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Daily Slop – 4 Jun 25 – A double-dose of defensive lineman Deatrich Wise

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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

Commanders links

Articles

Commanders.com

Inside Jayden Daniels’ offseason plans to improve for Year 2

The reality is that playing 17 games plus going through a playoff run is a taxing process, and Daniels felt the physical toll after the season came to an end. Now that he’s experienced it firsthand, it has shaped everything about his offseason routine.

“It’s a long season,” Daniels told Bryan Colbert Jr. on “Next Man Up.” “Now, just put the team around me, ask questions, ask vets and reach out to other individuals [to ask], ‘How did you navigate your first offseason?’”

Regardless of how Daniels has structured his offseason plans, all of it was done to replicate the success he and the Commanders had in 2024. He’s seen what general manager Adam Peters and his staff have done to improve the roster this offseason by trading for Deebo Samuel and bolstering the offensive line. We’ll need to see how those new pieces perform on the field, but for now, it looks like the team is more talented than it was last season.

As the most important piece on the offense and team, Daniels just wants to do his part.

“I gotta handle my side,” Daniels said. “He [Peters] has to handle his side. DQ [head coach Dan Quinn] has to handle his side. It’s all a collective.”

Commanders.com

Kain Medrano wants to learn from Norton, Wagner’s ‘scars’

Medrano credits Norton, who coached at UCLA from 2022-23, for introducing him to the linebacker position after he switched from wide receiver. Prior to that, Medrano’s only experience at playing defense was at the high school level with 80 tackles as a senior. He ended his college career as one of UCLA’s most productive defenders in 2024 with 72 tackles — second on the team behind first-round pick Carson Schwesinger.

Now that they’re reunited, Medrano is excited for Norton to take his skill set to another level in the NFL.

“Just being able to be back with the person I felt helped me out the most at this position is very surreal and just a blessing,” Medrano said.

Norton has a long history of elevating players thanks in part to his own extended NFL career. Over the course of 17 seasons, he started in 188 of 191 games, recording six 100-tackle seasons with three Pro Bowl selections and two All-Pro nods. He’s a three-time Super Bowl champion and the only player to win three in a row with two different teams.

That knowledge was particularly helpful for Medrano, who came to UCLA as a three-star receiver with limited defensive experience. Medrano had already moved to linebacker by the time Norton arrived at UCLA ahead of the 2022 season, but his development took a significant jump at that point because of Norton’s coaching style.

Commanders Wire

Commanders’ Jaylin Lane embracing early role on special teams

Lane played three seasons at Middle Tennessee State and his final two years at Virginia Tech. He averaged 11 yards per punt return for his career and returned for two touchdowns. The Commanders have been looking for stability at punt returner for years, with Jamison Crowder and Olamide Zaccheaus filling the void most recently.

Lane figures to have a prominent role early in his NFL career. He will need to win the punt returner role in training camp, but he should be the top contender.

Riggo’s Rag

Laremy Tunsil era hasn’t started but Commanders already look like geniuses

Adam Peters believes this could be the franchise-changing blindside protector capable of taking quarterback Jayden Daniels’ game to even greater heights.

One NFL analyst went one step further, claiming that Tunsil’s added motivation could be the missing piece to Washington’s postseason puzzle in 2025.

Tunsil is the best Commanders’ left tackle since Trent Williams before he plays a down. He’s an exceptional pass protector, displaying athleticism, poise, and technical prowess capable of keeping the league’s most accomplished edge rushers away from the backfield.

The run blocking is above average, and the penalties from last season need to come down. Even so, this has the scope to change everything for Washington’s protection in front of Daniels.

Commanders are getting a highly motivated Laremy Tunsil in 2025

Zoltán Buday from Pro Football Focus lent further weight to these claims, placing Tunsil at No. 8 on his list of the NFL’s best offensive tackles. The analyst highlighted the impressive statistics accumulated by the former first-round pick, especially in pass protection. He also thought there was a new chip on his shoulder after the Texans made him surplus to requirements.

“While he has never been better than an above-average run blocker, [Laremy] Tunsil continues to be one of the best pass protectors in the NFL. During his six seasons with the Houston Texans, he earned a 92.3 PFF pass-blocking grade, which ranked first among 57 qualifying offensive tackles. He still ranked fourth with an 89.1 PFF pass-blocking grade. Now, the 30-year-old will prove his mettle with the Commanders after being traded this offseason.”

Commanders.com

Washington Legends, coaches nominated for CFB Hall of Fame 2026 class

Multiple Washington Commanders Legends and current coaches were nominated for the College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026.

The list of 79 nominees, which was announced by the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame on June 2, includes former Washington tight end Vernon Davis; quarterback Robert Griffin III; wide receiver DeSean Jackson; defensive end and current assistant linebackers coach/pass-rush specialist Ryan Kerrigan; wide receiver Antwaan Randle-El; and current linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr.

Pro Football Focus

Projecting all 32 NFL starting lineups ahead of the 2025 season

As part of our comprehensive 2025 NFL roster rankings, we’ve projected the starting lineups for all 32 teams, organized by where each team lands in those rankings. These projections include 2024 PFF grades for every projected starter, offering a clear snapshot of how each unit stacks up heading into the new season.


It’s Deatrich Wise Day

Deatrich Wise Jr. Joins the JK Report | John Keim Report

Deatrich Wise Jr. joins Trap or Dive | Trap or Dive Podcast

NFC East links

Big Blue View

Can the Giants get their money’s worth from their $69 million offensive line?

The Giants haven’t been cheap, but is it worth it?

All told, per the 33rd team and OverTheCap, the Giants have the third-most expensive offensive line in the NFL.

Nobody can say that the Giants aren’t investing in their offensive line. The question is whether they’re getting their money’s worth.

Looking at the overall performance of the unit last year, the answer would be “no”. The Giants were 26th in pass block win rate and 27th in run block win rate by the end of the 2025 season.

A year ago, a significant contingent of Giants’ fans said that they would be happy if the team managed to field a league-average offensive line. And there’s an argument that they did just that.

At least when the starting unit was intact….

By the end of the year, the line was unrecognizable. This is the unit that started Week 18 against the Philadelphia Eagles:

  • LT – Jermaine Eluemunor
  • LG – Aaron Stinnie
  • C – Greg Van Roten
  • RG – Jake Kubas
  • RT – Tyre Phillips

But now the Giants look to have four of their five starters (Thomas, Runyan Jr., Schmitz, and Eluemunor) back on the field and at their natural positions. The fifth spot is apparently up for grabs, and the Giants would likely love for Evan Neal, Joshua Ezeudu, Jake Kubas, or Marcus Mbow to take Van Roten’s job.

The line should be far better than it was in the second half of 2024. But the question remains whether the Giants will get their money’s worth.

NFL league links

Articles

The Athletic (paywall)

How a phone call from a college football legend reset Sean McVay’s coaching career

Sean McVay still has the voicemail from two years ago. He hasn’t listened to it since, but plays it now as he lays his iPhone flat on the desk beside him.

“Sean, this is Chris Petersen calling. I am the former head coach at Boise State and the University of Washington … “

Petersen’s voice is warm and earnest.

“I’ve just been thinkin’ about ya. I know you’re going through some hard times … “

As he listens, McVay is the picture of control, from his hair slicked into its signature shark fin to his matching athleisure set and spotless sneakers. But then his eyes fill with tears, and he doesn’t swipe them away.

Petersen called McVay in January 2023 after seeing clips of him following the Los Angeles Rams’ disastrous 2022 season, when McVay admitted he was contemplating leaving coaching just one year after becoming the NFL’s youngest Super Bowl-winning head coach. When Petersen saw McVay’s hollow-eyed expression and heard his hoarse voice, he knew there was more at work than a dismal season record and professional fatigue. “Oh my stars, I know this guy,” Petersen said to himself. “I know this story.”

So he picked up his phone.

That voicemail was an outstretched hand to a broken man. Petersen, who in 2019 suddenly stepped away from his career as one of the most successful coaches in college football history, has become a mentor, confidant, friend and adviser to McVay as the young coach worked his way out of what he calls the hardest year of his life.

“You’re in the middle of a storm. It’s real gray; things are cloudy,” McVay said. “He saw that press conference. I was crying out for help, I just didn’t realize I was.”

More than two years after their first conversation, McVay, 39, credits Petersen’s support as a significant part of his long-term recommitment to coaching.

“He has helped me see this game and this profession in (such) a totally different lens that the idea of not coaching feels so laughable,” said McVay. “I get so much more joy out of things that I just didn’t give a s— about before.”

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