The Daily Slop – 17 July 2026
Editor’s note: Each day, Hogs Haven compiles 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, with a sprinkling of other stuff. Enjoy!
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Articles
Commanders Roundtable
Does Ethan Pocic now make sense for the Commanders?
Former Cleveland center Ethan Pocic has seen his market remain quiet through the offseason, but understandably so. After starting the first 13 games of the 2025 season, the 30 year old suffered a torn achilles
in December that derailed his offseason. The Browns opted to void the remainder of his contract, setting the stage for him to enter free agency after four seasons as the starting center.
Fast forward to nearly two weeks away from the start of training camps, Pocic has now been medically cleared, setting the stage for a possible decision in free agency.
Pocic could arrive to realistically push Allegretti harder than Gulbin ahead of the 2026 regular season opener, while the advantageous financial position the Commanders sit in could easily absorb the three year, $31.8 million contract that Spotrac projects. Whether that’s the actual dollar amount or years on Pocic’s eventual contract is another story, but the veteran offers a chance to reinforce a unit that already enters training camp in favorable standing under position coach Darnell Stapleton.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
From Riggo’s Rag:
According to reports, Biadasz has made an imposing start to life in Los Angeles. He’s slotted in seamlessly and embraced the culture implemented by head coach Jim Harbaugh. He’s set the tone and made the center spot his own as expected. Simply put, things couldn’t be going much better.
Peters had his reasons, which we will never know. There is confidence in Nick Allegretti to fill the void, but he remains an unknown quantity. Sixth-round rookie Matt Gulbin offers long-term upside, but asking him to log starting reps from Week 1 is foolish. If it doesn’t go well, the Commanders have money to bring in another option, but that would only increase the instability
To read more of this Riggo’s Rag article, CLICK HERE
The Washington Commanders Just Got Handed A MASSIVE GIFT 2 Weeks Before The Start Of Training Camp
Bleacher Report
Ranking the NFL’s True Franchise Players for Teams to Build Around Before 2026 Season
In assessing true franchise players teams can still look forward to building around, we traditionally stick to guys who are 28 or younger (in this case, as of the start of the 2026 season on Sept. 9), have played at least one season and remain on the team they were drafted by.
In this case, we’re also not penalizing or rewarding players based on their teammates. The Lions could arguably build around both Penei Sewell and Aidan Hutchinson, so they’re both on the list after being assessed in a vacuum. And we aren’t leaving Puka Nacua or Ja’Marr Chase out of the picture just because they’re members of offenses that feature excluded veteran franchise quarterbacks.
And so here they are…
2. Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels
Daniels experienced a dream rookie season in 2024 and followed that up with a nightmare sophomore campaign in 2025. But injuries—to himself, his offense and his entire team—played a major role.
For now, we have to give the 2024 No. 2 overall pick the benefit of the doubt considering how electric he was in leading the Commanders on an improbable NFC Championship run as a rookie.
Only Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow had higher QBRs than Daniels that season.
1. New England Patriots QB Drake Maye
This is really a no-doubter considering that Maye led the NFL in completion percentage, passer rating, QBR and yards per attempt during a near-MVP sophomore campaign for the surprise AFC champion Patriots.
The schedule was soft, but the 23-year-old blew away expectations in building on a promising rookie campaign. He’s already an elite weapon down the field as well as with his legs, and now he’s got plenty of big-game experience entering Year 3.
The future is wildly bright.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
NOTUS
Five Things We Learned About Jayden Daniels in Netflix’s ‘Quarterback’
Daniels missed the Week 8 game versus the Chiefs after suffering a low-grade right hamstring strain the previous week against the Cowboys. At the time, Daniels knew the injury was bad, but “was praying it wasn’t too severe.”
Regardless, while sitting on the bench against Kansas City, he tells teammates: “I wanted to play super bad. If it was up to me, I’d have played in every game.”
After the elbow injury in the Seahawks game (more on that below), Daniels missed a month. He returned in Week 14 against the Vikings after he and coach Dan Quinn decided it was best for him to get the reps, even in a lost season.
“The biggest thing for me is protecting the team, and that comes with protecting myself and being available on the field,” Daniels says.
But it’s all for naught: In the third quarter, Daniels, wearing an arm brace, throws an interception to linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel. As Daniels chases down Van Ginkel, he gets rocked by a Viking defender, ending his game and his season.
“And that’s what I was fucking worried about,” Daniels’ mother, Regina Jackson, says afterward.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Pro Football Talk
Quarterback series includes Jayden Daniels working with VR headset
“I can say, ‘Hey, we’re expecting this play against three coverages. Can I get these three coverages brought into the system,’” Blough said. “And then he’s able to see different defenses and operate from there.”
“You might have not had that exact play at practice,” Quinn said, “but now that you do, there’s recall that goes with it.”
It also gives a quarterback a chance to see, as explained by Cognilize CEO Verena Krakau, everything in the next stadium where a team will be playing, such as the location of the play clock.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
The Athletic (paywall)
14 NFL teams changed defensive coordinators — Which new schemes could make the biggest impact?
Washington Commanders: Daronte Jones
Can he mask deficiencies at safety enough to execute his style of attack?
As a disciple of Brian Flores, new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones is expected to run a highly aggressive, creative and unpredictable defense that applies a lot of pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Free agent additions of pass-rushers Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson and top rookie middle linebacker Sony Styles gives Jones the players to fly around and make plays. But, it’s hard to say if the coach has the rangy safeties necessary to play the type of shell coverage Jones likes to run. Nick Cross is another free agent addition that has the potential to help remedy this problem. The former Colt recorded 120-plus tackles in each of the last season. But Jones must settle on another starter in training camp.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Last Man Standig (paywall)
The best- and worst-case rookie season for every Commanders draft pick
Sixth round (187) — Kaytron Allen, RB
Floor
Breaking into a crowded backfield proves difficult. That’s not only Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White, but also the reliable Jeremy McNichols.
Allen receives occasional opportunities but spends much of the year as the third running back, contributing primarily on special teams while waiting for injuries or circumstances to create a larger role.
Ideally, a limited workload says more about the RB room depth than Allen’s individual present and future.
For more from Ben Standig, click here
From Riggo’s Rag:
The Commanders believe they may have hit the jackpot with running back Rachaad White. He turned down offers from elsewhere to reunite with quarterback Jayden Daniels in Washington, and though it’s still early days, it already looks like it could be a masterstroke.
White certainly looked the part over Washington’s offseason program. The sharpness, explosiveness, and ability as a pass-catcher out of the backfield came to the fore quickly. His previous chemistry with Daniels enabled a smooth transition to a different environment. It’s a solid opening, but the Commanders are still likely to move forward with a committee backfield approach.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt and sixth-round rookie Kaytron Allen could also make their presence felt. If they all meet expectations, this will be a productive trio. But don’t be surprised if White does enough to become the top option sooner rather than later.
To read more of this Riggo’s Rag article, CLICK HERE
Podcasts & videos
5 Reasons: JD5 Will Win MVP + D.C. Super Bowl Champs!? | Podcast | Washington Commanders | NFL
NFC East links
Big Blue View
NY Giants training camp: Wide receiver questions abound
When, how much, and how effectively Nabers practices will be a major training camp storyline. He is the Giants’ best playmaker, and his presence obviously makes the offense better.
Do they have a WR2?
Darius Slayton has often been the second wide receiver for the Giants, sometimes a de facto No. 1 because there wasn’t anyone else. Slayton has surpassed 700 receiving yards four times in his seven-year career. Darnell Mooney has seasons of 1,055 and 992 receiving yards on his resume. He has averaged 51.5 receptions per season over six years in the NFL.
Slayton missed spring practices due to surgery to repair a sports hernia. He is coming off an inconsistent season during which he dropped 7.9% of passes thrown to him. Slayton’s 37 receptions and 538 receiving yards were the second-lowest totals of his career.
Slayton, though, has made a habit of exceeding expectations. He has fashioned a solid career after being a fifth-round pick. He re-established himself as a starter and productive player after Brian Daboll and his staff buried Slayton at the bottom of the depth chart in 2022.
Mooney’s best has been better than Slayton’s best, but there has been more volatility to his career. He has three seasons with less than 500 receiving yards, including 2025. Mooney, who signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Giants, had a quiet spring.
It is unfair to expect Odell Beckham, Malachi Fields, Calvin Austin, or any of the other receivers on the roster to contribute at a WR2 level. So, the Giants will be looking for Mooney or Slayton to step up.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
NFL league links
Articles
Pro Football Talk
Stefon Diggs is dealing with multiple civil lawsuits
Diggs went through a criminal trial in May (the case never should have been pursued, based on the quality of the prosecution’s evidence presented in court). He also has multiple civil lawsuits to navigate.
Via TMZ, a man named Nigel King has sued Diggs for falsely claiming King stole a Ferrari — and for allegedly having Diggs’s friends attack him.
Also sued were Diggs’s brother, Darez, and three of their friends.
In July 2024, King arranged for Diggs’s Ferrari to be transported to Houston. The car was stolen. King claims he was never identified as a suspect in the theft.
King also contends that, in December 2024, Diggs began accusing King of stealing the car. King also claims that, a year later, Diggs’s friend punched King in the face.
Diggs, per the latest report as to a case that first surfaced in February 2026, requested that the case not proceed until the other defendants are properly served. The other defendants have since been served, which should set the stage for the litigation to unfold — likely slowly, as most civil lawsuits do.
In November 2025, Diggs sued a man named Christopher Griffith for falsely claiming Diggs had drugged and sexually assaulted him. Griffith filed a counterclaim, alleging that Diggs did indeed sexually assault him in 2023. Diggs has denied the accusation. That case has been unfolding with a stream of conflicting contentions and salacious details, which will make for a compelling trial if the case isn’t settled or dismissed.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
