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Daily Slop – 30 Jul 25 – First DC Council vote on RFK site is Friday; 2nd vote in September

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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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Commanders Man Coverage Variations

Breaking down the different variations of man coverages that the Commanders like to use

In the comments section of my Commanders training camp round up post, one of my readers alerted me to a recent Take Command podcast episode. In that episode, former Washington tight end Logan Paulsen was complimenting the play of the Commanders secondary in the early days of camp. Paulsen noted that there were some obvious caveats: at that point it was only a few days into camp, no pads were on yet, Terry McLaurin was holding out and Noah Brown was being slowly ramped up so not practicing every day. But even with those advantages, Paulsen said the secondary was worthy of praise for their performances so far.

But what was really of interest was when host Craig Hoffman asked Paulsen how much of the success that the secondary was having was in man coverage and how much was in zone? Paulsen replied: “A lot of man coverage, like just straight 1-Plug, 1-Lurk, 1-Rat.” The commenter on my post that alerted me to this podcast asked what all those terms meant, so I thought we could go through the different variations of man coverage that the Commanders use and what those terms mean.

Before getting into each specific coverage, it’s worth noting that all of these coverages are very similar and some are just slight variations, but they all build into a package of coverages to keep the offense honest.

Cover-1 Plug

Cover-1 Plug, often known as 1-Plug or 1-Hole is probably the most common version of Cover-1. It’s a variation built to help handle one of the biggest weaknesses of Cover-1: crossing routes. Crossing routes are notoriously hard to cover in pure man-to-man coverage because receivers often are given inside leverage and thus gain a step, at which point it becomes very hard for a defender to catch up. So to help combat that, the defense has a linebacker sit in a zone underneath and look for crossing routes.

Front Office Sports

$3.8B Commanders Stadium On Track for D.C. Approval

While more than 500 D.C. residents passionately lobbied both for and against a new Commanders stadium, the proposed $3.8 billion project looks to be firmly on track.

The Council of the District of Columbia went deep into the night to hear from its constituents about the Commanders’ proposed $3.8 billion domed facility at the site of RFK Stadium, but the bill is on track for passage due in no small part to the political evolution of the council’s chairman.

The council began two days of hearings on legislation to build the stadium and redevelop the RFK property with about $1.1 billion in public funds, with Tuesday’s session devoted entirely to testimony from the public. More than 500 citizens registered to be public witnesses, and the council stayed in session for nearly 14 hours, not recessing until 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.

Counting Votes

The council is set to take the first of two scheduled votes on the stadium funding on Friday, with a second to follow in September. While some council members professed themselves on Tuesday to still be undecided, at least five solid “yes” votes exist on the council, two short of the necessary threshold.

“I am confident we will have the votes necessary,” Mendelson said.

The Athletic (paywall)

What should Year 1 expectations be for Cam Ward, other 2025 NFL Draft first-round picks?

29. Josh Conerly Jr., OT, Washington Commanders

It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Conerly begin his career as a backup, because he was still more a collection of elite traits than a polished tackle when he left Oregon. He was a polarizing prospect for scouts for that exact reason.

He’s competing at right tackle, though it might take some time for Conerly to get stronger and better with his hand discipline.

Washington Post (paywall)

Eddie Goldman is here to reconnect with mumbo sauce and stop the run

The D.C. native and former All-Met signed with the Washington Commanders this offseason to bolster the defensive line.

“I don’t look at the baby pictures too much, but I could tell you I was a die-hard fan,” Goldman said. “When we played the Cowboys, my heart would be racing.”

Goldman opted out of the 2020 season amid the coronavirus pandemic and played 14 games in 2021. He signed with the Atlanta Falcons ahead of the 2022 season but retired 13 days later; he did not say why. He came back to the Falcons and practiced during the offseason before leaving the team again in July 2023. Last year, he relaunched his career with the Falcons and played in all 17 games.

Why did Goldman come back? He couldn’t stand watching NFL games from afar. He realized he still wanted to play.

Goldman, Kinlaw, Daron Payne and Carl Davis, whom the team re-signed, each weigh more than 300 pounds. The Commanders list Goldman at 332 and hope more mass can help them compete against rugged teams such as the Eagles.

Payne will play inside with Goldman and second-year defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton, who as a rookie led all Commanders defensive linemen in tackles.

In training camp, Goldman has played mostly with the first- and second-team defensive lines. Quinn believes the Commanders have several options, which will allow them to be flexible with Goldman’s role.

Heiserman’s Huddle

Terry McLaurin’s Contract Negotiations Just Became A Lot More Complicated

Over the past two days of training camp, McLaurin spent roughly 45 minutes signing autographs for fans. As Grant Paulsen mentioned, “Normally players holding out also ask for a trade.” However, the reason McLaurin didn’t request a trade is quite simple: He wants to be in Washington.

Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton also received a new contract on July 28. Sutton earned a four-year, $92 million deal, with an annual salary of $23 million. Obviously there’s a big gap between McLaurin and Sutton in terms of production, however, both wideouts are 29 years old, and will be turning 30 in less than three months. With Sutton being so similar to McLaurin in age, getting $23 million per year definitely doesn’t help McLaurin’s case to be making over $33 million per year.

If McLaurin’s side doesn’t cave in, this deal could take a long time. Adam Peters is not a GM who will overpay one of his players to make the fanbase happy. During his tenure in San Francisco, Peters (under John Lynch) has always shown patience when working out deals, no matter the reception of the fanbase.

ESPN

2025 Washington Commanders training camp: Latest intel, updates

Tuesday, July 29

Washington’s defense continues to give its offense problems in training camp. A key reason: the secondary. Washington’s corners are much better in press man coverage than last year’s group, allowing the Commanders to play more of that look successfully.

That has resulted in numerous failed fade routes when the front sends pressure. The wideouts have not consistently created separation, including versus the safeties.

The offense has clearly been impacted by not having hold-in receiver Terry McLaurin, who excels on those routes. And they’re not game planning for the pressures. But it’s a sign that the defense believes it can be more aggressive this season because of improved corner play that holds up long enough to send more pressure.

More:

  • Rookie tackle Josh Conerly Jr. worked on both the right and left sides Tuesday morning. He played on the left side at Oregon, but with Laremy Tunsil here, Conerly’s immediate future is on the right side. He’s still rotating with veteran Andrew Wylie at right tackle.
  • Receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. provided an offensive highlight. On a slot fade he got past corner Mike Sainristil and made a lunging catch on a Jayden Daniels throw. The only caveat on the play: Daniels might have been sacked had it been a real game.
A to Z Sports

‘He brings something to this defense that we need and he knows that’ – Mike Sainristil shows confidence in rookie teammate with high expectations

A strong CB room on and off the field can help Amos develop quicker

His teammates have already had high praise for Amos as well, especially Sainristil, who had a lot of his own success as an outside corner in Year 1.

“I think he’s very mature,” Sainristil told the media about Amos. “He has the right mindset. . .He understands it very well and he brings something to his defense that we need and he knows that, the DB room knows that. We all know what his capabilities are.”

Amos signed his contract just in time to report to training camp and soak up all the coaching and time on the field with his teammates, and it’s paying off. The first thing I noticed about Amos when I saw him at practice was his size and the fluidity of his movement.

“That’s what I’ve been doing and trying to maximize my skillset each and every day,” Amos told the media. “Pretty much you just got to go over there with a great mindset and try to learn that technique that the coaches want you to do. I feel like they wouldn’t put you in the worst position if you just listen.”

Commanders.com

From wing to edge: Maguranyanga’s move from rugby to the NFL

Born in Harare, Zimbabwe, Maguranyanga joined the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program (IPP) in December for a 10-week training camp program and signed with the Washington Commanders as a defensive end in April.

Having no prior experience in football, Monday morning’s training camp practice was Magauranyanga’s first time ever putting on the pads and experiencing a full-contact practice. Unlike American football, rugby emphasizes a style of tackling that minimizes contact above the shoulders, explaining why rugby players can walk away from full-contact plays largely unscathed.

“It’s definitely a big adjustment,” Maguranyanga said of suiting up in pads for the first time. “It’s still just as physical as rugby, but just in a different way. With pads, you can manipulate and get manipulated in different ways than you can in rugby. So just adjusting to that and getting used to that is a big change.”

“Initially, I was gonna come into the program as a tight end, and then we did a workout, which was mostly like a linebacker, outside linebacker-type workout and he’s like, ‘I think you’d be a good edge.’ Now I’m learning the trade, so I’m enjoying it.”

As an edge rusher, Maguranyama has been taking snaps with the third and fourth teams during training camp. He’s been learning primarily how to block and rush the quarterback, following his teammates’ lead. Maguranyama has formed a strong relationship with veteran pass rusher Von Miller, who has been helping him learn the game both on the field and in the classroom.

Commanders.com

Training camp notebook | Noah Brown wants to build towards success

Brown, who missed the final portion of the Commanders regular season and playoff run with a kidney issue, went down on a hit during minicamp and had to be carted off the field. The receiver was visibly frustrated, and while there was no major update from the team on his status, the initial expectation was that he would miss some time.

But Brown was suited up for the Commanders’ first training camp practice last week, and he’s ready to pick up where he left off.

“Anytime you get banged up, it’s not fun,” Brown said. “But I was blessed to be OK and be able to get back in time for training camp and work out with the guys and build towards what we’re trying to accomplish.”

The Commanders are in need of vertical threats, so they need to make sure Brown is completely healthy before letting him loose.

“We’re very excited that he’s doing good, but we’re not going to miss a step with him,” Quinn said.

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Bleeding Green Nation

Why Jake Elliott will bounce back this year

Not much went wrong for the Eagles in 2024. But Jake Elliott had a regular season to forget. Elliott made just 77.8% of his field goal attempts, finishing 28th in FG%. Owing to the nature of small sample sizes that kickers have, if Elliott had made three more of his FGs he would have been 16th in FG%. But he didn’t make three more.

In the playoffs though, he went 10 of 11, with his miss being from 54 yards. Including the playoffs he went just 2 for 9 from 50+.

In 2020 Elliott, like the rest of the team, had a miserable season. He had the worst conversion rate of his career at 73.7%, also 28th among qualified kickers. He also had his worst season on PATs, at 92.3%. BGN alum Adam Hermann believed that Elliott’s infrequent use that season contributed to him being out of sync, and I agree. Over the last 13 games Elliott had just 12 FG attempts, and just 19 all season. In 2021, he had his career high in field goal attempts with 33, and a then career high in field goal percentage, at 90.9; he was also perfect on PATs.

NFL.com

Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones on Trevon Diggs’ $500K salary reduction: ‘We’re paying a price, too’

Diggs’ salary was recently reduced by $500,000 due to a de-escalator clause put into effect after he didn’t meet a percentage mark for time rehabbing at the team facility.

The two-time Pro Bowler was surprised by the enforcement of the clause, but Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones explained Tuesday that the team believes Diggs would be closer to returning had he rehabbed with the club.

“He certainly paid a price for not being here,” Jones told 105.3 The Fan, via The Athletic’s Jon Machota, “but we’re paying a price, too, because we felt like he might be further along had he done his rehab here. He may differ with that. But had he done his rehab here, we feel strongly that he might be further along. That’s in the best interest of the team and the organization that comes with getting a big contract, which he received.”

Diggs is currently on the physically unable to perform list and his status for the beginning of the season is unknown. He rehabbed in Miami, far from where Jones believes he should’ve been traveling on his road to recovery.

“I think a player is much better off training with us than he is somewhere else,” Jones said. “I just think the discipline to come in every day, do the work is there when they’re here. … One thing we can do, which we will continue to do is put in every player’s contract, especially guys that we pay significant amounts of money, we expect leadership and we expect them to be here. Certainly we addressed that with Diggs.”

Big Blue View

The Jameis Winston trade speculation just won’t die

Pro Football Focus’ Brandley Locker listed Winston as one of the top-15 trade candidates in the NFL. Below is the rationale:

After spending the start of his NFL career as the Buccaneers’ primary signal-caller, Winston is deep into his second act as a journeyman backup. That road may include another stop soon.

While with the Browns in 2024, Winston tallied a 69.5 PFF passing grade with 11 big-time throws and 18 turnover-worthy plays. The 31-year-old displayed that he’s still capable of slinging the ball at a high level in spurts, producing 82.0-plus PFF passing grades against the Steelers and Bengals last year.

The Giants are likely to start either Russell Wilson or first-round pick Jaxson Dart, leaving Winston as the team’s presumptive QB3. New York could keep the former first overall pick in that role, but Winston figures to be most teams’ top trade target when a quarterback injury inevitably happens.

Some teams around the NFL could use Jameis Winston’s skill set, and the former Heisman Trophy winner could even push for starting reps at certain places. However, I like the idea of having a strong quarterback room that will not crumble if the starter suffers an injury. I also like the idea of surrounding Jaxson Dart with competent and experienced leaders.

I won’t be advocating for a trade unless there’s an obvious return that can’t be refuted. Winston has a valuable presence that’s independent of the starter’s health. He has an infectious personality and comports himself well with his teammates. I would rather have Winston on the team in case of an emergency than trade him for a sixth-round pick.

Other notable players on the list are Washington wide receiver Terry McLaurin, Cincinnati edge Trey Hendrickson, and Dallas edge Micah Parsons.

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Articles

ESPN

NFL trade tiers: Which players are worth a first-round pick?

in the NBA. Trading a star for five first-round picks feels ho-hum. Heck, trading a star for just one first-round pick is wild these days.

These sorts of deals don’t happen in the NFL, where teams can trade picks only within the next three draft cycles, keeping them from making the sort of long-term moves that NBA teams are happy to make. While the NBA salary cap is perhaps even more arcane and mysterious than the NFL’s, the structure of NBA deals makes them easier to deal than their NFL counterparts — dead money in the NFL can make a contract all but untradeable at certain times.

Let’s live in that world for just one moment. In a universe in which dead cap doesn’t exist and teams could trade for players on their existing deals, how much would the top players in the NFL land? Sure, it’s impossible to imagine a scenario in which the Chiefs trade Patrick Mahomes or the Bills deal away Josh Allen, but who could have expected the Mavericks to ship off Luka Doncic? I’ve gone through every team’s roster and identified the players who could realistically land at least one first-round pick in a trade, moving all the way up to the top of the market, where we’re approaching a decade’s worth of first-rounders in a hypothetical swap.

NFC EAST

Dallas Cowboys

Two first-round picks and more: Edge Micah Parsons. Still waiting for his long-term contract extension, the price to procure his signature is only going up after Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt signed their own extensions. The baseline for a Parsons deal a year ago would have been Nick Bosa’s extension, which is worth $34 million per year. Now, Watt’s deal is up to an average annual value (AAV) of $41 million. Parsons is going to get a record-setting deal when he signs.

New York Giants

Two first-round picks and more: WR Malik Nabers. He still has three years and about $10.4 million in total remaining on his rookie deal; in other words, he’ll make about as much over the next three years as Ja’Marr Chase will make every 4½ games. And that’s without considering a fifth-year option for 2028 that should end up being a bargain versus whatever the top of the wide receiver market looks like at that point.

Chase is more of a sure thing than Nabers, but there’s a staggering sum of money being saved that can go to other parts of New York’s roster.

Philadelphia Eagles

Two first-round picks: DT Jalen Carter, QB Jalen Hurts. Go back and watch the final two snaps of the Rams’ 2024 season if you have any questions about Carter. He doesn’t have spectacular numbers, racking up 10.5 sacks and 25 knockdowns over his first two seasons, but the tape shows a player who consistently pushes the pocket and presents an incredibly difficult matchup for interior offensive linemen. He’s on the verge of a 10-sack season, which might come as early as 2025.

Are there teams that wouldn’t be willing to mold their offense to fit Hurts’ style of play? I suppose. It’s their loss. In Jeremy Fowler’s recent story polling league execs, Hurts was valued as the league’s ninth-best quarterback, which reflects reality: There are some in the league who never believed in him as a viable starter and some who see his style of play and injury concerns as worrisome over the long term.

Washington Commanders

Four first-round picks plus more: QB Jayden Daniels. I can see both sides of the argument. While nobody doubts what Daniels did last season, he has only done it once, as opposed to Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, who have been MVP candidates for most of their careers. There are still teams that would hesitate to invest in him because of his slight frame, and there’s always a concern that a quarterback who had so much success scrambling and creating on fourth down might not be able to keep that up. Maybe that side thinks Daniels is worth two first-round picks.

Then there’s the other side, which would (correctly) point out that Daniels reinvigorated an entire fan base last season. He had one of the best rookie seasons in league history, throwing for 3,568 yards with 25 touchdowns while adding 891 rushing yards and six more scores on the ground. He did that with wideout Terry McLaurin, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and a bunch of guys who weren’t moving the needle around the league. There probably won’t be another Hail Mary to beat the Bears or another 86-yard touchdown to nearly tie the game in the fourth quarter against the Cowboys, but Daniels doesn’t need those plays to be an elite quarterback. If he cuts unnecessary sacks out of his game, what else would he need to be on the same level as those guys I mentioned?

Crucially, while Mahomes, Allen and Jackson are all on significant contracts, Daniels is in the second season of his four-year, $37.7 million rookie deal. With the Commanders already having paid his signing bonus, they’ll pay him $2.5 million in 2025 and $4.3 million in 2026 before he is even eligible for an extension. He might be one of the league’s two or three biggest bargains while playing the most important position in sports. Is that worth five first-round picks? Six? Seven? The answer is “too many,” so I tried to strike a middle ground.

Discussion topics

NFL.com

Broncos’ Courtland Sutton suggests he left money on table to keep roster together: ‘It wasn’t about me’

“It wasn’t about me,” Sutton said. “At the end of the day, yes, we work in a business of compensation. (There’s) talent in that locker room, guys that are coming up, that are trying to get their second contract. I was blessed to be able to get my third. They put the work in just the same way as I have. And some of those guys have more accolades than I have when it comes to the NFL side of things … and to be able to sign the deal that we did, it gives us a chance to keep those guys around.”

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