Daily Slop – 14 May 24: Nearly 4 years after the Redskins logo was dropped, it’s still a political football

A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East and the NFL in general

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Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)

Breaking down Commanders rookie minicamp practice

Taking a closer look at some passing concepts from the Commanders rookie minicamp

Over the weekend the Washington Commanders held their rookie minicamp. It was the first time we got to see some practice clips of the Commanders rookie class in action. Normally I wouldn’t be writing about rookie minicamp practice clips, but I saw something I found interesting. My former colleague Ben Standig at The Athletic and host of the excellent Standig Room Only podcast, tweeted out a few clips he was allowed to film from practice sessions open to the media on Friday and Saturday.

In these clips, I noticed a different way of practicing from the clips we typically see. Normally in practice sessions open to the media, you’ll see quarterbacks throwing individual routes to a single receiver, often alternating between quarterback and which side of the field the receiver lines up. Last year, Eric Bieniemy brought more tempo by having two quarterbacks throw passes at the same time, with one throwing a receiver on the left of the field while the other throws to a receiver to the right. That sped up the process and got more reps into a smaller window of practice, which was good, but it appears as though Kliff Kingsbury has taken things a step further.

In these clips, you’ll see both rookie quarterbacks Jayden Daniels and undrafted free agent Sam Hartman taking reps at the same time. Sometimes an assistant coach even joins in as a third quarterback. But the quarterbacks aren’t just throwing individual routes to opposite sides of the field, instead they are practicing reading out route combinations. Two receivers align on one side of the field and run some form of route combination, allowing the quarterbacks to get a view of what that combination looks like on the field instead of just in the playbooks. The quarterbacks then practice reading the play out, with one quarterback throwing to the first read and the other throwing to the second read slightly after.

Having mentioned this difference in reply to one of Ben’s tweets, twitter user @Lawson_sts noted this is a common practice method for Air Raid coaches, which is the system Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury derives from. That same twitter user linked a video from Mike Leach explaining the drill:

So having now seen an interesting twist on how they’re practicing, we can also see what route combinations they’re practicing. So I’ve taken a few of Ben’s clips and cut them up together alongside diagrams of the concepts I believe they are practicing from an old Kliff Kingsbury playbook I found online. Let’s take a closer look.

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Washington Post (paywall)

Senator will block RFK site bill unless team honors family of logo creator

Steve Daines (R-Mont.) is calling for Commanders officials “to properly honor the history of the logo and heritage of our tribal nations.”

Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) intends to block legislation that would give the District greater control over the RFK Stadium site until the Washington Commanders honor a Native American family that helped design the team’s former logo.

At a Wednesday hearing in the Energy and Natural Resources subcommittee on National Parks, Daines will call for Commanders officials to meet with the family of Walter “Blackie” Wetzel and members of the Blackfeet Tribe. Wetzel helped create the profile of an Indian warrior that served as the NFL team’s primary logo from 1972 until 2020, when the team dropped both the logo and the “Redskins” team name that had been a source of public debate.

In prepared comments shared with The Washington Post, Daines will demand “that the new team leadership and the NFL sit down with the Wetzel family, sit down with the Blackfeet [Nation], sit down with tribal leaders, and find a way to properly honor the history of the logo and heritage of our tribal nations, and to rededicate the organization as an advocate for Indian Country.”

According to the prepared comments, Daines is “NOT calling for the return of the former team name which has become increasingly controversial, especially in Indian Country.”

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Sports Illustrated

RFK Stadium Site Blocked?, Possible Future Home of Washington Commanders Threatened

Washington D.C. is hoping to secure a lease for the site of RFK Stadium to potential house the Washington Commanders, but that possibility is being threatened.

Team officials met with a member of Wetzel’s family on Monday afternoon and issued a statement saying, “We have spoken directly with the Wetzel family and are working collaboratively to recognize Blackie Wetzel for his contributions in creating our former logo.”

There are no reported specifics as to how the Senator expects the team to approach the matter, but the report did state that Wetzel’s grandson is hopeful a throwback uniform arrangement can be made.

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The Athletic (paywall)

Dan Quinn dons unsanctioned Commanders shirt as future of team’s stadium discussed on Capitol Hill

The status of the team name and corresponding logos were bound to resurface. That happened to an extent over the weekend when coach Dan Quinn wore a Washington Commanders T-shirt depicting two feathers hanging off the Commanders’ logo “W.” Even with a different sartorial choice, one aspect of the contentious subject is likely part of Wednesday’s hearing on Capitol Hill about the future of the RFK Stadium site.

Daines said the design of the Redskins logo formerly used by the team is of an early 20th-century chief from the Blackfeet Tribe.

“That logo is a tribute to honor a Native American. It’s not a caricature,” Daines said. “It’s a depiction of pride and strength, of courage, of honor.”

Quinn’s shirt-wearing during his media availability Saturday and the subcommittee hearing this week were apparently coincidental. The coach, hired in February, came across the garment he liked. The feathers, typically associated with Native American culture, evoked thoughts of the franchise’s previous heritage. The shirt was not authorized or issued by the team, according to a team spokesperson.

Nor was this a trial balloon attempt by the franchise about future changes. The Commanders’ ownership group, led by Harris, has previously stated they will not return to the controversial Redskins name.

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Commanders.com

11 things to know about Washington’s 11 UDFAs

10. AJ Woods has versatility.

The Commanders have several young, talented cornerbacks on their roster, and Woods will need to do whatever he can do to stand out and earn a roster spot. He feels that he can excel on either the inside or outside.

“Cut on my tape at Pittsburgh and you’ll see that I was able to play a significant number of snaps both inside and outside,” Woods said via The Draft Network. “I played press-man coverage at boundary corner against bigger receivers. I held my own out there.”

“I also held smaller, quicker receivers in check at the slot position. I can go man-to-man with those shifty slot receivers at nickel. I showed that throughout the week at the East-West Shrine. I made plays on the ball in practice.”

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Podcasts & videos

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Rookie Mini Camp, Top Undrafted Free Agents, Reacting to Your Comments | Get Loud | Commanders

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Photos

Commanders.com

PHOTOS | Rookie Minicamp, 05/11

Check out the top photos of the Washington Commanders’ rookies, undrafted free agents and tryout players during rookie minicamp.

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NFC East links

Bleeding Green Nation

Dak Prescott’s price tag keeps getting more expensive for the Cowboys

The Lions signed Jared Goff to a huge new multi-year deal, and the Cowboys continue to look foolish for not re-signing Dak Prescott yet.

Jerry Jones and the Cowboys…continue to drag their feet on signing Dak Prescott to an extension, and his price just keeps going up with each QB who signs a new deal. Prescott is one of four quarterbacks looking for an extension this offseason, along with Trevor Lawrence, Jordan Love, and Tua Tagovailoa.

Prescott isn’t the only player the Cowboys are struggling/refusing to pay either, WR CeeDee Lamb’s price continues to climb — in no small part to Howie Roseman signing both A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith to extensions this offseason.

It can be hard to manage a roster… it can be harder when Jerry Jones is spearheading most of the decisions and he’s both cheap and misinformed on most things.

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Blogging the Boys

Dallas Cowboys to visit Cleveland Browns in Week 1 on FOX with Tom Brady on call

The Dallas Cowboys are set to visit the Cleveland Browns in Week 1 on FOX with Tom Brady on the call in his announcer debut.

We officially have plans for Week 1. Brace yourselves.

The Dallas Cowboys are set to hit the road and visit the Cleveland Browns in the opening week of the 2024 NFL season. The game will be played on FOX and it will be the debut of Tom Brady as their top color analyst with Kevin Burkhardt as the play-by-play man.

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Big Blue View

PFF ranks the Giants’ offensive line last in the NFL

Will the Giants offensive line surprise critics this year?

Rebuilding the New York Giants offensive line has proven to be a Sisyphean task over the last decade or so.

It seems that no matter what the Giants’ front office — be it under Jerry Reese, Dave Gettleman, or Joe Schoen — and coaching staff did, they could never quite put that task behind them.

Case in point, Pro Football Focus currently ranks the Giants’ offensive line as the weakest in the NFL. Despite Joe Schoen signing five (5) offensive linemen in free agency.

Even after earning the worst offensive line grade of any team in 2023, the Giants did very little to improve their unit this offseason. The group recorded a 44.6 PFF grade last year and will hope a fully healthy Andrew Thomas and the additions of guard Jon Runyan (56.5 PFF grade in 2023) and tackle Jermaine Eluemunor (68.7) can provide a boost.

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NFL league links

Articles

NBC Sports

Lions sign QB Jared Goff to 4-year, $212 million contract extension: Report

Goff’s new contract makes him the NFL’s second-highest paid quarterback behind Joe Burrow

The Lions quarterback signed a four-year, $212 million extension, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Monday.

Goff’s extension includes $170 million guaranteed, which makes him the highest-paid player in franchise history. With a $53 million average annual value, Goff trails only Joe Burrow ($55 million) in average value for quarterback contracts.

Bucs safety Antoine Winfield Jr. becomes NFL’s highest-paid DB with new $84M deal

The Bucs placed the franchise tag on Winfield in March before announcing his new contract on Monday

All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield, Jr. has agreed to a four-year, $84 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that makes him the highest-paid defensive back in the NFL.

The Bucs announced an agreement Monday. The 25-year-old, who as a rookie helped the team win its second Super Bowl championship, had been due to earn just over $17 million next season under the franchise tag.

The signing continues a solid offseason as general manager Jason Licht’s top priority was to retain the core of a roster that’s won three consecutive NFC South titles.

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All a’Twitter