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[Washington Commanders]

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

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

 

[Washington Commanders]

Daily Slop - 9 July 25 - Will the Commanders adopt more 3-4 principles in 2025?

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.”

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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.

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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.

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

— NFL (@NFL) July 9, 2025​

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Podcasts & videos​

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

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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​

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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.

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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]

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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.

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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 think️ #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​

pic.twitter.com/S0igl6SMqB

— Trenayvian (@TreyAmos21) 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​

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Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/2025/7/9/...-commanders-adopt-more-3-4-principles-in-2025

 

[Washington Commanders]

Washington Commanders 2nd year UDFA Spotlight: RB Michael Wiley, DT Norell Pollard, QB Sam Hartman, SS Ben Nikkel

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