Baltimore Sports Today

Baltimore Sports News Continuously Updated

Daily Slop – 10 May 25 – Washington’s 2025 rookie minicamp is underway!

by


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

The Athletic (paywall)

Ranking Commanders’ undrafted free agents: Can a former 5-star recruit crack the 53?

Any undrafted free agent faces steep odds of making the Week 1 roster. Wide receiver Cam Sims and cornerback Danny Johnson turned their long-shot dreams into several seasons in the NFL. Impressive summers for two active players, tight end Colson Yankoff and safety Tyler Owens, paid off last year.

With The Athletic insider Dane Brugler’s exhaustive draft guide, here’s a look at this year’s hopefuls in ranking order and possible fits with Washington. Guaranteed money figures were included when possible.

This group does not include rookie camp invitees,

1. Ja’Corey Brooks, WR, Louisville

Brugler’s ranking: WR36

Details: He’s 6 foot 2, 188 pounds with a 4.65 40 time. He turns 24 in October. Brooks was a first-team All-ACC selection last season with 61 receptions for 1,013 yards and nine touchdowns. He played primarily on the outside with some work from the slot.

The five-star recruit had one blocked punt in all three seasons with Alabama, but thoughts of a breakout junior year were dashed after suffering a labrum tear. Brooks has experience returning kicks and punts and was one of two players listed here to receive a detailed write-up in Brugler’s draft preview.

“A tall, lean target, Brooks eats up ground quickly to beat press, stack corners and use vertical pacing to track the ball and create late separation,” Brugler wrote. “He does a nice job battling for jump-ball positioning but also fights the ball at times — he needs to improve his finishing focus to earn the trust of his coaches at the next level. Overall, Brooks’ lack of short-area agility and pacing allows man coverage to stay attached to him on short and intermediate routes, but his play strength, tracking skills and catch radius could make him a potential WR4/5.”

Potential fit: Washington has five receivers seemingly on roster lock, including fourth-round speedster Jaylin Lane, plus veterans Michael Gallup and K.J. Osborn. Special teams work is Brooks’ best path to sneaking onto the Week 1 roster, but the size, raw talent and vertical playmaking will make him a fun summer watch regardless. Having offensive assistant David Blough on the staff perhaps helps ease Brooks’ transition.

2. Car’lin Vigers, DB, Louisiana Monroe

Brugler’s ranking: CB61

Details: Vigers is 6 foot 1, 205 pounds and runs a 4.52 40. His press corner ability meshes with the Commanders’ style. Vigers, who returned his lone 2024 interception for a touchdown, received $259,000 guaranteed from Washington. He finished his three-year career with 131 tackles and two interceptions.

ESPN

Sean Taylor’s younger brother Gabe tries out with Commanders

Taylor, a defensive back who played five seasons at Rice, went undrafted last month. The agency that represents him said Taylor picked Washington after receiving multiple offers because he grew up wanting to play for the team.

“Now he has the chance to make his mark, forge his own path, compete for a roster spot and honor the memory of Sean,” Creed Sports and Entertainment posted on social media. “Gabe couldn’t be more excited, focused, and ready for the opportunity.”

Riggo’s Rag

Jaylin Lane making tremendous early impression at Commanders’ rookie minicamp

Picking wide receiver Jaylin Lane at No. 128 was met with widespread approval among the fanbase. Respected analysts around the media think the Commanders have a potential steal on their hands, especially with an elite quarterback and play-caller steering him on the right path. This is something the explosive pass-catcher didn’t have at Virginia Tech, which most acknowledge impacted his stock considerably.

Lane has a chance to stake an immediate claim on the rotation. Based on the impression left on Day 1 of Washington’s rookie minicamp, he’s off to a good start.

The player’s route-running, bend, and sharpness out of his cuts caught the eye according to those in attendance. Lane made some impressive catches and looked like he belonged. There is a long way to go and a lot of hard work ahead, but players only get one chance to make a positive first impression.

Washington has a decent-looking wideout room heading into the season. Terry McLaurin is the alpha and should get a lucrative contract extension ahead of time this offseason. The Commanders traded for All-Pro Deebo Samuel Sr. They re-signed Noah Brown and K.J. Osborn. Hopes are also high that Michael Gallup can pick things up quickly after ending his brief retirement, and Luke McCaffrey can enhance his influence in Year 2 of his professional career.

Even so, the Commanders will give Lane every chance to generate his fair share of targets right out of the gate.

Commanders Wire

Virginia Tech coach instantly recognized new Commanders’ WR was special

Holt sat down on Friday and chatted with Craig Hoffman of Team 980. Holt says they were discussing how many different ways we can get the ball in his hands soon in Blacksburg. Might the Commanders’ coaching staff already be thinking in a similar fashion?

“Once he got rolling catching punts, I mean that was it, he was playing extremely well,” continued Holt. “I don’t know that I’ve ever been around a guy that has the guts he has fielding the football. He truly believes every chance he gets with the ball in his hands, on punt return, he is going to score. And he does have a great chance to do that.”

Hoffman inquired when Holt realized that Lane was not only a superb athlete but also special in terms of competitiveness. Holt responded, “You know, his father is a very strong high school coach. He’s won a ton of games. That is what Jaylin has been raised around. He was raised right. Mom and dad are tremendous people. He knew from an early age, ‘I got to go get it. I gotta go earn it. He is a mature guy and really squared away, off of the field.”

Hogs Haven

Could UDFA pick up Tim McKay be Washington’s swing IOL of the future?

McKay was very solid in his 5-year career in Raleigh, only giving up 10 sacks in his time there. He had a sack-free 2023, in which he played 489 pass blocking snaps. In 2024, he only allowed 18 pressures and two sacks playing right guard. He had a 70.5 overall PFF rating, grading slightly better as a pass protector (73.1) than a run blocker (69.8).

In the lead up to his senior season, Ryan Fowler of the Draft Network offered the following assessment: “Timothy McKay is a well-framed offensive lineman who, despite his athletic limitations, can counter varying skill sets at multiple positions along an offensive line. He has live snaps along the front five at every spot but center in his career at NC State.

Concerns remain about his ability against more athletic and nuanced defenders. McKay can quickly run into trouble against even the most adequate of opposing talent if he isn’t able to establish leverage early. McKay operates with mostly a solid base and has displayed good footwork, but he can be overzealous at times leading to undisciplined striking and inconsistent mechanics.

Overall, McKay’s versatility remains an intriguing trait, and he should be a player to keep an eye on in the latter portions of the draft for teams in need of positional flexibility along an offensive line.”

Podcasts & videos

Commanders Rookie Minicamp BREAKDOWN: What to Watch from Draft Picks | UDFA Gems, Intriguing Invites

ESPN’s Tom Luginbill on Commanders 2025 Draft Class, NFC East & Retired Numbers | Get Loud | NFL

Photos

PHOTOS | Commanders hit the gym for offseason workouts

Check out the top photos of the Washington Commanders in the weight room during the offseason workout program.





NFC East links

NFL.com

Giants first-round pick Abdul Carter to wear No. 51 after jersey number drama

While most number selections are superfluous, Carter’s situation has ballooned into an outsized situation in New York. The No. 3 overall pick was denied Lawrence Taylor’s No. 56, and Phil Simms’ family rejected letting the rookie wear No. 11.

With the two retired numbers remaining out of circulation, Carter went with an idea that others, like *Good Morning Football*’s Kyle Brandt, suggested: a mashup of 56 and 11.

Several famous linebackers have donned No. 51, including Dick Butkus, Bryan Cox, Sam Mills, Takeo Spikes, etc.

NFL league links

Articles

Front Office Sports

NFL Nears Deal for YouTube Game That Could Break Streaming Records

The NFL’s delicate balance of striking new media-rights deals while keeping its incumbents happy is taking another big step.

The league is closing in on an agreement to have the Google-owned YouTube, distributors of the residential version of NFL Sunday Ticket, carry the Sept. 5 game in Brazil involving the Chargers as the home team. The deal, according to sources, will see the opening-week game from São Paulo include the Chiefs, the NFL’s top viewership draw, as the visiting team.

By placing the game for free on YouTube, which boasts more than 2.5 billion monthly active users around the world, the audience is likely to challenge—if not surpass—the league’s streaming record of an average of 24.3 million viewers in the U.S., set last year in the nightcap of a Christmas Day doubleheader on Netflix. Production details for the Brazil game, however, remain unknown, and like other streamers, YouTube does not have the in-house capabilities to produce an NFL broadcast.

The Brazil contest, shown last year on NBCUniversal’s Peacock, is additionally a centerpiece of the NFL’s expanding international strategy.

While YouTube prepares for its third season of carrying out-of-market games, the move sees the NFL continue to grow its relationship with streamers—in turn helping the league attract younger viewers.

Discussion topics

Deadspin

Arch Manning and the 2026 NFL Draft QB Class Better Be Ready to Save the League

If Texas’ Arch Manning has a good year, he’ll instantly become the hottest name to watch. But LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier has a lot of hype, as does Penn State’s Drew Allar. South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers will be consistently mentioned throughout the summer, and UCLA’s Nico Iamaleava could prove some doubters wrong with one strong season in Westwood.

That probably feels like a lot of names — especially since they all have a full season of college football ahead of them. We haven’t even seen Manning play enough college ball to know what he is yet, and there’s a chance he could return to school to chase more NIL money. Allar and Iamaleava have shown struggles against big-time programs in high-stakes games.

But while all of next year’s quarterbacks might have question marks, there will be enough teams that need a signal-caller.

Don’t let the Saints drafting Shough or the Browns drafting both Sanders and Dillon Gabriel distract you from the fact that these organizations have been wandering the quarterback desert for some time. They’d probably like to see their rookies get meaningful regular-season snaps, as both teams figure to be bad enough to end up near the top of next season’s draft order.

The Browns also have an extra first-round pick from the Jacksonville Jaguars because of the Travis Hunter trade during Round 1, and there’s no guarantee they’ll be any good — even with the do-it-all Heisman winner on the roster. The Browns would have the ammo to trade up for the top quarterback in this class.

The Saints aren’t going to win many games with Shough, Spencer Rattler and Taysom Hill.

Even with Aaron Rodgers potentially on the way, the Pittsburgh Steelers will need to solve their quarterback of the future at some point, too.

Due to a draft-night trade of their own, the Los Angeles Rams acquired another first-round pick for next year as well.

All aTwitter