Daily Slop – 19 Jun 25 – Analyst says Washington is one of the NFL’s most improved teams in 2025

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

NFL.com

NFL’s most improved teams heading into 2025 NFL season

Yes, we are still months away from meaningful on-field action, but we can say now that these seven organizations, arranged in alphabetical order, jumped out as the most improved on paper heading into the 2025 NFL season:

Washington Commanders

Veteran additions | 2025 draft class

Washington’s stunning 2024 turnaround breathed new life into a franchise that had trudged through plenty of losing in the 21st century.

The Commanders entered the offseason with a clear goal: capitalize on their newfound success, and do so fearlessly. Trades for Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil gave them two proven veterans to bolster an offense headlined by 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels.

Now, there are ways things could go awry. Samuel struggled to stay healthy enough to consistently produce in San Francisco in recent years, and Tunsil allowed 52 pressures in 2024, the most for him in a season since 2018, according to Next Gen Stats (with a pressure-allowed rate of 8.3%, fourth-highest for him in that span). But if everything works out, the Commanders should be better than they were a year ago, when they sprinted all the way to the NFC Championship Game.

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Commanders.com

Croskey-Merritt loves learning from ‘big brothers’ Robinson, Ekeler, McNichols

The Commanders are hoping Croskey-Merritt, who likes to go by Bill, can recapture the explosiveness he had two years ago at New Mexico and add an extra wrinkle to their backfield. First, however, he will need to earn a roster spot, and he faces a tough challenge to achieve that with Brian Robinson Jr., Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols, all of whom had solid roles in 2024, in front of him.

Croskey-Merritt is [ready] to compete, but this offseason hasn’t been completely about challenging teammates for a spot on the depth chart. He knows he is surrounded by years of experience, and he wants to take advantage of that knowledge.

“I’m learning a lot, day by day,” Croskey-Merritt told Bryan Colbert Jr. “Those guys are telling me just small details of the game like what I can work on or what we can do better to improve as a running back room.”

Croskey-Merritt has already asked them several questions about how to improve.

“It’s a dream come true just to have big brothers in a room that can help me elevate my game,” Croskey-Merritt said.

MEDIA DAY w/ Commanders Rookies Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Jaylin Lane | RHWTR | NFL

Croskey-Merritt has already said he wants to do whatever the coaches ask of him, but he wants to live up to fans’ expectations, too. People know talent when they see it, he said, and he’s eager to show everything he can do.

“They know what’s coming, but they really don’t,” Croskey-Merritt said. “I just want to go out there and show them. That’s the bottom line.”

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NFL.com

Top 10 backup QB situations for 2025 NFL season

And the harsh reality is that every year, several teams will inevitably suffer the absence of their top signal-caller. Football is a physical sport, and protected as they may be in today’s game, quarterbacks can’t fully escape the consequences.

This all begs the question: Which NFL teams are best positioned to weather a potential loss at quarterback?

8. Commanders (Marcus Mariota)

Career Starts: 74 | Starting Record: 34-40

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Again, this is mostly about fit. So much of the backup game has to do with the setup. Mariota has never really been a steady passer at the NFL level. He’s still got chain-moving legs at 31, though, and played admirably in relief of Jayden Daniels in 2024. Throw in the vast experience, which includes an early-career playoff win with the Tennessee Titans, and he makes sense in a Kliff Kingsbury attack that prioritizes dual-threat quarterbacking.

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Podcasts & videos

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NFL league links

Articles

ESPN

NFL All Quarter Century team: Best 53-man roster, coaches

Trent Williams

Teams: Washington (2010-19), 49ers (2020-present)
Résumé since 2000: 187 starts, four-time All-Pro

Williams was chosen for the Pro Bowl in 11 seasons from 2012 to 2023, the most by any offensive tackle since 2000. He was very good in his 20s for Washington before holding out the entire 2019 season over disagreements with the team’s medical staff. He is even better in his 30s for San Francisco, leading all tackles in pass block win rate in 2023. — Schatz

Practice squad: Walter Jones, Jordan Mailata (International Player Pathway)

Champ Bailey

Teams: Washington (1999-2003), Broncos (2004-13)
Résumé since 2000: 5 forced fumbles, 47 interceptions, seven-time All-Pro

Bailey amassed more approximate value (149), per Pro Football Reference, since 2000 than any other cornerback by a healthy margin (Patrick Peterson was second at 131). His number of interceptions from 2000 rank third most in this span. Bailey qualifies for this team on both peak and longevity; he is tied with Ray Lewis for the most Pro Bowl nods (12) on this roster. — Walder

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NFL.com

2025 NFL All-Rookie Team: Projecting 14 instant-impact newcomers on defense/special teams

Trey Amos, CB, Mississippi
Drafted: Round 2, No. 61 overall

Atrocious cornerback play last September forced Washington to move rookie Mike Sainristil outside, and he acquitted himself quite well, but the scrappy 5-foot-9 playmaker is likely still at his best in the nickel role. So, who can fill the CB slot opposite Marshon Lattimore?

The Commanders signed veteran Jonathan Jones, who offers inside/outside ability, but Amos sure has the look of a Dan Quinn corner. Washington was thrilled when he was still available late in the second round, and no wonder: The big, physical CB displayed enticing press-man ability last season in the SEC, earning first-team all-conference honors. Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. undoubtedly appreciates Amos’ ball production (SEE: 3 INTs and 13 PBUs in 2024), having spent much of last season begging for takeaways.

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Pro Football Talk

When will the Dolphins trade Jalen Ramsey?

When the Dolphins suddenly announced in April that they’re looking to trade cornerback Jalen Ramsey, it made sense from a cap standpoint to wait until after June 1. Seventeen days after June 1, Ramsey remains a Dolphin.

So when will he be traded?

Only the Rams have been connected to Ramsey. Most recently, coach Sean McVay said “some obstacles” remain to doing a deal.

With the Dolphins making it clear that the relationship with Ramsey is over, they need a second team in the mix to create real leverage. The Dolphins could decide to wait. And if the wait lasts into training camp, things could become even more interesting.

It’s unlikely, given the circumstances, that the Dolphins would want Ramsey in training camp. If Ramsey goes along with that (they can’t keep him away if he wants to work), the Dolphins would keep waiting for the right deal.

And what if a deal isn’t done before the regular season begins? Will the Dolphins pay Ramsey to stay home until a trade materializes?

The situation could end up having parallels to the Deshaun Watson situation from 2021. He was nearly traded to the Dolphins before Week 1. Then, as the trade deadline approached, it almost happened again. When it didn’t, the Texans paid Watson for the rest of the season before trading him.

Given what the Texans got from the Browns for Watson in March 2022, it was money well spent. The Dolphins won’t be looking at a significant haul after the season. And it will cost them more than twice the $10 million the Texans paid Watson to not play four years ago.

The fact that a trade hasn’t happened proves that it’s not going smoothly.

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Broadcasting trends

Front Office Sports

Streaming Tops Linear for First Time, Sports Still Key to TV’s Resilience

The media measurement agency said that streaming represented 44.8% of U.S. TV viewership in May, marking the first time it topped the combined share of broadcast and cable, coming in at 44.2% during the month.

The accelerating migration to streaming first hit a major tipping point in July 2023, when the combined linear share from broadcast and cable fell below 50% of total consumption for the first time. Less than two years later, the transition has become even more stark. Since 2021, when Nielsen first introduced The Gauge to monitor macro-level viewership trends on a monthly basis, streaming usage has grown by 71% while broadcast TV and cable have fallen 21% and 39%, respectively, in that time.

“While many expected this milestone to occur sooner, sporting events, news, and new season [entertainment] content have kept broadcast and cable surprisingly resilient,” Nielsen SVP Brian Fuhrer said. “The trend [toward streaming], however, has been very consistent.”

“An under-appreciated driver is the continued transformation of traditional media companies into streaming-first entities,” Fuhrer said. “Instead of competing and conflicting with their linear components, streaming platforms like Hulu, Paramount+, and Peacock have really come into their own as key connections to streaming-native consumers. This phenomenon is not limited to originals, as we’ve seen success with sporting events as well, most notably with the Super Bowl that Fox simulcast on Tubi.”

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