Daily Slop – 10 Jun 25 – Commanders mandatory minicamp starts today and runs through Thursday

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, and a sprinkling of other stuff

Commanders links

Articles

Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)

Where does TE Ben Sinnott stand entering his second year?

The first thing to note with Sinnott is that while he only had five catches during the regular season, he still had an impact on the team in other ways. As a blocker, he quickly became an important part of the run game. Now, his run blocking as a traditional inline tight end still requires plenty of work, and the Commanders have John Bates in front of him anyway, who is one of the better blocking tight ends in the league. But Sinnott was used as a second tight end and fullback hybrid, which has a functional role within this offense. He performed that role well throughout the season.

This play comes from the Commanders fourth game of the season against the Arizona Cardinals. Even as early as then, Sinnott was having a solid impact as a blocker. He lines up to the left of the formation outside Bates as the second tight end. Typically in this sort of look, Sinnott would be required to block the edge defender, which is not his strength as of now. So instead, the Commanders call a sweep scheme, pulling both guards to the edge. For Sinnott, this means he can fake blocking the edge just for a moment to create some doubt in the defenders mind before then looping around him to work up to the second level.

As Sinnott loops around the defender, the pulling guards work across and pick him up. Sinnott then works up to the second level where he meets a smaller defensive back in space. Obviously he has a size advantage, but you will often see bigger offensive lineman struggle in this situation because those smaller defensive backs can use the space and their athleticism to run around the block. Sinnott provides the perfect middle ground of big enough to have a significant size advantage to make the block, but still athletic enough to avoid the defender escaping him. You can see the defender does his best to try and sneak past him to the outside, but Sinnott stays engaged with the block and shoves him further outside towards the sideline, providing a lane for the running back to cut behind him and burst down the sideline for a long touchdown.

These types of blocks in space are an important part of the Commanders offense, especially given their quarterback. Jayden Daniels has terrific athleticism and adds a lot to the run game as a read-option threat. However, that wouldn’t work anywhere near as well without a blocker like Sinnott that has the size and athleticism to arc around defenders and block in space. Just look at Daniels’ touchdown run against the Cowboys for an example.

---

Commanders.com

Luke McCaffrey targets growth in Year 2 with Commanders

McCaffrey, who switched positions from quarterback to wide receiver while at Rice University, only had two seasons of experience at wideout prior to being taken with the 100th overall pick last season but still showed promise with 1,715 yards and 19 touchdowns in that span.

General manager Adam Peters drafted him hoping that his size, speed and movements skills in the slot would translate to the NFL with some development, and there were moments where that gamble paid off. He caught his first 11 targets and converted a critical fourth down against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3.

While McCaffrey played in all 17 games and in the Commanders’ playoff run, he only played 36% of the offensive snaps and just 16.3% in the postseason. Some of that was because he took on a larger special teams role in the second half of the season; some of it was because McCaffrey was a rookie with room to grow before being a bigger factor for the offense.

---

ESPN

Several key players might skip mandatory minicamp this week

Marshon Lattimore, CB

Status: Skipped voluntary OTA practices

Washington acquired Lattimore in a midseason trade with New Orleans, but a hamstring injury limited him to two regular-season games (and all three playoff games) with the Commanders.

Lattimore has only $2 million in guaranteed money left in each of the final two years of his contract, but this appears more about what he has always done rather than angling for an extension. He skipped the voluntary OTA sessions while playing for the Saints as well, including each of the past two years.

Terry McLaurin, WR

Status: Skipped voluntary OTA practices

McLaurin, coming off his most productive season — with 82 receptions, 1,096 yards and a career-best 13 touchdowns (one fewer than he had the previous three years combined) — is entering the final year of his contract. The two sides have been discussing an extension but have not struck a deal.

McLaurin skipped voluntary sessions as well as the mandatory minicamp in 2022 before signing a three-year extension.

He had been attending all offseason workouts until the week of May 20.

Coach Dan Quinn is not concerned. “Terry’s had a great offseason,” he said.

Receiver Deebo Samuel, who held out for several days early in the 2022 training camp with San Francisco, said, “I understand the business side of the things, and when he stopped coming, I understand his side of the story.”

NFL minicamp 2025: Teams, rookies, veterans we’re watching

Washington Commanders

The state of CB Marshon Lattimore’s game

Lattimore has skipped the voluntary OTA sessions, something he did his last couple of years in New Orleans, as well. The key for Lattimore is staying healthy during the season and playing at a high level — that’s why Washington traded for him last season.

Any questions about his durability can’t be answered until the season. However, in his five games with Washington, he played to mixed results. For the Commanders to take a big step as a defense, it needs strong play from Lattimore. — John Keim

---

Riggo’s Rag

Cincinnati may have crushed any remaining hope for Tren Hendrickson in Washington

By releasing Pratt, the Bengals saved just under $6 million. By opening up even more money, that now begs the question of whether or not it will allow them to get a deal done with Hendrickson.

The contract standoff between Cincinnati and Hendrickson has been well-documented and continues to see no end in sight.

But, after the release of Pratt, there should be some added wiggle room thus making it feasible to get a contract extension done with the star pass rusher. It’s only a bit of perceived momentum at the moment, but this all adds up.

The idea that the Bengals would release their leading tackler all while knowing they’re not going to get anything worked out with Hendrickson is pretty farfetched. NFL franchises have done dumb things before, and will continue to do so, but this seems like a painful mistake if it were to come to fruition.

Instead, I think it means the Bengals will be able to work something out with Hendrickson and, in the process, end all of the whispers around a potential trade — yes, even to the Commanders.

---

Podcasts & videos

Rookie DB Trey Amos does it ALL | Raising Hail With the Rookies | Washington Commanders | NFL

---

---

Commanders’ David Blough talks about creating plays for Jayden Daniels

---

Media Day

---

NFL league links

Articles

Gridiron Heroics

Green Bay Packers: Jaire Alexander Project to Take Massive Pay Cut in Free Agency

At the end of Green Bay’s season, Alexander told reporters that he had “nothing good to say” and that he was not sure if he would return in 2025.

His comments came on the heels of a drawn out feud between the two-time Second Team All-Pro and the Packers, who disagreed on how Alexander’s knee injury should be treated. Despite the fact that he was able to participate fully in practice late in the season, he did not suit up for any of their games after Week 11.

Why Did the Green Bay Packers Release Jaire Alexander?

Since signing a contract extension that made him the highest-paid cornerback in the league (at the time), Alexander has played just 34 of a possible 68 regular season games. Over the last two seasons, he has played in just 14 of a possible 34.

After the news of Alexander’s release was made public, Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy did not hide the fact that the two-time Pro Bowler’s recent injury history played a major factor in Green Bay’s decision to part ways with him: “He has been a great player for us. Obviously, elite talent. Unfortunately, just injured a lot,” Murphy said.

Former Green Bay Packers Cornerback Jaire Alexander Will Make Less Money in Free Agency

[Green Bay] did try to trade him earlier this offseason to the Buffalo Bills. However, the Bills wanted Alexander to restructure his contract, and he refused. As a result, Buffalo pulled out of negotiations.

When it was clear that they were not going to be able to trade their star cornerback, Green Bay tried to work out a contract restructure with him themselves. These talks, however, did not go very far and the Packers made the decision to release him before the start of mandatory minicamp.

Alexander was due to make $17.5 million this season, and it is unclear how much of a pay cut the Packers wanted him to take. However, it is known that they had put incentives in the deal that could have helped him make close to his original salary.

Now that he is a free agent, though, NFL salary cap experts are sure that he is not going to make anywhere close to $17 million on the open market:

---

Over the Cap

Packers Release CB Jaire Alexander

Alexander was set to earn $17.5 million from the Packers this year while counting for $24.6 million on the salary cap. The release will result in $17.04 million in dead money for Green Bay, which will be split as $7.519 million in 2025 and $9.524 million in 2026. Green Bay will gain $17.117 million in cap space this year and they will gain $17.494 million next year.

Alexander is a two time Pro Bowler and considered one of the better corners in the NFL when healthy but health has been a major concern for years. Alexander only played four games in 2021 which the Packers overlooked when signing him to an $84 million extension in May of 2022. He had a terrific season in 2022 but has only appeared in 14 games the last two years. Overall the Packers spent $47 million in “new money” for those 14 games making this a big miss for the team.

---

Discussion topics

Pro Football Talk

Availability of Jaire Alexander could complicate Jalen Ramsey trade efforts

Former Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander is now available as a free agent. He can be signed without sending anything to his team.

If someone were willing to take on Alexander’s salary — which at $16.15 million was lower than the $20 million-plus still owed to Ramsey — a trade would have been accomplished. So if no one is willing to pay Alexander more than $16 million, who will pay Ramsey more than $20 million?

However it plays out, having Alexander on the market gives teams that have expressed interest in Ramsey increased leverage, and another viable option. If Alexander signs quickly, it will take a potential Ramsey suitor out of the mix. Depending on the number of true Ramsey suitors, that could put the Dolphins in a very tough spot.

---

All aTwitter

---