Daily Slop – 9 Jul 24 – One-on-one with Commanders 2nd round draft pick, DL Johnny Newton

A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East and the NFL in general

Commanders links

Articles

The Athletic (paywall)

One non-quarterback MVP for every NFL team

Washington Commanders – Frankie Luvu, linebacker

Micah Parsons wasn’t one of the several familiar faces head coach Dan Quinn brought over from his three-year stint with the Cowboys. Bummer. However, the three-time All-Pro is mentioned frequently in Washington because his linebacker/edge rusher role did travel with Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. Luvu, one of the Commanders’ primary free-agent signings this offseason, arrived with the versatility required to play multiple spots. At 27, Luvu is an ascending talent coming off back-to-back 100-tackle seasons with 12 1/2 combined sacks. He will play every down, and the defensive personnel will shift depending on where the coaches deploy this aggressive playmaker.

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Commanders.com

Commanders 2024 training camp preview | Cornerbacks

How will Mike Sainristil fit in the secondary? Sainristil was considered by some to be the best pure slot corner in this year’s draft class. The numbers show how accurate that is, as he had a career-high six interceptions at Michigan in 2023. There’s little doubt about where Sainristil is going to play, but where he fits on the depth chart is going to be an interesting talking point in camp. The coaching staff and front office seem to believe that he could be an instant contributor. If that ends up being true, it will help answer a few questions about the Commanders’ secondary. Sainristil looked impressive during OTAs, even getting some reps with the starters. Assuming that trend continues, it might be difficult to avoid putting him in the starting lineup.

What’s the rotation going to look like? Washington invested in overhauling the cornerback position this offseason, bringing veteran starters (Davis) former first-round picks (Igbinoghene) and talented draft picks (Sainristil). There certainly are a lot of pieces that could be an improvement of the 2023 iteration, but we have no idea who the starters could be or how the rotation will look one the season starts in September. It seems like Davis is…close to a lock at one spot on the outside, but the…corner opposite him is a mystery. St-Juste could emerge as a player to watch, but others like Forbes are expected to compete as well. Cornerbacks are some of the most interchangeable players on the roster, so everyone who makes the cut should get some playing time. However, the position right now is a bit of a puzzle. We’ll have to wait a few weeks to see how the pieces fit together.

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Riggo’s Rag

College coach believes Brandon Coleman can excel with the Commanders

Coleman’s got a supreme vote of confidence from A.J. Ricker, his old coach with the Horned Frogs. He believes the lineman could be set for great things with some additional experience based on comments via the team’s website.

“He’s super athletic. Still green, but just the way he can get off the ball and get to the second level and sustain blocks is…what really makes him special. If your feet are not right, very rarely are your hands gonna be efficient. It’s blocking with your feet first, and then the rest will take care of itself. He [Coleman] was blessed genetically to have really good feet and be athletic, but he also works at it, too. There’s a guy that honestly could play all three [positions]. Center, guard and tackle. And heck, that’s what you’re looking for now. And he still hasn’t played that much football. His best football is still ahead of him. I think the more confidence he gets going against guys in the NFL, the better he’ll be. I think as he goes along in camp…he’s just gonna get better.”

– A.J. Ricker via Commanders.com

Coleman was seen as a project coming in. That wouldn’t be an issue if the Commanders had an established left tackle. They don’t.

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Riggo’s Rag

5 overlooked storylines to watch at Commanders 2024 training camp

There are storylines aplenty for fans to watch.

Commanders’ return game situation

This competition is wide open. And the Washington Commanders are giving several players a shot at staking their respective claims to become the team’s kick or punt returner next season.

Jamison Crowder was the punt returner in 2023 and was entirely adequate. Antonio Gibson and Byron Pringle, neither with the Commanders this time around, handled kickoff returns. The need for a fresh injection of energy is obvious and not going unnoticed by Dan Quinn’s coaching staff.

Last year, Washington only had 24 kickoff returns on the season. This year, new rules are designed to increase that number.

The Commanders would probably like to find one player who can handle both kickoffs and punts. However, they could easily split the job up if necessary.

Crowder has not returned many kickoffs in his professional career but could get a tryout. His main competition at this point would seem to come from another veteran receiver with return experience – Damiere Byrd. It is hard to envision both players making the final roster, so it’ll be interesting to watch things shake out during the team’s training camp.

As with most positions on the roster, there are wild cards galore. Former undrafted free agent wide receiver Kazmeir Allen should be in the mix along with the veterans. In one of the biggest surprises of the summer thus far, the Commanders have had second-year cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. field some kicks in practice.

Forbes has undisputed open-field talent, but his slender frame would have many fans holding their breath during the high-speed collisions common to both kickoff and punt returns. The Commanders invested too much in the former Mississippi State star to put him in harm’s way like this. Or so you’d think.

Another twist could come from fellow defensive back A.J. Woods, who returned some kinks early in his career at Pittsburgh. He has excellent speed and was very productive when he had the ball in the open field at the collegiate level. Don’t rule out the player catching the eye when camp commences.

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Sports Illustrated

Washington Commanders Rookie ‘Going to Baptize’ Teams That Passed On Him at NFL Draft

The Washington Commanders jumped on the chance to capitalize on the mistake 31 other NFL teams made in April.

“When I play ‘em I’m going to baptize them,” Newton told Commanders host Bryan Colbert Jr. in a recently published interview on the team’s YouTube page.

“I know there wasn’t 32 people better than me at the end of the day, that’s for sure,” Newton continued. “But like I said, it’s a plan for everything. It was already written so it was written for me to come here. Now I just got to execute it and play to my God-given ability. I wasn’t mad. I love that I came here, I’m playing behind (Jonathan) Allen and (Daron) Payne…and then adding me to the Dline, I’m trying to be B.I.N.”

What does B.I.N. stand for? “Best in the nation,” Newton says.

Music to the ears of Washington fan’s ears for sure, even as they await Newton’s first opportunity to suit up and practice with the team.

Watching the interview you can see Newton is mentally ready, and turning on the tape you’ll get a quick reminder why Washington spent a second-round pick to land another first-round talent.

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Podcasts & videos

Johnny the “Jer’Mander” Newton wants to be the Best in the Nation | Raising Hail with the Rookies

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NFC East links

The Athletic (paywall)

NFC East Preview, Fantasy Sleeper for Each Team

Cowboys

Fantasy sleeper: TE Jake Ferguson.

In his first year as a starter, the 25-year-old recorded 761 yards and five touchdowns across 71 receptions. With Lamb occupying double teams on the outside, Ferguson should finish higher than where he’s currently being drafted (the ninth tight end off most boards).

Better than in 2023? No.

“We’ll be going all in,” said owner Jerry Jones in late January. While signing big-money free agent deals is no guarantee of success, the Cowboys lost key veterans and look no better (on paper at least) than last season’s team. Improving on 12 wins is a high bar to clear, but it’s all about January.

Eagles

Fantasy sleeper: TE Dallas Goedert.

espite missing three games in 2023, Goedert finished as the No. 14 TE, which is about when he’s being drafted this offseason. His 1.57 yards per route run (a predictive stat for future production) since he became a starting tight end in 2022 ranks No. 8 at the position, and he is excited for new OC Kellen Moore, who he expects will be more tight end-friendly than prior OCs.

Better than in 2023? Yes.

BetMGM has the Eagles at 10.5 wins, and I expect they’ll win at least 11 for the third straight season, while their secondary should improve after the additions of Fangio, Mitchell and DeJean.

Giants

Fantasy sleeper: WR Wan’Dale Robinson.

The absence of Saquon Barkley and Darren Waller could lead to 100-plus targets for the 2022 second-round pick often used as a short-yardage specialist. Still only 23, Robinson’s breakout season could come yet. He’s currently being drafted after 70-plus other receivers.

Better than in 2023? It’s close.

The Giants’ win total sits at 6.5, which suggests that the additions of star DE Brian Burns and first-round WR Malik Nabers may not be enough to overcome the horrendous offensive line.

Commanders

Fantasy sleeper: RB Austin Ekeler

Ekeler never looked like himself after suffering a high-ankle sprain in September. But don’t be fooled by last year’s totals. He started 2023 averaging 7.3 yards per carry, scoring 20-plus fantasy points in Week 1, third that week among running backs. Now healthy, he’s also reunited with former Chargers HC Anthony Lynn (currently RB coach) in Washington.

Better than in 2023? Yes.

The roster, coaching staff and executive level are improved almost across the board. This team could surprise many with a Wild Card playoff appearance.

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NFL league links

Articles

Pro Football Talk

Patriots’ Chad Ryland, Joey Slye set for a training camp competition at kicker

Last year the Patriots spent a fourth-round draft pick on a kicker, Chad Ryland. The results were not good: Ryland made only 16 of his 25 field goal attempts and New England finished dead last in the NFL with a 64.0 percent field goal success rate.

This offseason, the Patriots signed veteran kicker Joey Slye, and Patriots.com reports that Ryland and Slye will have a true training camp competition with both of them having a real chance of winning the job and the one who performs better getting the nod.

In minicamp, Slye was the more accurate of the two, but that’s not saying much. Last year Slye kicked for the Commanders, making 19 of his 24 field goal attempts and ranking 29th of 32 NFL teams in field goal accuracy. Slye also has a career extra point rate of just 88.5 percent, which ranks dead last among kickers with at least 100 extra point attempts since Slye entered the NFL in 2019.

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Pro Football Talk

Report: NFL national revenue hits $13 billion

Via Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico.com, national revenue for the NFL in 2023 hit $13 billion. Last year, the number was $11.98 billion.

The numbers in the report come from an estimate by Sportico.com, based on discussions with four different teams, that the per-team revenue will be over $400 million.

The official national revenue number will appear later this month, in the Packers’ annual report. As the only publicly-traded team in the NFL, the Packers must issue a full report of their finances ever year.

The number falls short of the $14 billion that the league will be required to pay in the Sunday Ticket class action, if the verdict is upheld and tripled (which automatically will happen when the verdict is entered).

And it shows just how big of a bite the per-team liability of $440 million will take out of each team’s revenue. Under current numbers, it will exceed the national revenue that each team receives.

Throw in the local revenue, and the total take will be well over $20 billion. Years ago, the Commissioner set a goal of $25 billion by 2027.

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