Commanders links
Articles
Commanders.com
Training camp notebook | Players make their cases to earn roster spots as cut day inches closer
Friday’s practice was another padded one for the Commanders. Let’s go through some of the highlights.
— Ja’Corey Brooks, one of the wide receivers looking to earn the last spot in the position group, had a pair of impressive catches in team drills. The first was a completion deep downfield on a dart from Jayden Daniels,
while the second was a contested grab near the end of practice. With five receiver spots essentially locked up, Brooks and the rest of the wideouts are looking for ways to stand out. It might come down to who can prove they provide the most value on special teams. If Brooks can show special teams coordinator Larry Izzo that he can provide more value than his competition, perhaps he can claim that sixth spot for his own.
— It’s been said quite a bit by now, but Daniels truly has a unique connection with tight end Zach Ertz. Daniels completed two passes during the final period of practice, and both were caught by Ertz on crossing routes. Ertz still knows how to use his leverage to get open downfield, which was a key to the offense’s success last season. He doesn’t appear to be slowing down.
— Screens were a heavy emphasis for the Commanders’ offense today, and they looked efficient running them at different parts of the field. Deebo Samuel was often on the receiving end of those screen passes, and the wideout clearly has a good feel for how to weave through blockers for yards after the catch.
— Rookie Jaylin Lane is another receiver who had a strong day for the offense. In addition to his speed and versatility, Lane was drafted because of his route running and how he is able to create separation at the line of scrimmage. Lane did a good job of that working against Ben Nikkel, using his leverage to get open on a crossing route.
A to Z Sports
Commanders have a mutual interest with two free agents
The Commanders hosted two standout free agents that could signal how they feel about the depth at offensive tackle. They brought in veteran offensive tackles George Fant and Cam Fleming for visits, but may not be done yet. Neither player ended up signing with the Commanders, but it’s been reported that the team will remain in contact with Fant and Fleming.
[O]ne injury can make the line fall apart, and they need depth at tackle.
The Commanders had Nate Herbig randomly retire during training camp, which led to the team signing Lucas Niang as the corresponding move. Niang tore his ACL in the first preseason game, and he’s likely out for the season. They still have some pieces they can move around, but it seems like they’d rather bring in a bigger name.
Fant was with the Seattle Seahawks last season, but only played in 30 snaps. Previous to that, he logged 962 snaps at right tackle and 42 at left tackle as a starter for the Houston Texans. He’s 33 years old and can provide a ton of experience with almost 5,000 career snaps on both sides of the line. The team is also keeping in contact with Cam Fleming, who has over 4,300 snaps on both sides as well.
Both Fant and Fleming are right at 33 years old, and they obviously wouldn’t be long-term pieces, but smart moves for protecting the depth of the line. They can also move Andrew Wylie and Trent Scott over in an emergency. There’s no telling if rookie Josh Conerly Jr. will start Week 1, but the team is prepared for everything possible.
Washington Post (paywall)
Terry McLaurin or not, the Commanders’ defense needs to be better
Coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. and a host of new additions have a shared task to tackle: Give Washington a defense worth cheering for.
“If we could play like we did in the scrimmage — especially the [first-team] defense — that’s what it should look like,” defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. said. “The scrimmage was pretty damn good.”
[T]he defense…must be better. The last time we saw this group, it was coughing up 55 points and 229 rushing yards to Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC championship game. The week before that — in what was essentially the high-water mark in a renaissance season — the Detroit Lions gashed the Commanders for 201 yards on the ground at 8.7 a pop, part of a 521-yard output that was overshadowed and offset by the Lions’ five turnovers.
“We didn’t produce the ball like I wanted to, I envisioned us to,” Whitt said earlier this summer, referring to forcing turnovers. “… We didn’t play the run well enough, and I thought that we would have. And then the third thing: Closing games out. It wasn’t the way that I was anticipating.”
Whitt has some new toys that may allow him to scheme the way he wants to: cornerbacks in tight, man-to-man coverage; safeties who can hit; and a secondary that provides time for Whitt’s pass rush to get to the quarterback — even without a marquee, every-down edge rusher.
Washington Post (paywall)
As Terry McLaurin remains out, Kliff Kingsbury sees a need for urgency
The Commanders’ offense has lacked continuity this summer, and the offensive coordinator wants to see the full group together on the field.
On Friday, roughly three weeks before their regular season opener, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury gently sounded an alarm that time is running out. Kingsbury indicated McLaurin’s absence could both impair the Commanders’ offensive growth and endanger their regular season performance if the situation is not resolved soon.
“There hasn’t been a ton of contact with him,” Kingsbury said. “He’s been here, but he’s been working with the trainers. So, until he gets back on the grass, that’s when we’ll start building that back up.”
Quarterback Jayden Daniels has expressed no concern about maintaining his connection with McLaurin, who last year recorded 1,096 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. Their mutual football intellect should ease his transition if and when McLaurin signs. But they have played only one season together, leaving room to improve an already strong relationship. Kingsbury said that can’t happen without McLaurin practicing.
“I’m huge on walk-throughs, on practice, things like that. Until you get on the grass and actually do it, feel the timing, feel the depths of routes, I don’t know exactly how much you can get out of that. We’re kind of at that point to where we need to start getting those guys when they’re available out there and jelling and see where we are as an offense.”
CBS Sports
Agent’s Take: A unique compromise that could end the Commanders-Terry McLaurin contract dispute
My understanding is the Commanders have been in the same neighborhood as the $26 million-per-year maximum value of the two-year contract Mike Evans signed in March 2024 to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The base value is $41 million over two years to average $20.5 million per year. Evans turned 31 shortly before the start of the 2024 regular season.
McLaurin missed part of Washington’s voluntary offseason workouts and subjected himself to a $104,768 fine by skipping the mandatory minicamp in June, since progress wasn’t being made on a new contract. These absences cost McLaurin his $500,000 workout bonus because he didn’t satisfy the requirements to earn the money. McLaurin was originally scheduled to make $19.65 million in 2025 on a $25.5 million salary cap number.
Compromise considerations
Both sides are going to need to compromise to end the contract stalemate. An NFL team executive once told me while I was agent that neither side is happy in a fair deal. More recently, a prominent agent said the right deal is one where both sides are a little uncomfortable with the outcome. The team executive and agent were practically saying the same thing.
A unique way of helping break the impasse would be incorporating a salary escalator and salary de-escalator into the deal. These mechanisms would provide a way for McLaurin to get close to his contract demands and the Commanders to financially address their concerns about diminishing returns. In a sense, the two sides would be making a bet about McLaurin after compromising on the base value of the deal.
Commanders.com
3 Commanders standouts from Week 4 of camp
RB Demetric Felton
The Commanders have a tough decision to make at the running back position, and players like Felton aren’t making things easy for them. The running back was a key part of the Gold team’s offense during Tuesday’s scrimmage, as he showed off his skill as both a pass-catcher and runner.
Felton’s day got started when the Gold team faced a fourth down on its second drive. Felton connected with Sam Hartman on a deep pass downfield that helped put the group in scoring position. Two plays later, Felton scored a touchdown that was negated because of a holding call, but he showed off quickness and vision to get in the end zone on the play.
As it stands now, Felton faces a long road toward making the roster, as he was listed as seventh on the team’s unofficial depth chart. However, the starters are expected to play limited snaps against the Bengals, which means there will be more opportunities for Felton to at least show he can be a practice squad player during the regular season.
Riggo’s Rag
Deebo Samuel Sr. looks like a player reborn with the Commanders
Zachary Pereles from CBS Sports is noticing the change in Samuel. The respected analyst highlighted how explosive the wideout is looking at training camp. Staying healthy is key, but it’s been all systems go on that front in a different environment.
“[Deebo] Samuel has looked fast and explosive, even though his best attributes — his elusiveness and toughness with the ball in his hands — can’t really be replicated in practices. Though Samuel is mostly known for being a chess piece of sorts, fellow wide receiver Noah Brown said early in camp he was impressed by Samuel’s route running, and “people will see that this year.” Samuel has acknowledged it’s a big year for him but has tried to remain focused on the day-to-day. Being healthy — he detailed a bout with pneumonia that derailed his 2024 season — is a key.”Zachary Pereles
With fellow receiver Terry McLaurin still not practicing as his contract standoff with the Commanders continues, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury is depending on Samuel heavily. While other pass-catchers further down the depth chart have fluffed their lines, the All-Pro has flourished. That’s only going to serve Washington well when the team’s best pass-catcher eventually returns to the fold.
Podcasts & videos
Commanders Heated Training Camp Day 15 Breakdown with Player Interviews
Discussion topics
ESPN
Survey: Most NFL retirees would play again despite costs
Former NFL players now entering retirement age are more likely to be living with chronic pain or a disability, are more depressed and anxious, and are far more likely to report having some type of cognitive decline than the average American man, a new survey has found.
Yet, in spite of all that, the vast majority say they would do it all over again, and that playing football had a positive effect on their lives.
The 45-question survey, the largest independent study of its kind, asked a range of questions about the players’ day-to-day lives in the years after they retired from the NFL. Among the survey’s key findings:
- Almost all the ex-players reported having at least some pain the past three months, with half saying they had pain every day and three-quarters saying pain limited their work and personal activity. Almost half said they had “serious difficulty” concentrating, remembering or making decisions at times. By several measures, former players were significantly more likely than men their age to report experiencing pain and mental health issues. (Comparisons to men of a similar age are based on data from large federal health surveys or other KFF surveys.)
- Fifteen percent of players said a doctor had diagnosed them with dementia. One study based on the National Health Interview Survey found that just under 4% of men ages 65 and older have been diagnosed with dementia.
- About half of players said they felt depressed in the past 12 months, compared with a quarter of men aged 55 to 75.
- Six in 10 players reported living with some type of disability — including difficulty walking or climbing stairs, dressing or bathing — three times the rate of men their age.
- Black players fared worse than white players across the board, from physical and mental ailments to income and interactions with law enforcement.
- Ex-players continue to embrace the game in a variety of ways but were divided in their attitudes about youth tackle football. About one-third said the risks of tackle football before high school outweigh the benefits, and 1 in 4 said they would support a ban on tackle football for children below the high school level.
Still, 9 out of 10 ex-players said they would make the same decision to play professional football. Even among players who said the NFL had a negative effect on both their physical health and mental well-being, 78% said they would decide to play again.
