Daily Slop – 18 Jun 24: Brandon Aiyuk video ‘much ado about nothing’

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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ESPN

First impressions of Commanders rookie QB Jayden Daniels

Before Daniels, Washington had drafted five other quarterbacks in the first round from 1994 to 2019: Heath Shuler, Patrick Ramsey, Jason Campbell, Robert Griffin III and Dwayne Haskins. They combined to go 51-86 as starters for Washington, with one Pro Bowl selection (Griffin). Only Campbell served as the primary starter for four years; he is also the only one who started 12 or more games in three different seasons.

Now comes Daniels, the Heisman Trophy winner who became a No. 2 pick — just like Griffin in 2012 – who the Commanders are hoping can finally bring stability to the position.

“He’s a rookie,” one member of the organization said of Daniels. “There’s still a lot to learn. At the same time, he’s on course.”

Daniels clocks in around 5:45 a.m.

It is what he did at LSU, too. Rookie receiver Luke McCaffrey has been joining Daniels in Washington.

The two players watch film, then head to the practice bubble to walk through plays.

“I’m still learning the playbook and trying to grasp everything,” Daniels said. “So just being comfortable for a day and being ready to go out there and go out and compete.”

The result: A young quarterback who teammates and coaches say is ahead of schedule in learning the offense and particularly the protections.

“His football IQ is really high,” offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said. “[With] protections, I’ve been really impressed by that. A lot of guys coming into the league, that’s not an area that they major in in college. They don’t have a lot of time. But he’s well-versed in protections and works at it.”

As a result, Daniels rarely makes mistakes when calling plays in the huddle and rarely needs coaches to repeat one, according to Quinn, who listens in on the headset.

“He’s further along than you probably should be,” Quinn said.

DANIELS SMILES ALL the time when he is not taking snaps. Even when engaged in friendly trash talk with fellow rookie quarterback Sam Hartman during a pre-practice drill, the smile never left his face.

“He’s very charismatic,” McLaurin said. “He’s really personable when he walks into the building, very approachable.”

One staffer said he sees Daniels eating breakfast at a different table, with different players, nearly every day.

When Daniels met special teams standout/backup safety Jeremy Reaves for the first time, the rookie approached him and said, “Hey, what’s up Reavo?”

“That speaks volumes about the guy, that he’s taking the time to know everybody,” Reaves said.

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Commanders.com

Jahan Dotson wants to get his swagger back in Year 3

Dotson said he did not feel like himself in 2023, and a quick look at his game-by-game production shows what the former Penn State wideout is talking about. Prior to his injury that kept him sidelined from Week 5-9, Dotson was one of the top red zone targets in the NFL, using subtle moves in his route running to get open and finishing plays with reliable hands in traffic. Through Week 4, he and Stefon Diggs were tied for the most receiving touchdowns in the league.

Though it took some time for Dotson to get comfortable against after his injury, Dotson finished the last five games of the season with 344 yards, two touchdowns and a 60% catch rate.

Though there were times in 2023 when Dotson had moments that were reminiscent of his rookie year — like his game-tying touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 4 and his 108 yards against the rematch with the Eagles in Week 8 — they were sparse at best. He had three games without a catch, receiving just four targets in those matchups, and ended the season with 17 yards against the Cowboys.

“I just didn’t feel like myself,” Dotson said.

Once the season ended, Dotson didn’t wait long to get back to work.

“I wasn’t a fan of my season last year. So, I went really hard at it this offseason, making sure that I’m better than I was last year — a lot better — because I have really high expectations for myself, and I hold myself to a very high standard.”

“I feel like I’m starting to get my swagger back a little bit,” Dotson said May 14. “So, I’m getting really excited.”

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ESPN

2024 NFL rookie updates: Notes on 32 first-round draft picks

Washington Commanders — Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU

How he has fared so far: Daniels never looked overmatched or confused during spring practices, which is a key reason the Commanders had him working exclusively with the first group in the mandatory minicamp. Daniels impressed teammates and coaches with how prepared he was, a byproduct in part of showing up every day at 5:45 a.m. for film work and his own walk-through session. But he looked sharp throwing the ball with anticipation and in how he has gone through his progressions. So far, he is exactly the player they thought they had drafted. “He’s got a swagger to him,” coach Dan Quinn said. “He really has a very firm handle on the things that we’re doing, but he also has the humility of a young player … knowing that he has a lot to prove.” — John Keim

• Post-draft analysis of every Commanders pick

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Riggo’s Rag

3 winners (and 2 losers) from Commanders 2024 minicamp

There were winners and losers from Washington’s mandatory minicamp.

Loser No. 1

Lucas Havrisik

Fortunes can change quickly during minicamp. Just ask Lucas Havrisik.

He appeared to be booting his way to the front of the queue for the right to fill the void left by Brandon McManus at kicker. That is until Havrisik got his radar all wrong on the final day.

His last chance to impress coaches became a litany of missed opportunities. Sam Fortier from The Washington Post detailed the kicker’s rough parting practice:

“Lucas Havrisik, on the other hand, followed up his perfect Wednesday by missing two of his four attempts. He hooked a 33-yarder wide left and doinked the left goal post from about 50 yards. One of his intermediate attempts appeared to just sneak inside the left upright.”

– Sam Foriter, Washington Post

It was quite the about-turn from Havrisik, who had kicked a perfect game during the first session of the mandatory minicamp. His streak of six successful conversions included one where heckling players attempted to shatter his focus to no avail.

Havrisik building on his six-for-six streak would have solved an underrated problem for the Commanders. The legal situation involving McManus, who’s facing allegations of sexual assault, prompted the Washington Commanders to make a change.

So far, the process has been anything but smooth, with Havrisik failing to make the job his own. Perhaps Ramiz Ahmed will build on his flawless day of putting his laces into the ball and emerge as the kicker of choice.

The USFL record holder has the leg strength for the role. But special teams coordinator Larry Izzo will surely want to see Ahmed pushed by more consistent competition at training camp.

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Podcasts & videos

Jayden Daniels talks Commanders, NFC East, CJ Stroud’s success, Malik Nabers, LSU & Kendrick v Drake

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NFL league links

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Niners Wire

Brandon Aiyuk viral video much ado about nothing

First, this conversation between Aiyuk and his former teammate at Arizona State was being filmed. There’s also a reason it was posted online. It was aimed at drawing a reaction from fans since negotiations are likely not going great since the 49ers notoriously wait until closer to training camp to get any real movement going on a contract.

Second, it’s hard to believe the 49ers outright told Aiyuk they don’t want him. They may have told him they don’t want him at some astronomical price point, but it’s night impossible to believe they with any sincerity told one of their best players that they no longer want him on the team. That’s also the opposite of everything anyone with the club has said publicly.

If Aiyuk was told outright that the 49ers don’t want him, it’s far more likely a negotiating tactic by the club than it is a shift in their feelings about retaining the All-Pro WR.

Most of this is still following the usual negotiation playbook. Aiyuk hasn’t requested a trade (or it hasn’t been made public), and his social media still includes photos of his time with the 49ers. Those are two crucial components of the player negotiation playbook that haven’t been executed just yet.

Instead, Aiyuk went with a more aggressive social media attack that dispensed with the symbolism of hiding photos and went straight for the jugular.

It succeeded in getting some portion of the fan base to freak out. It’s hard to fathom the video having any bearing on the 49ers’ front office and their stance on what they want to pay Aiyuk. Chances are better than not that the two sides eventually come together sometime in late July or early August like we’ve seen with past deals.

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Front Office Sports

Stakes Rise in NFL Sunday Ticket Trial As Goodell, Jones Take Stand

• Roger Goodell and Jerry Jones are scheduled to testify early this week in the high-profile case.
• If plaintiffs win, how fans watch games on Sunday afternoons could change.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (above, left) testified Monday in the Los Angeles–based trial, with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones (above, right) following the same day. But beyond these bold-faced names, the central arguments on both sides of NFL Sunday Ticket are now being laid bare in court.

Each Side’s Argument

Plaintiffs are arguing that the NFL’s strategy of bundling out-of-market rights violates antitrust law and drives up prices for consumers—and are seeking as much as $7 billion in damages that could then be tripled under federal rules. To that end, testimony has already revealed that ESPN proposed cutting the normal $349 price of NFL Sunday Ticket to just $70 for the 2023 season, a move that likely would have soared subscriptions.

The NFL, however, contends that NFL Sunday Ticket is a premium product existing only on the top of the league’s standard Sunday afternoon game coverage offered by Fox and CBS, and complementing that coverage rather than supplanting it. Those two networks collectively pay more than $4.3 billion annually for their NFL rights, and those deals are predicated on extensive broadcast reach that has allowed the league to become by far the most popular programming on U.S. television, regardless of genre.

As a result, the league is reluctant to change the model of NFL Sunday Ticket and create a potential ripple effect through the rest of its media portfolio.

Meanwhile, industry sources tell Front Office Sports that part of the NFL’s impetus to fight this case and not settle is not only about confidence in its position, but also a desire to not invite further class action challenges on other issues.

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