Free agency often brings excitement to Washington/Commanders fans

It’s easy to get excited about free agency, but it often brings less than anticipated.

The NFL new league year begins March 15 and NFL fans will become upbeat knowing their team has made some great signings.

Recent history reminds us of how hopes are lifted and dashed.

Washington in 2020 had won the NFC East at only 7-9, their offense had struggled mightily playing four quarterbacks during the season (Dwayne Haskins, Kyle Allen, Alex Smith, Taylor Heinicke).

The next offseason when Washington signed cornerback William Jackson and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick the majority of the fan base was excited, knowing for certain that Fitzpatrick would provide veteran leadership to the offense and Jackson was most definitely one of the better man-to-man corners in the league.

Neither materialized.

Fitzpatrick didn’t last one half of the first game. Jackson on the other hand did play and start in 12 of 17 games but was much less than had been expected. He was certainly nothing to brag about in pass coverage.

Jackson’s second season with Washington (2022) was a frustrating one for both coaches and fans. Jackson more than once talked of being a man corner who was being forced to play more zone.

It was frustrating to hear a professional athlete cast blame on the scheme when he was being beaten in coverage more than a few times. Lasting only four games, the threesome of Rivera and Del Rio determined the team was better off without Jackson.

Jackson only defended two passes in 2022 while defending himself more often. He was compensated handsomely, being paid $16,562,500 in 2021 and $7,648,693 in 2022 by the Commanders.

He was a cap hit of $4,656,250 in 2021 and $10,648,693 in 2022. Unfortunately, Jackson will also affect the 2023 team in the sense that he is a $9,000,000 cap hit despite being released during the 2022 season.

Jackson will not even bring anything to Washington via his being traded to the Steelers. The Steelers have already waived Jackson themselves; thus the Commanders will not receive the conditional draft choice from Pittsburgh.

During this upcoming free agency remain level-headed not expecting too much from whomever the Commanders do sign.

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Commanders, Rivera searching elsewhere this offseason

The Commanders will have a different approach to the game’s most important position this offseason.

The third year will bring a third approach by the Washington Commanders to their offseason program of obtaining their next quarterback.

Following the 2020 season, the Commanders liked what they had seen from Taylor Heinicke in the playoff game loss to Tampa Bay, so the Commanders signed Heinicke to a two-year contract to be the veteran backup. They also went out and signed veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick to be the starter.

However, when Fitzpatrick could not make it through one half of one game during the 2021 season, Heinicke started 15 games, and Washington went shopping again in the offseason. Rivera and general manager Martin Mayhew informed all of the league they would be calling to see if there was a quarterback available for the Commanders.

The Colts wanted to rid themselves of Carson Wentz, and the Commanders were more than happy to take Wentz off the Colts’ hands, offering to swap down five spots in the 2022 NFL draft’s second round and unload two third-round choices that could become second-round choices based upon performance.

However, the Carson Wentz experiment did not go well for Washington. He was injured in the sixth game at Chicago. Heinicke then started 9 games as the Commanders went 5-1-1 in his first seven games. However, an 0-2-1 stretch resulted in Heinicke being benched against the 49ers and Rivera turning back to Wentz against the Browns.

Sam Howell started the last game though it had been leaked that week that Rivera and the coaching staff did not believe Howell was ready. Yet, Howell performed well enough that Rivera suddenly did a 180, announcing Howell would be the starter going into the offseason programs.

Thus, Wednesday, Rivera let it be known the Commanders will not be shopping this offseason, looking to spend big bucks for a starting quarterback. They are really going to give Howell every opportunity to win the job.

Will Taylor Heinicke be re-signed to a veteran backup-role contract? Will the Commanders draft for a backup on day two or three of the draft? Will the Commanders look for a veteran on the cheap who can mentor Howell and be on-call if needed?

Perhaps this year, what they are going after is not a quarterback but an offensive coordinator who will require a big salary?

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Pete Carroll says Russell Wilson not leaving Seattle

Pete Carroll said Russell Wilson was going nowhere this offseason.

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Washington Commanders’ fans can scratch another one off of their list. The Seattle Seahawks are NOT trading Russell Wilson during this 2022 offseason.

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, having departed from the podium at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, was approached and asked regarding all of the talk for the last month of his star QB Russell Wilson being traded.

“What (Seattle GM) John (Schneider) says is, ‘We’re not shopping the quarterback.’ That’s what he tells them,” Carroll said.

One year ago, Russell Wilson on the Dan Patrick Show, spoke candidly about his being on track to be sacked the most in NFL history, that he would like to have more input on personnel decisions, and the sack numbers are an aspect of his legacy he would like to alter.

Also in the 2021 offseason, Wilson’s agent declared Wilson would like to be traded to the Bears, Raiders, Cowboys, or Saints. Perhaps that is the reason so many have “assumed” there was talk behind the scenes between Wilson and the Seahawks of a trade this offseason.

However, this offseason we have seen Wilson calmly assert he hopes to end his career in Seattle. Wide receiver Tyler Lockett also confidently assured ESPN’s Dianna Russini that Wilson was not being traded.

Wednesday, Carroll was emphatic that the Seahawks have “no intention” of trading the ten-year veteran who led the team to its only Super Bowl championship in the 2013 season, only his second in the NFL.

Wilson grew up in Richmond, has mentioned family and friends in Richmond; consequently, Washington fans (and press) hoped the Commanders could pull off a trade for Wilson.

Antonio Gibson and Matt Ioannidis will play vs. Falcons

Antonio Gibson and Matt Ioannidis will play.

The Washington Football Team received some good news on Sunday morning when it was revealed starting running back Antonio Gibson, and defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis will play vs. the Falcons in Week 4.

Both players were listed as questionable on Friday. Gibson injured his shin at some point in last week’s game and is still dealing with the injury. Head coach Ron Rivera expressed confidence on Friday that Gibson would give it a go on Sunday.

Ioannidis injured his knee in the win over the Giants in Week 2. He missed last week’s game at Buffalo.

Through three games, Gibson has rushed for 190 yards on 45 attempts. He is averaging 4.2 yards per attempt. While he hasn’t found the end zone carrying the football, he did have Washington’s highlight of the week against the Bills when he took a screen pass 76 yards to the house.

Atlanta’s defense should offer Washington plenty of opportunities to run the football successfully.

7 current and former Washington stars make Top-101 list of greatest NFL nicknames ever

Which seven former — and current — Washington stars made the top-101 nicknames?

When you think of nicknames, specifically NFL nicknames, what is the first one that comes to mind?

Names such as “Sweetness,” “Juice,” “Megatron,” and “Broadway Joe” are just some of the names that first come to mind. Hardcore NFL fans need no more information as they know who those players are just by the nickname.

Touchdown Wire recently put out a list of the top 101 nicknames in NFL history. It is a fun list. Players such as Brett Favre, Calvin Johnson, and, of course, Walter Payton are on the list. Others, such as Ickey Woods, are more popular for their name than their game.

How many former — and current — Washington stars made this unique list?

Seven current and former members of the Washington Football Team made Touchdown Wire’s list of the top nicknames.

Here are all seven of those players — and coach — with Touchdown Wire’s thoughts on each.

Washington coach Ron Rivera speaks after Washington’s OTAs

The Washington Football Team returned to the field for Phase 3 of their offseason program on Monday.

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The Washington Football Team returned to the field for Phase 3 of their offseason program on Monday. On Tuesday, the media was invited to practice for Washington’s first day of on-field work at the voluntary portion of OTAs.

After practice, Washington head coach Ron Rivera spoke to the local media and discussed several topics, from new quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to the releases of offensive tackles Morgan Moses and Geron Christian.

Moses, who had started every game for Washington since 2015, was released last week.

Rivera discussed the release of Moses and said it was not related to personal reasons or performance but more about the team wanting to go in a different, younger direction.

“Nothing other than we’re just going in a different direction. We have an opportunity to get some young guys on the field,” Rivera said.

Rivera was speaking about rookie offensive tackle Samuel Cosmi, who was selected in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft. After Washington drafted Cosmi, it also signed veteran offensive tackle Charles Leno to play left tackle presumably.

Cosmi is expected to play right tackle, although that is far from a given. The release of Moses saves the Football Team around $8 million in 2021.

Washington had outstanding attendance for the voluntary OTAs, with 86 of 91 players participating. Two of the notable absences were star defensive ends Chase Young and Montez Sweat.

Rivera isn’t worried about that.

Finally, Rivera got to see his starting quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick, in practice for the first time. And the head coach was pleased.

Overall, Rivera enjoyed getting his team back on the practice field for the first time since January and having the opportunity to see some of the WFT’s top offseason acquisitions in action.

 

 

Washington coach Ron Rivera pledges $100K to St. Jude’s in ‘Run Rich Run’ Challenge

Washington head coach Ron Rivera participated in the “Run Rich Run” challenge on Thursday, in which he and his wife, Stephanie, donated

Washington head coach Ron Rivera participated in the “Run Rich Run” challenge on Thursday, in which he and his wife, Stephanie, donated $100K to the St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

Rivera posted the news on Twitter; however, he wasn’t the one who ran the 40-yard dash. Instead, he said a family member was going to run for him — his dog, Tahoe.

Tahoe proceeded to run one of the fastest 40 times ever recording, coming in at a blazing 3.39 seconds.

Rivera, who battled cancer in 2020 during his first season as head coach of Washington, underwent seven weeks of treatment and was declared cancer-free in January.

Rivera said Washington owners Dan and Tanya Snyder matched his $100K donation, specifically going toward proton therapy, which Rivera said was instrumental in his recovery.

The “Run Rich Run” challenge was established by NFL Network host Rich Eisen and is an annual event. Eisen usually runs his charity 40-yard dash at the combine, but the event was canceled in 2021.

The NFL Network will televise the “Run Rich Run” challenge on day three of the 2021 NFL draft.

If Julian Edelman is a Hall of Famer, Gary Clark needs to be one too

Former New England wide receiver Julian Edelman retired earlier this week after a 12-year NFL career.

Former New England wide receiver Julian Edelman retired earlier this week after a 12-year NFL career.

A former college quarterback, Edelman carved out an outstanding career with the Patriots, serving as Tom Brady’s security blanket from 2013-19. Edelman was terrific, especially in the playoffs, but he is absolutely not a candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

If we are going to discuss which wide receivers should be in the Hall of Fame, the line should begin with former Washington star Gary Clark.

Clark entered the NFL in 1985 after spending two years in the USFL with the Jacksonville Bulls. Clark would catch 72 passes for 926 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie. Had he not entered the NFL at the same time as Jerry Rice, he would’ve likely received more love.

Not to mention, Clark was teammates with Hall-of-Famer Art Monk.

When you go back to those great Washington teams in the 1980s into the early 90s, it was Clark who struck fear into the opposition. Monk was reliable and steady, while Clark was fearless and explosive. Clark would go across the middle in traffic at just 5-foot-9, 175 pounds during a time when players like Ronnie Lott patrolled the secondary.

You need a big play? Clark was one of the NFL’s top deep receivers during his time, too.

Edelman had a great run in the playoffs. Clark wasn’t too shabby either. In 14 career playoff games, Clark finished with 58 receptions for 826 yards and two touchdowns.

How many All-Pro teams did Edelman make? Clark was a three-time All-Pro. How many Pro Bowls did Edelman appear in? None. Clark was a four-time Pro Bowler.

Edelman was a part of three Super Bowl championship teams, while Clark finished with two Super Bowl rings.

Clark would play eight years in Washington. He would end up playing 11 years in the NFL, playing two years with the Cardinals and his final season in Miami. He rarely ever missed games, despite always playing hurt.

One of the biggest accomplishments of Clark’s career was the respect he had from his peers. John Madden named Clark to his All-Madden Team numerous times during his career. Madden admired Clark for his toughness, reliability, clutch ability and leadership.

Edelman finished his career with 620 receptions for 6,822 yards and 36 touchdowns. He caught 118 passes for 1,442 yards and five touchdowns in the playoffs. That’s a tremendous career, but not Hall-of-Fame worthy.

Clark completed his career with 699 receptions for 10,856 yards and 65 touchdowns. He went over the 1,000-yard mark five times in his career. And Clark played in an era of smashmouth football.

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Look, this isn’t to disparage Edelman or his fantastic career. There are just more qualified candidates for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Players such as Cliff Branch, Torry Holt, Reggie Wayne and Clark are just some of the names who belong in Canton before Edelman. And there are others.

So, if there are folks making a case for Edelman, then they should start with a deep dive into Clark’s career.

 

Washington releases five players, including the son of Randy Moss

With the 2021 NFL draft just three weeks away, the Washington Football Team began clearing some room on their offseason by releasing five

With the 2021 NFL draft just three weeks away, the Washington Football Team began clearing some room on their offseason roster by releasing five players on Friday.

One of those released players is tight end Thaddeus Moss. An undrafted free agent out of LSU in 2020, Moss was diagnosed with a broken bone in his foot before the draft. He was released in training camp, but went unclaimed and reverted to Washington’s injured reserve list.

The son of Randy Moss, Thaddeus Moss signed with Washington last offseason due to the team’s lack of depth at the tight end position.

Also released was defensive tackle Caleb Brantley. Brantley had been with Washington since Sept. 2018 but did not see a lot of action. He sat out the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brantley’s release likely has more to do with Washington’s outstanding depth at the position.

WFT also released running backs Javon Leake and Michael Warren, and wide receiver Emanuel Hall.

Could a Washington wide receiver be on the trade market?

The Washington Football Team entered the 2021 offseason intending to upgrade the wide receiver position. In the first wave of free agency,

The Washington Football Team entered the 2021 offseason intending to upgrade the wide receiver position. In the first wave of free agency, the Football Team signed both Curtis Samuel and Adam Humphries.

After the addition of Samuel and Humphries, WFT now has a solid trio of receivers. Washington’s No. 1 wide receiver, Terry McLaurin, is on the verge of superstardom despite lackluster quarterback play and a true threat opposite of him through the first two years of his career.

Washington’s No. 2 receiver in 2020 was running back J.D. McKissic. Tight end Logan Thomas came in third on the team in receptions. Cam Sims, who caught 32 passes, was the team’s second-best wide receiver in 2020.

Could Sims now be on the block after the signings of Samuel and Humphries?

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports recently speculated that Sims could be a sleeper to be dealt with so many teams in desperate need of wide receivers.

Cam Sims is just 25, making just $2.2M this season on a team that just invested in a veteran slot guy in Adam Humphries and a young do-everything-from-every position receiver in Curtis Samuel. Oh, and Washington has two of the better pass-catching running backs in the NFL on its roster, and this regime did not bring Sims in as an undrafted free agent; they inherited him. He averaged 15 yards per catch and a sparkling 7.8 yards after the catch/reception, second among all NFL receivers. He also caught five balls or more in four of his last six games and seven for 104 yards in a playoff loss (yeah, he had a big drop, too, but did catch a solid 68 percent of his targets in 2020 from less-than-sterling QBs).

Sims is under a one-year contract in 2021 after signing his restricted free-agent tender in March.

The fourth-year wideout is under a reasonable contract for the upcoming season, which gives Washington no incentive to move him. However, Washington does return Kelvin Harmon next season after he missed 2020 with a knee injury.

Of course, if a team offers real value for Sims in the 2021 NFL draft, it could prove too enticing to keep him.