Tag: 2024 nfl season

Marcus Mariota will make history with the Commanders in 2024

Mariota will make history in 2024.

New Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota will make history in 2024. After signing over 20 outside free agents, the Commanders announced jersey numbers for their new players this week.

The veteran quarterback will wear No. 0 next season, making Mariota the first quarterback in NFL history to wear that number.

The NFL relaxed its rules regarding jersey numbers in 2021 and brought back No. 0 in 2023. There were 22 players who wore the number throughout the league last season, but no quarterbacks. That changes with Mariota, who has always worn No. 8 in his NFL career, excluding one season in Atlanta, but that number belongs to running back Brian Robinson Jr. in Washington.

Mariota signed with Washington last month after spending the 2023 season in Philadelphia as Jalen Hurts’ backup. In 2022, He played for the Falcons, starting 13 games. Prior to his time in Atlanta, Mariota played two years for the Raiders after spending the first five seasons of his career with the Titans, who drafted him No. 2 overall back in 2015.

Mariota will enter his 10th NFL season in 2024. He has played in 90 career games, making 74 starts and completing 62.7% of his passes for over 15,000 yards, with 93 touchdown passes and 55 interceptions. Mariota has also rushed for 2,064 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Commanders’ Sam Cosmi happy to be a dad and for changes in Ashburn

Sam Cosmi is enjoying all of the changes in Washington, optimistic for the future.

“The overall dynamic of the environment and the vibe is very positive, very uplifting and it feels great.”

That was how right guard Sam Cosmi began to speak of the differences he is already noticing with the new administration and coaching staff. Cosmi spoke with the media as the Commanders have begun their offseason program under Dan Quinn and the new coaching staff.

Cosmi illustrated this by revealing that already the team is integrating offensive and defensive players together more often rather than the previous procedures in Ashburn.

When reminded that at the end of the season, Cosmi had voiced displeasure in Eric Bieniemy’s desire to pass the ball so much of the time, Cosmi replied, “This is a pass-heavy league, which is a what it is type of thing. But I do like to run the ball. I do like to bring the attack on the defense. We’re definitely emphasizing that more (it sounds like), so I am excited about that.”

When asked regarding the Commanders using their No.2 overall pick on a quarterback, Cosmi replied, “We as a line definitely have to help him. It’s a learning process for sure, so we need to be taking things off of his plate. It’s (going to be) a whole new thing for him. So as much as we can help him and not only protect him but also mentally, that is going to be part of our job this year for sure.”

It’s not often you hear a player volunteer they need to help the quarterback mentally. Was Sam Cosmi, in that comment, volunteering that the Commanders didn’t help Sam Howell mentally in 2023?

Was he saying all the extra passing for an inexperienced quarterback was not good for Howell mentally? Certainly, Howell’s play suffered as the season continued through November and December.

Most importantly Cosmi spoke of he and his wife recently becoming parents with the birth of their baby daughter. “Dad life is one of the best things in the world. I always come home with a smile just to see my little baby girl.”

Cosmi also expressed that being a father has given him an additional perspective on what it means to work his job. “You have that little one to take care of when you go home. Having that addition and building my family makes going to work even more special because you have another thing to work for. I’ve enjoyed every second of it, truly.”

15 biggest salary cap hits for the Ravens in 2024 after first wave of NFL free agency

With the second wave of free agency heating up and updated signings, we’re releasing the Ravens 15 biggest salary cap hits according to Over The Cap. 

Change is always good for the soul, and after a stunning loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC title game, Baltimore has undergone a dramatic reconstruction that could pay off with championship dividends.

Changes hit the defensive coaching staff as Mike Macdonald accepted the Seahawks head coaching job, Anthony Weaver became the defensive coordinator in Miami, and Zach Orr was promoted from inside linebackers coach to defensive coordinator.

Baltimore signed Justin Madubuike, one of the league’s best defensive linemen, to an extension. After inking Madubuike to a deal, Baltimore landed Derrick Henry for two years and $16 million.

However, the Ravens suffered significant free-agent losses. Patrick Queen (Steelers), Geno Stone (Bengals), and Gus Edwards (Chargers) were among eight free agents to sign elsewhere. Baltimore also traded Morgan Moses to the Jets and released Tyus Bowser in a cost-cutting move.

With the second wave of free agency heating up and updated signings of cornerback Ka’Dar Hollman, linebacker Chris Board, and offensive guard Josh Jones, we’re releasing the 15 most significant salary cap hits according to Over The Cap.

The NFL bans the swivel hip drop tackle and more in latest rule changes

The NFL announced 3 new rules changes during the ownership meeting. The Competition Committee banned the swivel hip drop tackle and more

The National Football League has announced three rule changes for the 2024 NFL season. The NFL’s Competition Committee voted on these changes during the Owner’s meeting. The Committee will consider more rules, schedules, and procedural changes in the coming days.

One significant change approved by the Competition Committee is granting teams an additional challenge if they successfully win one challenge. Previously, teams required two successful challenges to earn an extra one.

Additionally, the Committee has decided to enforce major fouls committed by offenses before a change of possession, even if both teams commit fouls. The rule addresses the rare situation where offensive players could commit unnecessary roughness and other major fouls without consequence due to offsetting penalties.

The most controversial rule change involves banning the “swivel hip drop” tackle. This tackle method came under scrutiny following an incident this season where Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson injured Ravens tight end Mark Andrews with such a tackle during a primetime television game. The NFLPA issued a statement announcing they were against the ban.

Furthermore, the Competition Committee has announced that the replay assistant can correct rulings on roughing the passer and intentional grounding.

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Why did the Commanders sign Marcus Mariota?

Some perspective on why the Commanders chose to sign Marcus Mariota.

Of all the signings in the first two weeks of free agency, there was one Commanders’ signing that surprised me the most.

Perhaps might that one signing also have surprised many others who follow the Commanders? No doubt, the name that surprised me most was quarterback Marcus Mariota.

Drafted second overall in the 2015 NFL draft, it has not gone well for Mariota, who was never able to live up to the expectations placed upon him. Thus, the former Oregon Duck has played for four NFL franchises, and the Commanders will be number five.

The former Tennessee Titan, Oakland Raider, Atlanta Falcon, and Philadelphia Eagle will turn 31 in October. When he was signed by Washington, speculation immediately rose about the future of Sam Howell in Washington. Sure enough, two days later, Howell was traded to the Seahawks.

So why would the Commanders sign a quarterback who will be playing for his fourth team in the last four NFL seasons?

Former Redskins cornerback Fred Smoot, during the latest “Get Loud” podcast, was recently asked a very similar question by Michael English. Smoot responded, “Veteran, teacher, nurturer, big brother, uncle, protector. He was brought here to re-ensure and reinforce coaching. He was brought here to teach a younger quarterback what NOT to do,” emphasized Smoot.

“Perfect timing by the team… a former No. 2 pick going to be helping another No. 2 pick figure it out. As a person who had Darrell Green waiting on me when I got here and Champ Bailey, made it easy for Fred Smoot to step in and be a starter from day one. I had great DB coaching, but I had even greater player coaching.”

“You don’t need to be the best player to be a good teacher. Marcus is in more than a better place to teach this kid everything he needs to know about this game. (He can teach) every responsibility on the field, off of the field. How to not only be a pro, but almost be a politician, because that is what you are as the quarterback.”

No, it did not end well for Mariota in Atlanta (2022). Yet, his Offensive coordinator, Brian Johnson, in Philadelphia for 2023, must have seen enough good in Mariota last year in Philly to give the green light to Quinn and Peters to bring Mariota to Washington.

Where do the Ravens rank in spending at each position after first wave of free agency?

We’re looking at where the Baltimore Ravens rank in positional spending after the first wave of NFL free agency

The 2024 salary cap is set at $255.4 million.

The Ravens will look drastically different on both sides of the football field after undergoing massive changes in player personnel and the coaching staff.

Eric DeCosta started the off-season with urgency, signing Justin Madubuike, one of the league’s best defensive linemen, to an extension. After inking Madubuike to a deal, Baltimore landed Derrick Henry for two years and $16 million.

The talented running back could earn $20 million throughout the deal.

However, the Ravens suffered significant free-agent losses. Patrick Queen (Steelers), Geno Stone (Bengals), and Gus Edwards (Chargers) were among eight free agents to sign elsewhere. Baltimore also traded Morgan Moses to the Jets and released Tyus Bowser in a cost-cutting move.

The Ravens have $13,884,766 in available cap space, and they’re paying out over $113 million on the offensive side of the football.

With the second wave of free agency set to begin, we’re examining Baltimore’s positional spending ranking.

All figures are via OverTheCap.com and official NFLPA records.

Is Jayden Daniels the ‘leader in the clubhouse’ for the Commanders at No. 2?

Adam Peters is keeping everyone guessing.

Since he officially declared for the 2024 NFL draft in January, it has always been a foregone conclusion that USC quarterback Caleb Williams would go No. 1 overall. The only question was if the Chicago Bears would select Williams or trade the pick.

After trading Justin Fields last week, we now know that Williams is heading to Chicago.

The real fun begins at No. 2 and the Washington Commanders. Both Washington and New England (No. 3) need a franchise quarterback. The good news for both teams is there are two other passers worthy of top-three selections: Drake Maye (North Carolina) and Jayden Daniels (LSU).

Over the past several weeks, speculation has Washington leaning toward Daniels. Even Vegas believes the Heisman Trophy winner will be a Commander.

That speculation grew after the Commanders signed veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota in free agency, with many thinking his playing style was more similar to Daniels than Maye, which would make him a better fit for new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.

That notion is foolish. We don’t even know if Mariota was Washington’s top veteran target. The Commanders were interested in Sam Darnold before he signed with the Vikings. But if we believe what Kingsbury said about what he looks for in a quarterback, Daniels does make sense for Washington.

Kingsbury mentioned how vital mobility was, but some don’t realize how mobile Maye is, too.

One of the NFL’s top insiders, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, weighed in on who he thinks Washington prefers.

“The more I’ve started to ask around, the more it seems like Jayden Daniels is probably the leader in the clubhouse to be a Commander,” Breer said. “It does match up with what Kliff Kingsbury’s looked for in his quarterbacks over the years.”

Breer mentioned how Daniels is the most ready to play over Williams and Maye, which could give him a leg up.

What does this mean? Absolutely nothing. It probably means the Commanders prefer Maye. General manager Adam Peters has been making the rounds to visit each of the draft’s top quarterbacks, and he isn’t tipping his hand.

 

Austin Ekeler’s plans with the Commanders: ‘Score some touchdowns’

Austin Ekeler expects to score lots of touchdowns for the Commanders.

On the first day of the legal tampering period last week, Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters was busy revamping his roster.

Peters’ first moves were agreeing to terms with center Tyler Biadasz, defensive end Dorance Armstrong and linebacker Frankie Luvu. Finally, Peters landed a weapon for his offense, which is expected to feature a rookie quarterback.

The Commanders agreed to terms with running back Austin Ekeler on a two-year deal, giving them one of the NFL’s premier pass-catching backs who has a nose for the end zone.

The former undrafted free agent spent his first seven seasons with the Chargers. In 2019, Ekeler had 92 receptions and eight receiving touchdowns. Ekeler also rushed for 557 yards and three scores. In 2021 and 2022, Ekeler was arguably the NFL’s most productive back, rushing for over 900 yards each year with 25 combined touchdowns and catching 177 passes for 13 more touchdowns.

Unfortunately, Ekeler took a step back last season, rushing for 628 yards and five scores while catching 51 passes.

In his introductory press conference this week, Ekeler acknowledged last season’s struggles, attributing it to a change in direction for the Chargers offense and an ankle injury that impacted Ekeler all season.

Ekeler did sustain an ankle injury early in the season and battled through it, missing just three games. He acknowledged the injury but made it clear he wasn’t making excuses.

Instead, he has big plans for 2024.

“I’m going to score some touchdowns for you, that’s for sure,” Ekeler said. “I’m going to bring some energy.”

Ekeler will share backfield duties with rising third-year back Brian Robinson Jr., which excites Ekeler.

If Robinson and Ekeler remain healthy in 2024, the Commanders could have one of the NFL’s best backfields.

2024 NFL offseason: Details on key dates and Ravens contract options paid out

We’re looking at key dates and contract options that’ll free up millions in cap space for the Baltimore Ravens after the first wave 2024 NFL free agency

With free agency off to a roaring start, the Ravens and 31 other NFL teams have started financially retooling to advance to the 2024-25 postseason.

Prior to free agency, we looked inside at key offseason dates starting with the first week of the 2024 league year, which began March 13.

Some dates will free up cap space for Baltimore, while others force GM Eric DeCosta to make hard decisions.

Here’s a look at the key dates and players impacted.

2024 NFL offseason: Details on key dates and Eagles contract options paid out

We’re looking at key dates and contract options that could free up millions in cap space for the Philadelphia Eagles after the first wave of 2024 NFL free agency

With the free agency off to a roaring start, the Eagles and 31 other NFL teams have started financially retooling to advance to the postseason.

Before free agency, we looked at key offseason dates starting with the first week of the 2024 league year, which began March 13.

Some dates will free up cap space for Philadelphia, while other dates have forced GM Howie Roseman to make some hard decisions.

Here’s a look at the key dates and players impacted.