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Daily Slop – 11 Jun 25 – Laremy Tunsil and Marshon Lattimore make first on-field appearance at Commanders minicamp

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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

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Articles

Commanders.com

Minicamp notebook | Coleman up to compete anywhere on O-Line

It’s uncertain at this point where Brandon Coleman is going to play in 2025. We know he’s not going to be the Washington Commanders’ left tackle, but he could play at either guard spots or at right tackle.

As long as he’s able to compete, Coleman isn’t worried about where the coaches will decide to put him.

“I don’t really care where I play,” Coleman said. “Wherever they keep me is where I’ll work into.”

For now, Coleman is working at left guard — a position he played a little in college at TCU. He had seven starts at the position as a sophomore before moving to left tackle as a junior. Although he was primarily a tackle as a senior, he also started four games at left guard.

Here are some more observations from Tuesday’s minicamp practice.

  • Chris Moore had the catch of the day early in practice. Mariota heaved a shot downfield to Moore with Vigers in coverage, and Moore made the over-the-shoulder grab for a significant gain.
  • Undrafted rookie Tyree Jackson could be a player to watch during training camp. He made a catch in between three defenders during practice, but what stood out the most was his 6-foot-7, 249-pound frame. He’s likely a long-term project and could even be a practice squad candidate if he doesn’t make the initial roster, but he does have intriguing potential.
  • Jacory Croskey-Merritt looks explosive, and he showed that off during a play in 11-on-11 drills. He beat the defense to the outside and sprinted up the sideline for what would likely have been a touchdown in a game scenario. Croskey-Merritt has a long way to go before earning a spot on the roster, but like Jackson, he has traits that could help elevate the offense if he can make a jump in camp.
A to Z Sports

It sounds like the Commanders’ key position change is working well so far and it can lead to huge things if it keeps up

Coleman’s position switch stems from the Laremy Tunsil trade that went back down in March and the decision to draft Josh Conerly Jr. with the 29th overall pick in the past draft. Nick Allegretti is the Commanders’ current starter at left guard and stalwart Sam Cosmi has the right guard job locked down, but he’s recovering from a torn ACL suffered in the postseason. So, it’ll be interesting to see where Coleman slots in at guard as the summer progresses.

Tunsil will take over at left tackle, where Coleman played last year, and Conerly Jr. will compete with Andrew Wylie for the starting right tackle job. Coleman isn’t thrown into that mix because it’s a win-win for the Commanders regardless of who wins: Both players could become the team’s swing tackle thanks to their experience of playing both left and right tackle (with Conerly Jr. learning how this offseason).

Like Quinn says, we won’t know for sure until the pads come one, but if Coleman becomes an effective guard then the Commanders offensive line is set in both the short and long term.

ESPN

Commanders’ Terry McLaurin, seeking new deal, skips minicamp

Washington Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin, who is seeking a contract extension, did not report to the team’s mandatory minicamp Tuesday, an expected move given how he handled a similar situation three years ago.

McLaurin, whose contract expires after this season, also skipped the previous two weeks of voluntary OTA sessions but had attended the first month of workouts.

“Sometimes football and business, they intersect and this is one of those times,” Commanders coach Dan Quinn said. “Terry is a fantastic teammate and really puts in the work and spent a lot of time with them already this off season.”

McLaurin also skipped the voluntary OTA practices as well as the mandatory minicamp in 2022 before signing a three-year extension worth $68,364,000. This year, he has a base salary of $15.5 million with a cap hit of $25.5 million.

McLaurin can be fined [at the team’s discretion] $17,462 for missing the first day of minicamp, $34,925 for the second missed day and $52,381 for the third day, for a total of up to $104,768.

Washington Post (paywall)

Commanders minicamp starts with a question: What is Terry McLaurin worth?

The hope for both sides is that the drama ends in similar fashion to 2022 — with a deal that keeps McLaurin in Washington. He signed a three-year contract worth close to $70 million before training camp that year.

The difference this time: McLaurin is coming off a career season and is the favored target of Washington’s star quarterback, Jayden Daniels. McLaurin is also closing in on 30 at a time when receiver contracts have exploded.

A third contract with one team is a rarity in the NFL nowadays. But McLaurin seems primed to become the next player to earn one, barring a significant snag in negotiations.

“He did a three-year extension [in 2022] for a reason: to get another bite of the apple,” said CBS Sports salary cap expert Joel Corry, a former agent. “And they don’t have to pay a quarterback anytime soon, so they might as well take care of one of their best veteran players.”

The floor for his next one may have been set in March, when two-time Pro Bowl wideout DK Metcalf signed a four-year, $132 million deal after getting traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The contract, which includes $60 million fully guaranteed, ranks fourth among wideout deals in average annual value at $33 million.

“The Commanders are going to look at it [as] a back-loaded deal, and with the guarantees, it isn’t what it looks like on paper,” Corry said of Metcalf’s contract. “But nonetheless, [McLaurin’s] going to go, ‘Hey, I need at least $33 million per year.’”

Commanders.com

Wagner, Luvu named among PFF’s top 32 LBs

Wagner and Luvu were both listed as part of Pro Football Focus’ top 32 linebackers heading into the 2025 season. Wagner, the oldest player on the list, was ranked third after recording his 13th 100-tackle season, tying London Fletcher for the most all-time, while Luvu ranked 14th thanks to posting a career-high eight sacks.

The Commanders were one of just six teams to have multiple players make PFF’s list.

“Wagner is entering his age-35 season but has shown no signs of slowing down,” wrote PFF’s Mason Cameron. “While his PFF coverage grade has dipped over the past two seasons, Wagner remains an elite run defender (91.2 PFF grade), tackler (86.3) and blitzer (90.9).”

Riggo’s Rag

It’s all systems go for Marshon Lattimore at Commanders’ mandatory minicamp

Peters believes there is more to come from Lattimore with an offseason to fully heal. Quinn gave the media in attendance on Day 1 of Washington’s mandatory minicamp a promising prognosis, outlining there would be no restrictions on his practice intensity after a prolonged recovery period.

This is the best possible news. Lattimore is fully healed and ready to silence his doubters.

Podcasts & videos

Exclusive 1-on-1 MEDIA DAY Interview w/ Frankie Luvu | Command Center | Washington Commanders | NFL

NFC East links

Pro Football Focus

One reason for optimism for every team ahead of the 2025 NFL season

Dallas Cowboys: Passing-game bounce-back

Between Dak Prescott’s return to full strength and George Pickens’ arrival from Pittsburgh, Dallas should see improvement from last year’s passing-game performance. Assuming he is healthy, Prescott should be able to bounce back from a career-worst 67.2 PFF passing grade. Pickens tied for the NFL lead with a perfect 99.9 deep PFF receiving grade and could be a perfect complement to CeeDee Lamb in the receiving corps.

New York Giants: A potentially elite pass rush

Led by superstar defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and edge rushers Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, the Giants ranked seventh in the NFL in PFF pass-rush grade. In addition to that excellent group, the team added Penn State’s Abdul Carter with the third-overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Carter earned an elite 92.4 PFF pass-rush grade while accruing 66 pressures and 13 sacks last season. He and third-round pick Darius Alexander should bolster New York’s defensive line in a big way.

Philadelphia Eagles: A stacked roster returns

Philadelphia ran roughshod through the NFL last season en route to its second Super Bowl victory. This year’s edition of the Eagles is poised to defend their title, returning 20 of their 25 players who led the team in snaps last season.

Their defense, which paced the NFL in PFF grade last season, took most of the damage but returns stars such as Jalen Carter, Zack Baun, Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. The Eagles boast the best roster in the NFL heading into this season.

Washington Commanders: Additional help for Jayden Daniels

Daniels playing like an elite quarterback so early in his career has allowed the Commanders to build around him and contend for a championship. This offseason, they added left tackle Laremy Tunsil, who should shore up an offensive line that ranked 22nd in PFF pass-blocking grade last season. They also acquired Deebo Samuel, who posted a solid 72.1 PFF receiving grade in 2024.

Rookies Josh Conerly Jr., Jaylin Lane and Jacory Croskey-Merritt should also help the cause as Daniels leads his team into the future.

ESPN

NFL minicamp 2025 live updates: Teams begin mandatory camps

Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles running back Saquon Barkley set a career high with 345 carries during the regular season and added 91 more during the team’s Super Bowl run, but he said his body isn’t feeling the effects.

“I feel really good,” Barkley said as Philadelphia wrapped its one-day minicamp. “I feel like I’m entering my prime.”

Barkley said he took some time off and made sure not to overdo it in his training post-Super Bowl to recover from the long season. He set the all-time single-season rushing record, including playoffs, last season and capped the campaign by securing his first Lombardi Trophy, but remains hungry for more.

Dallas Cowboys

During team and 7-on-7 drills, the connection between quarterback Dak Prescott and newly acquired receiver George Pickens was spot-on. They hooked up for five completions, including a deep out and a yards-after-catch on a drag that had Prescott and receiver CeeDee Lamb meeting Pickens well down the field. It was also a good day for receiver Jonathan Mingo, acquired midseason last year, who got a go ball from Prescott.

Washington Commanders

Cornerback Marshon Lattimore attended an offseason workout for the first time during the mandatory minicamp. He and tackle Laremy Tunsil both participated after skipping the voluntary OTA sessions — though Tunsil had at least worked out here earlier in the offseason. Lattimore looked as you would expect: He got in trouble a couple of times by aggressively biting on a fake — once vs. receiver Luke McCaffrey — and other times he broke hard on a receiver to take away an option. But the key for Lattimore — way beyond how he looks in June — is if he performs at a higher level in the season and stays healthy. Lattimore has played in only 26 games the past three years combined.

NFL league links

Articles

Pro Football Talk

Most of Aaron Rodgers’s incentives are unrealistic

If they win the AFC Championship and Rodgers takes at least half of the snaps: $1 million.

If they win the Super Bowl and Rodgers takes at least half of the snaps: $1.5 million.

If Rodgers wins the regular-season MVP award: $1.5 million.

More than half of the incentives — $3 million — are tied to winning the Super Bowl and Rodgers becoming the league MVP. That seems unlikely, to put it mildly.

Even getting to the Super Bowl feels like a stretch. And that’s another $1 million.

The most realistically optimistic outcome seems to be getting to the AFC Championship and meeting the various play-time incentives and earning another $1.85 million.

But, yes, paying out $19.5 million would be perhaps the best veteran quarterback contract ever signed by a team, because it will mean that the Steelers received the services of the league’s MVP — and more importantly that they won the Super Bowl.

ESPN

Aaron Rodgers announces marriage at Steelers minicamp

When Rodgers addressed the media for the first time as a Steeler on Tuesday during the team’s minicamp, he wore a ring on his finger that drew questions as to what the ring was. His response?

“It’s a wedding ring,” Rodgers told reporters.

Rodgers, 41, revealed that he’s been married for a couple of months but has yet to publicly confirm the identity of his wife.

ESPN

First-round pick Shemar Stewart goes off on Bengals

Bengals rookie Shemar Stewart is still waiting to take his first practice reps in the NFL.

And in his mind, there’s no argument about why that hasn’t happened yet. Seated at his locker on Tuesday, the team’s 17th overall draft pick said he is on firm ground in the contract dispute between himself and the Bengals. Stewart has yet to sign his rookie contract or the participation waiver as the two sides try to smooth over language in his deal.

There is no end in sight for the stalemate. And as Stewart told reporters after the first day of the team’s mandatory minicamp, he believes it’s not because of a holdup on his end.

“In my case, I’m 100% right,” Stewart said when asked by ESPN about how long the situation could last. “I’m not asking for nothing that’s never been done before. In [the team’s case], y’all just want to win an argument instead of winning more games, in my opinion.”

That’s a pretty heavy barb from a rookie. But he has the support of his teammates. Others in the locker room have told him that he’s going about things the right way as he fights for language in his contract that mirrors what other Bengals picks have received in previous years.

Stewart is one of two notable defensive ends who are at odds with the team about a contract. Star edge rusher Trey Hendrickson did not report for the team’s mandatory minicamp. He is looking for a long-term contract extension as he enters the final year of his current deal.

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow said that has been a distraction for the team.

Discussion topics

Why was the meeting closed to the public?

Bowser and the Council recently approved legislation changing the open meeting laws. For years, if a majority of the Council had a meeting to discuss public business, they had to give 48 hours’ notice and open the meeting to the public.

There were ways to close a meeting if personnel issues, security or financial negotiations were discussed. But none of that was on the agenda on Tuesday.

By the chair’s admission, it was a budget meeting. Many community activists and the press strongly believe the meeting like the one Tuesday morning should be held in the open.

NBC Washington

DC Council may remove Commanders stadium deal from budget

The Commanders’ deal with D.C. requires an agreement by July 15. If that date passes, the Commanders could start negotiating again with Maryland or Virginia.

The deal to bring the team back to the District at the RFK Stadium site could be carved out of the 2026 budget and voted on separately. That vote would not occur until after the budget vote.

The Commanders’ deal with D.C. requires an agreement by July 15. If that date passes, the Commanders could start negotiating again with Maryland or Virginia.

Mayor Muriel Bowser recently said a delay by the D.C. Council could jeopardize the deal. In a statement Tuesday, the mayor said the time to debate the deal is now.

“A delay sacrifices our exclusive seat at the table and $2.7 billion in private investment,” Bowser’s statement said. “The Commanders and my team are ready to iron out the details with the Council and respond to any concerns. It should be clear, but let me emphasize — if Council strips the deal terms or budgeted dollars from the budget, it kills our agreement with the Commanders.”

After leaving the meeting, Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said he will meet with the Commanders later this week. He said the council needs adequate time to make its decision.

News4 pressed Mendelson on whether the Council would vote on stadium plans by the July 15 deadline.

“What I have said all along is it will be extremely difficult for the council to act on a $4 billion project in less than six weeks, especially when we have full time to spend on the budget in those same six weeks,” he said.

You’re not answering the question, News4 said.

“I know. It’s the best I’m gonna do, though,” Mendelson replied.

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