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Four targets to become Washington Commanders 2026 starting center
Nick Allegretti, Washington
Maybe the most unattractive route of them all, but in a season where head coach Dan Quinn and GM Adam Peters have pointed to internal moves to address needs, maybe ruling that out for roster decisions would be premature. Following the release of Biadasz, Allegretti is the lone player currently on the roster with experience at the position where he filled in as the starter in the week 18 win against Philadelphia with Biadasz sidelined with a knee and ankle
injury suffered in the Christmas Day loss vs. Dallas. Allegretti also has guard experience including three starts at right guard among his 16 appearances in 2025.
Connor Lew, Auburn
Limited draft capital may make this unrealistic, but there are top options within reach of the Commanders current draft picks. That includes Connor Lew, viewed as the top center prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft as a likely day two selection. The question mark is his health after suffering a season-ending torn ACL in Auburn’s 23-17 overtime loss against Missouri back on Oct. 18. Prior to his injury, Lew allowed just one sack across 442 career snaps with both his feet and IQ tabbed key strengths for the former SEC lineman. Washington’s lone day two pick based on current picks is the 71st overall pick in the third round, which could be when Lew hears his name called. Will Washington turn to a rookie to fill a magnified role in David Blough’s offense?
Connor McGovern, Buffalo
McGovern has been the anchor of the Bills offensive line since signing a three-year contract back in March 2023 before stepping in as the full time starter in 2024, setting him up to become a Pro Bowl selection for the first time in his career. Just 28 years old, McGovern is projected to draw a $16.3 million contract, per Spotrac, where he’s able to cash in on his place as one of the best centers across the NFL. Cap space is a question mark for the Bills with a reunion far from a sure thing, making him a more realistic target.
Commanders Wire
5 things to know about new Commanders tight ends coach Ben Steele
Played in the NFL
Ben Steele was a 6-foot-5, 250-pound tight end who played collegiately at NCAA Division II Mesa State (Grand Junction, Colorado). The San Francisco 49ers signed him as an undrafted free agent in the 2001 NFL Draft. For the next six seasons, Steele bounced around the NFL, spending time with the 49ers, Raiders, Seahawks, Vikings, Packers and Texans before his career ended before the 2007 season. Steele would appear in 17 career games, catching four passes for 42 yards.
Ties to Dan Quinn
When Steele was a rookie tight end for the 49ers in 2001, Quinn was in his first season as an NFL assistant coach, serving as San Francisco’s defensive quality control coach. Quinn, 31 at the time, had spent the previous seven seasons coaching at various colleges before getting his first break in the NFL. Quinn and Steele were together for two seasons with the 49ers. They would reunite again in 2019. Quinn was the head coach of the Falcons, and he hired Steele as an offensive assistant. He was promoted to tight ends coach in 2020, Quinn’s final season in Atlanta.
Steele has taught the wide zone
Mark Bullock uncovered a coaching clinic by Steele, in which he taught the outsize zone running game. Does that sound familiar? When Washington moved on from Kingsbury and promoted Blough, the Commanders were expected to move to a zone blocking scheme. They also fired offensive line coach Bobby Johnson and replaced him with assistant offensive line coach Darnell Stapleton. Why is this notable? Stapleton coached the offensive line at Florida before coming to Washington and taught the outside zone. This tells you that Blough is filling out his staff with like-minded coaches who are all on the same page with schemes and blocking principles.
Commanders.com
Combine notebook | Prospects praise Commanders’ weapons, DBs take the field for workouts
— We’ll start off with the offensive skill positions, and several of the top players confirmed that they had meetings with the Washington Commanders, from Ohio State’s Carnell Tate to Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson, who will not participate in workouts over the weekend, said his meeting with the Commanders stood out the most among the other teams.
“The format they had, the way they did it, kudos to them to be honest with you,” Tyson told Josina Anderson. “They had us pulling up pictures and saying what it means to you. And then their receiver coach would pull up another picture, and they’d walk through it with us and stuff like that.”
— Love, widely regarded as the best running back in the class, also confirmed that he met with the Commanders. There’s speculation about exactly how high he could be taken in the draft, but there will be plenty of temptation for teams to add him and elevate their offense. It’s possible that the Commanders, who do have several needs on defense, could be the team to take him, and he likes the idea of being paired with quarterback Jayden Daniels.
“It would be great. I think we would be a great little duo in the backfield. Jayden Daniels can use his feet very well and passes the ball very well. And then you add me in there, I can run well, I can block. I can receive. If I was to go to the Commanders, I feel like me and Jayden Daniels would pair well together.”
— The Commanders could be in the market for a backup quarterback and are looking into the crop of talent in the draft for someone to add to the room. That includes Texas Tech’s Behren Morton, who said he had a positive meeting with the Commanders.
Commanders Roundtable
My Plea to the Washington Commanders: Don’t Get Too Cute
In 2018, Bruce Allen selected Daron Payne at No. 13. While Payne has been a fine player and earned two Pro Bowls, the consensus at the time was that Florida State’s Derwin James was the best player available. James sat right there at 13, went to the Chargers at 17, and became an All-Pro safety. Washington is still struggling to solidify the safety position eight years later.
In 2021, the blunder was even more glaring. Ron Rivera and Martin Mayhew took Jamin Davis at No. 15. Davis was a raw prospect who had only started 11 games at Kentucky. Most evaluators had him as a second-round talent, but Washington ignored the board.
Then there was 2022. Holding the 11th pick, the Commanders traded back, passing on Chris Olave, Jameson Williams, and Kyle Hamilton. They eventually took Jahan Dotson at 16.
Lastly, we must touch on the 2023 draft and the selection of Emmanuel Forbes. Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez was widely regarded as a top-10 selection and surprisingly fell to the Commanders at 16. Fans were filled with joy as a top cornerback prospect sat right in front of them. When Roger Goodell read Forbes’ name aloud instead of Gonzalez’s, the collective heart of the DMV dropped.
Holding the No. 7 pick, they sit in an ideal position.
At 5-12, it’s obvious their needs are many. But where they sit in the draft, the prospects available fit those needs like a glove. You could argue the Commanders’ biggest holes are at Edge, Coverage Linebacker, Running Back, Wide Receiver, and Cornerback. At seven, at least one of these elite options will be available.
My request to Peters is simple: Maximize the value. Don’t trade back into a lower tier. Don’t reach for a “sleeper” or a “guy with upside.” Just take the best player available.
Riggo’s Rag
Commanders and Emmett Johnson might not be a good fit in David Blough’s offense
Speculation continues to rise around the Commanders potentially taking Jeremiyah Love with the No. 7 pick, but much will depend on what happens in free agency. Others will be considered, but a mid-level prospect did his chances of being considered no good at all with his less-than-stellar showing in Indianapolis.
Blough is aiming for dynamism. Analysts believe the rookie play-caller is looking to adopt more zone-blocking schemes with an emphasis on creating explosive plays in the run game. Based on his performance at the Combine, fans should cross Emmett Johnson off the list.
Johnson clocked in at 4.56 seconds in the 40-yard dash, with a 1.59-second split over 10 yards. His 35.5-inch vertical jump, 10-foot broad jump, and 7.39-second three-cone drill were in the lower percentile. The Nebraska prospect’s overall athleticism score of 64 ranked 19th among all running backs in Indianapolis.
While his production with the Cornhuskers last season — 1,451 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns from a whopping 251 carries — warrants respect, this doesn’t appear to be the sort of prospect Blough is looking for within his new system. Johnson is a battering ram rather than someone who can break off big plays off the edge. If Rodriguez gets tendered, there doesn’t seem to be much use for him.
Podcasts & videos
Commanders HC Dan Quinn Talks Jayden Daniels, Kliff Kingsbury & More w/ Rich Eisen | Full Interview
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The Spun
Dallas Cowboys Restructure Contracts Of Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb
The Cowboys cleared $6.5 million in cap space last week by releasing Logan Wilson. They acquired the veteran linebacker prior to the trade deadline this past season. That move left the Cowboys at roughly $30 million over the cap. Well, that’ll no longer be the case.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter announced that Dallas restructured the contracts of quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and offensive guard Tyler Smith this Saturday. Those moves will clear up $66 million in cap space, which should put “America’s Team” in prime position to spend big this offseason.
Schefter said “Jerry Jones said the Cowboys will [also] rework the contracts of DTs Kenny Clark, Quinnen Williams and Osa Odighizuwa, who are scheduled to count around $63 million against the cap.”
The Athletic (paywall)
Will Giants take a big free-agent swing up front? What I’m hearing at the NFL combine
Sonny Styles moves into the mix
The expectation is the Giants will cut inside linebacker Bobby Okereke, which will create $9 million in cap savings. Replacing Okereke with a stud middle linebacker will become a top priority. The Ravens consistently invested heavily at middle linebacker, starting with Ray Lewis and continuing with CJ Mosley (a 2014 first-round pick), Patrick Queen (a 2020 first-round pick) and Roquan Smith (a 2022 trade and lucrative extension).
That history makes Ohio State’s Sonny Styles a serious consideration with the No. 5 pick in the draft. The only problem with that plan is Styles might not make it to the fifth pick after an all-time performance at the combine.
They might be in on running backs
The Giants have been doing more recon than expected on running backs considering they have two cheap, productive backs on the roster. But there are questions about the longevity and upside of Cam Skattebo, whom many in the league view as more of a complementary back. Tyrone Tracy isn’t viewed as a No. 1 back either, despite filling that role for stretches in his first two seasons.
The Giants have shown interest in Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker, which is a surprise based on Schoen’s notoriously hardline stance with Saquon Barkley. Walker is expected to get the biggest contract of any running back on the market, so it seems unlikely the Giants will be the top bidder considering their bigger needs at premium positions. However, running back is an under-the-radar position that could get a sizable investment as Harbaugh builds a run-heavy offense.
Blueprint for a Kayvon Thibodeaux trade?
The New York Jets’ trade of edge rusher Jermaine Johnson to the Titans for nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat could provide a road map for the Giants with Kayvon Thibodeaux. Johnson has a $13.4 million salary on his fifth-year option. The Jets flipped him for Sweat, who will have cap hits of $1.7 million and $2.1 million over the next two seasons.
Thibodeaux’s $14.8 million salary on his fifth-year option has made him a trade chip. But the Giants don’t want to give away a useful 25-year-old at a premium position. So unless they’re able to secure a Day 2 pick for Thibodeaux, a deal for a player such as Sweat might be a better avenue to get suitable value.
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ESPN
2026 NFL combine buzz: Intel on free agency, trades, QBs
Expect Washington to target offensive help, among a lot of other things. When asking about the top tier of free agent running backs, tight ends and linebackers, the Commanders come up a lot.
Don’t be surprised if Carolina makes some big moves on defense for the second consecutive year. The Panthers will be looking at edge-rush help and might be open to offering a lucrative contract. They need linebacker and slot corner help, too. Devin Lloyd would be an ideal fit in the middle of the defense.
The Eagles could look in-house for free agent splashes. They will attempt to re-sign Jaelan Phillips, who proved an ideal fit for the defense. They could also extend the contracts of defensive tackles Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter.
Something an NFL head coach said to me, unsolicited: “Watch for Tua [Tagovailoa] in Atlanta.”
The sense at the end of the week is that Trey Hendrickson (Bengals) and Odafe Oweh (Chargers) will probably not be franchise-tagged. That could change over the next 48 hours, but Oweh has not received any indication that he will be tagged, and most around the league would be surprised if the Bengals tag Hendrickson. The overwhelming belief in league circles is that the Jets will use the transition tag on running back Breece Hall ($11.3 million), though.
NFL Draft / Combine
NFL.com
2026 NFL combine: What We Learned during Saturday’s activities in Indianapolis
3) Massive O-lineman says Eagles showing “a lot” of interest in him. At 6-7 and 350-plus pounds, Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor is hard to miss. He’ll be closely evaluated by every NFL team looking for help on the offensive line, as NFL.com analyst Daniel Jeremiah’s No. 29 prospect in the draft, but Proctor noted on Saturday that the Eagles are paying particularly close attention.
“It was good,” Proctor said of his meeting with the reigning NFC East champions. “I think they have shown a lot of interest in me. I really liked the vibe with them, too.”
General manager Howie Roseman could look to snag the eventual replacement for six-time Pro Bowl right tackle Lane Johnson, who will turn 36 in May, but there could be a lot of teams competing for Proctor’s services come April.
One of those squads might be the Lions, who pick six spots before the Eagles in Round 1 at No. 17 overall. Proctor told reporters his combine meeting with the Lions went very well.
5) Will Tate’s 40 time limit his draft ceiling? Ohio State WR Carnell Tate‘s hopes of landing in the top 10 of the 2026 NFL Draft might have just became a little more complicated.
The 6-2 1/4, 192-pounder ran an official 40-yard dash time of 4.53 seconds on Saturday at the combine. The 40 isn’t the end-all-be-all metric for the position, and we’ve seen several players succeed despite logging disappointing times. But as for being selected with a top-10 draft pick? That could be a steep climb now, especially with Tate weighing less than 200 pounds.
Most recent top-10 receivers have run the 40 at 4.5 seconds or faster — including several receivers bigger than Tate. Yes, we’re talking hundredths of a second here, but every one of them counts.
History suggests Tate might need something in the 4.4s at Ohio State’s pro day in order to help his chances, assuming Tate wants another crack at the 40. Consider what happened with a comparable physical specimen, CeeDee Lamb; Lamb ran a 4.5 flat at 6-2 and 198 pounds and went to the Cowboys 17th overall in 2020. In other words, Tate might have some work to do to ensure a top-10 slot, even in a year where the top of the draft feels a little thinner than normal.
