsil characterized the penalties he racked up last year “unacceptable” and committed to improvement in 2025.

Even with the early season penalty issues, last year, the Ole Miss product earned an 88.6 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus, fourth-best among 140 tackles. He also played the 10th-most snaps among left tackles, allowed two sacks, and graded as an above-average run blocker.

Washington should expect the 6-foot-5, 313-pounder to keep up this level of play next year. Tunsil has received at least an 85.0 pass-blocking grade in five of the last six seasons, according to PFF.

A year ago, the Commanders’ left tackles struggled, collectively allowing 10 sacks and 57 pressures while Tunsil pass blocking stats are similar for the past three seasons combined.

It will require a significant contract extension to keep Tunsil beyond his current contract expiration at the end of 2026​


Under his existing contract, Tunsil is currently set to be paid $42.7m by the Commanders, split exactly evenly over the next two seasons.



This is what the Commanders inherited — the two years that remain of Tunsil’s latest contract with the Texans that paid him $25m per year on a 3-yr, $75m contract signed a year ago. He’s actually on track to get all of that money. A lot of it is already in his bank account as part of his signing bonus. The reason you don’t see all of that money listed above is that the Texans had to absorb 100% of the signing bonus into their cap charges while the Commanders take on only the $42.7m in cash that hasn’t yet been paid yet.

This $21.3m APY is a pretty team-friendly price for a left tackle of Tunsil’s skill level, and the contract doesn’t have any guaranteed money in 2026 — which provides maximum flexibility for the Commanders, but minimal security for Tunsil.

For all these reasons, Tunsil will be looking for a contract extension — possibly before the start of the ‘25 season, but certainly before the ‘26 season. Given the nature of the NFL salary cap and its effect on player contract values, the Commanders would probably save money by extending Tunsil immediately, but the front office may want to see him play the ‘25 season before giving him the kind of money he will command if he plays well.

The expected structure of Tunsil’s extension​


One of the tricky things in negotiating with Tunsil is that he does not use an agent; he represents himself. I imagine that this can make ‘tough’ negotiating a bit tricky for Adam Peters. After all, the GM will want to project positivity and a welcoming attitude at the same time he is trying to negotiate a deal that is favorable for the team, not unlike the tightrope AP walks in trying to get the best deal possible on a Terry McLaurin extension while at the same time acknowledging the massive contributions No. 17 has made to the franchise and the community since being drafted by the ‘Skins in 2019.

For his part, I think Tunsil is going to want to use this opportunity to try to become — for the third time in his career — the highest paid left tackle in the NFL. Currently, the two highest paid players at the position are Christian Darrisaw ($26m APY) and Trent Williams ($27.5m APY). Both of those contracts were signed last year.


This is how you do it players. Sign 3 year deals and don’t push for fully guaranteed contracts. Drive up the AAV, keep the contract short, and cash in 2-3 years later as the market keeps jumping. He’ll be ready for another deal when he’s 30-31. His 4th deal, not his 3rd. Awesome. https://t.co/3o0u6mwznD

— Mitchell Schwartz (@MitchSchwartz71) March 19, 2023

At his introductory media session with the Washington sports media, Tunsil was asked about his contract after the trade, and if he was pushing for a new deal with his new team. He passed on the question, saying only that Adam Peters and the front office know where he stands on the question of an extension.

Personally, I think Tunsil will be shooting to be the first left tackle to get at least $28m per year, assuming no one else like Rashawn Slater (who is currently playing on the 5th-year option with the Chargers) beats him there.

If the Commanders wait until next year to extend Tunsil, I think he’ll want to top Slater, or any other OT that resets the market. If his extension doesn’t kick in until 2027, after his current deal expires, then the price will be even higher.

For the purposes of this article, instead of adding in unknown factors like the value of other players deals next year or the growth in salary cap two years hence, let’s focus on what a contract extension for Laremy Tunsil would look like if it were signed before the 2025 season begins.

Assuming the Commanders agreed to a 5-year deal (through 2029), the finalized contract would need to be for $140m, which means adding 3 years and $97.3m to the current deal.

Here’s a simplified example of what such a contract extension without void years could look like:



In this structure, I have converted about $18m of Tunsil’s 2025 salary into signing bonus and increasing guaranteed money to $53m. This would increase his 2-year cash flow by about $11m, bring a huge chunk of the cash forward in time as an upfront bonus payment, and enhance his guaranteed money by $43m. The team would benefit in the latter years because the relatively mild salary cap escalation in the final 3 years of this structure should make his contract affordable under an increasing league-wide salary cap, and should also make the contract easy to restructure or extend in ‘28 or ‘29.

For his part, if Tunsil were to object to anything in this structure, it would likely be the lack of guarantees in 2027 and beyond. The team might be willing go agree to, the kind of guarantee triggers I discussed in last week’s article on McLaurin’s contract extension, but, adding those types of triggers here seems needlessly complicated for this article, which is more focused on contract value. Feel free to peruse the McLaurin article for a basic discussion of how triggered guarantees can be integrated into an NFL contract.

Of course, if the Commanders wanted to defer cap space more aggressively, they could add void years extending into 2030 and beyond with options and triggers like we’ve seen the Eagles and others use recently, but, again, I don’t think it’s necessary to illustrate what that would look like for the purposes of this article. You can refer to either of the related articles below for discussion/explanation of void years and their use in NFL contracts.

In my mind, what I’ve presented above is the basic framework of a contract that I think Laremy Tunsil would be trying to get signed prior to the season to make him a Washington Commander for the next five years — a deal that would make him the highest-paid left tackle in the NFL in 2025.

The Commanders may prefer to see what they’ve got before agreeing to an extension with Tunsil. Based on his history of successful negotiation, I suspect he’s perfectly happy to wait a year and bet on himself. After all, if he plays well, his price tag will only go up.

Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/2025/7/15...e-should-washington-make-it-happen-a-3rd-time
 
Terry McLaurin: I want to be here, I want to be appreciated and valued

Washington Commanders v Baltimore Ravens

Photo by Kara Durrette/Getty Images

Terry McLaurin talks to reporters at an Eastern Motors event

Terry McLaurin is still holding out, and he says he hasn't talked to the Washington Commanders in a month. He is looking for a new contract that shows he is appreciated as a top wide receiver on the team and league wide. He is going into the final year of his deal and is likely looking for a deal that adds another 3+ years, and is worth at least $30m/year.

McLaurin says he wants to be here, and he loves the team, the city, and the fanbase, but he wants to be appreciated for the level of player he is, and the level of teammate he is. He is frustrated by the lack of progress, and the perceived lack of value that Washington is currently putting on him.

He doesn't plan on sitting out of training camp, but he is taking it day by day and talking to his agent as it gets closer to the time when he would start getting fined if he held out. McLaurin hasn't discussed any trade scenarios, and is hoping to get a deal done to return to his teammates and to build upon last year's success.


Terry McLaurin AUDIO.

He did not mince words. He is mad about how the Commanders have chosen to negotiate this offseason.

As heard on @1067theFan’s @BMitchandFinlay from the McLaurin presser. pic.twitter.com/oo6lywUnZE

— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) July 15, 2025

I want to be here:


Terry McLaurin, talking to reporters after shooting an Eastern Automotive commercial, expressed frustration and disappointment over negotiations.
He also said, "I want to be here. I want to make that abundantly clear.”

— John Keim (@john_keim) July 15, 2025

Frustration:


Terry McLaurin on extension talks: "I've been frustrated. I'm not gonna lie." pic.twitter.com/FmCWu0Hst6

— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) July 15, 2025

Terry McLaurin to reporters:

“I’ve been pretty frustrated. I’m not going to lie. Everything that has happened to this point has been pretty frustrating and disappointing.”

Wow. Not towing the company line.

— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) July 15, 2025

"I've been pretty frustrated, not gonna lie. Everything that has transpired has been pretty disappointing. I want to continue my career here, I've created my life here, so I want to be here. Just to see how things have played out has been disappointing." -Terry McLaurin

— 106.7 The Fan (@1067theFan) July 15, 2025

Terry McaLaurin notes. Newsy presser with reporters:

- Has not heard from Commanders on his contract in over a month.

- Frustrated/ disappointed with where talks were when they broke off

- Does not feel valued or appreciated

- Has been in touch with many teammates; has their…

— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) July 15, 2025

Reporting to training camp:


Terry McLaurin hasn’t decided if he will report to training camp next week. He’s taking things day by day pic.twitter.com/T7cV3zdJiL

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) July 15, 2025

Lack of negotiations:


"I'm trying to take things day by day. I thought things would be more progressive than they have, and I know those discussions were there at the beginning, but since OTAs, we haven't had any discussions. At this point, it's up in the air." -Terry McLaurin

— 106.7 The Fan (@1067theFan) July 15, 2025

"There has to be some active discussions - we haven't talked in a month, and it's becoming crunch time. You want to be in a position to be building towards what we did last year on the field, so this is definitely disappointing. I don't know what happens next." -Terry McLaurin

— 106.7 The Fan (@1067theFan) July 15, 2025

"If they don't feel I'm part of their future, that's fine, just tell me that. I'm an adult and can handle hard truths." -Terry McLaurin

— 106.7 The Fan (@1067theFan) July 15, 2025

Garrett Wilson's new contract:


"Garrett Wilson deserves what he was paid - I know I'm biased being a Buckeye, but he brings a lot to his team, and they compensated as such. I can't speculate on how that affects me, but the top WR are compensated in today's NFL, and I feel I'm a WR1." -Terry McLaurin

— 106.7 The Fan (@1067theFan) July 15, 2025

Value:


Terry McLaurin- At some point there is a point of no return but I don’t think we’re there yet. Time is ticking though pic.twitter.com/5Um091pRKg

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) July 15, 2025

Jayden Daniels:


McLaurin has talked with Jayden Daniels and says “it’s important to have his support….I know what I bring to the table and he does too”

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) July 15, 2025

Character:


More Terry McLaurin pic.twitter.com/qJpLvjbzZE

— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) July 15, 2025

Offseason workouts:


McLaurin on wanting clarity as camp approaches @JPFinlayNBCS#RaiseHail#Commanders pic.twitter.com/1AgFoInlfv

— NBC4 Sports (@NBC4Sports) July 15, 2025

Terry McLaurin on his offseason workout program as an expression of his commitment to excel. pic.twitter.com/2YDOcjYhIT

— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) July 15, 2025

Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/2025/7/15...o-be-here-i-want-to-be-appreciated-and-valued
 
Washington Commanders keys for 2025: Coaching staff

Washington Commanders training camp

Photo by John McDonnell/ for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Which coach will be most instrumental in ensuring that the Commanders get beyond the NFC Championship game this season?

Washington Commanders keys for 2025 is a short series of three articles — this is the last — in which John Portis and Bill-in-Bangkok, together, explore newcomers to Washington’s roster that need to punch above their weight for the Commanders to progress to the next level of competition.

Since last year’s roster went to the NFC Championship, in essence we are discussing which offseason additions could propel the franchise to the Super Bowl in 2025.

The qualifications for the first two player-oriented articles were simple: any Commander that was not with the franchise at the start of last season was eligible for consideration. This included players acquired from in-season trades, free agent additions, and the draft.

In this 3rd article, we have, for practical reasons, waived the requirement that the coach be new in 2025; instead, each of us was able to pick a candidate from among the entire coaching staff.

Obviously, this is opinion — not an exact measurement or evaluation. Rather, the intent is to “prime the pump” a little bit and encourage discussion about which player(s) might make the biggest impact in the coming season.

To make this a little different, and hopefully more fun, newcomer John Portis and long-time veteran Bill-in-Bangkok have agreed to provide their thoughts on one candidate in each article.

We encourage you to not only comment on the players we have chosen to highlight, but to add your own thoughts or candidates for consideration. To keep things tidy, we ask you to focus your thoughts on the group under discussion for the day.

We are finishing with the coaching staff this morning, and look forward to the start of training camp, which is right around the corner.

Part 1 -
Washington Commanders key additions for 2025: Defense

Part 2 - Washington Commanders key additions for 2025: Offense



For the final installment of Key Additions 2025 we are going to bend the “newcomer" requirement. Okay, we are going to remove it completely. If we didn’t, it would be a short article because Brian Schneider, the assistant special teams coach who took John Glenn’s place this off-season, is the only new hire. Despite interviews or interview requests from other teams for current staff members Joe Whitt Jr, Brian Johnson, Tavita Pritchard, and David Blough, all the remaining coaches were retained for the upcoming season.

Head coach Dan Quinn​


Considered a “retread” hire, Dan Quinn was initially met with some trepidation, as some in the media painted the former head coach as the fallback option to former Ravens defensive coordinator Mike McDonald and Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who notoriously canceled an in-person interview with Adam Peters while Washington’s decision-makers were in mid-flight. Meanwhile, the Commanders front office and beat reporter John Keim maintained Quinn was always one of the top choices for the job.

Hogs Haven writer Bill-in-Bangkok discussed fan reaction to Dan Quinn in an article shortly after the hire:

As the days have passed and a bit of the shock has worn off, I get the sense that fans are warming up to the hire [of Dan Quinn], and that this process is being helped along with every component that gets added to the 2024 coaching staff.

While fans are certainly not dancing in the streets, I think that a level of positive acceptance is already taking root, and some quiet optimism is beginning to develop. We may not have gotten what we were told to expect, but the coaching staff appears to be shaping up nicely.

With veteran free agency starting in just over 4 weeks, it’s time for attention to turn to the roster as we begin the next promising era of Washington football.

Quinn’s coaching staff​


Soon after the head coaching hire was made, as priority free agents and coaches signed on for Washington’s recalibration on the strength of Dan Quinn’s reputation, some of the concern started to fade away. Joe Whitt Jr. readily followed Quinn from Dallas to become the defensive coordinator, while unconfirmed reports indicated part-owner Earvin Johnson Jr. worked some magic on Kliff Kingsbury, swaying him to sign with the Commanders over the Raiders.

Continuity​


The 2024 season certainly delivered on the promise of a new era for Washington fans. Let’s review the coaching staff Dan Quinn was able to retain for the upcoming season.

Offense​


Despite several interview requests, former head coach and offensive coordinator, Kliff Kingsbury opted to remain with Jayden Daniels and Washington for another season. The offensive continuity is welcomed by fans, who have seen too many young quarterback prospects struggle with system changes. Offensive Pass Game Coordinator Brian Johnson brings previous offensive coordinator experience, while Run Game Coordinator Anthony Lynn is another former head coach well respected in his own right. The offensive coaching staff is rounded out by up-and-coming quarterback coaches Tavita Pritchard and David Blough, offensive line coach Bobby Johnson, wide receiver coach Bobby Engram, and tight ends coach David Raih. David Blough is particularly well thought of in the building and has been earmarked as a possible successor to Kingsbury.

Defense​


Joe Whitt Jr. promised a “run and hit defense” in his introductory presser with the media,

While Whitt was not able to fully deliver as promised last season, the sophomore defensive coordinator will have more players suited to the scheme this year. While Whitt is relatively inexperienced as a defensive coordinator, his Senior Defensive Assistant, John Pagano, is not. Also, Jason Simmons was an underrated hire as the Defensive Pass Game Coordinator, having previously helped turn around secondary units for both the Packers and the Carolina Panthers. Defensive line coach Darryl Tapp not only played for Dan Quinn, but previously worked with Adam Peters as well. Linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr also has previous ties to Quinn. Former Redskins player Ryan Kerrigan has none, but the freshly minted Assistant Linebackers Coach/Pass Rush Specialist is one of only three coaches retained from Ron Rivera’s staff. Defensive Backs Coach Tommy Donatell rounds out our look at the defensive staff.

Larry Izzo joined Dan Quinn’s staff as the Special Teams Coordinator following Mike McDonald’s arrival in Seattle where Izzo had been coaching prior to 2024.

The value of coaching​


I saw an interesting comment in an article last week inquiring about which issues could be corrected by good coaching and which ones cannot. Clearly, the answer is complicated and depends on many things, but include the fact that good coaches influence technique, assignment discipline, motivation, scheme, and in-game adjustments. It should be noted that adjective “good” modifies the term “coach”, so, what makes a good coach?

NFL.Com writer Jim Trotter did a piece on the most valuable traits of an NFL head coach in which NFL players weighed in on the topic. The traits most often mentioned by players were honesty and trust. Hall of Fame wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald put it simply, “If a player knows you care for him and his well-being, he will run through a wall for you.” This is a philosophy to which Dan Quinn is already subscribed and which he has indoctrinated in his staff. Bill-in-Bangkok once referenced an article from Tyler Dunne that detailed Dan Quinn’s transformation of the Washington Commanders, and I will do so again here:

Playbooks could collect dust. Quinn informed his staff that football would take care of itself because they’re all athletic, all smart, all gifted. Players needed to know coaches cared about them — first.

Dan Quinn and his staff have already completed the most important part of improving their players’ performance and with the foundation in place, the coaching staff will look to build on last year’s success.

Which Commanders Coach will be the key to unlocking Washington’s play in 2025?

The John Portis Take:


While we did remove the newcomer tag for the coaching article, when I started to think about which coach to select for this article, I began by considering which position group had changed the most. Initially, I considered Jason Simmons or Darryl Tapp, but the process of elimination left me with the coach with only one clear starter in his group, Bobby Johnson.

Those who have read the first two installments of the Key Additions series will remember that last week I opted out of selecting Laremy Tunsil with the statement that protecting Jayden Daniels will be a group affair involving multiple personnel. That puts Bobby Johnson at center stage this week. The team has publicly stated that all four positions outside of left tackle are open to competition, but I’m going to skip to the end with Tyler Biadasz and just name him the starting center. That still leaves the Johnson with the task of developing three new starters in one off-season — all of this for the coach that was probably the most maligned hire of last off-season.

In 2023 with the New York Giants, Bobby Johnson was known as the coach whose unit gave up the most sacks in the league. Additionally, Johnson was indicted for not developing 7th overall pick Evan Neal or integrating several free agent additions that the Giants secured to protect Daniel Jones.

The hire by the Commanders in 2024 was considered perplexing at best and very concerning at worst:


This Bobby Johnson hire is odd. Dan Quinn’s defense totalled 20 sacks over the 4 games he coached against Johnson’s Giants OL in the last 2 years. Now as Sam Howell proved this year, sacks aren’t necessarily reflective of OL performance, but still concerning

— Mark Bullock (@MarkBullockNFL) February 12, 2024

So why hire Johnson to be the Commanders’ new offensive line coach? Once fans started delving into the hire more, they discovered that Johnson’s squads were fairly effective at run blocking. Three of his units in the previous five years had ranked in the top 25% in rushing yards before arriving in Washington.

It was also relevant that Coach Johnson had experience working with both zone and gap schemes. Kliff Kingsbury confirmed, in an interview with Zach Selby, that he saw Johnson's previous work in the run game as a fit for what he wanted to do in Washington:

“He has been at a lot of great places,” Kingsbury said. “[He] Worked with some great of offenses there in Buffalo with Josh Allen and some of the creativity and the run game stuff they were doing and tempo and some different things that I really liked. And so, from afar I liked how he handled himself, some of the stuff he did in the run game and then had got rave reviews from people I really trust in the profession and so did Dan. So, it worked out.”

Once Bobby Johnson was here it was time to get to work. He was handed a perennial backup and third round rookie at LT, a free agent backup left guard, a priority free agent center, a potential Pro Bowl right guard, and a RT with a spotty track record. As discussed in the offense article, the results were far from dominant, but not as bad as many fans feared at the start of the year.

This season, Johnson is the recipient of a Top-5 left tackle that — as fans are fond of saying — upgrades multiple positions on the offensive line in one move. But is it really that simple? Coleman profiled as a better guard than tackle prospect in the draft, and is still a third rounder with technique issues. Conerly oozes potential, but will need to develop quickly in order to claim the RT job. If he does, Wylie will likely move back to RG for the first time in 4 years; if not, journeyman Trent Scott may man the spot. Working within a hybrid scheme will increase the communication and coordination burden required to mold the group into a cohesive unit; completing it in a short time frame will be key for Washington’s Super Bowl aspirations.

Is Bobby Johnson up to the task? We will find out in 2025, but so far he likes what he has seen from his first rounder and is already utilizing his veterans to speed the process.


The #Commanders offensive line is going to be fun to watch this season.

Asst. Bobby Johnson loves what he sees from Josh Conerly Jr. He has a desire to work hard and learn from the guys around him.

Johnson says Laremy has the ability to provide Josh with answers to the test. pic.twitter.com/jR6iuOAiPH

— Natalie Spala (@_nataliespala) June 6, 2025

The Bill-in-Bangkok Take:


I think John has made a great case for his choice of Bobby Johnson as the coach most integral to Washington’s chances of putting a 4th Lombardi trophy on the shelf in February, and his selection goes hand-in-hand with my choice of Laremy Tunsil as the key offensive player addition in chasing a super bowl championship.

But when it comes to reversing Washington’s fortunes from the 55-23 drubbing that the Commanders were handed in the NFC Championship game this past January, I look at the Eagles offensive box score and see all I need to know:


  • Saquon Barkley had 3 rushing TDs and averaged 7.9 yards per carry while Philly amassed a team total of 228 rushing yards!
  • AJ Brown scored a touchdown and averaged 16 yards per reception while Washington aided the Eagles passing game with multiple defensive penalties.
  • Jalen Hurts had a 110.1 passer rating.
  • The Commanders defense forced zero turnovers.

While offensive turnovers were extremely damaging to the Commanders in the NFC Championship loss, the inability of the defense to stop the Eagles offense was devastating. And, unlike the rash of offensive turnovers that plagued the Commanders offense vs the Eagles, Washington’s defensive woes persisted throughout the regular season and postseason.

In that NFC Championship game, on Philly’s 13 offensive drives, the Eagles punted twice and took a knee to end each half securely in the lead; the closest the Washington defense came to a stop in the other nine drives was when Jake Elliott missed a field goal at the end of a 12-play Eagles drive in the 2nd quarter.

In my heart, I believe that the Commanders 2025 offense will be better than the 2024 iteration that was 5th in the NFL in points scored. To win Super Bowl LX at the end of the 2025 season, Washington’s defense — ranked 19th in points allowed and 30th in rushing yards allowed in ‘24 — has to play at a very different level.

In other words, the defense needs to be able to control opposing running backs, force turnovers, and maintain defensive pressure in the 4th quarter of games. From a coaching standpoint, this will require innovative schemes, the teaching of proven techniques for taking the ball away, and a strategic change in game management.

The coach who fills the critical role — the one who has to find a way to dramatically enhance is squad’s performance compared to 2024 — is defensive coordinator Joe Whitt.

I get the sense that Whitt, Quinn and Peters are working to a plan defensively that isn’t well-understood outside of the Commanders executives and coaching staff. I’ve already speculated a bit in other articles on how that might play out, but a lot of things need to go right for the plan to work.

Javon Kinlaw​


Clearly, the group sees potential in Javon Kinlaw, who was the team’s premier offseason free agent signing, getting a 3-year, $45m contract. Whitt clearly has a plan for Kinlaw in Washington’s re-worked ‘25 defense.

He’s a uniquely big man that can bend and play with some power and speed. We will have the ability to move him up and down the line of scrimmage. So, we can put him wherever we want to because he has that type of skill set. He’ll be difficult for tight ends to block if we put him in the six technique, or, if we kick him inside, he has the length that’s going to be difficult for guards to deal with as well. So, he’s an intriguing young man to work with.

This seems to confirm that Kinlaw will be used the way the Jets used him in 2024 – at times playing the DT spot in a 4-3 defense, but at other times, lined up on the outside shoulder of the tackle on the strong side (where the tight end is aligned).

With the Jets in 2024, per PFF, Kinlaw played 316 snaps at left tackle and 299 snaps at left end. This contrasts with his alignment pattern with the 49ers. With SF in 2023, Kinlaw lined up as a DT on 418 snaps, but played DE on only 116 snaps.

In 17 games with the Niners in ’23, Kinlaw produced 25 tackles and 3.5 sacks. In 17 games with the Jets in ’24, his production jumped to 40 tackles and 4.5 sacks. On a per-snap basis, he produced 9.3% more tackles in 2024 than he had in 2023 and his run defense grade from PFF jumped from 35.6 in ’23 to 50.8 in ’24. He earned healthy pass rush grades from PFF in both years (71.9 and 68.2).

The addition of Kinlaw to the roster seems to be part of a deliberate plan to use him as an inside/outside defensive lineman who can operate in diverse schematic alignments without the need for constant substitutions.

2024 shortcomings​


Washington’s defense will need a lot more than a breakout year from Javon Kinlaw to have a successful season in 2025. I don’t think I can put it any better than Joe Whitt did himself:

Last season:

· We didn’t produce the ball like I wanted to — the reason being we dropped 16 of them, literally just balls that touched our hands that we felt that should have been caught. If we catch half of those, that puts us in a different ring.

· We didn’t play the run well enough, and I thought that we would have.

· Third, [we didn’t] close games out… the way that I was anticipating.

And so, when we get into the offseason, we look at it in three different things:

1. Was it schematics?

2. Was it the player? or

3. Sometimes, did we just get beat?

And so, the turnovers we’re going to emphasize because we just have to catch the ball. Some of the things we’re doing with the front for the run game we have changed and some we have adjusted. And then winning time moments in two-minute — we’re going [to compete] every day to get those things better.

But the defensive coordinator also faces a number of more granular challenges this season.

Whitt is going to need to find way to insure that Will Harris (or somebody) is as good or better than Jeremy Chinn was last year.

He also needs to get dramatically better play out of Marshon Lattimore while integrating veteran Jonathan Jones and rookie Trey Amos into a cornerback group that underperformed last season.

Stopping the run​


However, the biggest puzzle appears to be the plan for the front-seven; Whitt will need to have creative schemes to turn what looks like a bit of a motley crew of d-linemen into a high performing unit. Clearly, Whitt feels that the Commanders took steps in the right direction with the DL this offseason:

With [Detrich] Wise, [Javon] Kinlaw, [and] Eddie [Goldman], we’ll be bigger on first and second down and we’ll be bigger versus 12 personnel [or] 13. When people want to get big, we’ll be able to get real big with them and be able to shore up some of the gaps on the front end. So, now the backers can play more free and the guys behind them can overlap.

Creating turnovers & closing out games​


Whitt has the advantage of being an organized thinker and a pretty clear communicator, but he came to Washington proclaiming that his defense would ‘produce the ball’ (force a lot of turnovers) as the Dallas D had under Quinn. That didn’t really come to fruition. In his first season as DC, 23 NFL defenses forced more turnovers than Whitt’s group, and only 5 teams recovered fewer fumbles. That’s not good enough given what Joe Whitt told Washington fans to expect.


Whitt: "We're known for turning the ball over and that's what we're going to do here."

— John Keim (@john_keim) February 15, 2024

Joe Whitt, on his philosophy of creating turnovers on defense: "The ball is life. It's like air. We gotta have it, we gotta get it."

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) February 15, 2024

The comments in those two tweets above came from Joe Whitt’s introductory press conference at Ashburn.

Here’s part of what he had to say at his most recent press conference:

We didn’t produce the ball like I wanted to, [how] I envision us to now. The reason [is] we dropped 16 [potential interceptions] — literally, just balls that touched our hands that we felt that should have been caught. If we catch half of those, that puts us in a different ring.

[With respect to] closing games out, it wasn’t the way that I was anticipating.

We’re going to emphasize [forcing interceptions] because we just have to catch the ball. And then winning time moments in two minute, we’re having competition every day to get those things better.

Turnovers
In short, Whitt seems to feel as if the lack of turnovers was simply poor execution. He feels as if the scheme was putting players into positions to succeed, but they didn’t get the job done.

We certainly have a dramatically different secondary. Jeremy Chinn, Emmanuel Forbes, Benjamin St-Juste, and Michael Davis are gone. Will Harris, Jonathan Jones, and rookie Trey Amos have been added. Last year, Marshon Lattimore was a mid-season addition by trade, but due to injury, he played very little and not very well. A healthy and full-time Lattimore can be seen as another addition to the pass defense. It’s possible that 6th round pick Kain Medrano could also have a role in the upgrading of the pass defense.

I do hope that the plan is more sophisticated than simply hoping that the players catch half the potential interceptions that they dropped last year, and I’m sure that it is.

Closing out games
In my mind, this is the bogeyman that Joe Whitt has to figure out. The Commanders won 14 of 20 regular season and postseason games last year, but too often they won them in the first three quarters, giving up ground in the 4th.

This chart only shows the first 14 weeks of the regular season, but it helps highlight a troubling trend:



Washington was very much a ‘first half team’ through 14 weeks, and specifically struggled in the 4th quarter.

This wasn’t because the offense failed to put up points in the final stanza. Washington’s offense was ranked 4th in the league in 4th quarter scoring for the full regular season; through 14 weeks, they ranked 8th in the NFL.

The issue was with the defense. For the full regular season, the Commanders were the third-worst in 4th-quarter points allowed, which was a slight improvement over the first 14 weeks accounted for in the chart above when Washington was dead last in the league.

Joe Whitt’s “run and hit” defense seemed to run out of gas too often in the the final quarter of regular season games — particularly against good teams with strong running attacks. His biggest challenge as a defensive coordinator in 2025 may be figuring out how to get his defense to play a full 60 minutes rather than fading in the final 15. If he can do that, then the Commanders, with their elite offense, will have more than a puncher’s chance of holding up a shiny Lombardi trophy at the end of the ‘25 postseason. That’s what makes him my choice for the member of the coaching staff that will be most critical to the team’s successful pursuit of a super bowl win in the coming season.

Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/2025/7/16/24457780/washington-commanders-keys-for-2025-coaching-staff
 
Daily Slop - 16 Jul 25 - Monk’s jersey, McLaurin’s contract, Luvu named top-5 LB by ESPN

temp_monk_mclaurin_luvu.0.jpg


A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East, the NFL and sports in general, and a sprinkling of other stuff

Commanders links

Articles​

Commanders.com

Commanders to retire Art Monk’s No. 81 jersey in Week 9 vs. Seahawks


Monk was not expecting visitors, never mind some of his former teammates like Gary Clark, Ricky Sanders and Doug Williams standing on his patio. They were joined by Washington Commanders Managing Partner Josh Harris, Team President Mark Clouse and several family members, all wearing t-shirts with his old jersey number and ear-to-ear smiles on their faces. They were there to tell him that no Washington player would wear No. 81 ever again.

All Monk could muster was, “What the...?”


One number. Forever legendary.

Art Monk's number 81 will officially be retired this season pic.twitter.com/T1bLURR2Yg

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) July 15, 2025

Now, Monk is among the select few players to have their jerseys retired by the franchise, with the honor coming on Nov. 2 during the team’s Week 9 game vs. Seattle on Sunday Night Football.

“I’ve been sitting here these last few days just trying to digest it all,” Monk said.


some Art for your lock screen pic.twitter.com/BOAwxX8csp

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) July 15, 2025

Washington Post (paywall)​

Commanders to retire Hall of Fame receiver Art Monk’s No. 81


Monk, the franchise’s all-time leading receiver (888 catches for 12,026 yards) who spent 14 seasons with Washington (1980 to 1993), will be honored during the Commanders’ Week 9 game against the Seattle Seahawks on Nov. 2, when the franchise will debut its “Super Bowl Era” alternate uniforms. The look is designed to mimic the uniforms Washington wore during its three Super Bowl victories (XVII, XXII, XXVI) in the 1980s and early ’90s.

Monk spent his final two seasons in the NFL with the New York Jets (1994) and Philadelphia Eagles (1995). While still with Washington in 1992, he surpassed Steve Largent for the most receptions in NFL history. Monk ended his career ranked second in catches (940) and fourth in receiving yards (12,721); he now stands 24th and 23rd, respectively.

Last week, the team unveiled its Super Bowl Era alternate uniforms, which it will wear for three games this season.


The Athletic (paywall)​

Commanders must walk the walk and pay WR Terry McLaurin what he deserves


Terry McLaurin, on his recent trip to Italy with his wife, Caitlin, learned a little Italian.

“I think ‘bene,’ it means ‘good,’” McLaurin said Tuesday after filming a new commercial for the wonderfully kitschy Eastern Motors folks in Laurel, Md.

By contrast, most of the preceding half hour in which McLaurin addressed his current negotiations with the Washington Commanders was non va bene.

McLaurin’s frustration with the slow pace of talks is certainly genuine. But going public with it was also designed to put maximum pressure on the Commanders’ front office to take care of one of the two or three legit faces of the franchise, someone who’s done nothing but play at a high level since the team took him in the third round of the 2019 draft.

McLaurin acknowledged the buzz about his unhappiness with negotiations, which has gained steam in recent days, wasn’t just media spin. “It’s not just what people are hearing, it’s coming from me,” he said.

You can’t talk about being a family and having a brotherhood and then not pay the guy who best personifies that on your team.

It is left to me, the curmudgeon, to note how Monk’s time in Washington ended — in a salary dispute that led to his finishing his career with the New York Jets and Eagles, rather than in Washington. I know this because I wrote the story announcing his departure from D.C. on that April night in 1994. At the time, no then-Washington player was as beloved, or as respected, as James Arthur Monk. No one was classier or as revered in the community.

Similarly, all these years later, we know who McLaurin is and what he’s about.

We think we know, after almost two years at the helm, who Josh Harris is and what he’s about, and who Peters is and what he’s about. They’ve been very good in their roles. You can’t say “let AP cook,” and then squawk when the heat gets turned up a little.

If the dispute centers on a third year, or how much money should be guaranteed in that third year, when McLaurin’s 33, I get it. That’s tricky. You have a week to hash that out.

But, McLaurin has earned a deal near the top of the wide receivers chart. He signed a three-year extension in 2022, not knowing who’d be in Washington to shepherd him through the rest of his prime, or whether he’d be in Washington afterward. He bet on himself. The gamble paid off.


Very strong sound from Terry McLaurin on separating the business from the emotion on lack of movement with contract extension

Calls it “disappointing” and “disrespectful”@JPFinlayNBCS #RaiseHail#Commanders pic.twitter.com/qQ27HRMive

— NBC4 Sports (@NBC4Sports) July 15, 2025

Terry’s most recent Instagram post from Italy with the caption “Life is beautiful.”

He has also changed his pfp to a childhood picture. It was previously a photo of him in a #Commanders uniform.#RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/odUrUt2orR

— SleeperCommanders (@SleeperWSH) July 15, 2025

ESPN

Commanders’ Terry McLaurin frustrated by lack of contract talks


McLaurin, talking to reporters after shooting a commercial Tuesday, said “without any progress in discussions it’s kind of hard to see how I step on the field.”

However, McLaurin also said he wasn’t pushing for a trade and that, “I want to be here. I want to make that abundantly clear.”

But, he said, “it takes two to tango.”

McLaurin is in the final year of a three-year, $68 million extension he signed in 2022. He has been Washington’s top receiver since entering the NFL as a third-round pick in 2019 and has topped 1,000 yards for five consecutive seasons.

McLaurin turns 30 in September, an age when receivers’ production often starts to diminish, which can make teams reluctant to sign them to lucrative long-term contracts. However, McLaurin is entering only his seventh season and coming off arguably his most productive year with a career-best 13 touchdowns, second most in the NFL. He caught 82 passes for 1,096 yards.

“I’m not dismissing [age] completely,” he said. “There are data points to support that, but how come it’s not OK to say this may be a different case and based on what he’s proven, showing no signs of deterioration, I feel that should be acknowledged as well.”

“When things were adverse when there was a lot of chaos going on, I held firm, I held strong,” McLaurin said. “I held my head high and I was a leader. I’m going to continue to do that.”


Riggo’s Rag

Adam Peters risks Commanders mutiny if he keeps ignoring Terry McLaurin


McLaurin’s public outburst regarding his unhappiness in front of the media this week didn’t sit well with the fan base. The fact that such an important player feels undervalued and disrespected reeks of the old regime’s ways. It hasn’t gone down well with some teammates, either.

Peters is not running a charity. He’s running the football operation with professionalism and is always looking at the bigger picture. McLaurin is an indispensable member of the squad, a fan favorite, and an established figure on and off the field. Even so, the Commanders are aware that the wideout will be 30 years old in September and want an agreement that reflects this.

The situation has taken its toll on McLaurin. He was resolute yet despondent. Things haven’t gone as he’d hoped, and the former third-round selection simply doesn’t know where things go from here.

Peters has done almost everything right over the last 18 months. But if he continues to ignore McLaurin and stalls on this extension, things will turn sour quickly.

The respected executive might even have a mutiny on his hands. That’s how much McLaurin is revered by everyone associated with the franchise.


ESPN

Execs, coaches, scouts rank NFL’s top 10 off-ball linebackers for 2025

5. Frankie Luvu, Washington Commanders​


Highest ranking: 5 | Lowest ranking: Unranked

Age: 28 | Last year’s ranking: N/A

Luvu’s first year as a Commander vaulted him into the top-10 conversation. He received a few votes last year but was largely a nonfactor in the voting. But this year he appeared in the top five of many ballots.

While some evaluators believe No. 5 is rich for Luvu, he earned the votes and this is a composite ranking.

“I have so much respect for him — he’s been one of the best tone-setters in the NFL,” a veteran NFL defensive coach said. “His production over the last three years is as good as anyone.”

Head coach Dan Quinn deploys Luvu somewhat similarly to Micah Parsons in Dallas, a hybrid linebacker with pass rush ability off the edge. Luvu capitalized in a big way with 8.0 sacks, 12 tackles for loss and 7 pass deflections on his way to second-team All-Pro honors.

“Versatile, playmaking in the run game, the pass game and with pass rush,” an NFL coordinator said. “His play style is all over the tape.”

One knock on Luvu: He’s a bit of a scheme fit. “Can’t play in every scheme. Can’t ask him to play in man coverage consistently,” an NFC executive said.

Honorable mention


Bobby Wagner, Washington Commanders: “The physical skills have declined, but he can compensate with all-world instincts.” — AFC exec “Still great at getting jump on a play, doing everything you want out of a LB, smart, instincts, knows what everybody is doing. Pass coverage is where you see a little bit of a dip, which is to be expected at this stage.” — NFL personnel evaluator


Podcasts & videos

Art Monk Reflects on Jersey Retirement, Super Bowls & Greatest Moments | Next Man Up | Commanders​



Hear from a candid Terry McLaurin about his frustration over stalled contract extension talks. There's still time for a deal before camp opens next week, but it’s clear that plenty of work remains.https://t.co/25qL0k9VNF

— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) July 16, 2025

Photos

Commanders.com

Throwback Thursday: Art Monk






NFC East links

Sports Illustrated

Dallas Cowboys price to re-sign DaRon Bland just went up


The cornerback market has now been reset after the extension for Sauce Gardner by the New York Jets.

Among the top priorities on [the Cowboys] list, is star cornerback DaRon Bland, who has emerged as the Cowboys top defensive back over the last two seasons.

But now, the price to retain Bland, may have just gotten significantly higher.

On Tuesday, the New York Jets signed their own star corner, Sauce Gardner, to a massive four-year $120.4 million deal, making him the highest-paid corner in NFL history.

And while Bland was never going to command that type of money, Gardner resetting the market with his new deal will certainly play a role in his negotiations with the Cowboys going forward.

Since 2022, Bland has been a first-team All-Pro, has one Pro Bowl, and led the NFL in interceptions in 2023. He has 164 tackles, 27 pass breakups, and 14 interceptions with five defensive touchdowns in his career.

With Gardner now the highest-paid corner, where Bland fits in with the market remains to be seen. [T]he Cowboys will have to think very hard in the coming months about whether or not it is worth bringing him back, or finding another destination for him via trade.

NFL.com

C.J. Gardner-Johnson: Eagles traded me to Texans because they’re ‘scared of a competitor’


During an interview with The Pivot podcast, Gardner-Johnson was asked by Ryan Clark why he was no longer in Philly following such a successful, Super Bowl-winning stint.

“Scared of a competitor,” Gardner-Johnson answered. “Simple as that.”

Asked what he meant by that, the DB responded, “You can’t program a dawg.”

Gardner-Johnson sounded as though he didn’t have the backing of the staff and felt he was always blamed when things went sideways, citing his ejection from a late-season game against the Washington Commanders. He also noted that he was blamed for a postseason practice fight.


ESPN

Previewing the top storylines for 2025 NFL training camps

DeMarvion Overshown, LB, Dallas Cowboys​


One of the breakout stars of the 2024 season, Overshown started 12 games and collected 90 tackles along with five sacks, three pass breakups, an interception and a forced fumble. Then, in Week 14, he tore the ACL, PCL and MCL in his right knee — less than two years after an ACL tear in his left knee robbed him of his rookie season.

Overshown should be one of two starting linebackers under new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, but when exactly he gets back on the field is something to monitor. He gave a bullish update on his health to the Cowboys team site in May: “I think it really couldn’t be any better. If it was better, I’d probably be out there playing right now. Where I’m at in my rehab, in my process, it’s where I’m supposed to be plus some.”

That sounds rosy, but expect the Cowboys to be cautious with Overshown (as one should be with a player who tore three ligaments in one knee). Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said in April the team does not expect Overshown to start the season, and local reporters have tagged November as a likely window to return. I’d be stunned if we see him do much during camp, but if he really is ahead on his rehab, we could see the rumblings in August of an early return to action.


The Philly Voice

Nick Sirianni calls ‘bulls***’ on idea that Jalen Hurts was ‘along for the ride’ during Eagles Super Bowl run


Normally, when a quarterback wins a Super Bowl and brings MVP hardware home with him, he’s widely celebrated. However, in the wake of Jalen Hurts’ ultimate NFL accomplishment, praise is almost always accompanied by the caveat that he didn’t win the Super Bowl all by himself.

It’s certainly true that Hurts had as good a situation as any quarterback could ask for during the 2024 season. He played behind the best offensive line in the NFL, he handed off to the best running back in the NFL in Saquon Barkley, he threw to one of the best trios of pass catchers in A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert, and on the other side of the ball the defense consistently created takeaways, putting Hurts and the offense in favorable positions.

Interestingly, in the scope of the 2024 Eagles as a team, that caveat only applies to Hurts.

[W]e can all imagine what some other quarterbacks might do if we replaced Hurts with them on the Eagles’ roster.


NFL league links

Articles​

Washington Post (paywall)​

Why are so many NFL rookies still unsigned as training camps arrive?


There’s not much to negotiate in a rookie deal, but players — specifically those selected in the second round — are trying to lock in guaranteed money.

The second-round logjam is the result of a negotiating impasse between players and teams over fully guaranteed contracts. The portion of guaranteed money in the players’ contracts is one of the few items that needs to be negotiated under the rookie pay system.

Until this year, no player chosen in the second round had ever received a fully guaranteed contract. In May, the Houston Texans signed the second selection of the second round, wide receiver Jayden Higgins, to a fully guaranteed four-year contract worth just more than $11.7 million. The Cleveland Browns followed by signing the opening pick of the second round, linebacker Carson Schwesinger, to a fully guaranteed four-year deal worth just more than $11.8 million.

The question has become how deep into the second-round draft order the cutoff for fully guaranteed contracts will extend. Next in line is safety Nick Emmanwori, the third selection of the second round by the Seattle Seahawks. He’s represented by prominent agent David Mulugheta.

“If [numbers] one and two have gotten fully guaranteed contracts,” Corry said, “David Mulugheta is going to want a fully guaranteed contract” for Emmanwori.

The player chosen fourth in the second round by the Browns, running back Quinshon Judkins, was arrested Saturday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on a battery charge in an alleged domestic violence case.

“Some of these things will get done, if not at the rookie reporting date, the veteran reporting date,” Corry said. “People don’t want to look foolish. So everyone has decided to table it until there’s more information. That’s really what it comes down to. … Let’s say Shough gets done and then [numbers] seven and eight get done and you went first at number five and you don’t have a fully guaranteed contract. That’s the fear. That’s why people are waiting.”

“At some point, the agents — some of these players aren’t going to want to miss time. … They’re not under contract, so you can’t fine them,” Corry said. “The only thing is they’ll be missing time, which can help them with a starting job. That’s why I think Tyler Shough is counting on the Saints caving, because they want him to start. So do they really want to go to war with him over this issue and have him miss reps?”


Per source, Broncos and first-round CB Jahdae Barron have agreed to terms on a four-year contract. Barron one of the last of first-rounders to sign.
Broncos open rookie minicamp tomorrow.

— MikeKlis9NEWS (@mikeklis9news) July 16, 2025


WE’RE ALMOST THERE pic.twitter.com/MMff7doA2X

— NFL (@NFL) July 16, 2025

Discussion topics

ESPN

Execs, coaches, scouts rank the NFL’s top 10 WRs for 2025

4. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys​


Highest ranking: 3 | Lowest ranking: 10

Age: 26 | Last year’s ranking: 4

Lamb has checked many boxes required by an elite receiver. He had a banner season in 2023, with 135 receptions (league-high), 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has had no true down years. He’s a perennial All-Pro first- or second-teamer. And he can produce through adversity, including multiple injuries to Dak Prescott and a bad running game.

5. A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles​


Highest ranking: 3 | Lowest ranking: unranked

Age: 28 | Last year’s ranking: 6

It’s odd to see a top-five receiver here tied for 43rd in leaguewide targets last season (97). But those numbers for Brown were more a product of the run-heavy Eagles offense and didn’t affect his high-end ability.

Philly was 16-1 while averaging 31.5 points per game with Brown in the lineup last season. Without Brown, the team went 2-2 while averaging 18.0 points per game. Those numbers include Philadelphia’s playoff run.

7. Malik Nabers, New York Giants​


Highest ranking: 4 | Lowest ranking: unranked

Age: 21 | Last year’s ranking: not eligible (rookie)

Nabers has the NFL’s full attention. Surpassing 100 catches and 1,200 yards as a rookie in one of the league’s worst offenses with four different quarterbacks is rock-climbing-on-stilts difficult. The receptions total is the second most by a rookie in NFL history behind Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (112).

The Giants force-fed Nabers with 171 targets, second in the league behind Chase. Nabers proved he could handle the major workload by not breaking down and still side-stepping defenders. Nabers’ 19 forced missed tackles topped all rookie receivers.

Honorable mentions​


Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders: Washington quarterbacks produced a 133.0 passer rating when targeting McLaurin last season. “Criminally underrated.” — NFL general manager


All aTwitter


The ultimate honor for an ultimate player

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) July 15, 2025

Frankie Luvu! Top 5 LB! #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/5bMJc1BZ8D

— Anthony Armstrong (@ratedarmstrong) July 15, 2025


From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: #Commanders WR Terry McLaurin wants a new deal, one that eclipses $30M a year. And he's not thrilled it hasn't happened yet. pic.twitter.com/ctdW1D4cQ5

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 15, 2025

ESPN Booger explains the importance of working out a contract extension with #Commanders All Pro WR Terry McLaurin

“….stability……continuity….darlings” #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/2Y5PHMNRnH

— Los Doos__ @redzoneinthelab podcast (@redzoneinthelab) July 16, 2025

That’s the dirty business of being a real gm. Your decisions have to be divorced from the emotions of folks outside of the building. As much as I want Terry to retire a Commander, AP and staff has to follow their process. That’s the front office we’ve begged for. Now we have it. https://t.co/fErW2IFB8S

— Cedonia Ave. (@KMBmoreX) July 15, 2025

Execs, coaches, scouts rank NFL's top 10 WRs:

*Chase finally beats Jefferson
*Collins, Nabers debut in top 8

*Five players tied for last two spots: Evans, Wilson, McLaurin,
Nacua, Thomas Jr.

GMs and HCs help break tie https://t.co/HETCuLNY1Q

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) July 16, 2025

ESPN didn't rank Terry McLaurin in the Top 10 of their Top 10 WR list despite being an All-Pro in 2024.

Mike Evans was No. 9. Garrett Wilson was No. 10.

Terry was the first honorable mention. #RaiseHail

— Denton Day (D-Day) (@TheDentonDay) July 16, 2025

Something I keep thinking about when it comes to Terry McLaurin —

When I was younger, I thought you had to run a team sans emotion. Robotic decisions. Services not yet rendered were all that mattered, past performances irrelevant. A guy’s standing as a beloved, long-time fan…

— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) July 16, 2025


I was re-watching Tyler Shough highlights & it was more like Ja’Corey Brooks highlights

JB was responsible for 31% of Shough’s yards & 40% of his TDs

How did this kid not get drafted? #RaiseHail might have UDFA pic.twitter.com/xeOnjRRete

— Fantasy Football Commish  (@AskTheFFC) July 15, 2025

#Commanders Safeties, Quan Martin, Tyler Owens, and Percy Butler putting in that work with Coach Savage! #RaiseHail

ig: thecoachsavage pic.twitter.com/29DsUCTVw8

— Los Doos__ @redzoneinthelab podcast (@redzoneinthelab) July 16, 2025


Jayden Daniels comp are two top 5 QB’s combined via the hosts of The Colin Coward podcast.

↔️↔️↔️#RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/8PMlp3uOq4

— Los Doos__ @redzoneinthelab podcast (@redzoneinthelab) July 15, 2025

Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/2025/7/16...claurins-contract-luvu-named-top-5-lb-by-espn
 
Washington Commanders Free Agency: Von Miller adds veteran pass rusher to defense

Denver Broncos v Washington Redskins

Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Pass rusher!

The Washington Commanders have been expected to add a veteran pass rusher for months, and they're reportedly adding one before the start of training camp. Von Miller has been a big impact player for several teams during his 13 NFL seasons. He's won two Super Bowls and was the MVP of Peyton Manning's last game.

Miller has been with the Buffalo Bills for the last three seasons, but hasn't started a game since his first year with the team. Washington didnt draft an edge defender in this year's draft, but they told reporters they were in contact with several veterans. Washington added some players for the defensive line(Deatrich Wise, Eddie Goldman, Jacob Martin) but they also lost Dante Fowler Jr in free agency who had 10.5 sacks last season. Miller had 6 sacks with Buffalo last season, and now joins the Commanders defense on a 1-year deal.


Miller was among a handful of vets still available. Washington had looked at Demarcus Lawrence in free agency and had interest in Joey Bosa. They’ll now add another piece to the pass rush. https://t.co/Xyu4ybsMAC

— John Keim (@john_keim) July 17, 2025

Commanders GM Adam Peters was a scout in Denver when the Broncos drafted Miller with the second overall pick in 2011. https://t.co/WpLyFLfSmh

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) July 17, 2025



DC... What's good? pic.twitter.com/sVaEtZ8pQ9

— Von Miller (@VonMiller) July 17, 2025
Def InterceptionsFumblesTackles
SeasonAgeTeamLgPosGGSIntYdsIntTDLngPDFFFmbFRYdsFRTDSkCombSoloAstTFLQBHitsSftyAVAwards
2011 22DENNFLLILB1515000042000011.56450141929012 PB,AP-2,AP DRoY-1
2012 23DENNFLLILB161612612626000018.56855132825018 PB,AP-1,AP DPoY-2
201324DENNFLLLB99000013016015.03427791005
2014 25DENNFLLLB1616000021012014.06043171627012 PB,AP-2
2015 26DENNFLLOLB1616000014030011.035305932017 PB,AP-1
2016 27DENNFLLOLB1616000033000013.57862161324016 PB,AP-1,AP DPoY-2
2017 28DENNFLROLB1616000032010010.0575161723012 PB,AP-2
2018 29DENNFLROLB161614204234033014.54829191426013 PB,AP-2
2019 30DENNFLROLB151500002000008.04633131020011PB
2020Did not play - Injured (ankle)
2021322TMNFLLOLB151500001100009.5503317191708
202132DENNFLLOLB7700000000004.5191097904
202132LARNFLRDE8800001100005.03123812804
202233BUFNFLRDE111100002100008.021183101206
202334BUFNFLLB12000000000000.03210301
202435BUFNFLLB13000000000006.0171347801
13 Yrs186161268142242709651129.55814461351712560132
17 Game Avg17150604222016011.85341121623012
DEN (10 Yrs)142142268142212509651110.55093901191422250120
BUF (3 Yrs)3611000021000014.041338172308
LAR (1 Yr)8800001100005.03123812804

Defense & Fumbles Table
Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 7/16/2025.

Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/2025/7/16...on-miller-adds-veteran-pass-rusher-to-defense
 
Daily Slop - 17 Jul 25 - Commanders sign a situational pass rusher on a one-year deal

temp_von_miller.0.jpg


A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East, the NFL and sports in general, and a sprinkling of other stuff

Commanders links

Articles​

CBS Sports

Most important non-QB for every NFL team: These players will go a long way in determining their club’s success

Washington Commanders: OT Laremy Tunsil​


It was tough to choose a player for Washington, which needs to show more improvement on defense than offense. There are so many areas that need work, though, that it’s tough to land on just one player as the most important.

So instead we came back around to the Commies’ biggest (literally) offseason addition in Tunsil, who will be counted on to secure Jayden Daniels in the pocket. He had a relatively tough season in 2024, taking a ton of penalties, but at his best he is still an elite left tackle.

From Commanders Wire:

Adam Peters wanted to stabilize the trenches for Daniels. His mobility and ability to escape pressure masked a lot of Washington’s problems last season. He’s capable of doing the same again, but the Commanders didn’t leave anything to chance.

Acquiring Tunsil via trade from the Houston Texans was the major statement of intent Peters had in mind. He’s among the league’s best edge protectors, especially on passing downs. He’s also got the added incentive of another new deal on the horizon if the performance levels match.


ESPN

Von Miller to join Commanders on one-year deal, source says


Miller, who posted two pictures of himself in a Washington jersey on his Instagram account Wednesday night, has recorded 129.5 career sacks to rank 16th on the all-time list. Miller, who still must pass his physical, will sign a one-year deal, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Miller played the past three seasons with the Buffalo Bills, recording 14 sacks — eight in his first season and six last year. Washington hopes he can do what he did for the Los Angeles Rams in the 2021 season: serve as a final piece in a Super Bowl title run. The Rams acquired him in a midseason trade, and he then posted five sacks in eight regular-season games and four more in the playoffs en route to a Super Bowl win.

In his first 10 years, with the Denver Broncos, Miller had 110.5 sacks and made seven All-Pro teams, including three first teams, and was named to the Pro Bowl eight times — the last of which occurred after the 2019 season. He was the MVP of Super Bowl 50.

Washington general manager Adam Peters was with Denver when the Broncos selected Miller in the first round of the 2011 draft.


The Commanders’ veteran acquisitions this offseason will be an average of 30.3 years old when the season opens.

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) July 17, 2025

New #Commanders EDGE Von Miiler had five of his six sacks with the #Bills during wins.

He also had three of his six in September for Buffalo. https://t.co/vVq1tdfPHY

— Chris Russell AKA the ! (@Russellmania621) July 17, 2025

Commanders.com

Commanders 2025 training camp preview | Cornerbacks

  • Can Marshon Lattimore get back to being dominant? Lattimore, who the Commanders acquired from the New Orleans Saints at last year’s trade deadline, played in just two regular-season games for Washington and had up-and-down outings in the playoffs. Part of that was because of the hamstring issue, but Lattimore also had to learn Washington’s defensive scheme in the middle of the season, when it was in the thick of a playoff run, and find a way to contribute. The Commanders are banking on Lattimore to get back to his old form. They could use the type of player he was in the past, when he went to the Pro Bowl on a consistent basis. If they can get that from him, it would drastically help a secondary that did finish well in average yards allowed per game but also lacked depth and struggled against top-tier talent.
  • Will Mike Sainristil move back inside? With Amos on the team, there were questions about what the Commanders would do with Sainristil, who emerged last season as one of the team’s best defensive players. They could move him back to being a nickel corner — the role he was drafted to have in 2024 — but he was also so good on the outside that it wasn’t unrealistic to think they would simply keep him there. For now, it appears that the former will be the case, as he was lined up at nickel during OTAs and minicamp. That could change, depending on how camp shakes out. The Commanders like versatility in the defensive backfield, and Sainristil has shown he can handle both roles. Perhaps Sainristil’s position will be on a case-by-case basis, lining up in whatever position fits him and the defense best. Either way, Sainristil has proven he can handle himself, and having him back in the starting lineup should help alleviate some of Washington’s issues in the passing game.
  • Will Trey Amos become the second starting outside cornerback? Amos certainly looks the part of an NFL cornerback with the track record to back it up. He used his 6-foot-1, 190-pound frame to lead his team with 13 pass breakups and earn a First Team All-SEC selection. He also has a history of preventing explosive plays, as he has allowed a sub-19% completion rate on throws traveling at least 20 air yards, according to Pro Football Focus. Amos’ coaches and teammates were happy to answer his questions. He said he wants to “be a good team player and help the growth,” and his teammates know that he’ll be more useful if they satisfy his hunger for knowledge. But they have also noticed that he can hold his own without their help, too.

ESPN

Execs, coaches, scouts rank NFL’s top 10 off-ball linebackers for 2025

5. Frankie Luvu, Washington Commanders​


Highest ranking: 5 | Lowest ranking: Unranked

Age: 28 | Last year’s ranking: N/A

Luvu’s first year as a Commander vaulted him into the top-10 conversation. He received a few votes last year but was largely a nonfactor in the voting. But this year he appeared in the top five of many ballots.

While some evaluators believe No. 5 is rich for Luvu, he earned the votes and this is a composite ranking.

“I have so much respect for him — he’s been one of the best tone-setters in the NFL,” a veteran NFL defensive coach said. “His production over the last three years is as good as anyone.”

Head coach Dan Quinn deploys Luvu somewhat similarly to Micah Parsons in Dallas, a hybrid linebacker with pass rush ability off the edge. Luvu capitalized in a big way with 8.0 sacks, 12 tackles for loss and 7 pass deflections on his way to second-team All-Pro honors.

“Versatile, playmaking in the run game, the pass game and with pass rush,” an NFL coordinator said. “His play style is all over the tape.”

One knock on Luvu: He’s a bit of a scheme fit. “Can’t play in every scheme. Can’t ask him to play in man coverage consistently,” an NFC executive said.

Honorable mention


Bobby Wagner, Washington Commanders: “The physical skills have declined, but he can compensate with all-world instincts.” — AFC exec “Still great at getting jump on a play, doing everything you want out of a LB, smart, instincts, knows what everybody is doing. Pass coverage is where you see a little bit of a dip, which is to be expected at this stage.” — NFL personnel evaluator


Washington Post (paywall)​

Terry McLaurin set a standard. Take care of him, Commanders.


Mark July 15, 2025, as a landmark date for the Washington Commanders. Not because anything significant happened with the uniforms or the stadium or the roster. Mark it because the first headwinds of the Adam Peters-Dan Quinn administration blew from Laurel to Ashburn and across the NFL.

Maybe this Terry McLaurin situation will be nothing. In the week before the Commanders open training camp, it feels like something. McLaurin has set the standard at the team’s Ashburn headquarters since the day he walked in the building in 2019 — back when a standard so desperately needed to be set. He debuted in the final days of Jay Gruden, rode out his rookie season with Bill Callahan, found a way to excel amid the chaos of the Ron Rivera era and so often returned to the huddle wondering who his quarterback would be on a given play.

This isn’t the player who seemed most likely to be the subject of Peters’s and Quinn’s first real headache, yet here we are. Advice to the Commanders’ general manager and coach: Take two Advil and make the headache go away. Take care of Terry.


Commanders.com

Hail Mail | Will Jacory Croskey-Merritt be a rookie hit?


There has been a lot of hype surrounding seventh-round running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt, otherwise known as “Bill.” There’s a lot to like about him; he’s quick, decisive and can burst through running lanes. It’s been a while since he’s played in a meaningful game, but it didn’t appear as if he’s lost a step during OTAs and minicamp.

However — and I don’t mean to dump cold water on Croskey-Merritt before his career even begins — but let’s temper the expectations on him a bit. He’s still a seventh-round pick, which means he will need to earn a spot on the 53-man roster before anything else. That means he has to beat out other running backs ahead of him, and there are several players who already have a strong rapport with the coaching staff. I fully believe he can do that. He seems like a good kid with the right work ethic, and those traits give him a shot with this coaching staff. But let’s wait until we see him in action with pads on before we make any assumptions about what he will be in his career.


Commanders.com

2025 opponent breakdown | Miami Dolphins

  • Will Chop Robinson show improvement? Robinson was one of the most interesting prospects in last year’s draft. He didn’t have much of a sample size, but his traits and upside made him a first-round pick. His production in 17 games with one start was fine — 26 tackles with six sacks and 14 quarterback hits — but he will have to do more than “fine” for him to be worth the investment. The Dolphins are banking on that and believe his athleticism is going to shine soon. They can afford to be patient, but it would be ideal for him to step up in 2025 and improve Miami’s pass rush, which only generated 35 sacks in 2024.
  • Who will be Miami’s third wide receiver? The Dolphins have one of the more exciting wide receiver duos in the NFL with Hill and Jaylen Waddle, but there was a sizable gap between them and the next most productive receiver (Malik Washington with 223 yards). The Dolphins clearly needed to bolster that group, and Westbrook-Ikhine has potential to be the answer. He was tied for the sixth-most receiving touchdowns in the NFL last year with nine. What’s crazier is that he only had 32 catches last season, which means he scored once every four touches. He will probably get around that number of catches behind Hill and Waddle, but he clearly knows how to get the most out of his targets.
  • What are the Dolphins going to do in the secondary? There have been some serious shifts in Miami’s secondary. Jalen Ramsey was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but cornerback Kendall Fuller as well as safeties Jevon Holland and Jordan Poyer are also gone. They did get Minkah Fitzpatrick back in the Ramsey trade, but everyone aside from him is younger and more inexperienced. The Dolphins seem content to ride with Storm Duck and Jason Marshall Jr. at cornerback and Ashtyn Davis at safety along with Fitzpatrick. All of them are decent depth players, but that is quite the gamble for a secondary that allowed the ninth-fewest passing yards per game.

Podcasts & videos


For the night owls: Just recorded a fresh pod episode following the Von Miller news + a deep dive into the Terry McLaurin situation. Should post soon.

Apple - https://t.co/PoUDgL1FML

Spotify - https://t.co/WSf1fBH5Tn

Amazon - https://t.co/1rS41Hb48y https://t.co/ee9jKH4cUy

— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) July 17, 2025

Rich Eisen’s Terry McLaurin Advice for the Washington Commanders | The Rich Eisen Show​


NFC East links

Blogging the Boys

3 unanswered questions ahead of Dallas Cowboys training camp

What is the situation at cornerback?​


Let’s say that Trevon Diggs and Shavon Revel both avoid the PUP list. In this world let’s also assume that DaRon Bland looks solid and that Kaiir Elam plays like he did in Gainesville. If these things happen then the state of the cornerback room is pretty solid.

But what if Diggs and Revel both land on PUP? That won’t be the end of the world in any way, but it will invite some concern. What’s more is it is (obviously) possible that Elam could play like the player that Buffalo was willing to move on from and that DaRon Bland could just be so-so. Suddenly things feel grim.


All aTwitter


Can we get back to football season already? #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/Oy5fEkgiTb

— brady (@burgermanders) July 16, 2025

DC... What's good? pic.twitter.com/sVaEtZ8pQ9

— Von Miller (@VonMiller) July 17, 2025

Eight-time Pro Bowl OLB Von Miller is signing with the #Commanders, sources tell The Insiders.

Miller has won Super Bowls with the #Broncos and #Rams. Now he’ll try to earn another ring in Washington. pic.twitter.com/TmnbdpDsc6

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 17, 2025

It's a one-year deal for Von Miller, per source.

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) July 17, 2025

Here’s Von Miller’s PFF grades last season. Still a baller #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/hKEMMP6eMm

— Wam (@wamupnxt) July 17, 2025

Is Von Miller still an elite, every down pass rusher at 36? No. Effective pass rusher? For sure.

Per PFF, Miller ranked 10th in pass-rush Win % (shown below). Lots of stars on the list. Also, T-8 in the "PRP" metric that considers sacks, hits, hurries and pass rush attempts. pic.twitter.com/ejKIX3Z4Ow

— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) July 17, 2025

Heres the 6 sacks from last season at age 35 for new #Commanders OLB Von Miller pic.twitter.com/vzkfJXaXfu

— brandon (@JayDanielsMVP) July 17, 2025

Von Miller played the 2nd fewest snaps of his career last year but had 23 hurries and 6 sacks in barely 209 pass rush snaps.. not a bad rotational pass rush signing at all

— Damien Bartonek (@tvBartonek) July 17, 2025

von miller in 2025 among edge rusher

84.5 pass rush grade (8/85)

18.4% win rate (7/85)

26.4% win rate on. true pass sets (4/85)

had the 2nd highest win rate among all edges in the playoffs

— (@JahanOPOY) July 17, 2025

Von Miller hasnt missed significant time since 2020. Had 4 sacks in Rams 4 playoff game Super Bowl run in 2021. Played 25 games last 2 years. Injury plagued is a myth

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) July 17, 2025

Washington legend WR Art Monk said something to us/local media today that intrigued me……

He said when he joined the team there wasn’t many rookies/younger guys. It was mostly veterans that had years of experience.

— CWallSports (@cwallse) July 17, 2025

Quite an assemblage of notable NFL vets the Commanders have added the last 17 months:

Von Miller
Bobby Wagner
Deebo Samuel
Laremy Tunsil
Marshon Lattimore
Austin Ekeler
Zach Ertz
Marcus Mariota

— Jake Russell (@_JakeRussell) July 17, 2025

2 future first ballot Hall of Famers on Commanders D in Bobby Wagner and Von Miller. They want to be here and chase a ring. Imagine saying that 10 yrs ago

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) July 17, 2025


"Don't forget about the guy that was there with you during the dark times"

Manti Te'o makes his opinion clear on Terry McLaurin's contract dispute #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/2WDUz84e5y

— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) July 16, 2025

Will the Commanders get a deal done with Terry McLaurin? @heykayadams shares her thoughts @TheTerry_25 | #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/hCk9VqD4CI

— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) July 16, 2025

"I hope he gets paid as much as he wants to get paid"

Commanders TE @ZERTZ_86 on Terry McLaurin’s contract situation @heykayadams | @TheTerry_25 #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/YjTlCTDAS0

— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) July 16, 2025


What's the mantra for the 2025 @Commanders??? @UpAndAdamsShow @ZERTZ_86 pic.twitter.com/LN8X5s77s4

— Kay Adams (@heykayadams) July 16, 2025

Dan Quinn ... best coach ???

Zach Ertz loves his guy. @UpAndAdamsShow @Commanders pic.twitter.com/XV6SgI7POx

— Kay Adams (@heykayadams) July 16, 2025

Zach Ertz is 41 catches away from TOP 5 ALL-TIME for TEs‼️@heykayadams | @ZERTZ_86 #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/QSar9qxu9L

— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) July 16, 2025


November 2nd. SNF. @NWStadium.

A night you won’t want to miss pic.twitter.com/pvHFUmjlul

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) July 16, 2025

Unlike the rest

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) July 15, 2025


Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/2025/7/17...-a-situational-pass-rusher-on-a-one-year-deal
 
The Washington Commanders agree to terms with 2nd-round draft pick Trey Amos

Washington Commanders OTA

Photo by John McDonnell/For The Washington Post via Getty Images

The draft class is all signed before the start of training camp

The Washington Commanders have reportedly signed 2nd round pick Trey Amos to his rookie contract, completing their 2025 draft class. The Ole Miss corner was one of 30 second round picks that hadn’t been signed until today as they sought more guaranteed money. Amos was the 61st overall pick in the draft and was slotted to get a 4-year, $7.28 million contract with a $1.934 million signing bonus.

Trey Amos was Washington’s second pick in a 5-man draft class. Adam Peters and crew were very excited that the defender was available in the second round, and said Amos could have been Washington’s pick in the first if Josh Conerly Jr hadn’t been available. Amos has been with team during the offseason, and has been turning heads during OTAs. He is expected to earn playing time early, and work with Marshon Lattimore and Mike Sainristil in Washington’s revamped secondary.

Players are returning to Ashburn, VA this week with training camp starting this week, and rookies report tomorrow. Washington won’t have their first practice open to the public until July 27th, and Amos is expected to be a popular player this summer.

The Commanders have agreed to terms with second-round CB Trey Amos, per source.

— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) July 17, 2025


— Trenayvian❄️ (@TreyAmos21) July 17, 2025

Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/2025/7/17...-to-terms-with-2nd-round-draft-pick-trey-amos
 
Commanders fans have a keen interest in seeing drafted rookies and a veteran free agent in training camp and preseason

temp_jcm.0.jpg


Survey results!!

In this week’s Reacts survey, we asked about fan excitement about young players and interest in the return of players in a ‘contract year’.

You can see the results of the first question about young players here:



It’s probably not surprising that fans feel the keenest interest in the two drafted rookies as opposed to any of the returning 2nd year players. What may be a bit surprising, however, might be the level of intrigue related to the team’s 7th round pick (254th overall), RB Bill Croskey-Merritt, who out-polled the 4th round receiver & punt returner, Jaylin Lane.

There wasn’t a big difference at 28% and 25% respectively, but the buzz surrounding the former Alabama State/New Mexico/Arizona running back who has logged only 13 rushing attempts since the end of the 2023 season is definitely creating strong Mason-Brennan preseason hype feels.


Mason/Brennan Preseason Hype! Award frontrunner Bill Croskey-Merritt at Washington Commanders rookie minicamp!pic.twitter.com/vYmpNGpZla

— COMMANDERS FOOTBALL (@HogsHaven) May 10, 2025

Croskey-Merritt will be fighting to break into a running back room that returns all of the players who were on the roster in 2024 — Brian Robinson, Austin Ekeler, Jeremy McNichols, Chris Rodriguez and Michael Wiley. The rookie will need to have a very good training camp to break into the 53-man roster.

I was also interested to see the results of the second question, which asked which player currently on track for free agency in 2026 fans most wanted to see return to the team.



The one veteran player on the list who hasn’t yet played a snap for the team — Deebo Samuel — ran away with the vote, more than doubling the vote tally for the next player on the list, QB Marcus Mariota.

Deebo Samuel got 28% of the vote in this survey of Hogs Haven readers. Players frequently cited as instrumental in the success of the 2024 Commanders — Bobby Wagner, Zach Ertz and Austin Ekeler, all polled below 20%, with two of those players actually finishing with single-digit totals.

There’s no real mystery about the reason for that. Wagner and Ekeler will each be 36 years old in 2026, while Ekeler will be 31, which is roughly 49 years old in running back years.

Clearly, a lot of hope and expectation is tied up in Deebo for 2025 with fans aiming for a successful season for the former 49er that would justify a return to Washington on a new contract in 2026.

Selected comments from the survey article:​




Join our partner FanDuel for all your betting needs



Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/2025/7/18...veteran-free-agent-in-training-camp-preseason
 
Daily Slop - 18 Jul 25 - Why Terry McLaurin shouldn’t get paid more than Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans

NFC Wild Card Playoffs: Washington Commanders v Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images

A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East, the NFL and sports in general, and a sprinkling of other stuff

Commanders links

Articles​

Washington Post (paywall)​

Paying Terry McLaurin big money may seem fair, but it’s bad business


There is major risk involved in signing McLaurin, who turns 30 this September, to a long-term contract extension.

Is it smart to commit big money and multiple years to a player entering his 30s, no matter how respected he is in the locker room? Angering or losing a fan favorite can spark backlash, but teams that prioritize emotion over economics often end up paying for past performance at the expense of future flexibility.

Viewed purely through a football business lens, there is a strong case against the Commanders giving McLaurin a big-money contract extension.

Wideouts age 30 or older tend to decline​


Especially for wide receivers who play primarily on the outside like McLaurin, reaching age 30 is rarely the beginning of anything. Historical aging curves show that production — measured in this case by fantasy football point output — tends to peak between ages 23 and 27, with sharp declines beginning around 28. Fantasy scoring isn’t perfect, but it’s a decent shorthand for real-world productivity. Based on that curve it’s more probable that McLaurin will regress from last year’s highs than sustain or surpass them in the coming seasons.



The issue isn’t that McLaurin wasn’t worth $30 million, or more, last year. It’s whether he is worth that going forward.

McLaurin deserves respect and reward for what he’s already done, and there’s no question the Commanders would be in trouble this coming season if he didn’t play, given he is far and away the team’s most productive pass-catcher. But NFL contracts aren’t about the past; they’re about paying for future production, and the data strongly suggests his next few seasons will look more like a gentle descent than a sustained peak. Overcommitting to McLaurin at, say, $30 to 35 million per year risks hamstringing the team’s ability to build its roster in the coming years.



Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)​

What Von Miller brings to the Washington Commanders


The Commanders made a surprising move just days before the start of training camp. News broke late on Wednesday night that star pass rusher and future hall of famer Von Miller is signing with the Washington Commanders for the 2025 season. As of writing, details of the move haven’t been announced and the team hasn’t yet confirmed it officially, but Miller posted a picture of himself in the Commanders new alternate uniforms on his social media platforms to confirm the news.

One of the major topics of the offseason for the Commanders has been the pass rush and how the Commanders can improve there. The team lost one of their top pass rushers in Dante Fowler in free agency and didn’t replace him with any high profile free agent or top draft pick. Instead they’ve decided to bring in a legendary but also 36-year-old pass rusher to bolster their ranks. So of course the question now for the Commanders and their fans is what exactly does Miller have left in the tank?

Miller has 129.5 career sacks, which puts him 16th all time in the NFL sack records. He needs 8.5 sacks to get himself into the top 10, and he had six last year playing a part time role for the Bills. What’s important for Commanders fans to understand about Miller from the start is that he’s not going to be an every down player. His snap count percentages have dropped pretty drastically. Since joining the Bills in 2022, his snap counts have steadily declined. He played around 60% of the snaps in 2022, down from his 71% in 2021. In 2023 and 2024, he played about 32% of the snaps in Buffalo.

Those numbers should tell you the change in role for Miller as he has aged. He’s now a situational pass rusher rather than an every down player. His role now is much like the role Dante Fowler played under Dan Quinn in Dallas, where he was a situational pass rusher that played 30%-ish of the snaps. That was what Fowler was meant to do here as well, but with injuries he was forced into a bigger role, which he then took advantage of. But Miller likely isn’t capable of sustaining his high standards for extended periods of play any more, so his role will be limited to situational rusher.

However, that doesn’t mean he can’t still be an important piece of the defense. While Miller’s snaps have decreased, it’s clear to see when watching him that he has a lot to offer as a pass rusher. He’s an incredible athlete with fantastic measurables which help him in his pass rush, but over the years he’s developed a strong and well-rounded toolkit to enable him to attack blockers in a variety of ways. In his later years, Miller created a now annual pass rush camp where all the top pass rushers in the NFL meet once a year to discuss different techniques and moves to help improve as rushers. When you watch Miller’s game, you see why his insight is so sought after, because he has such a variety of ways to beat a blocker, even in his mid-30’s.


ESPN

How Von Miller can help Commanders’ defense in 2025


Miller can help Washington, but he’s also 36 years old.

That said, he doesn’t need to return to his Pro Bowl and All-Pro pass rushing days to be of service. Of course every team could use a dynamic edge rusher. But short of that, Washington also needs options and only needs Miller to become their closer — a la former New York Yankees great Mariano Rivera — and provide the defensive punctuations they failed to make last season.

Miller needs to be viewed as another chess piece and not just the final piece — a guy who they hope can impact those around him while still having his presence felt by opposing quarterbacks. One former teammate who also has faced him said Miller was still explosive. But he also pointed out the impact injuries have taken on the 2011 No. 2 overall pick.

The signing is the latest in a string of clear acquisitions that Washington is “going for it” this season. But it also highlights another change in Washington: Older players used to chase the money in D.C., now they’re chasing rings. Players such as Miller, linebacker Bobby Wagner and tight Zach Ertz, would not be here otherwise.

In the fourth quarter of games, Washington recorded five sacks — the third-lowest mark in the league. The Commanders’ pass rush win rate in the final quarter last season was 13.3%; only one player, Wagner, at 31.6% was better than 21.1% in this category, according to ESPN Research. With Buffalo last season, Miller had a pass rush win rate in the fourth quarter of 25.5% — third-highest in the NFL.

In those quarters Miller had 12 pass rush wins — one more than anyone on Washington’s roster.

One league source earlier this offseason pointed out how Quinn brought in former Indianapolis Colts great Dwight Freeney for a similar role when Quinn was coach of the Atlanta Falcons in 2016 — a year the Falcons reached the Super Bowl. It’s why they signed Wagner last offseason: Quinn values that mentorship at each position group — a practice that paid off last season.


Former Redskins HC Jay Gruden on what Von Miller gives the Commanders. (via @TheDentonDay) pic.twitter.com/BxdQWYHro1

— The Team 980 (@team980) July 17, 2025

Pro Football Talk

Commanders agree to terms with second-rounder Trey Amos


According to multiple reports, cornerback Trey Amos has agreed to a four-year pact with the Commanders. Amos was the 61st overall selection in April.

There were 30 unsigned second-round picks earlier this week, but Amos is one of seven picks to agree to terms in the last couple of days. The amount of overall guaranteed money in the deals were the sticking point in negotiations and the dam breaking should lead to several more agreements in the near future.

Amos played at Louisiana and Alabama before finishing up his college time at Ole Miss last season. He had 50 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions, and a forced fumble in 13 starts.


The #Seahawks have given in — they’re signing No. 35 pick S Nick Emmanwori to a fully guaranteed 4-year, $11.588M rookie contract, per @AdamSchefter. This means the first three picks of the 2nd-round have gotten fully-guaranteed contracts, which has never happened before in NFL… https://t.co/wgsxz9bFgC pic.twitter.com/lw21WO3Pqz

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) July 18, 2025

Washington Post (paywall)​

Von Miller is a luxury item for a Commanders team that can afford one


Washington is now a destination for former stars such as Miller, who was looking for a ready-made Super Bowl contender to join.

At this stage of his career, Miller plays a handful of passing-down snaps per game with the hope that on one of them he might ruin another city’s Sunday. He is a closer, a specialist with a specific skill for a specific moment. He can offer only flashes of his past brilliance, but the Commanders have reached a phase of contention at which that is all they require.

Miller played roughly a third of the Buffalo Bills’ defensive snaps last season and recorded six sacks. The Commanders would sign up for that, especially if one or two of those sacks kill an opponent’s fourth-quarter drive in December. He had no sacks during Buffalo’s march to the AFC championship game, but he scooped up Lamar Jackson’s fumble and returned it 39 yards in a tight playoff victory over the Baltimore Ravens.

With the Commanders coming off an NFC championship game appearance, it’s notable they are in position to justifiably indulge in a hyper-specific role player with elite pedigree; they plan on having late leads, and they want a specialist to slam the door. It’s also worth noting the other side of the transaction. The Commanders have transformed from a Superfund site to a place where veterans with options want to come.

The reason is obvious, and he wears No. 5. A handful of quarterbacks — maybe four, maybe six, no more than eight — ensure annual aspiration of championship contention. Jayden Daniels is one of them. Dan Quinn’s reputation as a player’s coach helps, but Daniels is the magnet for players chasing one more January run.


Episode 1,114 - Analysis of the Commanders signing Von Miller. He's better than people realize.

Guest: @BarrySvrluga. Terrific perspective on the stalled Terry McLaurin contract-extension talks. Great intel on the Nationals' GM search & on Mike DeBartolo.https://t.co/p2ggJukXyR

— Al Galdi (@AlGaldi) July 18, 2025

Commanders.com

2025 opponent breakdown | Denver Broncos

  • Can Bo Nix avoid a sophomore slump? Like Daniels with the Commanders, Nix ignited the Broncos’ offense. He had the most passing yards for a Denver quarterback since Case Keenum in 2018, and had it not been for Daniels’ becoming the talk of the league, he would have had a good shot at being the Offensive Rookie of the Year. Nix outperformed several expectations for him with his arm strength and decision-making, but also like Daniels, he will need to prove that he can replicate that success while also elevating the offense around him. While Daniels and the Commanders had a top 10 unit in nearly every category, the Broncos were around the middle of the league, despite Nix having impressive moments.
  • Can the defense have an encore performance? Much of the Broncos’ success in 2024 stemmed from their defense, which was particularly stingy against the run and allowed the third-fewest points per game. They also excelled in creating turnovers, as their 25 takeaways were tied for sixth most in the league. Though the yards allowed per game don’t show it, they were also effective against the pass with Surtain batting away balls and Bonitto harassing quarterbacks. It won’t be easy to replicate that success, particularly in a conference that is full of top-tier quarterbacks, but they have the personnel to do it. The group is mostly the same aside from the departure of Cody Barton, and they have added players like Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga. It’s rare for defenses to have good performances year-over-year, but the Broncos might be one of the few exceptions to that trend.
  • Will RJ Harvey be enough to get the run game going? The run was one of the obvious areas that needed to improve in 2025. The Broncos had a committee approach to things with Williams leading the way and Nix adding 430 yards, but Williams is with the Cowboys now, and there needs to be a new leader in the Broncos’ backfield. It seems like Harvey, who had 22 rushing touchdowns in 2024, and veteran J.K. Dobbins will have a one-two punch. Harvey was exceptional during his final two seasons at UCF with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. Dobbins, who has struggled to be on the field for most of his career, was at his best last season with 905 yards and nine touchdowns while playing for the Chargers. Their tandem, plus a few scrambles from Nix, might be enough to boost Denver’s ground game, which hasn’t fielded a top 10 rushing unit since 2011.

Podcasts & videos

Zach Ertz on Coach Dan Quinn Being BEST Coach to Him, Becoming a Top 5 Tight End, & Terry McLaurin!​



previewing the 2025 Commanders full season in 4 minutes:https://t.co/Jv1ZQdgX4G pic.twitter.com/14OqxrXXwW

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) July 17, 2025

Art Monk #81 Jersey Retirement, Gary Clark on ‘The Posse’ and Jayden Daniels Film Room​



Instant reaction to Von Miller headed to the Commanders + @corryjoel's thoughts on Terry McLaurin's contract extension now that the frustrated WR offered his candid assessment of the stalled talks.

https://t.co/PoUDgL1FML

https://t.co/ytmrFsftuG

— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) July 17, 2025


Straight Fire 7.17

@ASchatzNFL

this is the year the Bills or Ravens break through in the AFC
why Washington > Eagles in NFC East
Jaguars better than the Texans?
very surprising #1 overall fantasy pickhttps://t.co/VejuFruRbt pic.twitter.com/x7KYn2VxKZ

— Jason McIntyre (@jasonrmcintyre) July 17, 2025


A pioneer in pro sports entertainment

Our marching band has been drumming up gameday energy since the ‘30s

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) July 17, 2025

NFC East links

Dallas Morning News

Cowboys plan to reduce Trevon Diggs’ salary for not working out enough with the team


Diggs will take a $500,000 hit for not completing at least 84% of his workouts, as required by his contract.

Team officials will deduct $500,000 from Diggs’ $9 million base salary for his failure to complete at least 84% of his offseason workouts, a person with knowledge of Diggs’ contract told The Dallas Morning News.

Diggs is recovering from surgery on his left knee.

Instead of doing a majority of his rehab work at The Star with team medical officials, he elected to do it away from the facility. Diggs has not told the media what his issues are with the team’s medical staff.

Last season, Diggs endured cartilage issues before ending his season after 11 games. In January, Diggs underwent a chondral tissue graft surgery to replace the damaged cartilage.

In 2023, Diggs suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during a practice before the third game of the season.

Diggs said the injury he suffered last season isn’t related to poor rehab work or the ACL tear. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones intimated Diggs needed to work better in rehab without identifying what areas the team wanted to see improved.


Blogging the Boys

Micah Parsons extension watch: Steelers give T.J. Watt deal worth $41M per year, $108M guaranteed


Paying Micah Parsons just got more expensive.

Paraphrasing a bit, Parsons noted that he wanted to get the deal done last year and that he didn’t understand why the Cowboys were waiting because other deals could happen that would impact the math at play. Jerry Jones infamously referred to this idea before last year’s NFL Draft as leaves falling.

Timber. A whole tree has come down.

The Pittsburgh Steelers just gave T.J. Watt a deal that will serve as a bar for the Cowboys to clear. The important details are that Watt (who the Cowboys very infamously drafted Taco Charlton over, by the way) is making $41M per year and received $108M fully guaranteed.

If the Cowboys had shown some proactivity this or last offseason, then they could have in all likelihood come in at numbers below these. At this point, Parsons and his representation will obviously use this deal to their advantage.


NFL league links

Articles​

The Athletic (paywall)​

NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell steps down after weeks of criticism


NFL Players Association executive director Lloyd Howell Jr. is stepping down, effective immediately, Howell announced in a statement via the NFLPA on Thursday. A source briefed on the procedure told The Athletic that the NFLPA executive board plans to meet in the coming days to discuss next steps, including naming an interim executive director.

The move follows several weeks of criticism aimed at the NFLPA, including concerns about a potential conflict of interest involving Howell and reporting that the NFLPA agreed to a confidentiality agreement with the NFL to hide information about an arbitration decision.

“It’s clear that my leadership has become a distraction to the important work the NFLPA advances every day,” Howell wrote in the statement. “… I hope this will allow the NFLPA to maintain its focus on its player members ahead of the upcoming season.”

Last week, ESPN reported, and sources familiar with the situation confirmed, that in addition to his work with the NFLPA, Howell is also a paid, part-time consultant for a private equity firm approved by the NFL to pursue minority ownership stakes in franchises.


Statement from Lloyd Howell Jr. pic.twitter.com/levOYblG2T

— NFLPA (@NFLPA) July 18, 2025

Front Office Sports

Netflix Beats Projections Again—and Plots Big Holiday Sports Slate


Even as its streaming rivals grow, both in size and number, Netflix again surpassed expectations.

Since the last earnings report for Netflix, the streamer learned its Christmas NFL doubleheader in 2025 will include the Cowboys visiting the Commanders, followed by the Lions facing the Vikings. With the twin bill of attractive, late-season matchups of division rivals, Netflix seeks to beat its 2024 Christmas viewership, which averaged more than 24 million viewers and set a league streaming record.

“Our live strategy and our sports strategy are unchanged,” said Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos. “We remain focused on ownable, big, breakthrough events, because our audiences really love them. Anything we chase in the events space or in the sports space has got to make economic sense as well. We bring a lot to the table, and the deals that we make have to reflect that.”


Discussion topics


Chairman @RepJamesComer is calling on the DC Council to approve the revitalization plan for the RFK Stadium in Washington.

No more stalling, it's time to Make DC Beautiful Again! pic.twitter.com/4XrID7VMIr

— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) July 17, 2025

✉️ Read the letter to @ChmnMendelson: pic.twitter.com/hWbLssXZPD

— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) July 17, 2025

Read the press release: https://t.co/cp56yZjFX1

— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) July 17, 2025

Source: Maryland, Virginia reaching out to Commanders about building teams new stadium in wake of exclusivity clause expiring with DC.

RFK remains the clear front runner but DC Council now entering the FAFO phase. Told if vote goes past July - 2030 opening in serious jeopardy. pic.twitter.com/JvA8eDFHzO

— Eric Flack (@EricFlackTV) July 16, 2025

“Source” is undoubtedly someone from the team’s side, aiming to pressure DC Council to rush to rubber-stamp the deal. There’s no way team goes to Virginia, after how it rejected the Wizards/Caps arena. Maryland is only a faint possibility, given that everybody would prefer DC.

— Robert McCartney (@McCartneyWP) July 16, 2025

RFK Stadium update from @SegravesNBC4: "If I'm a betting man, this is going to happen. The team is going to open a domed stadium in 2030 and were all going to be there...The deal is ultimately going to get done. It's just about the optics." pic.twitter.com/hdQWK286LG

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) July 17, 2025


Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/2025/7/18...rusher-von-miller-can-help-commanders-defense
 
Daily Slop - 19 Jul 25 - Film clip of Noah Brown workout dampens concerns over receiver’s health ahead of training camp

Pittsburgh Steelers v Washington Commanders

Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East, the NFL and sports in general, and a sprinkling of other stuff

Commanders links

Articles​

ESPN

Judging 2025 NFL offseason overreactions

It’s the Commanders’ turn to win the NFC East​


Not much was expected of the Commanders last season, but they were one of the great surprises. Led by new head coach Dan Quinn and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Commanders won their final five games of the regular season (including one against the Eagles) to make the playoffs as a wild card. Then they upset the Buccaneers and Lions to advance to the NFC Championship Game.

Washington’s 12-5 record put the team only two games behind Philadelphia, and they traded for veterans such as left tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. in an effort to take the next step and maximize Daniels’ rookie-contract window. The Eagles still look phenomenal and deservedly will open as the division favorites, but no team has repeated as NFC East champion since 2004. The Commanders have their sights set on bigger things in 2025.

The verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION

It’s probably actually the Giants’ turn, because every other NFC East team has won the division at least three times since New York last did it in 2011. But since a Giants division title would be an even bigger surprise than what Washington did last season, let’s keep it focused on the Commanders for now.

Quinn took the Falcons to the Super Bowl in his second season as Atlanta’s head coach, so he’s not one to temper expectations. The experience Daniels got and the poise he has already shown in fourth quarters of huge games should only help him moving forward.

Championship-seasoned veterans such as Bobby Wagner and Zach Ertz, who were brought in to help jump-start a fresh culture, are back for another run. Veteran cornerback Marshon Lattimore should be better than he was in his post-trade-deadline stint last season. And while there’s no reason to doubt the Eagles, it’s incredibly tough to repeat as champion in this division.

Dallas should be better with quarterback Dak Prescott back healthy, but Washington looks to have more than the Cowboys do. It’s very possible that the Commanders take another leap and finish on top in the East.


NFL.com

Washington Commanders training camp 2025 preview: Key dates, notable additions, biggest storylines

What You Need To Know​


1) Will Terry McLaurin show up? All is well in the nation’s capital after the Commanders’ surprising 2024 campaign — that is [aside from] McLaurin’s contract kerfuffle with management. The Pro Bowl wide receiver did not show for [some] voluntary organized team activities [and skipped] mandatory minicamp in the Spring, subjecting himself to [possible] fines as he seeks a contract extension.

On Tuesday, a “frustrated” McLaurin, speaking for the first time since skipping spring [Phase 3 OTAs], told reporters that he was still unsure about reporting to training camp, a week before it is set to begin, without a new deal.

McLaurin is currently 17th in AAV among receivers (behind teammate Deebo Samuel) on a $23.2 million-per deal that is in its final year. A two-time Pro Bowler, McLaurin was the leader in the clubhouse during the tumultuous ownership transition from Dan Snyder to Josh Harris — and now wants to be paid like the valued face of the franchise he [is]. McLaurin could probably wait until the 11th hour before Week 1 to sign and be good to go out of the gate. But after the good vibes of the ‘24 season, the last thing the Commanders want is their [out]standing star WR spending any time away from the team entering 2025.

2) The future is now in Washington. Jayden Daniels’ breakout rookie season was a clear indication of that. Further evidence came in general manager Adam Peters’ actions this offseason, acquiring two key pieces in Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil. [By] going for broke with the additions of a Swiss Army playmaker and a perennial Pro Bowl blindside blocker, Washington is speedily building an offense around Daniels and in his image.

But to build off their NFC title game run in 2024, the Commanders need to first get their two new stars up and running in training camp. Samuel has already impressed teammates in camp despite online chatter that he’s playing slower entering his seventh season, and Tunsil’s veteran presence at offseason work has his coach fawning. How Samuel’s role develops in training camp (more WR or RB?) will be the more interesting development (Tunsil is no doubt the starting LT), but both big names will have eyes on them in Ashburn, Virginia.

3) The last we saw the Commanders defense, it was being boat-raced off Lincoln Financial Field by Saquon Barkley and Co. to the tune of 459 yards and 55 points allowed. Joe Whitt Jr.’s middling outfit was the more disappointing unit in 2024 and saw some turnover this offseason that should change things — for better or worse, who knows? Jonathan Allen, the Washington mainstay, is off to Minnesota, replaced in the aggregate by...Javon Kinlaw, Eddie Goldman and Sheldon Day.

The loss of former starter Benjamin St-Juste has been offset at CB by the additions of ex-Patriot Jonathan Jones and second-round pick Trey Amos. Those two will pair with [Mike Sainristil and] Marshon Lattimore, last year’s midseason addition who dealt with injuries in ‘24 and didn’t live up to the hype in five total games played.

Dan Quinn came to D.C. to instill a defensive identity and ended up with one of the NFL’s best offenses. Training camp will be a proving ground for Quinn, Whitt and the aforementioned defensive additions to turn around a unit that held D.C. back from a title bout last season.


The Athletic (paywall)​

NFL over/under win totals: Predictions and best bets for all 32 teams in 2025

Washington Commanders over 9.5 (-120)​


The Commanders had a magical 12-win season last year, demonstrated best by the fact that they converted 20 of 23 fourth downs. That will be impossible to repeat, and while Jayden Daniels is special, the Commanders will take a step or two back this year. But not three. They should still win at least 10 games, as the offensive line is better and Deebo Samuel, for all the internet fat-shaming, still has some plays left in him. Just give him a breather or 10. The defense took some hits, and the pass rush is a little suspect, but Daniels will again win two or three games because he and Terry McLaurin have the ball last — assuming they work out McLaurin’s contract situation.


Commanders.com

Commanders 2025 training camp preview | Quarterback

  • What’s next for Daniels? The Commanders obviously struck gold when they took Daniels last year. He broke records, added stability to a position that lacked it for decades and took the team to the NFC Championship. Daniels performed so far above average that some analysts are predicting him to experience the dreaded “sophomore slump,” meaning he is going to show some type of regression as a professional player. There is some logic behind the belief that Daniels’ stats won’t be as exceptional as they were during his rookie year, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he will regress as a player. He looked sharp during OTAs and minicamp, and his work ethic is still as impressive as it was in 2024. Sure, defenses are going to be more prepared for his skill set, but the poise and strong foundation in his mechanics are not going to simply disappear. As long as Daniels’ approach stays the same, then he should be primed for another strong season.
  • How will Daniels perform against tougher competition? Every NFL defense is difficult, but there’s no denying that this year’s season has more challenges in store for Daniels. The Commanders will face five teams who had top 10 defenses in 2024, and that includes seeing the Philadelphia Eagles twice. What’s more, teams like the New York Giants, who ranked near the bottom of the league last season, have upgraded their personnel. Daniels will face some of the best pass-rushing groups in the NFL. Seven of the Commanders’ opponents finished with top 10 rankings in total sacks. Washington had this in mind during the offseason, which is why it strengthened its offensive line with Laremy Tunsil and Josh Conerly Jr. Daniels was also one of the most sacked quarterbacks last season, and if Washington hopes to replicate the success from 2024, it will need to help Daniels get that number down.
  • How many quarterbacks will the Commanders keep? The Commanders kept three quarterbacks on the roster while placing Hartman on the practice squad, and it seems like they might do the same thing in 2025. The only new face is Johnson, who has been part of multiple teams across several leagues and has experience in a plethora of offensive schemes. Johnson is not a bad emergency option, but his real value goes back to Daniels’ development. The Commanders spoke often about how pivotal the quarterback room was to getting Daniels up to speed during his rookie year. In addition to the coaches on staff who have experience in developing quarterbacks, the room itself took a collaborative approach to game plans and offered their expertise to Daniels before every game. It might not seem as important as other position battles on the roster, but it’s one the Commanders certainly care about.

Heavy.com

Commanders ‘Modern Linebacker’ Compared to Fred Warner


Logan Paulsen spent six years playing tight end for the Burgundy and Gold, and he talked Magee up on The Team 980’s “Take Command” podcast. Paulsen explained how Magee “kind of checks all these boxes that you want for, like, a modern linebacker. When I think about modern linebacker, it’s Fred Warner, right? It’s this guy that can cover, can get downhill can play sideline to sideline, and there were shades of that when he (Magee) played at Temple.”

Those words may read as overly optimistic about Magee’s development, but it’s important to remember Warner was only a third-round pick back in 2018. The former BYU ace outplayed his draft status and became elite.

Paulsen hopes Magee gets the same chance, even though he acknowledged injury “sidelined” the player’s development as a rookie. Fortunately, it sounds like the “process” will “get started” this year, giving Magee the chance “to show that he’s the, you know, heir apparent to Bobby Wagner, you know, whenever Bobby chooses to walk away.”

Playing three linebackers more often will beef up the front seven if Magee can make plays like this downhill seek-and-destroy run stop for Temple, highlighted by NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah.


Finishing up LB’s & really enjoyed watching Temple’s Jordan Magee. His name hasn’t come up one time in my talks with GM’s/personnel directors. What am I missing? He’s instinctive, twitchy and tough. pic.twitter.com/G5PTXzMDlM

— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) February 22, 2024

Commanders.com

2025 opponent breakdown | Minnesota Vikings

  • What kind of quarterback is JJ McCarthy? This is the biggest question the Vikings will need to answer, not just this year but for the long-term success of their franchise. It seems like he is set up for success; he has a head coach with a strong resume of helping quarterbacks thrive and a strong arsenal of weapons. But he does have a difficult act to follow, as Darnold not only rejuvenated his career but also helped the team win 14 games. If McCarthy can prove he’s capable of being a franchise quarterback, it will dramatically shift the Vikings’ plans for the future. If not, then it creates more questions about how they can capitalize on what is otherwise a solid roster.
  • Can the Vikings get a more successful running game? Jones was a strong player for them last season — it’s why they brought him back this offseason — but the Vikings need more than him if they want a better running game. So, they traded a pair of late-round picks to the San Francisco 49ers for Jordan Mason, who took a jump in production last season with 789 yards and three touchdowns. The move makes sense, but the Vikings also didn’t draft a running back from what was considered to be a strong class. There are currently five running backs on the Vikings’ roster with Ty Chandler slated as the third player behind Jones and Mason. Will that be enough to get them out of the bottom half of the league? Perhaps, but Jones will need to continue turning back the clock, as he will turn 31 during the season.
  • Who is the starting cornerback next to Murphy? Murphy was one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL last year and tied for third in interceptions. However, it’s unknown how the rest of the position will play out. Mekhi Blackmon, a third-round pick from 2023, missed all of last season with an ACL tear but showed promise as a rookie, so he will likely play a role now that he’s healthy. The Vikings also signed Jeff Okudah, who last played for the Houston Texans, as a possible option, although he has historically struggled to stay on the field and only played in six games last season. Despite Murphy playing well, the Vikings were 28th in passing yards allowed, and with so many dynamic offenses populating the NFC North, it’s a problem they need to solve quickly to stay competitive.

Heavy.com

Dating Rumors Swirl Around Commanders QB Jayden Daniels, College Hoops Superstar


[TMZ] tried to get an answer from USC basketball star JuJu Watkins on whether or not she was dating Daniels, last year’s NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, after a video emerged of the couple (or are they?) walking into Watkins’ 20th birthday party together this week.

TMZ paparazzi found Watkins at LAX and she avoided questions about whether or not she was dating Daniels. Watkins, the reigning Naismith National Player of the Year, is still recovering from a torn ACL suffered in March.

Watkins Surefire No. 1 Overall Pick In WNBA Draft​


Whenever she’s recovered from her ACL injury and whenever she decides she’s ready, Watkins is a lock to be the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft.

The once-in-a-generation player is a Southern California native, just like Daniels, and was the 2023 Gatorade National Player of the Year out of Sierra Canyon School.


Podcasts & videos


Episode 1,114 - Analysis of the Commanders signing Von Miller. He's better than people realize.

Guest: @BarrySvrluga. Terrific perspective on the stalled Terry McLaurin contract-extension talks. Great intel on the Nationals' GM search & on Mike DeBartolo.https://t.co/p2ggJukXyR

— Al Galdi (@AlGaldi) July 18, 2025

Commanders WIN Offseason As Eagles Get Worse & Cowboys Stagnate | NFC East Breakdown​



"I don't think he's becoming available."@JPFinlayNBCS joins @PhilAPerry on the Next Pats podcast to break down why he doesn't see Terry McLaurin leaving the Commanders anytime soon https://t.co/XtRTsXGY82

: https://t.co/vsSdveA3qN
: https://t.co/KSpknqiTGR pic.twitter.com/tztzpHH6Oj

— NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) July 19, 2025

NFC East links

Bleeding Green Nation

Dallas Goedert’s salary cap hit in 2026 is a looming threat to Eagles’ Super Bowl window


Howie Roseman’s propensity for extremely aggressive contract structures and heavily backloaded deals [is] a strategy that has worked quite well for the Eagles – they just won a Super Bowl! — but carries a fair amount of long-term financial risk. Put simply, the strategy works as long as the players you choose to pay continue to play well and stay healthy, and you continue to draft well to stock the roster with young, affordable talent.

what about 2026? The Eagles are already third in projected dead cap heading into next season and have just $21 million in projected cap space despite having only 49 players under contract. Notably, players like Reed Blankenship, Nakobe Dean, Dallas Goedert, Josh Uche, and Azeez Ojulari are all slated to hit free agency.

Speaking of Goedert, he’ll be responsible for a whopping $20.5 million in additional dead cap once his contract voids at the start of the 2026 season. This is due to the aforementioned aggressive backloading on his contract, as the bill finally comes due if he isn’t re-signed prior to the start of the 2026 league year. The good news is the Eagles can avoid this dead money charge by “keeping it rolling” with another extension for Goedert, if they so choose. The bad news is there’s a hard deadline to avoid the dead money charge, which gives Goedert significant leverage and little financial incentive to take a small deal from Philadelphia.

Goedert already agreed to a pay cut in May 2025, reducing his base salary by $4.25 million in exchange for full guarantees on his remaining money. So clearly he’s at least willing to work with the Eagles and has a desire to stick around. The bigger question is if Goedert is in the Eagles’ future plans, and if they’re willing to pay him enough to keep him around. Goedert has struggled with injuries throughout his NFL career but especially last season, playing in just 10 games in 2024 and turning in the second-worst receiving performance of his career.

The Eagles have two options with Goedert in 2026. They can either let his contract void and eat the $20.5 million dead cap charge all at once, which would be painful but end the money snowball in 2026. Or, they could keep it rolling, giving Goedert a small extension to continue spreading out the dead cap into future years. Given that Goedert is entering his age-30 season and the Eagles’ current competitive window, it wouldn’t shock me if the decision resulted in giving Goedert that extension.



The Commanders are the oldest up and coming team ever pic.twitter.com/icUsbH9SXN

— Real Talk With MJ Podcast (@RealTalkWithMJ1) July 17, 2025

NFL league links

Articles​

The Athletic (paywall)​

What does Aaron Rodgers have left? What history says about quarterback life after 40


Since 1970, over-40 QBs have combined for 12 playoff wins. Brady has 10, including two Super Bowls. The others? Brees and Brett Favre each did it once.

When the Pittsburgh Steelers signed 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers, they bet against history. A team that hasn’t won a playoff game since 2017 is counting on Rodgers, who turns 42 in December, to snap the skid.

No one knows how this season will unfold, but let’s open the history books to see what the stats say about what the Steelers can expect.



For the better part of a decade, Rodgers has been thinking about playing into his 40s.

However, three months before his 40th birthday, Rodgers ruptured his Achilles in his Jets debut. Injuries, as history tells us, should be one of his primary concerns.

For Rodgers, the lingering effects of the torn Achilles (and reported knee and hamstring issues) compromised his mobility in 2024. As a result, for just the fourth time in his career, he had a negative EPA per dropback against the blitz (-0.19), according to TruMedia. That was the worst mark among starting QBs who attempted at least 300 passes. He was also sacked ninth most (40), as the magician-like ability to evade the rush disappeared.

During the Jets’ 5-12 season, Rodgers threw for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. However, the underlying stats show he wasn’t as productive as those raw numbers suggest.

His passer rating (90.5) was a career-worst (minimum 20 attempts). His EPA per dropback had been positive in every complete season through 2021 and was as high as 0.40 in the mid-2000s. But it’s been negative for the last two complete seasons, in 2022 (-0.03) and 2024 (-0.02).

Rodgers has said he’s “pretty sure” this will be his final season. Time will tell whether it ends up more like Brady, who added two rings to his legacy in his 40s, or like Unitas and Blanda, who watched their careers come to a screeching halt in Pittsburgh.


ESPN

Ex-NFLPA boss Howell’s strip club expenses sent to investigator


Former NFL Players Association leader Lloyd Howell Jr. resigned after an outside investigator hired by the union received documents this week showing Howell charged the union for two visits to strip clubs, including a $738.82 car service that took him from the airport to one of the clubs.

The documents are union-approved expense reports and receipts, which ESPN began asking questions about hours before Howell abruptly resigned late Thursday night.

One receipt, obtained by ESPN, shows Howell was picked up in a sedan by a car service at Fort Lauderdale International Airport on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, at 10:26 p.m. The car’s first stop was at a nearby Miami Gardens address. The receipt shows only one other stop, nearly eight hours later.

At 6 a.m., the car dropped off Howell at his luxury condominium in Sunny Isles Beach, the receipt shows.

Later, a union finance worker noticed the car service’s exorbitant cost. The employee searched online for the Miami Gardens address, discovering it was Tootsie’s Cabaret.

The 76,000-square-foot venue bills itself as the world’s largest strip club — “full nude No. 1 rated.”


Per the story: During this year's NFLPA summit on Feb. 21, Lloyd Howell accompanied two union employees to the Magic City strip club for an outing that included $2,426 in charges including cash withdrawals, ranging from $200 to $525, from a club ATM, sources and documents show.… https://t.co/vWFjtYyDr3

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 18, 2025

Discussion topics


The league and competition committee have not issued any specific instructions to the officials, source says, on how to handle the situation if there’s a repeat of what occurred during the NFC title game when the Commanders jumped offside repeatedly against the Eagles’ tush push.

— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) July 17, 2025

In January, referee Shawn Hochuli threatened to award the Eagles a touchdown for a “palpably unfair act” if the Commanders continued to jump offside at the goal line with the Eagles lined up for the tush push. But it didn’t happen, as the Eagles scored on their own.

— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) July 17, 2025

The league and competition committee consider what happened during the NFC title game a one-off and therefore have not issued an officiating point of emphasis or other specific instructions to the officials about how to handle such a situation if it occurs again.

— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) July 17, 2025

The tush push remained legal this offseason when 22 teams voted at the May owners’ meeting to ban it, two short of the 24 votes required to ratify the proposed ban.

— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) July 17, 2025

Our story from January on referee Shawn Hochuli threatening to award the Eagles a touchdown during the NFC championship game, from @NickiJhabvala and me.... https://t.co/Ibkx89TjoT

— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) July 17, 2025

Our story from May on the tush push remaining legal when the proposal to ban it fell two votes shy of the 24 needed for ratification.... https://t.co/SsixygY6r4

— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) July 17, 2025

All aTwitter


Commanders WR2 Noah Brown spotted working out, shutting down speculation about an injury preventing him from attending camp. #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/y3KBJvDlZQ

— Los Doos__ @redzoneinthelab podcast (@redzoneinthelab) July 18, 2025

It begins (for some): The Commanders’ rookies report to training camp today (no media access). The vets report next week with the first practice on the 23rd.

— John Keim (@john_keim) July 18, 2025

Locked in @TreyAmos21 | #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/0fbg3t4S3z

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) July 18, 2025

It begins (for some): The Commanders’ rookies report to training camp today (no media access). The vets report next week with the first practice on the 23rd.

— John Keim (@john_keim) July 18, 2025

Commanders GM Adam Peters and HC Dan Quinn will speak with reporters next Tuesday to open up training camp. Will be interesting what, if any, update there is on Terry McLaurin’s contract.

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) July 18, 2025

4 wide receivers signed large extensions this offseason - Chase, Higgins, Metcalf and Wilson. Now Terry McLaurin waits for one. How do they all compare? pic.twitter.com/JdJNLJbCci

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) July 18, 2025

What does @TheDentonDay see as the ideal contract parameters for a McLaurin deal? pic.twitter.com/ucjQN8r512

— The Team 980 (@team980) July 18, 2025
The Commanders have placed T Timothy McKay on the non-football injury list.

McKay still counts towards the 90-man roster. He will begin camp by rehabbing on the side fields

— Zach Selby (@ZachSelbyWC) July 19, 2025

The Robert Bobb Group's report on the RFK stadium deal mentions a lease at the Commanders' current stadium.

They don't have a lease. They own it. There's a covenant that requires the team to play their home games there until at least Sept. 13, 2027. But they can stay as long as… pic.twitter.com/U8Vm4cy7sw

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) July 18, 2025

The Robert Bobb Group analysis on the RFK Stadium development is now available on the Council website at: https://t.co/xaEHrDQ1G0

— Phil Mendelson (@ChmnMendelson) July 18, 2025

My man Terry FINALLY got a QB PLEASE SIGN @TheTerry_25 ALREADY #RaiseHail #PAYTERRY pic.twitter.com/UJFpE7QJYs

— JD5 2025 MVP LOADING (@JoeSeasonin) July 18, 2025

Fellas I got two extra tickets for training camp next Sunday lmk #Raisehail for the freeski

— iWaaLe (@GBWaaLe) July 19, 2025

What started as an experiment evolved into a beloved staple of the stadium experience

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) July 18, 2025

a wholesome offseason pic.twitter.com/ZEFQhK73zY

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) July 18, 2025

Relax folks, they posted Terry back in February pic.twitter.com/Df1cmNx8vw

— trim (@trimsports) July 18, 2025


Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/2025/7/19...s-concerns-over-health-ahead-of-training-camp
 
All aTwitter: 18 July 2025 - Bobby Wagner’s 9th straight season in NFL’s top-100

temp_wags_top_100.0.jpg


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The goal of All aTwitter is to give readers a detailed or quirky look, through the unique lens of Twitter, at the Commanders, the NFL, and sports in general, along with a smattering of other things.


Click here for Washington Commanders Beat Writers Twitter Feed


Click here for NFL News, Rumors & Reports Twitter Feed


Tip: If a tweet isn’t fully visible on your screen, clicking on the date at the bottom of the tweet will open it up individually in either the X app or your browser.


All aTwitter


It begins (for some): The Commanders’ rookies report to training camp today (no media access). The vets report next week with the first practice on the 23rd.

— John Keim (@john_keim) July 18, 2025

9 consecutive seasons on the #NFLTop100@Bwagz | #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/wBHVak8TtV

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) July 17, 2025

NFL Top 100 Players of 2025:@Commanders LB Bobby Wagner snags No. 74 on the countdown! @NFLFilms pic.twitter.com/bViU07XAIj

— NFL (@NFL) July 17, 2025

It's not easy to get away from Bobby Wagner #NFLTop100 | #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/CtIQrr7bik

— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) July 17, 2025

Back to their roots to get that work in before NFL camp starts. pic.twitter.com/pYj9Mq33wA

— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) July 17, 2025

@Johnny5Newton got the dreads cut off #RaiseHail

— Trevor (@TrevHTTC) July 18, 2025

#Commanders WR Deebo Samuel weighs 220 lbs but only has 8% body fat, per his personal trainer Nick Hill via the John Keim Report.

Deebo has been training every day beginning at 6 AM that includes speed, power lift, high level cardio, route running, and boxing sessions pic.twitter.com/QBgT0CXgCP

— brandon (@JayDanielsMVP) July 17, 2025

Washington having a lot of older players is a function of Ron Rivera's bad drafts & the team being in win-now mode due to Jayden Daniels being so good. It is not Adam Peters' team-building philosophy to be old. The average age will come down as he accumulates more draft classes.

— Al Galdi (@AlGaldi) July 17, 2025

Von Miller joins the @Commanders after a season where he recorded the quickest pass rush get-off in the NFL (0.69 seconds, min. 150 pass rushes).

While playing limited snaps in Buffalo, Miller generated a 17.9% pressure rate, the 5th-highest among edge defenders with at least… https://t.co/vIuQ9oIB80 pic.twitter.com/vmmae689US

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) July 17, 2025

Last up: the Washington Commanders @BenStandig joins @FG_Dolan to talk about 2024’s most surprising team — can the Commanders build on last season’s breakout and take another leap in 2025?

16/17 pic.twitter.com/0pH5SGFqSX

— Fantasy Points (@FantasyPts) July 17, 2025

What’s holding up a deal with McLaurin and the Commanders? #RaiseHail @RapSheet @BleavNetwork pic.twitter.com/hpwHStBcAV

— Scott Jackson (@JacksonSports) July 17, 2025

Washington QBs when throwing to Terry McLaurin since he entered the league:

• 100.3 passer rating
• 8.8 yards per attempt
• 2.5 TD/INT ratio
• 0.27 EPA per dropback

Washington QBs throwing to anyone other than McLaurin since 2019:

• 82.0 passer rating
• 6.2 yards per… https://t.co/ZL0Co70QRd pic.twitter.com/qD3aIS0FbT

— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) July 18, 2025

ESPN sources: Steelers star TJ Watt has become the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history for the second time in his illustrious career, reaching agreement today on a three-year, $123 million extension that includes $108M fully guaranteed at signing. The $41 million per year average… pic.twitter.com/si6V7FUdlp

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 17, 2025

Sometimes being the younger brother pays off @JJWatt @_TJWatt pic.twitter.com/8O63CO0Q96

— NFL on CBS (@NFLonCBS) July 17, 2025

TJ Watt tied the sack record (while missing two games) and won DPOY last time he got paid… just a reminder pic.twitter.com/00v1ZdebIF

— Chris Ferland (@chris_ferland) July 18, 2025

Shock retirement: WR Mike Williams informs Bolts he plans to walk away from NFL after eight yearshttps://t.co/y502CJaIwh pic.twitter.com/B6CR87ZXur

— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) July 17, 2025

Half a million between friends https://t.co/Ifhs8uPM5w

— COMMANDERS FOOTBALL (@HogsHaven) July 18, 2025

Under the CBA, Shemar Stewart could reenter next year's NFL draft if he does not sign with the Bengals and does not play this season. But if he returns to college football, the Bengals would retain his rights as if they had selected him in next year's NFL draft, under the CBA. https://t.co/udkVcRxCH1

— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) July 17, 2025

Thats about a 12% jump from last year which is pretty large https://t.co/WELZ8cP2Pl

— Jason_OTC (@Jason_OTC) July 17, 2025

BREAKING
Chair of House Oversight Committee James Comer seems to threaten Congressional investigation if DC Council doesn't pass RFK Deal before August recess.

Comer warns against "unnecessary and politically motivated delays" in letter to DC Council Chair Phil Mendelson. pic.twitter.com/J1UStQWTfE

— Eric Flack (@EricFlackTV) July 17, 2025

RFK Stadium update from @SegravesNBC4: "If I'm a betting man, this is going to happen. The team is going to open a domed stadium in 2030 and were all going to be there...The deal is ultimately going to get done. It's just about the optics." pic.twitter.com/hdQWK286LG

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) July 17, 2025

The Washington #Commanders are wearing the Super Bowl Era uniforms on November 2; the same night the franchise will retire Art Monk’s jersey. I asked Art what it means to him that the current team does so much to honor him and his teammates. Check out his response.

Special… pic.twitter.com/W8W6aamaKK

— CWallSports (@cwallse) July 18, 2025

Mike Thomas, born 72 years ago today ️

The Redskins' dual-threat running back followed up his NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign in '75 with a Pro Bowl season in 1976.

Highlights from that year#HTTR #RaiseHail https://t.co/semfewKJKf pic.twitter.com/spjqUPjFku

— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) July 18, 2025

#WorldEmojiDay ✌️ pic.twitter.com/fcNpQmpqyd

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) July 17, 2025

NEW: D.C. Defenders interim head coach Shannon Harris has joined Tennessee State as OC/QBs coach, TSU head coach Reggie Barlow confirmed to me.

Harris took over for Barlow as the Defenders' interim head coach days before the 2025 season began and led them to the UFL title. pic.twitter.com/wutFv0ai1j

— Jake Russell (@_JakeRussell) July 17, 2025

.@upperdeckgolf is coming to Northwest Stadium on September 26-27! Join the VIP Waitlist to book tee times before the general public. https://t.co/MybfTAc5ZK#UpperDeckGolf pic.twitter.com/N0uQx9sJ9N

— Northwest Stadium (@NWStadium) July 17, 2025

Cold beer, old music.

Good Thursday night in Bangkok. pic.twitter.com/34SdHJ5eTs

— Bill-in-Bangkok (@billhorgan2005) July 17, 2025

Hogs Haven Media Information


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Buy Washington gear at the Hogs Haven Fanshop



Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/2025/7/18...y-wagners-9th-straight-season-in-nfls-top-100
 
Daily Slop - 20 Jul 25 - Commanders place rookie offensive lineman on the non-football injured reserve

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A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East, the NFL and sports in general, and a sprinkling of other stuff

Commanders links

Articles​

A to Z Sports

Von Miller’s biggest weakness isn’t a concern to Dan Quinn and the Washington Commanders


Miller obviously isn’t the type of edge rusher he was in the past, or even an every-down type of player like Trey Hendrickson, or T.J. Watt, but Washington made this call for a reason. The Commanders don’t need the Super Bowl MVP to come in and play every snap - they needed to fill a void.

It’s clear Miller is a rotational guy that saves himself for the playoffs and the Commanders are just fine with that.

Dan Quinn knows how to manage veterans and we all know how the Commanders are very deliberate with how they go about making sure they always hit the right markers. They know exactly what they’re getting into with Miller and they’ll know how to manage him.

Miller finished with a 16.1% pressure rate last season, which ranked as 10th best in the league among players with 175+ pass rush snaps. Quinn isn’t going to put Miller on the field on first and ten, or likely running situations, he’s going to deploy Miller on third and forth downs, and let him use that trademark spin move to get the ball back to Washington.


Von Miller’s 1-year deal with the Commanders is for $6.1M but worth up to $10.5M with incentives, source confirmed.

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) July 19, 2025

Heiserman’s Huddle (subscription)​

Commanders Sign Eight-Time Pro Bowler Von Miller to a One-Year Deal


While Miller isn’t necessarily the same workhorse that he was with the Broncos, he can still come into the game on later downs and make a big impact.

Even though Miller will likely be utilized as a backup behind both Dorance Armstrong and Deatrich Wise Jr., this is a very low risk, high reward situation for Washington, adding extra depth to a defense that heavily struggled against the run last season.

Clearly, based on his production last year, Miller still has a lot left in the tank. He obviously won’t solve all of the Commanders’ defensive problems, but should be able to accumulate around 5.0 sacks, and make some big plays for Washington, as he looks to add another Super Bowl ring to his collection.


Heavy.com

Commanders Non-QB MVP Set for Double Digits After Von Miller Deal


It’s versatile, off-ball linebacker Frankie Luvu who’s in for the statistical boost, according to Bryan Manning of Commanders Wire. Manning believes former Buffalo Bills edge-rusher “Miller’s signing will not impact Luvu’s usage as a pass rusher. Luvu was all over Washington’s defense last season and established himself as a villain to Philly fans. That’s how you know you’ve arrived. Expect Luvu to hit the double-digit mark in sacks in 2025.”

Miller may not alter how often Luvu is used as a pass-rusher, but he will take attention away from the best blitzing playmaker on the roster. Luvu’s ongoing spat with NFC East rivals the Philadelphia Eagles may endear him to many fans in Washington, but the real reason to cheer will be seeing the 28-year-old make good on Manning’s prediction.

If he does, Luvu will have done his bit to turn pass rush from a perceived weakness into a team strength. Fortunately, key work this offseason provides good reason to believe Luvu is primed to take a leap generating pressure.


Frankie Luvu getting some individual pass rush work in with coach Ryan Kerrigan pic.twitter.com/dRPs4xNu6w

— Lynnell Willingham (@Nell_BTP) June 4, 2025

Washington Post (paywall)​

Pressure heats up on D.C. Council to hold vote on RFK Stadium deal


D.C. lawmakers have said for weeks that they are doing their due diligence on the $3.7 billion dollar deal, and expect to approve it - just not as fast as everyone wants.

[W]hile the council will hold public hearings on the stadium deal July 29 and 30, D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) has yet to set a specific date for a vote on the proposal, fueling the continued pressure.

Rep. James Comer (R-Kentucky), who led the House effort to give D.C. the RFK Stadium redevelopment opportunity, sent a letter to Mendelson on Thursday urging him to approve the deal no later than August after the D.C. Council separated the deal from the city budget process that is occurring this month. The council still took an initial vote Monday to approve $500 million in public funds to support stadium infrastructure as part of the budget, though the terms of the deal are expected to be debated separately.

“The Committee was disappointed to see the Council’s vote on the stadium deal delayed, particularly given the significant economic benefits at stake and the clear mandate provided by federal legislation,” Comer wrote to Mendelson. “The removal of the stadium’s authorizing language from the D.C. budget has given cause for concern since it would unnecessarily delay the ultimate use of the 174 acres of currently underutilized federal property which the Act unlocked for revitalization.”

Mendelson reacted to Comer’s intervention on Friday, saying on WAMU’s “Politics Hour with Kojo Nnamdi” that the letter surprised him. He said he was having productive conversations with the Commanders to work toward agreeing on terms of the deal that the council would vote to approve and that the council was moving with urgency.

“The proposed stadium deal is not inherently flawed — but it is incompletely structured for a project of this scale, public profile, and timeline,” Bobb wrote. He called the timeline “compressed and unforgiving,” requiring extraordinary planning and coordination to execute the stadium by 2030, when Bowser and the Commanders want it open.

The council will be on recess in August, but voted this week to amend its rules to allow the Committee of the Whole — which has oversight of the RFK deal and includes all council members — to take votes during the recess. Mendelson said that will give the committee flexibility on RFK, though he acknowledged that for now, the next full legislative meeting where the D.C. Council could take a formal vote on legislation, including a final deal, is not until Sept. 17.


1st PRO-stadium grassroots group RFK Now! releases new poll showing 65% of DC voters favor taxpayer funded Commanders Stadium despite $1.1 Bil price tag. Group driven by small buisness owners demanding economic development, calling for DC Council approval.https://t.co/8LacsHwru3

— Eric Flack (@EricFlackTV) July 19, 2025

Commanders.com

Fred Smoot ‘flabbergasted’ by Jayden Daniels’ development


“The best thrower of the ball in the NFC East is Jayden Daniels,” Smoot said. “The best runner of the football is Jayden Daniels. That makes him the No. 1 quarterback.”

Daniels is coming off arguably the best rookie season in NFL history while leading the Commanders to their first NFC Championship since 1991. He recorded 5,416 combined yards in the regular and postseason — a rookie record — including 891 yards on the ground (also a rookie record). That doesn’t even mention all the highlight moments he created along the way, like the touchdown throw that won the game against the Cincinnati Bengals and the Hail Mary throw against the Chicago Bears.

But it isn’t just the heroics on the field that made Smoot believe Daniels is the best signal-caller in the division; it’s the way he proved himself as a leader on a roster that is now the oldest in the NFL. He earned veterans’ respect because of how hard he worked during the offseason. Now, players like Zach Ertz, who has been around his share of talented quarterbacks, are bought into Daniels and his skill set.

“That’s why I’m just so flabbergasted by what Jayden Daniels has done,” Smoot said. “He doesn’t go reaching for leadership; he goes asking for it ... It’s so easy when you got that guy in the room.”


Commanders Wire

Washington Commanders training camp preview: Wide receivers

Depth and reserves​

  • Luke McCaffrey
  • Jaylin Lane (R)
  • K.J. Osborn
  • Michael Gallup
  • Ja’Corey Brooks (R)
  • Jacoby Jones (R)
  • Chris Moore
  • Michael Strachan

There are lots of interesting names here. McCaffrey and Lane would appear to be the only locks of the bunch. Gallup is trying to revive his career after an injury and brief retirement. Perhaps he could play a similar role as Olamide Zaccheaus did last season for the Commanders if he makes the team. Osborn signed late last season, but barely saw the field. Washington re-signed him this offseason. Osborn has NFL experience and is still young. Brooks is one of the NFL’s most intriguing undrafted free agents. He offers size and excellent ball skills.

It will be interesting to see which of Washington’s receivers stand out this summer. McCaffrey looks ready for a big leap, and Lane looked good this offseason.

Outlook​


This should be a pretty solid group. The Commanders need McCaffrey to take a step forward. If that happens, this group suddenly looks much more formidable. Washington knows what it’s getting in McLaurin and has a pretty good idea of what Samuel will bring. Noah Brown was called upon to be the No. 2 receiver during the first half of last season, and he played well. Brown is Washington’s biggest receiver and is excellent at drawing flags. Whether he starts or not, he will play significant snaps.


Podcasts & videos

Terry McLaurin deal COMING SOON w/ Ian Rapoport​



On video talking about Von Miller: 5 thoughts. How he can impact; his ideal role; what does he have left; more. ⁦@ESPNRichmondhttps://t.co/77CH1VXddc

— John Keim (@john_keim) July 19, 2025

NFC East links

Big Blue View

NFC East previews​


Over the past few ‘Valentine’s Views’ podcasts, I have been speaking with folks who cover the Giants division rivals. Here are those shows, if you are interested:

Washington Commanders with DC sportswriter Rick Snider.​

Dallas Cowboys with RJ Ochoa of Blogging The Boys.​

Philadelphia Eagles with Brandon Lee Gowton of Bleeding Green Nation.​


NFL league links

Articles​

Pro Football Talk

Lions lose defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike for season with torn ACL


Lions defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike suffered a torn ACL and will miss the entire season, head coach Dan Campbell announced today. Onwuzurike opened camp on the reserve/physically unable to perform list but it was only today that Campbell explained why.

“Levi is out for the year. Levi’s surgery, it was significant, but it needed to be done. Out of his control but it needed to be done, so he will miss the season,” Campbell said. “It was a knee, ACL, so he got that taken care of.”

Onwuzurike has spent his entire career with the Lions, who drafted him in the second round in 2021. Last year he was one of the few Lions defenders who stayed healthy, missing only one game and playing in 61 percent of the Lions’ defensive snaps.


All aTwitter


Undrafted college free agent right guard is placed on NFI list. He won't be able to practice, but will still count toward the 90-man limit while he is on the reserve list. https://t.co/opoYXk7ohN

— Bill-in-Bangkok (@billhorgan2005) July 20, 2025

Players with NFI status are ineligible to practice until cleared but still count against a team’s 90-man roster limit. Players who remain on the NFI list after the league’s final cutdown day at the end of the preseason are required to miss a minimum of four games. https://t.co/opoYXk7ohN

— Bill-in-Bangkok (@billhorgan2005) July 20, 2025

From April:


Former N.C. State OL Tim McKay -- who was projected as a mid-round pic before tearing his pec at pro day -- is signing with the #Commanders on a deal that includes $275,000 guaranteed, per his agents @c_berger21 and @ezrajames15_ of @NSAFootball.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 26, 2025


Jayden Daniels is out here making every pass play a choose-your-own-adventure ✨ pic.twitter.com/7ARR5ljOaJ

— FTN Fantasy (@FTNFantasy) July 19, 2025


Jeremy Fowler says the Washington Commanders have no plans to trade Terry McLaurin, but they're nowhere close on a market-value deal of $30+ million per year.pic.twitter.com/0kd6szIC5F

— COMMANDERS FOOTBALL (@HogsHaven) July 19, 2025


Any time there's news involving a former 49ers player, an Adam Peters connection must be mentioned. SF signed Odum to a 3-year FA contract in 2022. He received a second All-Pro nod that season. Injuries have limited his effectiveness ever since. https://t.co/MRjYF6kLqk

— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) July 19, 2025

I neglected to mention Odum's honors came on special teams. Carry on.

— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) July 20, 2025


There are sharply divided opinions on the players' side about the prospect of JC Tretter being elected the NFLPA’s interim executive director, sources say, with some strong support but concern by others based on Tretter’s role in the process that led to Lloyd Howell’s election.

— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) July 19, 2025

There is support for JC Tretter to be elected interim executive director of the NFLPA, sources say, but that's not certain. NFLPA executive Don Davis and Tom DePaso, who's retiring as the union's general counsel, also have been mentioned as possible candidates.

— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) July 19, 2025

Fort Meade Youth Clinic

@RavensCommunity pic.twitter.com/VsJLma0y0t

— Washington Commanders Community (@commandersCR) July 19, 2025


Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/2025/7/20...e-lineman-on-the-non-football-injured-reserve
 
Does Joe Whitt Jr. have enough pieces to put his stamp on the Commanders defense?

Washington Commanders training camp

Photo by John McDonnell/ for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Does Joe Whitt Jr. have enough pieces to put his stamp on the Commanders defense?

Depending on who you asked following the 2024 season, defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr.’s first season with the Commanders was a mixed bag. The defense finished the season 13th in yards allowed and 18th in points allowed. The defense had expectations to carry most of the water for the team heading into the season, given that Washington had a rookie quarterback in Jayden Daniels and several more unknowns in its position groups, compared to the defense.

The defense had their bright moments throughout the season. In the passing game, Washington went 9-1 when they held opponents under 200 yards passing. Alternatively, their biggest headache throughout the season was defending the run, and their yards allowed per game do not accurately reflect their shortcomings in controlling the line of scrimmage in most games. In the 20 games that Washington played last season, the Commanders held opponents under 90 yards rushing just twice. In their division, where Washington played the Philadelphia Eagles three times, they allowed 228, 211, and 229 yards rushing, respectively. The Commanders made good choices by bringing in defensive help with Javon Kinlaw, Deatrich Wise Jr., and Eddie Goldman during the free agency period to help improve their rush defense, which ranked 31st in explosive run rate allowed and 25th in negative run rate forced, per Sharp Football Analysis. Second-year linebacker Jordan Magee should also help in the box, but given the defense’s repeated failures against the run, it was an off-season priority.

Whitt did have his hands tied to some extent. The roster turnover affected both sides of the football, and Washington could not have made significant defensive changes overnight, let alone in one season. Whitt’s secondary saw usage from cornerbacks Michael Davis, Emmanuel Forbes, and Benjamin St-Juste throughout periods of the season, and all three were starters and benched at some point. The cornerback group brought so much instability, which prompted the trade that acquired veteran Marshon Lattimore from the New Orleans Saints. Whitt took chances despite the question marks in the secondary, as he was one of the higher-rated pressure coordinators in the league last year.

So how can Whitt change the question marks people have for him into unwavering support in 2025? Whitt’s unit needs to close fourth quarters out. Washington’s defense was bottom 12 in the league in turnovers forced, and despite being 11th best in sacks, they struggled in four-man rushes and were even worse sacking the quarterback in the fourth quarter. Washington was ranked 26th in the NFL in sacks with a four-man rush, and ranked 30th in the NFL in fourth quarter sacks. Washington added some pass rush juice this offseason, signing future Hall of Famer Von Miller and veteran edge rusher Jacob Martin.

Washington won eight games that were decided by seven points or fewer, and went 4-1 in games that were decided by three points or fewer. Lattimore, who was a disappointment in his brief time with Washington last year, also contributed to the defensive dysfunction at times. Washington gave up at least 20 passing yards on 8.7% of the attempts they faced, which ranked 24th. Lattimore is fully healthy now heading into training camp. Washington hopes to have solidified the position group with the additions of veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones and rookie cornerback Trey Amos, These additions will help the aggressive, physical playstyle that Whitt envisioned for the unit, especially at cornerback, where the unit finished the season with just three interceptions in the regular season.

Washington’s defense is facing a stronger group of quarterbacks in 2025 than it did last year. Among the quarterbacks are Patrick Mahomes, Jordan Love, Justin Herbert, Jared Goff, Tua Tagovailoa, Bo Nix, and Michael Penix Jr.. Of course, those names exclude the top-tier quarterbacks already in the division in Dak Prescott and Jalen Hurts. Furthermore, the first quarter of the season also presents challenges against top-tier running backs, including Josh Jacobs, Ashton Jeanty, Bijan Robinson, Najee Harris, and Omarion Hampton. It’s not all about closing out games in the fourth quarter for Whitt, but it’ll be most important as the quality of teams that the Commanders face in 2025 has drastically increased compared to last season. The AFC West and NFC North are two of the best divisions in football. Next to the NFC East, the team will be in plenty of dog fights this season, but can Whitt’s unit withstand them to help out the offense?

Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/2025/7/21...es-to-put-his-stamp-on-the-commanders-defense
 
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