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Commanders revamp defense with youth, speed
The Commanders ranked 27th in points and last in yards last season. They were 31st in opposing quarterbacks QBR, and their 27 turnovers combined the past two seasons was next to last.
The first step to improving was hiring defensive coordinator Daronte Jones, a former Minnesota Vikings assistant who worked under DC Brian Flores for the past three seasons. Then came multiple free agent signings, including edge Odafe Oweh and linebacker Leo Chenal. Styles was the last big piece. It was a necessary
defensive overhaul, going from an aging ineffective group to a young one with potential.
“My mind is already going on overdrive,” coach Dan Quinn said of his revamped unit.
Here is what the Commanders have done so far on defense:
Getting younger, faster
The Commanders were one of the NFL’s oldest teams last season and that was particularly true on defense. Washington opened the season with only two starters aged 25 or younger — corners Trey Amos and Mike Sainristil.
There were a myriad of problems on defense, and age alone wasn’t to blame. But, as Peters has said repeatedly this offseason, they needed more youth.
They stood by their words. Five key defensive newcomers signed in free agency were age 27 or younger. Then they added a sixth in first-round pick Styles.
Compare that to last offseason when Washington signed one player age 27 while the other six were 29 or older and four north of 30. They also re-signed Bobby Wagner, who was 35 last season.
The oldest projected defensive starter currently is safety Will Harris, who turns 31 in December. Linebacker Frankie Luvu turns 30 in September. Otherwise, they’ll potentially have nine starters 28 or younger and four who are 25 or younger.
Washington still appear to need help in the secondary. The Commanders have four corners who have started at least eight games and two others with a combined 28 games played in three seasons.
The only roster locks, though, are Amos, Sainristil and Amik Robertson, who was signed in the offseason. Veteran Ahkello Witherspoon, who would add depth if he makes the roster, has only $125,000 in guaranteed money. He’s played in 96 games with 64 starts but broke his scapula twice last season.
Washington did sign safety Nick Cross in free agency to pair with Harris. The Commanders need players such as safety Quan Martin, who was benched in the final game, and Sainristil, who was inconsistent last season after a strong rookie year, to return to the trajectory the team said they were on entering 2025.
“I don’t think last year we saw them at their best,” Quinn said in February. “I have belief in them, what they can be and where it can go to.”
In Minnesota last season, the Vikings primarily played two corners and opted for three safeties more of the time, sliding into the slot. Their third corner, Fabian Moreau, wasn’t signed until Nov. 8 and averaged 17 snaps per game.
NFL.com
Dan Quinn on ‘rare’ LB Sonny Styles: ‘He has such unique traits to him’
In an interview with the Rich Eisen Show, Quinn touted Styles’ versatility and how that can affect the entire defensive unit.
“I think it’s rare. … This type of linebacker; the athletic traits, the speed, the size, the length — it’s not an every-year player,” Quinn said. “I’m a developmental coach — I can’t wait to coach him. He’s hungry for it; he wants to improve. Seeing his first couple years at DB and then shifting down to linebacker at the start of the 2024 season, I just felt like this guy’s gonna take off. Reps at the position, and like just seeing it more and more, I cannot wait to get rolling with him.”
Riggo’s Rag
College football expert believes UDFA Chris Hilton Jr. could make an impact with the Commanders
Nicholas Rome of Saturday Blitz thought the Commanders might have something in Chris Hilton Jr. He’ll need to stay healthy more consistently than he did in college, but the expert expressed confidence in the rookie’s immediate impact as a downfield threat while he develops other areas of his game.
“Chris Hilton Jr. never caught a break at LSU as injuries would slow his development anytime he started to build momentum. When healthy, Hilton has a chance to be a deep threat with his speed, but he’ll need to continue developing his game in the other areas.”
Hilton was a high-priority signing for the Commanders when he didn’t hear his name called during the draft. He’s got the size, length, and speed to offer something a little different. There is also an existing connection with quarterback Jayden Daniels from their time together at LSU.
Expecting miracles from Hilton would be unrealistic. As Rome stated, staying on the field was an ongoing frustration in college, denting any momentum that may have been generated. His route tree and concentration when the football comes his way also need to be improved to stand any chance of making it in the pros.
That said, there are more positives than negatives. It isn’t costing the Commanders much to find out if Hilton can make an impact in the receiver room. Daniels likes him, and there is chemistry. Turning this into something more is the next challenge, but his arrival in Washington comes with more intrigue than most.
Matt Miller projects future WR1 role for Commanders rookie Antonio Williams
ESPN‘s Matt Miller lauded the Commanders’ decision to draft Williams. He even thought the gifted pass-catcher had the chance to be a future No. 1 option with a little extra polish under Washington’s exceptional coaching staff.
“It wouldn’t have been a surprise to see Washington draft a wide receiver in Round 1 — they might have if [Carnell] Tate were available. With no selection in Round 2, drafting a wideout in Round 3 became a must given Terry McLaurin’s age (31) and the lack of obvious options behind him.
“[Antonio] Williams is a silky-smooth route runner who can line up on the outside or in the slot. The Commanders might have found a future WR1 in Round 3.”
This would be the best-case scenario, especially given the speculation about Terry McLaurin’s future beyond the 2026 campaign.
McLaurin remains the WR1 and the focal point of Washington’s passing attack. There is nobody better in the room, and it’s not even close. However, there were murmurings earlier this offseason about a potential departure in 2027 as his salary-cap number soars.
That’s to be determined. But Williams won’t be worried about that.
He’ll be focused on making a smooth transition, developing chemistry with quarterback Jayden Daniels, and quickly establishing himself in an important role. And if these objectives are achieved, attention will then turn to silencing the doubters who caused his draft slide.
Commanders Wire
Commanders could have sneaky good offensive backfield in 2026
Not having second- or fourth-round picks did not stop Washington Commanders GM Adam Peters from having a good draft.
That’s the word from Trevor Sikkema and Connor Rogers of the “NFL Stock Exchange.” Commanders Wire takes a quick look at how they evaluated the Commanders’…selections in last week’s draft.
Sikkema: “I thought with even what they had, this is an A draft for me. I think Kaytron Allen, Bill Croskey-Merritt, and Rashad White are a really nice running back trio that can do a lot of different things for you.
Concluding, Sikkema voiced, “I love this draft. I think they did an excellent job capitalizing on talent, as it was falling to them, knowing they didn’t have a lot of ammunition to work with. But when they did pull the tigger, I thought it as very meaninful on players that could be a big-time difference makers for them.”
Podcasts & videos
Dan Quinn ‘stokes the flame’ of Jayden Daniels to get the best out of him 🔥 | The Rich Eisen Show
Grading the Washington Commanders 2026 Draft!
NFC East links
Bleeding Green Nation
Makai Lemon jersey number: First Eagles player to wear No. 9 since Nick Foles
Lemon said he was aware of No.9 previously being unavailable and he talked to Foles on the phone before the decision was ultimately made. The rookie added that he’s looking forward to meeting Foles in person.
So, why did Lemon like this number? His answer:
“Really, I just want to [get] the lowest number possible that I can get, which was No. 9. The Eagles brought that up, so, couldn’t pass up on that one.“
Lemon wore No. 6 at USC and that one is obviously taken by DeVonta Smith, so, that wasn’t happening for him. But he was still available to get a single-digit … and one that looks like his old number if you flip it upside down.
Our official #JerseyNumberAnalytics stance on this jersey number development? This is a major stock up for Lemon. The Eagles aren’t bringing No. 9 back into the rotation unless they’re confident he’s going to be a stud in the NFL. Also, the aesthetic of DeVonta in No. 6 in Lemon in No. 9 is a nice combined look for the team’s top two wide receivers moving forward.
Big Blue View
Darius Slayton injury: Core muscle surgery sidelines NY Giants wide receiver
Could that provide an opening for the Giants to sign Odell Beckham?
New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton recently underwent surgery for a core muscle injury, according to reporting from NFL insiders Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport.
Slayton, according to the report, will miss the remainder of spring workouts but is expected to be ready when training camp begins in late July.
This means that the Giants will go through the rest of the spring without the two players likely to be their starting outside wide receivers, Slayton and Malik Nabers. Still recovering from surgery for a torn ACL and associated injuries, Nabers’ timeline is unknown. It does not appear, though, that he will be ready when training camp begins.
That will provide opportunities for free agent signees Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin, as well as third-round pick Malachi Fields, to get additional snaps. It can’t, though, be looked at as a positive for second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Rich Eisen gives SHOCKING UPDATE on George Pickens BLOCKBUSTER Trade: Commanders, Bills or Ravens?
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Articles
ESPN
Calais Campbell reuniting with Ravens for 19th season
Six-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Calais Campbell is reuniting with the Baltimore Ravens.
Campbell is returning to sign a one-year deal with the Ravens, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Thursday. This will mark the 19th season for Campbell, who will turn 40 on Sept. 1.
Baltimore is bringing back Campbell because interior defensive line was among the thinnest positions on the team after the draft. Though Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike might come back from neck surgery, the only Ravens defensive linemen currently available who played more than 100 snaps last season are Travis Jones, John Jenkins and CJ Okoye.
Packers exercise Lukas Van Ness’ fifth-year option
Despite recording only 8.5 sacks over his first three NFL seasons, Green Bay Packers defensive end Lukas Van Ness had the fifth-year option picked up on his rookie deal, a source confirmed to ESPN on Thursday.
The deadline for teams to decide on fifth-year options for all 2023 first-round picks is Friday.
Van Ness is now expected to make $13.8 million, fully guaranteed via the option, in 2027. He will make a little more than $3 million this coming season, which would have been the final year of his contract had the Packers passed on the option year.
Steelers declining Broderick Jones’ 5th-year option
The Pittsburgh Steelers are declining tackle Broderick Jones’ fifth-year option, sources told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Thursday night.
Jones, who turns 25 next month, suffered a season-ending neck injury in a Week 12 loss to the Chicago Bears and had offseason surgery. It’s unclear if he’ll return by training camp or the start of the season.
Sources previously told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Jones had a setback in his recovery a week before the NFL draft. The Steelers then selected developmental tackle Max Iheanachor with their first-round pick (No. 21) and then added to the interior of the line by drafting Iowa guard Gennings Dunker in the third round.
Bengals decline DE Myles Murphy’s fifth-year option
The Bengals have declined the fifth-year option on defensive end Myles Murphy’s rookie contract, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Thursday.
The decision comes one day before the deadline for teams to exercise the fifth-year option for first-round draft picks in 2023. Had the Bengals picked up the option, they would have been on the hook for an estimated $14.5 million for the 2027 season, according to OverTheCap.com.
However, this decision doesn’t mean that the Bengals want to move on from Murphy, who is coming off his best season to date. In 2025, he had 5.5 sacks and was a bright spot on a defense that struggled.
NFL.com
2026 NFL Draft aftermath: Will any rookie quarterback start in Week 1?
For the first time since 2022 — the Kenny Pickett year — we could open Week 1 with zero rookie QBs under center. Before that, we have to go back to 2007 — the JaMarcus Russell draft — to find a year in which we didn’t have a first-year quarterback start the season.
The reasons are mostly two-fold:
A) It’s an impatient league; if you’re on the roster, you’re in the fire.
B) Teams drafting talented QBs tend to be those with glaring holes at the position.
It’s even rarer for a No. 1 overall pick to ride the pine these days. The past six quarterbacks taken with the top pick — Cam Ward, Caleb Williams, Bryce Young, Trevor Lawrence, Joe Burrow and Kyler Murray — all started opening weekend. The last one who didn’t was Baker Mayfieldin 2018 (his entrance came in Week 3). Before that, it was Jared Goff in 2016 who, after a wobbly preseason, was inactive Week 1 and didn’t start until Week 11.
[E]verything new coach Klint Kubiak has said since he was hired indicates he’d prefer to let the rookie [Fernando Mendoza] learn from the sideline, at least at first. The signing of Kirk Cousins makes that possible. This isn’t a Marcus Mariota–Jayden Daniels situation. I’ve been critical of Cousins in the past, but he played solidly down the stretch last season and is an ideal fit for Kubiak’s offense. He can provide a baseline and allow the rest of the offense to figure itself out without the added dimension of a rookie QB learning the offense.
Mendoza could force Kubiak to toss that all out the window with a splashy offseason and preseason. The pressure to play a No. 1 pick is real. But coming from an RPO system, it could take some adjustment before the Indiana product is fully ready.
The Cardinals’ selection of Beck in the third round was an interesting addition to the QB room.
Jacoby Brissett is the presumed starter, but he is sitting out offseason workouts in search of a new contract that pays him as such. Gardner Minshew was brought in as a veteran backup. Now enters Beck, who has a trove of experience in college (43 starts) and has physical traits to be a starter.
Assuming Arizona figures things out with Brissett, Beck will be a developmental project. But nothing has been predictable in the desert this offseason.
The Steelers’ selection of Allar adds more questions than answers in Pittsburgh. Do the Steelers believe there’s a chance Aaron Rodgers won’t, indeed, return for his age-42 season? Was all the positive talk about Will Howard this offseason hot air? Is Mason Rudolph a goner? We won’t have any answers until we get a firm resolution on Rodgers — who knows when that will be?
Draft selection: No. 182 overall (sixth round)
The Browns certainly have an array of options in the QB room. Is the saying “if you have four QBs, you have none”?
[Taylen] Green is a super athlete who could develop under Todd Monken. It also feels like we’ve seen this type of attempt to turn an athlete into a full-time QB with Terrelle Pryor, who ultimately became a wide receiver. While the Browns have legit questions with the QB pecking order, Green is a long shot.
If someone had told you after the 2024 campaign that Nussmeier would fall all the way to the late seventh round and be the last QB taken, you probably would have scoffed. Such is football life.
The LSU product boasts an NFL-caliber arm and good feel for defenses. However, his struggles during an injury-plagued 2025 season and news of a cyst on his spine led to his tumble. Nussmeier did land a cushy gig. He gets to learn under Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes. With Justin Fields playing the stand-in role until the two-time AP NFL MVP is back from his knee injury, there is no pressure on the rookie to do more than learn the offense.
Nussmeier could eventually stop the QB churning behind Mahomes and become a stabilizing backup. Reid has a history of developing signal-callers and then trading them to QB-needy teams. So, while Nussmeier isn’t going to be a long-term starter in K.C., barring something catastrophic happening with Mahomes (we have to put in the disclaimer), he has the talent to stick in the league.
Discussion topics
Pro Football Talk
Warren Buffett explains sports betting in simple terms: “It’s a tax on stupidity”
“It’s a tax on stupidity,” Buffett recently told CNBC, via Ben Horney of Front Office Sports.
By adding billions to the tax base, it almost makes it easier for the rich to pay less in taxes.
“To the extent that states raise money from people who — the dollar really means something to them — it actually relieves the taxes on me or other rich people,” Buffett said. “It’s not direct, but it’s the net effect.”
Buffett should like the fact that, in 2025 alone, sports betting raised $2.89 billion in tax revenue for the states that have legalized it. He doesn’t.
“I don’t like things that make a sucker out of people,” Buffett said. “I don’t think the function of the government is to play its people for suckers.”
The benefit to state governments is one of the rarely-discussed realities of sports betting. Yes, the sportsbooks are making billions. To the extent the states have justified legalizing sports betting by taking a piece of the action, they are, too.
It all comes back to the reality that sports betting (and prediction markets) don’t make anything. They traffic in money. And the system was engineered to vacuum as much money as possible from bettors and, in turn, to redistribute as little as possible back to them. As a result, an enormous imbalance exists. And the bettors are the ones experiencing the wrong end of it.
If it wasn’t a wildly popular business for the sportsbooks, there would be no incentive to be in the business. It wouldn’t be marketed so aggressively, with so many “get rich quick” ads luring people to get poor slowly. And perhaps to develop an addiction along the way, one that can create financial challenges that potentially destroy the lives of gamblers and their families.
Before sports betting was legalized, it wasn’t so easy. People had to first be willing to venture onto the wrong side of the tracks. They had to be willing to “break the law.” They had to welcome the risk of placing bets with those who present a worst-case scenario far more physically dangerous than filing bankruptcy.
It all comes back to the mindset that gamblers bring to the table. They can’t think it will pay their bills. They can’t think it will make them rich. There is no system that anyone will develop to consistently beat the house. And, if they somehow ever do, they’ll be cut off.
One of the arguments in favor of legalized gambling is that people will do it regardless of whether it’s legal. In theory, that’s true. But illegal gambling isn’t as readily available as the apps on an iPhone. If I have a bowl of candy on my desk, I’ll eat candy all day. If I have to go out and buy candy (especially if candy isn’t legal), I’m less likely to spend all day eating some more and some more and some more and some more.
2028 NFL Draft
Pro Football Talk
Report: Minnesota is the “clear favorite” to host 2028 draft
Next year’s draft will happen in D.C. The location of the draft after that has yet to be determined.
Signs are pointing to the Twin Cities.
Austin Karp of Sports Business Journal reports that Minnesota is the “clear favorite” to host the 2028 draft.
Minnesota submitted a bid in March. The three-day process would center on U.S. Bank Stadium. Other events would happen in St. Paul, at the Mall of America, and in the Viking Lakes development around the team’s headquarters in Eagan.
The league’s events committee is due to meet next week regarding the 2028 draft. An ownership vote is expected at the next ownership meeting, on May 19 and 20 in Orlando.
Deadspin
2027 NFL Draft: Teams Most Likely To Land the No. 1 Overall Pick
[I]t’s rather easy to project failures in team-building — or large-scale rebuilding efforts to clean up the mess of a prior regime — to cast these teams as the best candidates to be drafting at the top in 2027.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins have an absolutely barren roster built on extremely limited foundational pieces. While they made a couple splash additions in free agency, including bridge quarterback and former Packers backup Malik Willis, they’re mostly primed for a rebuild. If Willis is not able to elevate the team above the sum of its shaky parts, the Dolphins could be a prime candidate for the first overall pick in the 2027 draft. The question becomes if they give up on Willis immediately or take one of the blue-chip edge rushers or receivers this class has on hand.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals are currently rolling out either a third-round rookie, Gardner Minshew, or Jacoby Brissett to start on week one, none of whom are particularly inspiring options.
Cleveland Browns
You can blow smoke all you want that Deshaun Watson is back in pre-suspension form, but it’s hard to believe that the Browns will be a competent team with him at the helm, both from a morale and a pure play standpoint.
Seattle Seahawks sale
Front Office Sports
Seahawks Sale Watch: Zuckerberg, Cook Among Rumored Bidders
At least four potential majority buyers have expressed interest, including two very familiar names: tech titans Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg and Apple’s Tim Cook, who recently announced he will step down as CEO and become EVP of the company’s board of directors. Following publication of this story, a source close to Apple told FOS the rumor of his [Cook’s] interest in the Seahawks is “completely false.” The identities of the other two potential bidders were not clear, nor was it known whether any formal offers had been made.
Zuckerberg has a net worth of more than $206 billion, while Cook’s net worth is $2.9 billion, according to Forbes.
The most recent change-of-control sale in the NFL was the Commanders, which controversial former owner Dan Snyder sold in 2023 to a group led by Josh Harris, in a deal valued at $6.05 billion. Multiple minority stakes in teams have been sold since then at higher franchise valuations. In September, the Giants sold a 10% stake to Julie Koch and members of her billionaire family at a $10 billion valuation, and in March the Dolphins sold a 1% stake to Chinese American technology entrepreneur Lin Bin at a reported $12.5 billion valuation.
Sources are mixed on what valuation the Seahawks will fetch, with some believing it will surpass $10 billion, while others say it could be more in the $8 billion range. Regardless, it is widely expected to break the record set by the sale of the Commanders.
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