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
Last Man Standig
The Commanders emphasized speed, versatility — and the next injury — in rebuilding their front seven
After injuries exposed a lack of depth during last season’s 5-12 collapse, Washington spent the offseason adding linemen and linebackers capable of filling multiple roles
When Dorance Armstrong and Deatrich Wise were sidelined for last week’s OTA session
rather than participating in it, the scene functioned as a reminder of how dramatically the Washington Commanders’ roster has changed in one year.
In 2025, both defensive linemen were lost early to season-ending injuries, amplifying concerns about a defense already short on proven depth. This time, the Commanders barely blinked.
The lesson from last season’s 5-12 collapse wasn’t simply that injuries hurt. Every NFL team deals with injuries. Washington’s problem was that too often one absence became two problems. A starter went down, and the replacement gap proved too considerable to maintain the preferred tactical approach.
General manager Adam Peters spent this offseason attacking that issue from multiple angles. More linemen. More linebackers. More speed. More versatility.
The goal wasn’t merely upgrading the starting lineup. It was about ensuring another season doesn’t spiral out of control because one or two key contributors land on injured reserve.
That reality became painfully clear last season.
Washington’s plan to improve its run defense centered in part on the addition of Wise, the 6-foot-5, 280-pound free agent signed to add size and physicality. A season-ending quad injury in Week 2 effectively ended that experiment before it began.
The pass rush suffered a similar fate.
Armstrong’s blazing start — 5.5 sacks in six games — was built on the momentum from Washington’s run to the 2024 NFC Championship Game. After recording 3.5 sacks during that postseason surge, the veteran emerged as one of the league’s more efficient pass rushers. Subsequently came the torn ACL in a Week 7 loss at Dallas.
Suddenly, two foundational pieces were gone.
Riggo’s Rag
8 Commanders trade options who could ignite their 2026 bounce back
Could the Commanders go back into the trade market?
Commanders could trade for Marvin Mims Jr.
The Washington Commanders are currently relying on one of their young wide receivers to break out. Terry McLaurin is the only one with proven high-level production. That leaves many unknowns and some trepidation across the fan base about whether more is required.
Adam Peters will give everyone a fair shot. The likes of Treylon Burks and third-round rookie Antonio Williams have caught the eye over the early stages of OTAs, but the hard challenges are still to come. If the Commanders aren’t entirely satisfied, they’ll add to the group. And there is enough cash to keep nothing off the table.
Marvin Mims Jr. might not be a highly touted name in comparison to others. Even so, there is a lot to like about his skill set within David Blough’s concepts.
Mims is electric and explosive with the football in his hands, making things happen after the catch. But with the Denver Broncos having a surplus of playmakers, someone will have to make way.
| Receiving | Rushing | Scrimmage | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Age | Team | Lg | Pos | G | GS | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | 1D | Succ% | Lng | R/G | Y/G | Ctch% | Y/Tgt | Att | Yds | TD | 1D | Succ% | Lng | Y/A | Y/G | A/G | Touch | Y/Tch | YScm | RRTD | Fmb | AV | Awards |
| 2023 | 21 | DEN | NFL | WR | 16 | 7 | 33 | 22 | 377 | 17.1 | 1 | 9 | 48.5 | 60 | 1.4 | 23.6 | 66.7 | 11.4 | 9 | 30 | 0 | 2 | 44.4 | 11 | 3.3 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 31 | 13.1 | 407 | 1 | 2 | 5 | PB,AP-2 |
| 2024 | 22 | DEN | NFL | WR | 17 | 2 | 52 | 39 | 503 | 12.9 | 6 | 15 | 48.1 | 93 | 2.3 | 29.6 | 75.0 | 9.7 | 13 | 42 | 0 | 4 | 38.5 | 17 | 3.2 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 52 | 10.5 | 545 | 6 | 1 | 5 | PB,AP-1 |
| 2025 | 23 | DEN | NFL | WR | 15 | 4 | 51 | 37 | 322 | 8.7 | 1 | 14 | 43.1 | 31 | 2.5 | 21.5 | 72.5 | 6.3 | 12 | 78 | 1 | 3 | 58.3 | 16 | 6.5 | 5.2 | 0.8 | 49 | 8.2 | 400 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
| 3 Yrs | 48 | 13 | 136 | 98 | 1202 | 12.3 | 8 | 38 | 46.3 | 93 | 2.0 | 25.0 | 72.1 | 8.8 | 34 | 150 | 1 | 9 | 47.1 | 17 | 4.4 | 3.1 | 0.7 | 132 | 10.2 | 1352 | 9 | 5 | 14 | |||||
| 17 Game Avg | 17 | 5 | 48 | 35 | 426 | 12.3 | 3 | 13 | 46.3 | 93 | 2.0 | 25.0 | 72.1 | 8.8 | 12 | 53 | 0 | 3 | 47.1 | 17 | 4.4 | 3.1 | 0.7 | 47 | 10.2 | 479 | 3 | 2 | 5 | |||||
Commanders Wire
Reports are Commanders looked great in OTAs: Be careful
I can recall back in the 1970s, I’d watch everything I could from the training camp of the Redskins. Those sports anchors and sports reporters had me so psyched each year, leading me to think the Redskins were not only going to be better that season, they were going to be much better and contenders for the Super Bowl.
Then the actual regular season would begin, and so would the close losses, the injuries. The players who were signed, traded, or drafted by Washington were actually much more human and not nearly as dynamic or superior as I had been led to believe in the offseason.
How does all of that relate to the 2026 Washington Commanders? Actually, in everything. I continue to marvel at fans on X or DC radio, who, though adults, still don’t get it. They still haven’t learned the lesson. Even more, I heard a Washington Commanders player this very week, who, having been in the NFL for a few years, should know better, but he apparently has yet to learn.
It was amazing to listen to him this week talk about how the Commanders are going to dominate this year. Seemingly, he has yet to realize that, from year to year in the NFL, there are very few teams that dominate. The NFL is a week-to-week league, with each week bringing several competitive games.
So, when you are getting all excited about OTA reports, remind yourself they are not even making any contact, and they certainly aren’t working out against another team. Do we hope 2026 is another Washington winning season? Of course we do. But when you have been following this team closely for 57 years, you do pick up on some trends from time to time.
Podcasts & videos
NFC East links
NFL.com
Which NFL players have the most money at stake in 2026?
Kayvon Thibodeaux – New York Giants · OLB
It’s hard to believe this will be Thibodeaux’s fifth NFL season. It’s equally surprising that he’s still only 25 years old.
Thibodeaux is the ultimate enigma at this stage of his career, with a strong first two seasons to his name but also a disappointing past two seasons (and a season-ending shoulder injury in 2025) that mar his forecast. Will the former No. 5 overall pick be a star or a bust? Either eventual result wouldn’t be shocking.
This just feels like a flashpoint season for Thibodeaux, who is playing on the fifth-year tender, with a new coaching staff running the Giants and with more defensive firepower alongside him. The Giants drafted Arvell Reese and will play him inside as a linebacker, which buys Thibodeaux some time to prove himself as an edge rusher. That said, he’s still likely third in the pass-rush pecking order behind Brian Burns and Abdul Carter.
Thibodeaux’s name has been floated in trade rumors, but it appears the Giants will see what he can do in 2026. A breakout season could lead to a massive payout. Another season in the wrong direction would leave his options far murkier, even with all of Thibodeaux’s raw ability.
ESPN
100 days to the 2026 NFL season: Predictions, injuries, more
Veteran free agents to watch
Some big names are still out there looking for new homes. Will Joey Bosa team up with his brother, Nick, in San Francisco? Is Stefon Diggs going to land somewhere — Kansas City? Las Vegas? Washington? — that could still use a veteran WR? Could Jadeveon Clowney continue his quest to play for every team in the league before he’s done? And do the Giants reunite with Odell Beckham Jr.? There’s a lot still in play here. — Graziano
The George Pickens situation
Pickens signed his $27.3 million franchise tag, which the Cowboys are happy about. But he wants a long-term deal that Dallas won’t give right now. Whether Pickens develops a reason to sit out during the offseason or regular season could be something to watch. — Fowler
The Brandon Aiyuk situation
His relationship with the 49ers is apparently broken, making him likely to be on another team by the start of the season. The Niners have resisted cutting him, but if they can’t find a trade partner, they have to make him a free agent before the season starts. — Graziano
Evolution of the Eagles’ offense
Early indications are that quarterback Jalen Hurts has embraced new coordinator Sean Mannion’s scheme and structure. Things will look different. Hurts will be under center more, with DeVonta Smith now serving as his No. 1 option. The former teammates at Alabama should have more chemistry than Hurts had with A.J. Brown in 2025. — Fowler
10 position battles
Commanders wide receiver: Treylon Burks vs. Dyami Brown vs. Antonio Williams vs. Luke McCaffrey vs. Jaylin Lane vs. Van Jefferson
Washington has struggled with WR depth behind Terry McLaurin for years now. Last year’s solution — Deebo Samuel — remains a free agent as the Commanders search for a more dynamic alternative. A free agent or trade (Brandon Aiyuk?) could still fill the spot, but the Commanders need someone to emerge from this smattering of veterans and recent middle-round picks. Williams, the 2026 third-rounder, is the one to watch with his high ceiling and inside/outside versatility.
10 fantasy sleepers
Isaiah Likely, TE, New York Giants
Likely has a clear path to a bigger role with the Giants after being stuck behind Mark Andrews in Baltimore. New York lacks proven pass-catching options behind Malik Nabers, and Likely has already produced TE1 numbers when given opportunities. His only extended stretch without Andrews came in 2023, when he averaged 13.5 fantasy points per game over seven games.
Chig Okonkwo, TE, Washington Commanders
Okonkwo has a clear path to targets as the likely replacement for Zach Ertz, who caught 50 of 72 targets in 13 games for the Commanders last season. Okonkwo is one of just six TEs with at least 50 receptions in each of the past three seasons. The Commanders also don’t have many proven pass catchers behind WR Terry McLaurin, giving Okonkwo a real path to sleeper value.
NFL league links
Articles
Front Office Sports
Illinois’ Last-Minute Push for $5B Bears Stadium Runs Out of Time
A legislative Hail Mary in Illinois ran out of time early Monday as the state House of Representatives did not take up a revised structure for a $5 billion Bears stadium project.
After a frenetic all-night legislative session Sunday night, running into the pre-dawn hours of Monday morning, the state Senate approved at 4:40 a.m. ET a revised stadium structure that would help fund a Bears stadium, but about an hour later, the House of Representatives adjourned without taking up the bill.
The entirely new bill, part of a marathon session to close the state legislature’s spring session, was furiously developed and involved allowing certain municipalities in Cook County to set up their own stadium authorities.
A chosen locale for a stadium would then own a stadium that the Bears would fund privately, but the NFL team would not pay property taxes, in turn giving it the tax certainty it has coveted throughout this long and winding political process. The Bears, however, would pay property taxes on a planned mixed-use development surrounding the stadium.
That bill arrived after a “megaprojects” bill previously approved by the Illinois House of Representatives fizzled in the state Senate due to numerous political complications there.
The state Senate approved the bill by a 37-17 vote at 4:40 a.m. ET, but the House declined to take up the bill.
“There’s a lot of work still ahead of us,” said Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch. “We’ll continue discussions on a number of issues, including our approach to the Bears stadium question, this summer.”
The Athletic (paywall)
Could the Browns really trade Myles Garrett after June 1? Here’s what we know
Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett is a game-changing, weather-changing force who set the NFL single-season sack record in 2025 with 23. Headed to his 10th season, Garrett is at the peak of his football powers and can affect plays — and opposing players and play callers — even when he’s not recording sacks.
But Garrett, 30, has played on just two playoff teams in his nine-year career. The Browns have won a total of eight games over the past two seasons and again are trying to remake and resuscitate their offense. Garrett took a trade demand public in early 2025 before deciding to sign a rich new extension to stay, but a contract modification in March and Garrett’s decision to stay away from the team this spring and stay publicly quiet about his feelings on the state of the team have sparked discussion about a possible Browns decision to trade Garrett at some point either before or during the 2026 season.
Now that it’s June, a trade is possible under the team’s salary-cap parameters. And unless Garrett shows up for mandatory minicamp June 9 and publicly reaffirms his commitment to stay in Cleveland for the foreseeable future, the speculation will continue until the Browns become serious playoff contenders.
Maybe this latest round of Garrett-related uncertainty is much ado about almost nothing; Garrett has never fully participated in the team’s voluntary offseason program in recent years. But maybe something really could be up, and maybe with that contract modification came an acknowledgement from both sides that the Browns’ current timeline might not match Garrett’s.
If the Browns wanted to trade Garrett and found a partner willing to pay an exorbitant price to acquire him, Cleveland could do it now. After June 1, the Browns could split the approximately $41 million in dead money they’d incur from a Garrett trade over two seasons on their salary cap. If a trade occurred at any point after Monday, the Browns would carry $15.53 million of dead money on their 2026 salary cap and take on the remaining $25.56 million of dead money in 2027.
Monken has been asked multiple times over the last several months whether he’s talked with Garrett in person, and Monken has said he has not. Last week, new Browns defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg said he’s spoken with Garrett but would not share details. Garrett would be subject to fines if he doesn’t attend the team’s mandatory minicamp.
Commanders Roundtable
As June 1 Arrives, Questions About Brandon Aiyuk’s Status Remain
June 1 marks the day that San Francisco could save roughly $20 million in cap space if they make a move to release Aiyuk. General manager John Lynch has made clear the Niners’ preference is to find a trade partner for Aiyuk, but given the reported lack of communication over the last year combined with his post-injury questions, that has never picked up legs. Lynch reiterated the preference ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, though Washington showed no signs from parting from any of the already limited draft capital available to general manager Adam Peters.
The caveat is time is still on the Niners’ side. The only deadline the San Francisco front office has to be mindful of is Sept. 1, which is when Aiyuk has a near $25 million option bonus due. Given the Commanders are also set to travel to San Francisco to face the Niners in week six on primetime, it makes sense for the Niners to still use all the time available to them.
Over the Cap
2026 Post June 1 Salary Cap Savings
It’s officially June 1 in the NFL which signifies the first major salary cap accounting change for the league year. Today is the final day where releasing or trading a player will cause all future prorated money to accelerate into 2026. Starting on June 2nd a team will only be responsible for this year’s salary cap proration and will defer any other acceleration to 2027. This is also the final day where all of the post June 1 terminated players have non guaranteed salaries that remain on the books. Here is a look at just what impact the change will have on the cap charges for all of the teams that used the post June 1 designation [back in March when the players were released ahead of the start of the new league year and free agency].
Dolphins Gain $21.098M in cap room with release of Bradley Chubb and Tua Tagovaiola
Miami gains much needed cap room as they were right up against the cap due to their massive dead money charges on the roster this year of $179 million (and counting). The big gain here is from Chubb whose cap charge drops from $31.2 million to $10.98 million. It is extremely rare in todays NFL for a team to use a June1 on a player with such a large cap charge but Miami’s cap situation called for it as ultimately it was more important to defer $12.89 million in cap charges for Chubb to 2027 than worry about the impact of his cap charge during the free agency period.
Tua’s cap number only drops by $868K from $56.27 million to $55.4 million. They still need to account for $43.8 million for him in 2027 through they will also receive a $1.215 million cap credit for his signing with the Falcons. Miami already has $56.687 million in dead money on the books in 2027.
Vikings Gain $12.5M in cap room with release of Jonathan Allen and Harrison Smith
Much like Miami, the Vikings gain some much needed cap room as they were only around $2 million in cap space prior to these transactions becoming official. Allen’s cap number falls from $23.9 million to $12.67 million, creating $11.2 million in cap room. Smith’s release was pre negotiated into his contract and they only gain $1.3 million with his numbers coming off the books.
Allen will count for $4.67 million in dead money in 2027 but the team will also receive an $8 million cap credit for his signing with the Bengals. Smith will count for $7.6 million in 2027.
