Tag: 2024 NFL offseason

Commanders 2024 GM search tracker

Keep track of all the news on Washington’s GM search here.

The Washington Commanders fired Ron Rivera on Monday after four seasons as head coach. In addition to Rivera’s role as coach, he also had final say on all personnel matters.

Shortly after dismissing Rivera, Washington managing partner Josh Harris released a statement thanking Rivera while also announcing that he formed a small advisory committee to assist him in finding a new head of football operations and head coach. As Harris stated in his press conference on Monday, these will be separate roles.

The advisory committee consisted of Harris, minority owners Magic Johnson, Mitch Rales and David Blitzer. Additionally, Harris brought on former Golden State Warriors president and GM Bob Myers and former Minnesota Vikings GM Rick Speilman to serve as a part of his search committee in finding the ideal candidates.

Washington immediately began requesting permission to speak to GM and coaching candidates. We developed a list of potential GM candidates, some of whom the Commanders will interview.

We have you covered on Washington’s GM search as we’ll keep you up to date on all of the latest news here.

The Commanders make some roster moves to conclude the 2023 season

The Commanders released a tight end who never made an impact and signed three players to reserve/futures contracts.

The Washington Commanders had a big news day on Monday. Washington fired head coach Ron Rivera after four seasons with the team. Also, the Commanders hired a pair of notable sports executives, Bob Myers (former Golden State Warriors president & GM) and Rick Spielman (former GM of the Minnesota Vikings).

Shortly after announcing those moves, the Commanders were in the news all day, requesting permission to speak to numerous coaches and executives around the league for their vacant coach and GM positions, respectively.

But at the end of every season, all 32 NFL teams sign players, mostly practice squad players, to reserve/future contracts.

What is a futures contract? Here’s the answer, courtesy of Broncos Wire.

Players who were not on an active roster at the end of the season are eligible to sign reserve/future contracts (every player on the practice squad is eligible, for example). These players will officially join the 90-man offseason roster when the NFL’s new league year begins on March 13.

Surprisingly, the Commanders released a player that garnered more attention than the three players they signed. Washington released tight end Curtis Hodhes, who it signed as an undrafted free agent in 2022. Hodges spent his rookie season on injured reserve. He made Washington’s 2023 roster but never appeared in a game and was placed on IR again back on Dec. 15.

The Commander’s lack of tight end depth kept Hodges around as they believed in his potential as a pass-catching option, but it never materialized for different reasons.

  • LB Brandon Bouyer-Randle
  • WR Davion Davis
  • CB D’Angelo Mandell

Washington will likely sign more players to these deals once it names a new general manager.

10 potential general manager candidates for the Commanders

Let the offseason begin. Here are 10 potential Washington general manager candidates.

The Washington Commanders began the offseason on Monday by firing head coach Ron Rivera. Rivera went 26-40-1 in four seasons as Washington’s head coach.

In addition to firing Rivera, the Commanders announced an advisory committee formed by managing partner Josh Harris, minority owners David Blitzer, Magic Johnson, Mitch Rales and former Golden State Warriors GM Bob Myers and former Minnesota Vikings GM Rick Spielman. The purpose of the advisory committee is to find a new coach and head of football operations.

While Martin Mayhew serves as Washington’s general manager, he reports to Rivera. Rivera hired Mayhew as his handpicked GM in the 2021 offseason, but all football decisions began and ended with Rivera.

Harris spent the 2023 NFL season consulting with Rivera, Mayhew, and executive VP of football/player personnel Marty Hurney while making his first significant hire: Eugene Shen. Shen was hired in October as Washington’s senior vice president of football strategy and has been heavily involved in preparing to reshape the organization’s future.

Mayhew and Hurney will remain in the organization while Washington conducts its search for the new head of football operations.

The Commanders are set to hire their first true general manager since Charley Casserly was dismissed in 1999. While some have held the title over the years, it was never the traditional setup, as former owner Snyder was always heavily involved.

Who will be Washington’s next general manager? We preview 10 potential candidates. The Commanders have already inquired about some of the names on this list.

Commanders adviser Bob Myers and 49ers assistant GM Adam Peters have a long history

Could the Commanders lure Adam Peters away from the 49ers?

Do the Washington Commanders have a favorite in their search for a new head of football operations? Washington has requested interviews with several candidates, with San Francisco assistant general manager Adam Peters among those names.

And according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, that interview will happen — and soon.

This is significant. As Breer noted, Peters turned down opportunities to interview with the Titans and Cardinals last offseason. It could mean two things. First, Washington’s head of football operations position is extremely attractive.

Secondly, could this be Peters essentially pushing the 49ers into giving him a promotion? San Francisco promoted John Lynch from GM to president of football operations after he received a contract extension earlier this season. Interestingly enough, Lynch’s current title is what Commanders owner Josh Harris titles the position that Peters will interview for in Washington.

Lynch still holds the title of GM, but that could be dropped and given to Peters if he chooses to remain in San Francisco. Peters came to San Francisco in 2017 after eight seasons with the Denver Broncos, working as one of John Elway’s top personnel guys.

Peters is a California native attending Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, Calif. He is also a graduate of UCLA.

Do you know who else is a UCLA graduate and California native? That would be Bob Myers, hired Monday by Washington as an adviser in its search for a head of football ops and head coach.

Myers, the two-time NBA executive of the year and four-time NBA champion, is the architect of one of the NBA’s most dominant teams in recent years, the Golden State Warriors. He’s also been to several 49ers’ games recently.

Myers is from Monte Vista High School in Danville, Calif., which is around 50 miles from where Peters grew up. There is an existing relationship, according to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network.

Garafolo was incorrect about the two attending the same high school, as we noted above. But does that existing relationship help the Commanders in luring Peters away from the 49ers?

Peters interviewing with Washington so soon could also be good for its prospects. The Commanders would like to wrap up this process so the team can turn its attention to the coaching search. There are others Washington wants to interview, such as Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham, but it’s clear Peters is among the early favorites.

Former Commanders coach Ron Rivera issues statement, thanking fans, owners, players

Ron Rivera thanks fans, players, coaches and new ownership for his time in Washington.

After four seasons, the Washington Commanders move on from head coach Ron Rivera on Monday morning. Rivera’s time in Washington is done. He finished his time with a 26-40-1 record.

Shortly after firing Rivera, Washington requested interviews with several prominent head coaching and general manager candidates. Owner Josh Harris assembled an advisory committee to assist with his search, which includes former Golden State Warriors GM Bob Myers and former Minnesota Vikings GM Rick Spielman.

In the meantime, Rivera issued a statement through the Commanders, in which he mentioned the fans, Harris, his players and coaches, expressing gratitude for his time in Washington.

Here’s the statement.

This is classy from Rivera. While there’s no doubt he failed as a coach and general manager, he also dealt with tremendous adversity in leading the Commanders through very difficult times. As we’ve said before, Rivera was the perfect leader at the perfect time for Washington.

With Dan Snyder gone and the Commanders finally under new ownership, it was time to move forward in a new direction.

Commanders fire head coach Ron Rivera after 4 seasons

Rivera finishes his time in Washington with a 26-40-1 record.

The Washington Commanders have fired head coach Ron Rivera one day after the team finished a 4-13 season with a 38-10 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. It was Washington’s eighth consecutive loss.

Rivera finishes his time in Washington with a 26-40-1 record and missed the playoffs the past three seasons. In Rivera’s first season (2020), he unexpectedly led the franchise to an NFC East title, albeit with a 7-9 record.

However, hopes were high heading into 2021. Washington spent in free agency, signing cornerback William Jackson III, wide receiver Curtis Samuel and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Jackson and Fitzpatrick moves proved disastrous and Samuel missed virtually his entire first season in Washington before becoming an integral part of the offense over the past two seasons.

Washington finished 7-10 in 2021, but Rivera believed the team would bounce back in 2022. The team became the Commanders in Feb. 2022 and attempted to trade for veteran quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers before settling on Carson Wentz.

It proved to be another disastrous move for Washington. Wentz struggled badly, starting only seven games, and Taylor Heinicke started for most of the season for a second consecutive year. Heinicke was signed in Dec. 2020 off the street as an emergency quarterback during COVID-19 and quickly became a fan favorite.

Despite Rivera’s best efforts to replace him, Heinicke would become his most dependable quarterback through his four seasons as head coach. In 2023, Rivera anointed Sam Howell Washington’s “QB1” shortly after the end of the 2022 season. Howell showed promise through 10 weeks but struggled mightily during Washington’s final seven games.

Rivera’s failure to adequately address the quarterback situation, in addition to his personnel blunders — in the draft and free agency — proved to be some of his biggest mistakes.

However, Rivera was the leader the franchise needed during some dark times, including the continuous drama and scandal involving former owner Dan Snyder and the team changing its name twice.

Has Jonathan Allen played his last game for the Commanders?

Have we seen the last of Jonathan Allen in a Washington uniform?

Has Jonathan Allen played his last game for Washington?

The Commanders ruled out the Pro Bowl defensive tackle and longtime team captain for Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Dallas Cowboys. That means Allen’s 2023 season is over after 16 games and 53 tackles, including 10 for loss, 5.5 sacks, and 19 QB hits.

Those aren’t bad numbers, but fans have come to expect more from Allen. He nor Daron Payne were as impactful in 2023 as they were in 2022. And Allen’s frustration with the constant losing showed on more than one occasion.

After a Week 7 loss to the Giants, Allen went on an uncharacteristic profanity-laced tirade. Some thought Allen wanted out of Washington, but he later said in his weekly appearance on the “Sports Junkies” that wasn’t the case.

However, later in the season, Allen again appeared frustrated, admitting he has thought of what it would be like to play for another organization.

“1,000 percent,” Allen said on the “Sports Junkies. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t. I play this game to win, and I would love to win here, for sure. But I want to win, first and foremost.”

That’s led to plenty of speculation that Allen could be on the block, with some even predicting Washington would trade the 2017 first-round pick.

Allen has two years remaining on his contract at base salaries of $14 million (2024) and $15.5 million (2025). However, there is no guaranteed money remaining on Allen’s deal, meaning he could be easy to move — if Washington chooses.

Allen has been a popular player since arriving in 2017. In addition to being an Ashburn native, Allen grew up a fan of the team. He’s remained one of the NFL’s best defensive tackles and a tremendous locker-room leader. Washington has always featured Allen and Terry McLaurin as faces of the franchise in recent years. But with the Commanders expected to land a top-three pick in the 2023 NFL draft, there will likely be a new face of the franchise — a quarterback.

Washington can’t let everyone go and a new coach may want to continue to build his defense around Allen and Payne. If the Commanders move Allen, he should fetch at least one day-two pick in the upcoming draft.

Commanders WR Jahan Dotson talks culture and change

Jahan Dotson talks about what needs to change for the franchise in 2024.

Washington fans began hearing the word “culture” regularly in Oct. 2019, when former team president Bruce Allen foolishly and hilariously said the franchise’s “culture is actually damn good.”

Allen, who had managed to dodge the media for years, had to face Washington’s local media after firing head coach Jay Gruden. At the end of that miserable season, Allen would finally meet a similar fate.

Former owner Dan Snyder mentioned culture several times when hiring new head coach and top football czar Ron Rivera in Jan. 2020. Over the past four seasons, fans have grown tired and weary of hearing Rivera talk about the culture.

Players, too, are tired of hearing about culture and not seeing enough wins.

With Rivera expected to be fired after Sunday’s season finale against the Dallas Cowboys, talk of change is in the air.

After Wednesday’s practice, wide receiver Jahan Dotson was asked what the Commanders needed to be better on the field.

“I would say, as far as players, just a sense of culture,” Dotson said. “We got to have a mindset in here that we want change. We can’t just accept this type of stuff because this is really hard on a lot of people. I know a lot of people come from winning backgrounds, so we’ve got to bring that stuff in here. We can’t accept anything but winning. That starts with us players, no matter who the coaches are. It starts with us; we’ve got to bring our best foot and make sure that we go out every Sunday and bring it.”

Scott Abraham of ABC 7 in Washington, D.C., followed up with Dotson on his comments about culture and whether that is on the players or coaches.

“I feel like it’s everyone, but I feel like the best teams you see in any sport are player-led,” Dotson said. “Your captains, they step up, everyone really follows because when you’re surrounded by guys who are hungry and want to win, it trickles down, and it’s a domino effect. So I feel like that’s where we could start.”

This is a good, honest answer from Dotson. He’s not throwing anyone under the bus. Washington needs to change a lot of things. And change starts at the top.

The most significant change happened over the summer when Josh Harris took over as the Commanders’ owner. Next, there will be a new GM and coach. This offseason, there will also be roster turnover, too.

Players are tired of losing. Fans are even more tired of losing. While changing things does not guarantee success, the word “culture” is often overstated as winning = culture. Until the Commanders win consistently, the culture will not improve.

Commanders guard Sam Cosmi is playing at an elite level recently

Sam Cosmi has been a rare bright spot for Washington this season.

It’s difficult to find bright spots for the Washington Commanders in another disappointing season where the team plays no meaningful games in December.

There has been the play of quarterback Sam Howell, who has flashed at times but has struggled lately. Running back Brian Robinson Jr. has been Washington’s best offensive player. Outside of those things, the bright spots are few and far between.

The entire defense has been the biggest disappointment for the Commanders. The defense was expected to be the team’s strength and is currently the NFL’s worst unit.

The offensive line is another underwhelming unit. Of course, no one expected the O-Line to be a team strength. However, there has been one bright spot along the offensive line.

Sam Cosmi is in his first season at right guard after beginning his career at right tackle. The 6-foot-6, 314-pound Cosmi is quietly having a breakout season in year three of his career.

Over Washington’s last five games, Cosmi is the NFL’s second-highest-graded guard, according to Pro Football Focus. He’s getting it done as a pass blocker and run blocker.

Cosmi was especially dominant in last week’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Washington hasn’t had dominant guard play since Brandon Scherff left.

There will be plenty of changes for the Commanders this offseason. There will be a new coach and general manager, and the offensive line could feature as many as three new starters in 2024.

You can pencil Cosmi in as Washington’s right guard in 2024. At a time when the Commanders will be looking for young building blocks, they may have found one in Cosmi.

ESPN insider predicts Commanders will trade DT Jonathan Allen

Allen has grown increasingly frustrated this season.

Every week of the NFL season, ESPN insiders Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler publish a joint column checking in around the NFL. The duo previews the week ahead, fantasy football, the coaching carousel and have begun looking ahead to the offseason.

In their latest column, Fowler and Graziano preview the upcoming free-agent class of quarterbacks and also predict this year’s Jalen Ramsey. Ramsey, the star cornerback, was traded last offseason from the Los Angeles Rams to the Miami Dolphins at the start of free agency.

Graziano’s prediction was Raiders star wide receiver Davante Adams.

Fowler’s pick? Washington Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen.

I’ll go Jonathan Allen. Washington’s Pro Bowl defensive tackle is not overly eager to withstand another rebuild, and I’ve heard that has been the case for a while now. Teams called on Allen’s availability at the trade deadline, but Washington wasn’t interested. It’s probably worth the Commanders — who could strip things down to the studs with a new coach and general manager pairing — looking into his value. His salary of $14 million (cap hit of $21.5 million) is reasonable for a player of his caliber.

When the Commanders traded defensive ends Montez Sweat and Chase Young at the NFL trade deadline, there was also interest in Allen. However, the Commanders weren’t interested in moving him. As the losses continue to mount, Allen has grown increasingly frustrated.

After a Week 7 loss to the Giants, the usually mild-mannered and respectful Allen unleashed an expletive-laced tirade.

The day after, Allen was asked if he wanted to be traded, and he said no. Allen said he grew up in the Northern Virginia area as a fan of the franchise, and if he wanted to be moved, he would’ve asked.

However, after a blowout loss to Miami in Week 13, Allen showed frustration again. In an interview on the “Sports Junkies,” Allen acknowledged at times he’s thought about what it would be like playing elsewhere and that he wants to win. While he’d prefer to win in Washington, he doesn’t want to be a part of another rebuild.

Allen’s contract is moveable. And there will be a new regime. Whether Allen wants to be moved or not, he could be a prime trade candidate this offseason.