Daily Slop – 8 Nov 24: GM Adam Peters has turned the Washington Commanders into immediate contenders

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The Athletic (paywall)

A year after selling off players at the deadline, Commanders have come a long way, quickly

It’s another indication of how impossibly different things are with this franchise now. This wasn’t Dan Snyder gassing up his private jet and pulling out his checkbook to buy the prettiest, shiniest ornament, no matter whether it made sense on his tree. (Albert Haynesworth, with Mike Shanahan? What could go wrong?) This was a calculated risk — and there is a risk — with Washington sending three picks to New Orleans for the 28-year-old Lattimore, who’s battled injuries, mostly hamstrings, the last few years. But Lattimore was the best corner available by far, for a team desperate for improvement from its secondary.

Bringing in someone of Lattimore’s caliber also signals to the locker room that their work surrounding Daniels and helping him lift the franchise has been noticed. In year one, the front office is willing to mortgage some of the future to further bolster the present.

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ESPN

Marshon Lattimore: Trade pushes Commanders closer to Super Bowl

Lattimore did not practice Wednesday because of a hamstring injury that sidelined him for New Orleans’ loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. It’s uncertain when he’ll practice, let alone whether he’ll play Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2).

But the Commanders will be cautious with Lattimore, wanting him to be healthy for the remainder of the season.

Lattimore provides Washington with a true No. 1 corner, something it has lacked for years. The organization’s last Pro Bowl corner was DeAngelo Hall in 2010. Its last corner with multiple Pro Bowl appearances was Champ Bailey from 2000 to 2003.

Washington can now mix and match its other corners. The Commanders have Benjamin St-Juste, who adds length at 6-foot-3; Mike Sainristil, drafted as a slot corner but moved outside out of necessity; and Noah Igbinoghene.

“He fits into any defense,” Peters said. “So, whatever we’re playing — zone or man — he’s going to be able to do all that. He’s a really, really smart player. He is a really instinctive player. He’s physical, and those are things we’re looking for.”

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Washington Post (paywall)

The Commanders are contenders, and Adam Peters acted like it

When the Commanders’ circumstances changed, Adam Peters met the moment and made his roster better.

Rebuilds from 4-13 organizational disasters to 7-2 starts that feel transformative don’t happen in the NFL, particularly with all the necessary adjustments that come with regime change and roster overhaul.

They are ahead of schedule because of Peters, whose next lousy move as a first-time GM will be his first. That’s not just seen through the prism of selecting Jayden Daniels and declaring a generations-old quarterback problem solved. That’s looking at the entirety of the situation, addressing weaknesses honestly and shrewdly, and being unafraid to meet the moment.

[T]he reality is this: Their record is 7-2. Play .500 ball over the remainder of the season, and Washington will have 11 wins for the first time since — wait for it — 1991. That would be the last season this franchise won the Super Bowl.

The point: These opportunities don’t happen very often — if at all — around here. Apply that to a wildly fun season, and sit in Peters’s chair. It’s important to have a plan and to adhere to it, and that plan broadly is to build through the draft and fill in holes with reasonably priced free agents. It’s a fine strategy and one the fan base has bought into — in part because it was outlined by a top football executive who is both savvy and fully empowered by ownership.

Consider it this way: In training camp, the Commanders had wide receiver Jahan Dotson, defensive tackle John Ridgeway and seven picks in the 2025 draft. They traded Dotson and a fifth-rounder to Philadelphia for the Eagles’ third-round pick and two seventh-round picks. They dealt Ridgeway and a seventh-rounder to New Orleans for a sixth-rounder. So when they woke up on deadline day, they had nine picks in the 2025 draft. And even after landing Lattimore, they retain a full complement of seven.

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Commanders.com

Terry McLaurin’s chemistry with Jayden Daniels has him on pace for career year

The Commanders are on the verge of doubling their win total from 2023, and McLaurin has more than done his part with 598 yards and six scores. McLaurin has long been recognized as a top receiver, but the stability at quarterback and within the offense has him poised to move into another tier.

“Every game with a guy like that, you come out of it saying I wish we would’ve gotten it to him more,” said offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. “I mean, he’s that type of a talent, and he plays hard.”

McLaurin doesn’t have much to complain about on the field these days, but drawing attention to himself has never been how the receiver operates, even when Washington was struggling to string wins together early in his career. “He does his job,” Kingsbury said, and he doesn’t complain about getting the ball, blocking or not being the featured player on a play. So, for someone who quietly handles his assignments, just how good McLaurin has been in his sixth season isn’t always apparent.

McLaurin’s stats are loud enough to highlight the 2019 third-round pick, though. Despite being tied for 18th in receptions and 20th in targets, he’s seventh in receiving yards and tied for second in receiving touchdowns. He’s already surpassed his touchdown total from 2023 and is one away from tying a career-high.

Thanks in part to the Commanders having some stability at the quarterback position for the first time in McLaurin’s career, the receiver is on pace for not just another 1,000-yard season but also a career-performance. He’s currently sixth on Washington’s all-time receiving list, and he has a chance to surpass Bobby Mitchell in the final eight games.

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Upcoming opponent

Behind the Steel Curtain

Steelers edge rusher Nick Herbig logs another limited practice returning from injury

The second-year budding star has been out since suffering the injury in early October.

Star rookie center Zach Frazier still appears on track to play in Week 10, logging another full practice on Thursday without any setbacks, as has RB/KR Cordarrelle Patterson.

However, there are a couple of names whose status should be monitored ahead of Sunday. That includes OLB Nick Herbig, who logged his second consecutive day of practice in his return from a hamstring injury that’s sidelined him for the past month. It’s a promising update, appearing to have avoided any setbacks in his initial return, though it’s unclear if he will play in Week 10. Keep an eye out for tomorrow’s practice report; if he’s been upgraded to “full,” he could be a go against the Commanders. If not, the team’s generally cautious approach to return from injury could indicate one more week of rest.

TE MyCole Pruitt was also an addition to Thursday’s injury report, listed with a knee injury that has lingered throughout the season. After previously missing time with the injury, initially suffered in Week 2, it could be an aspect of load management. His Friday status will also be an indicator of his availability for Week 10.

The final name to monitor ahead of Sunday is that of safety Terrell Edmunds, who’s missed his second straight practice with an illness. Since rejoining the team ahead of Week 2, Edmunds has primarily played a role on special teams — a role which could be handed over to LB Tyler Matakevich if need be, currently in waiting to be activated from the injured reserve list in his 21-day practice window.

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Pro Football Focus

2024 NFL midseason report: Every team’s best player, biggest surprise

Pittsburgh Steelers

Highest-graded player: Edge T.J. Watt (93.7)

Is this the year Watt locks up his second Defensive Player of the Year award? His candidacy is as good as anyone’s through nine games. Watt’s 93.7 overall grade is the best for any healthy defensive player. He’s secured 90.0-plus grades as both a pass-rusher and run defender.

Biggest surprise: C Zach Frazier

The Steelers had a glaring need at center, and the team may have gone from one of the worst centers in football to one of the best in just one offseason. As a rookie, the second-rounder Frazier ranks fourth with an 82.2 overall grade. Frazier has been the highest-graded rookie offensive lineman thus far, although he’s missed Pittsburgh’s last two games.

Stat to know: The Steelers defense is top-eight against both the pass and run.

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Beasts of the East! Bring on Pittsburgh & Money Moves | Command Center | Washington Commanders

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