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Daily Slop – 10 July 25 – Laremy Tunsil is the first Washington Commander to make this year’s NFL Top-100 list

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Agent’s Take: Why Terry McLaurin’s contract dispute with the Commanders is more complicated than you think

On the surface, it shouldn’t be that hard for McLaurin and the Commanders to reach an agreement since the wide receiver market is well-defined. Age is surely an important consideration for the Commanders. McLaurin played his first NFL season in 2019 as a 24-year-old rookie. He turns 30 on Sept. 15.

Getting a deal done is going to require the Commanders acknowledging that McLaurin is a No. 1 wide receiver and should be paid accordingly. McLaurin is the primary receiving threat on the Commanders. He led the Commanders with 117 targets in 2024.

The Commanders designating McLaurin as a franchise player in 2026 if he plays out his contract won’t be cheap. It will cost $30.2 million at a minimum with the way the 120% of prior year’s salary provisions work with franchise tags. The 20% increase is primarily based on a player’s salary cap number from the previous year. McLaurin’s franchise tag would be $30.45 million if he is named to the 2025 Pro Bowl on the original ballot because his $250,000 Pro Bowl incentive would be classified as likely to be earned and added in after calculating the increase. Expect McLaurin’s camp to factor the franchise tag amount into their negotiation equation.

One way to try to help resolve the stalemate between McLaurin and the Commanders could be to look at the contracts of the six wide receivers named first- or second-team All-Pro last season.

Collectively, these six wide receivers are signed to extensions with $722.61 million of new money for 22 new contract years to average $32,845,909 per year. The oldest of these wide receivers at signing, excluding McLaurin, was Brown. He turned 27 a couple of months after he got his deal. The other four were either 25 or close to being 25 when they signed.

Another data point that could be useful is adjusting McLaurin’s existing contract for salary cap inflation. The salary cap has increased by 34.1% since McLaurin signed in 2022. His deal is a little less than $31.125 million per year when factoring in salary cap growth.

Commanders.com

Laremy Tunsil makes the NFL’s Top 100 list for the 5th time in his career

Washington Commanders offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil has been named the No. 86 on the NFL’s annual list of top 100 players, marking the fifth time in his career that he has received a ranking.

Tunsil (6-5, 316) is a 10-year NFL veteran who entered the league with the Miami Dolphins as a first-round pick (13th overall) in the 2016 NFL Draft. In his career, Tunsil has started in all 125 games he has appeared in and is a five-time Pro Bowler. In 2016, he earned PFWA All-Rookie Team honors.

From 2019-2024, Tunsil played for the Houston Texans where he started in 81 games and earned Pro Bowl honors in each season. In 2024, Tunsil registered an 89.1 pass block grade from PFF among all offensive tackles. He also had a pass block win rate of 93 percent on 411 total snaps, tied for the seventh best among all offensive tackles, per ESPN analytics.

Since 2022, Tunsil has earned a 91.7 pass blocking grade (second among all offensive tackles) and allowed a presser rate of 3.1 percent, the third best among all offensive tackles.

Riggo’s Rag

5 Commanders battling for their future

Percy Butler – Commanders S

Most thought Percy Butler would be a salary-cap cut candidate this offseason if the necessary upgrades were found. That’s not the case anymore.

Butler came in for significant praise during the Washington Commanders’ offseason workout program. Head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. commended the safety for making strides on the field and as a leader. If the same trend continues over camp, he’ll likely have a similar role entering the final year of his deal.

The Commanders replaced Jeremy Chinn with Will Harris, but that was about it regarding safety enhancements. That could change before Week 1 against the New York Giants arrives, so it’ll be interesting to see if the likes of Butler can convince the coaching staff to run it back.

There are higher stakes attached to Butler’s performance levels than most. He’s a dependable special-teams contributor but has struggled on the defensive rotation when opportunities came his way. Unless the Commanders are suitably impressed by his progress when he gets a chance, the former fourth-round pick might not get another new deal from the franchise.

Butler is fighting back after being deemed a lost cause. But make no mistake, the next few months will ultimately determine whether he gets another commitment.

Podcasts & videos

Up & Adams Show: Joe Theismann on Compares Terry McLaurin to Jerry Rice, Commanders Helping Jayden Daniels & More!

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