The Daily Slop
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!
Commanders links
Articles
Heavy.com
Dorance Armstrong Jr. Set for Key Change
Armstrong’s new role was detailed by ESPN’s John Keim on a recent episode of ‘The John Keim Report.’ As Keim put it, “on the roster, they list Dorance Armstrong as a defensive end, but I was talking to, you know, outside linebackers coach John Pagano, is like,
he’s going to be a defensive, excuse me, a linebacker. And I would say Pagano would know since he coaches the outside linebackers anyway.”
Although Keim also admitted, “(we) still don’t know where Dorance Armstrong is at in terms of his recovery and not just in terms of physical, but where he is just on the field and what he can do in this defense,” this is a significant development for Armstrong.
Turning flexible pass-rushers into actors to disguise pressure will be vital for making Jones’ schemes work. Fortunately, Armstrong is already ideally suited to the changes the Commanders are making defensively, so his new role can inspire a career revival once he’s fully healthy.
ESPN
2026 NFL season: Picking breakout candidates for all 32 teams
Washington Commanders
Terry McLaurin, WR
Stick with me on this one. McLaurin, who will turn 31 this September, is the oldest player on this list. He had five consecutive seasons of 1,000 receiving yards from 2020 to 2024. He is very clearly good, and everyone knows this. So how can McLaurin break out? By posting a career year. His first season with over 100 receptions.
It’s safely assumed, given his steady production, that McLaurin is an average No. 1 receiver. I think he can be much better than that. McLaurin had a down year in 2025 thanks to a prolonged contract battle in camp, a quad injury and general offensive regression. Now, in 2026, he gets to play in a David Blough offense that should move him around the formation much more than Kliff Kingsbury’s system ever did.
McLaurin was seventh in yards per route last season (2.56) but 18th in targets per route run. Only 16.8% of his yards came after the catch — 100th in the NFL! If he starts getting the Amon-Ra St. Brown treatment with motions, slot alignments and funneled targets on third downs or in the red zone, he could post career-best marks in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns.
Riggo’s Rag
7 Commanders players primed to rewrite their Washington narrative in 2026
Quan Martin – Commanders DB
Everyone was puzzled by Quan Martin’s regression last season. Fans and even sections of the national media were expecting a breakout from the talented defensive back, but it fell flat. That left him facing an uncertain future, but the Commanders are not ready to give up.
And they might be onto something.
Martin’s rookie year was spent as the nickel cornerback. He had moments of struggle, but overall it was encouraging. Moving him to the back end hasn’t gone as well, but there are signs that the 2023 second-round pick might be going back to what worked so well.
The Commanders were experimenting with Martin in the nickel over offseason workouts. He’s got the size and athleticism to win the job, or at least be part of the rotation. It adds to the options, and the urgency attached to a contract year only makes it more intriguing.
Commanders.com
Commanders 2026 training camp preview | Defensive line
Can Tim Settle and Deatrich Wise help Washington stop the run? The Commanders’ struggles against the run were one of the defense’s biggest problems in 2025. They ranked 30th in yards allowed per game and gave up nearly five yards per carry. Part of that was because of the injuries suffered up front, including Wise, who went down in Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers. Wise is known for being a stout run defender and can set edges to prevent plays from bouncing outside. He’ll be expected to add that again in 2026, but he’ll also have help from Settle, who returns to the franchise after stints with the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans. Settle only has 79 tackles in four seasons but is good at clogging up running lanes and holding up double teams for linebackers to make plays. While not the only solutions, their presence should make running the ball on Washington more difficult.
What’s next for Jer’Zhan Newton? The Commanders were surprised back in 2024 when Newton fell to them in the second round. They viewed him as a first-round pick who could help them crash the interior with his quickness as a pass rusher. There have been flashes of that, although injuries derailed the early stages of his development. The hope is that Newton can play similarly to how he performed during last season’s Christmas Day game against the Dallas Cowboys, when he generated three sacks and nine tackles. However, the Commanders’ defensive front has now become crowded with draft picks and free agent acquisitions, so he might have to earn more playing time. The team still believes in Newton’s skill set, though, and has confidence in what he can add to the room.
Commanders Roundtable
Washington Commanders training camp primer: tight ends
Biggest training camp question: does Sinnott take the jump?
It’s been arguably the question since the start of 2025 surrounding the 2024 former second round pick given he arrived with the pedigree of a receiving tight end that has yet to see that production materialize. After recording one touchdown each season along with 142 yards on 18 targets and 16 catches, the bulk of that production came when Zack Ertz went down with a season-ending injury. While the numbers may not have been what was hoped for with a chance at an expanded role, that production also came amid the quarterback carousel. Yet for the 24 year old looking for that production, Blough’s offense could offer both the route trees and reps available to materialize into the next dependable piece.
Similar to Okonkwo, Sinnott’s experience at Kansas State showcased him as a downfield threat who can capitalize with the combo of speed and size against linebackers. Former Washington tight end Logan Paulsen compared Sinnott’s situation to Trey McBride, who was named an All Pro in 2025, after also struggling under Kliff Kingsbury before breaking out and entrenching himself among the best across the NFL at the position.
USA Today
From the Chiefs to the Jets, ranking every team’s quarterback situation
Probably have their guy
16. Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels (25)
Had Daniels avoided injury in his second season to put together an excellent follow up to his Offensive Rookie of the Year-winning campaign in 2024, the Commanders would firmly be a top-10 team on this list. But the slim-framed, dual-threat’s 10 missed games in his sophomore campaign leaves more questions than answers. Is the LSU product’s 2024 outing indicative of the quarterback he’ll be long-term? Or is an injury-riddled year like 2025 the more accurate projection for his future?
3 weeks left until training camp
The Athletic (paywall)
The most interesting stories on and off the field you missed this NFL offseason
Washington Commanders
Veteran safety and special teams ace Jeremy Reaves signed a one-year extension with the Commanders on March 19, two days before he was married in his hometown of Pensacola, Fla. His best friend on the team, punter Tress Way, officiated the wedding. “The hardest part was making sure I said ‘Jeremy,’” Way told The Athletic days after the wedding. “That took some practice. I even underlined it in my notes to make sure I didn’t say ‘Reavo.’” After going undrafted in 2018, Reaves was cut several times during his first four years with the Commanders before finally making the team’s initial 53-man roster in 2022. He went on to earn Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors that season as a special teamer. Following the Commanders’ overtime win against the Falcons in 2024, he surprised his now-wife, Mikaela Worley, by proposing to her behind the end zone at Northwest Stadium. — Nicki Jhabvala
Podcasts & videos
NFC East links
Big Blue View
Can the NY Giants upgraded offensive line make up for Malik Nabers’ injury?
There is a definite sense of optimism surrounding the New York Giants, and real excitement for what the team can be in 2026.
The Giants are considered one of the most likely teams in the NFL to make the leap from worst to first and could challenge the Philadelphia Eagles for the division crown. The biggest reason for that is the arrival of head coach John Harbaugh, but the Giants have also had a strong off-season that may have brought upgrades to almost every position on the field.
The first priority for the Giants this off-season has been to build an environment in which Jaxson Dart can mature into a true franchise quarterback. ESPN polled their NFC East writers on the state of the teams they cover, and the very first question was how each team’s off-season impacts their respective quarterback.
Giants writer Jordan Raanan noted the Giants’ many additions to their skill positions as a potential improvement for Dart, but believes the (potential) improvements to the offensive line will have a bigger impact.
The Giants have contingencies for Jaxson Dart with the signings of tight end Isaiah Likely and wide receivers Darnell Mooney, Calvin Austin III and even Odell Beckham Jr. Of course, it would also be nice if he had star wide receiver Malik Nabers at his disposal. Nabers is still recovering from a serious knee injury and remains uncertain for Week 1, although the Giants remain hopeful.
Still, the biggest offensive upgrades this offseason have been to the offensive line. Shhhh, don’t tell anyone. The Giants’ offensive line isn’t just fixed, it’s the strength of the offense after the additions of right guard Francis Mauigoa with the 10th draft pick and the signing of All-Pro fullback Patrick Ricard. The biggest thing Dart has going for him is that he should have the help of quality protection and a running game.
It’s honestly kinda weird that people still cite the Giants’ offensive line as a problem. I get it: Narratives go around the world while facts are still tying their shoes. But still, the Giants finished 11th in pass protection and 18th in run blocking. And that’s with Andrew Thomas (4 games), Jon Runyan Jr. (1 game), John Michael Schmitz (4 games), and Jermaine Eluemunor (1 game) all missing time last year. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that the Giants’ offensive line was a weapon against defenses, but it was certainly a “quality” unit.
NFL league links
Articles
Over the Cap
Insurance Refunds and the Salary Cap
I had received a few questions yesterday concerning a post at PFT that detailed the insurance refunds received by the Browns for DeShaun Watson’s injuries and how those work on the salary cap. While the way that PFT arrived at the figure was incorrect and likely overstates, by a significant amount, what the Browns received I do think it makes sense to go over how the league generally treats these refunds.
In essence when a team receives money back from an insurance policy or from a player for suspension that is tied to a prorated bonus the NFL, after the season, will go back and revalue the bonus as if the money received reduced the total amount. So if a player received a $10 million bonus that is prorated at 5 years normally it would count at $2 million a season. Assume the team received $2M back in insurance on that bonus. That makes the effective payout now $8 million. The proration now changes from $2 million a season to $1.6 million and the players cap charge is reduced to reflect the proceeds. In the article that was mentioned above the numbers they are listing are actually what the NFL is currently counting on the cap not the actual refund amount.
Fantasy Football time!
Fantasy Football Kickoff ft @DaveKluge cohosted by @Gcarmi21
Discussion topics
Sports Illustrated
Commanders Fans Should Stop Watching Training Camp the Wrong Way
Training camp highlights will get the attention, but the real answers for the Commanders will come from the reps coaches keep giving when the cameras are not focused on the loudest play
Who is getting first-team reps? If a receiver is shining but doing so with the third string, it is something worth mentioning. Camp starts to get more honest when the reps begin saying what coaches do not always say into a microphone.
Red Zone Realism: Where the Timing Gets Honest
Watching the team inside the red zone should tell a lot, too. Without much room to hide down there, the timing has to be sharper. Coaches tend to use players there if they can envision them having those moments. The same goes with setting up third-down situations and two-minute work in 7-on-7s. When the pace picks up and starts to look more like football, the pretty one-on-one rep from earlier in practice no longer carries the same weight.
Other things, like offensive line combinations when the first team is on the field and defensive communication before the snap, go a long way to show where each unit currently stands. Unfortunately, those are also the things that will not take over anyone’s social media timeline. But they are the things that will ultimately tell the fuller story.
Washington will come into camp this summer looking to sort out roles and finish installing their new offensive and defensive playbooks. In the process, highlights will come, and some will be worth sharing. Just do not let the loudest clip become the whole story.
