Daily Slop – 8 Mar 25 – Jon Allen gone; Bobby Wagner back; Chris Rodriguez tendered

A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders

Commanders links

Articles

Washington Post (paywall)

Bobby Wagner says he and the Commanders have ‘unfinished business’

Wagner, who represented himself in negotiations, said he was “pretty confident” he and the team would work something out.

“It was more so just kind of sitting down and putting our heads together to make something good for both sides,” he said, adding, “If we weren’t able to get something towards free agency, I would have had to consider [other places]. But this is where I wanted to be. This is who I wanted to play for.”

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ESPN

Commanders release DT Jonathan Allen ahead of free agency

The move ends an eight-year relationship after the Commanders failed to find a trade partner to take on Allen.

The Commanders drafted defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton in the second round last year, and he started alongside Daron Payne during the nine games Allen missed with a torn left pectoral muscle.

That injury was initially said to be season-ending. But during surgery, doctors discovered the tear was not as severe as feared, allowing him to return.

Allen played in the final two regular-season games and three postseason contests. He finished with 3 sacks, 3 tackles for loss and 7 quarterback hits.

In eight seasons with Washington, he recorded 42 sacks in 108 starts. Prior to last season, Allen had been durable. In the previous six years, Allen missed a combined three games.

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Commanders Wire

Commanders tender RB Chris Rodriguez Jr.

Rodriguez is an exclusive rights free agent because he has two or fewer accrued seasons and an expiring contract.

What do the Commanders have to do to keep Rodriguez? All they have to do is extend a qualifying offer to Rodriguez, which they chose to do on Friday. So, it is that simple. If Rodriguez wants to play in the NFL next year, he can, for now, only proceed with the Commanders.

Rodriguez was drafted in the 6th round of the 2023 NFL draft, 193rd overall, out of the University of Kentucky. In 2024, Rodriguez ran the ball 35 times for 173 yards (4.9 YPR) and two rushing touchdowns.

Fellow RB Jeremy McNichols is set to become a free agent next week, and there is no word yet if the Commanders are attempting to sign McNichols and bring him back to training camp as part of a 90-man roster. Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler are currently on the roster going into next week’s signing launch.

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Podcasts & videos

Fox Sports’ Mark Schlereth on 2025 NFL Draft, NFC East & Season Overview | Get Loud | Commanders

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NFC East links

Blogging the Boys

Former Cowboys WR Michael Gallup reportedly looking to make NFL comeback

The Cowboys released Gallup last offseason after a down 2023 season from him. You will recall that Dallas extended him two years prior to that, shortly before trading Cooper to the Cleveland Browns.

Unfortunately, Gallup never lived up to that extension, but in his defense he was coming off of a torn ACL when the Cowboys gave it to him. Taken in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Gallup was an extremely serviceable player for the Cowboys, but in the end it was best for Dallas to move on.

Tom Pelissero noted that the Las Vegas Raiders released Gallup from the Reserved/Retired list on Friday. You may have forgotten that Gallup signed with them ahead of last season. He did not play at all.

In his last season with Dallas, Gallup played in all 17 games and had 34 receptions for 418 yards and two touchdowns. For context, that was CeeDee Lamb’s huge 2023 year, but again, it was time for the Cowboys to move on.

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The Athletic (paywall)

Cowboys’ offseason needs to be judged on actions, not slogans and catchphrases

It’s entirely possible — even probable, based on recent history — that the Cowboys’ 2025 offseason approach will leave fans exasperated. Fans aren’t just coming off a 7-10 season, but they’re also coming off watching two of the Cowboys’ division rivals battle in the NFC Championship Game with the Philadelphia Eagles winning the Super Bowl. Dak Prescott has every right to believe the Cowboys are “very close” to the Super Bowl champions, but the facts paint a different picture. Fair or not, the three-decade drought of postseason success has taken a toll on optimism.

But once again, it shouldn’t matter much what Prescott says.

Prescott knows as well as anybody the Cowboys haven’t sniffed what the Eagles have achieved. Whether it’s his method of leadership to ooze optimism or his delusion the Cowboys are close to the Eagles, it doesn’t amount to anything of substance, aside from some offseason headlines and talk-radio discussions. After all, at this time last year — and even into the summer months — the NFC East was a two-team race between the Cowboys and Eagles. The Washington Commanders and New York Giants were scrapping for third place.

Words in the offseason, whether they come from Jerry, Stephen, Prescott or anybody else in the organization should be viewed in the same light as regular-season wins. It might sound good; it might not. The real barometer is: What are you doing in the playoffs?

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Big Blue View

‘Nobody should outbid the Giants’ for Aaron Rodgers, says NFL analyst

The drumbeat of support for Rodgers to the Giants grows louder

NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah left no doubt during a recent appearance on the ‘Pat McAfee Show’ that he believes Aaron Rodgers and the New York Giants are a match.

“I have not heard the Giants connected with any of the veteran quarterbacks other than Aaron Rodgers,” Jeremiah said.

As is common knowledge amongst those who follow the Giants, Jeremiah said “there’s some urgency” with the Giants to win now.

“Who’s the win right now quarterback? It’s Aaron Rodgers,” Jeremiah said.

Jeremiah made the point that the Giants should only pass on the 41-year-old Rodgers if they already have a deal in place with the Tennessee Titans to move to No. 1 in the 2025 NFL Draft to select Cam Ward.

Since that doesn’t appear to be the case, Jeremiah thinks the Giants should go all-in on the future Hall of Famer.

“If they don’t have a deal done as we go into free agency … I don’t know who else is in on Aaron Rodgers but it would seem to reason that nobody should outbid the Giants. They would have the most to gain.”

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NFL league links

Articles

ESPN

2025 NFL free agency: Five most overrated players available

Amari Cooper, WR – 2024 team: Buffalo Bills | Age entering 2025 season: 31

After averaging 2.2 and 2.5 yards per route run in 2022 and 2023, respectively, Cooper’s production significantly dropped off in 2024. He managed only 1.6 yards per route run this past season with the Browns and Bills, recording 547 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 44 receptions.

There are feasible reasons on the surface to explain Cooper’s down season. He was stuck with Deshaun Watson as his quarterback at the start of the year, he had to transition to a new offense midway through the season after being traded, and a wrist injury which kept him out of several games could have impacted his overall production. Then again, he barely produced with league MVP Josh Allen as his quarterback, catching only 20 passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns in eight regular-season games with Buffalo. His playoff performance wasn’t great either, as he caught six passes for 41 yards in three games.

I’m inclined to be bearish on Cooper going forward simply because he’s a 31-year-old receiver coming off a poor season. There’s a good chance he’ll never approach his 2023 form, when he made the Pro Bowl after catching 72 passes for 1,250 yards and five touchdowns.

Advanced numbers indicate a decline, too. Since 2020, Cooper’s open score in ESPN’s receiver scores has steadily dropped, going from 64 to 58 to 54 to 46 to 39 this season. And his overall score of 23 was tied for eighth-worst among wide receivers.

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Deadspin

Reports: Titans release sacks leader Harold Landry III

Landry, 28, was the Titans’ longest-tenured player. Landry would have earned $17.5 million in base salary with a $24.05 million cap hit in 2025.

Tennessee will save $10.9 million in cap space, bypassing a June 1 designation available that would have increased the franchise’s savings to $17.5 million.

A second-round pick in 2018, Landry started all 17 games last season and made 71 tackles with a team-high nine sacks as well as 15 tackles for loss, one safety, 15 quarterback hits and four forced fumbles.

He has 397 career tackles in 98 regular-season games (79 starts) with 50.5 sacks, 70 tackles for loss, 102 QB hits, two interceptions, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

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Spring Football

Front Office Sports

UFL Players Keeping ‘All Options’ Open As Teams Threaten Cuts

Players were warned Tuesday they could be released from their contracts if they went through with a planned boycott of the league’s media days on Thursday and Friday. In response, players are continuing to “keep all options on the table,” a source familiar with negotiations told Front Office Sports. That includes striking as the start of the season is only three weeks away.

UFL players were “really upset” by the threat but are “focused on getting a fair CBA,” the source said. Media days are slated to take place Thursday and Friday in Arlington, Texas.

The two sides have been in talks for a new labor deal since December, with players seeking increased salaries from the reported $55,000 they made in 2024 and year-round health-care coverage, which they find unreasonable given the health risks of playing football.

The recent offer improved enough to get players to report to training camp, which started Monday, but didn’t narrow the gap between the two sides to agree on a new collective bargaining agreement, with players still threatening to strike or explore other options ahead of the March 28 season opener.

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All aTwitter

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