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Daily Slop – 12 May 25 – OT Laremy Tunsil ranked 2nd-most impactful traded player in 2025

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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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Riggo’s Rag

Commanders were comfortable with Trey Amos’ pre-draft medical assessments

The player didn’t seem overly concerned about the prognosis when speaking to the media at Washington’s recent rookie minicamp. This was a sentiment echoed by head coach Dan Quinn, who felt comfortable with Amos’ medical checks to pull the trigger on Day 2.

“Each team has their own medical report and how it goes. And so, from our club, it was something that we were comfortable with.”

Dan Quinn via The Athletic

The Commanders wouldn’t have made this move if they didn’t have complete conviction in Amos’ long-term outlook. Washington’s front office is thorough and more professional than ever under Adam Peters. If the general manager was satisfied, that should be enough to alleviate any lingering worries among the fan base.

Commanders bolster offensive trenches after Tyre Phillips’ successful tryout

According to reports, the Commanders have signed offensive tackle Tyre Phillips. The former third-round pick spent the last three seasons with the New York Giants. There’s already-developed familiarity with Washington’s offensive line coach Bobby Johnson, who also worked for the G-Men before switching NFC East allegiances last year.

Just how much it’ll move the needle is anyone’s guess. The Commanders have five-time Pro Bowler Laremy Tunsil and rookie Josh Conerly Jr. as their potential starting tandem. Andrew Wylie is still around, and Brandon Coleman can operate on the edge despite his possible switch to the interior. That makes it difficult for Phillips to make the roster, although it couldn’t be completely dismissed.

Phillips played just 53 offensive snaps for the Giants last season. Considering how woeful their offensive line was after left tackle Andrew Thomas went out through injury, the fact that he wasn’t more involved raises concern. The Commanders must have been suitably impressed by his credentials, and fans have complete faith in Peters’ strategy after a monumental turnaround from the organization.

This deal doesn’t come with any guarantees. Phillips will need to win over the coaches and immerse himself in the team’s locker room culture.

NFL.com

Traded players who will have biggest impact on 2025 NFL season

Rank 2 – Laremy Tunsil – Washington Commanders · LT

  • TRADED FROM: Houston Texans
  • TRADED FOR: 2025 third- and seventh-round picks, 2026 second- and fourth-round picks (with Washington receiving a 2025 fourth-round pick)

A year ago, Tunsil was on a Texans team that had been catapulted to relevance by the stunning rookie success of a former No. 2 overall pick. He has to be feeling a strong sense of déjà vu — though the Commanders must be hoping it’s not too strong, given the way Houston stumbled in C.J. Stroud’s second pro season. One thing working in Washington’s favor: The organization’s continued willingness to pour resources into giving Jayden Daniels the support he needs to work his magic. Tunsil’s new O-line is already in better shape than the unit he left in Houston, thanks to the 2024 additions of Tyler Biadasz, Nick Allegretti and Brandon Coleman, with 2025 first-rounder Josh Conerly Jr. joining the fray.

Daniels won Offensive Rookie of the Year and supercharged the Commanders to the NFC title game despite Washington allowing 50 sacks last season, tied for seventh-most in the NFL. Coleman (a third-round pick last year) gave up 10 while lined up at left tackle, according to Next Gen Stats, by far the most on the team. Tunsil was [charged] with just 2.5 sacks in Houston last season. With the five-time Pro Bowler locking down his blindside, Daniels should be able to better weather the challenges that will come with Year 2 and keep his development on the right track, which will make a huge difference in Washington this season and beyond.

Rank 7 – Deebo Samuel – Washington Commanders · WR

  • TRADED FROM: San Francisco 49ers
  • TRADED FOR: 2025 fifth-round pick

I was initially going to rank Samuel higher, maybe even with Tunsil, swayed by the name brand and some basic dot-connecting about how his defense-wrecking potential will pair with Jayden Daniels’ playmaking ability. But there are other, peskier dots to factor into the equation, like Samuel’s career-low 8.7 yards per touch in 2024, and the amount of time that has elapsed (and the eight games he’s missed) since his only Pro Bowl season in 2021. So he sits here, just below the players who seem certain to make a big impact, to account for either of these two plausible potential outcomes:

1) Kliff Kingsbury extracts the maximum value from his versatility, plugging him in next to Terry McLaurin to make the Commanders offense into a weekly juggernaut.

2) The 29-year-old settles into a minor supporting role, chipping in the occasional clutch catch or big gain.

There’s also the secret, third (and, perhaps, most likely) outcome, in which Samuel is neither a star nor a bust, providing minimal opportunities for takeage — but that wouldn’t change his positioning here.

NFL Trade Rumors

One UDFA To Watch For Every Team


Washington Post (paywall)

Gabe Taylor came to Washington for a higher purpose: To honor his brother

Gabe Taylor is attempting to make the same team and play the same position as big brother Sean Taylor, more than 17 years after his tragic death.

After his job interview, Gabe Taylor knelt down on the grass above the Washington Commanders’ practice field. While most every other player who participated in the rookie minicamp practice trudged up the hill and into the locker room, Taylor was the only one to end the session with such an intimate moment. But, of course, only Taylor, an undrafted dreamer out of Rice University, has deep roots here.

Those other guys didn’t walk into the Commanders’ facility Saturday and see their family’s name on the wall. Taylor did. His first steps into his professional career came in the shadow of a legend: his big brother. So as important as the minicamp must be for any player trying to impress a coaching staff enough to make the practice squad — or even, long shot, the 53-man roster — this invitation carried even more significance for Taylor. He’s attempting to make the same team and play the same position as big brother Sean Taylor, more than 17 years after his tragic death.

“Had to take a moment and take a deep breath when I just looked at the helmet,” Taylor said. “I’ve been watching the Redskins — the Commanders — all my life. … Hopefully I get to put it on again and continue forward with them.”

Podcasts & videos

Lake Lewis: Commanders 2025 Rookie Minicamp Recap and Interviews

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Pro Football Talk

Through Friday, 58 percent of all 2025 draft picks had signed

One trend to watch will be round two. The first two picks — Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger and Texans receiver Jayden Higgins — secured fully-guaranteed four-year deals. They’re the first second-rounders to get every penny of their rookie deals guaranteed. The question becomes how far into the second round the trend will continue.

Last year, each of the first eleven second-round picks received a partial guarantee in year four. The first twelve received full guarantees through year three.

Beyond the question of the amount of full guarantees that will hover over the first third or so of round two, there’s no reason for delay. Rookie contracts have few sticking points. The biggest issues, if any, are signing bonus payout, language for voiding guarantees, and guarantee offsets.

Michael Strahan will interview Bill Belichick on Friday’s Good Morning America

Via Andrew Buchholtz of AwfulAnnouncing.com, ABC has announced that Hall of Fame defensive end Michael Strahan will interview Belichick on Friday morning. Strahan, if you didn’t know, is one of the hosts of the ABC morning show.

The biggest question now becomes what the questions will be. Interview subjects sometimes try to place limits on what can be asked. Some outlets will comply. Others will say, “It’s up to us to ask the questions. It’s up to you to have answers ready.”

Strahan’s credibility will be on the line in this one. If it’s all softballs and setups for Belichick to say whatever he wants to say, it will appear as if Strahan gave in order to get the “get.” If Strahan comes after Belichick the way Strahan used to go after Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, it will be obvious that no deal was done.

It’s hard to imagine Belichick agreeing to a no-holds-barred interview, given the contents of his prickly email regarding the publicity efforts for his book. Still, Strahan will need to come at Belichick with at least one question that makes him harumph or sigh or roll his eyes.

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