Tag: Armani Rogers

Commanders 2023 NFL draft prospect profile: Utah TE Dalton Kincaid

Dalton Kincaid could be a difference-maker for Washington’s offense.

The 2023 NFL draft is just over two weeks away, and we here at Commanders Wire will look to profile multiple 2023 prospects daily leading up to day one of the draft.

We will focus on prospects who could be available for Washington and who fit a position of need. Our prospect profiles will not be exclusive to projected first-round picks only but also players who will be selected on the second and third days of the NFL draft.

The Commanders are first on the clock at No. 16 overall.

Today, we profile Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid.

It sounds like Logan Thomas will be a big part of the Commanders’ plans in 2023

The veteran tight end has been mentioned as a possible salary-cap casualty.

It sure sounds like Washington Commanders tight end Logan Thomas will be back in Washington in 2023.

Thomas, 31, is entering his 10th NFL season and fourth in Washington. Thomas is due to count $8.7 million against the salary cap in 2023. He appeared in 14 games, making 13 starts, and caught 39 passes for 323 yards and a touchdown.

On the surface, those are disappointing numbers. However, when you consider that Thomas tore his ACL in December of the previous year, it was impressive that he was even back on the field for training camp.

As Washington looks to create more salary cap room for 2023, many mentioned Thomas as either a possible cap casualty or someone who could restructure for a lower number next season.

But if we are to take head coach Ron Rivera at face value, Thomas remains a big part of Washington’s plans in 2023.

“I like where that group is headed, I really do,” Rivera told a group of local reporters Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “Logan is coming off that knee, and everybody’s gotta understand that not everybody is Adrian Peterson. Not everybody is gonna come back in eight months. So, he started to play the way that we know he is capable of later in the year. And, so, that’s the guy we are expecting to get when we get to OTAs, minicamp, training camp this year. So, we think it will be a very viable group, we really do.”

Thomas did come back in around eight months, which was impressive, but what Rivera is referring to is Peterson tearing his ACL in December 2011 and coming back the following season, rushing for over 2,000 yards and winning the NFL MVP award.

Thomas could still be a candidate for restructuring, but it’s clear he remains in Washington’s plans. While there was a focus on Thomas’ stats last season, his blocking also took a step back. The Commanders hope Thomas’ blocking will return to its pre-injury form in 2023.

Outside of Thomas, Washington has John Bates [entering year three] and three second-year tight ends in Armani Rogers, Cole Turner and Curtis Hodges.

There are reasons to be excited about the group, but Rogers, Turner and Hodges were all injured for portions of their rookie season. Rogers, the former college quarterback, showed the most promise in his limited opportunities. The Commanders were excited about Turner after last year’s draft.

Rivera is counting on Thomas to return to form in 2023. Thomas is also considered one of Washington’s locker-room leaders, which can never be understated, especially with such a young tight end room.

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Should the Commanders spend an early-round pick on a tight end?

Tight end is a sneaky need for the Commanders in 2023. One tight end is turning heads at the Senior Bowl.

On paper, it was hard not to like what the Washington Commanders had at tight end in 2022. Veteran Logan Thomas, coming off an ACL injury, was back and ready for Week 1.

In addition to Thomas, Washington had John Bates entering his second season and a pair of rookies in fifth-round pick Cole Turner and former college quarterback Armani Rogers.

Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned. Thomas looked a step slow last season, which should be expected since he returned to the lineup just nine months after surgery. Washington also had its share of quarterback issues.

But it can’t be ignored that Thomas will be 32 in Week 1 and costs $8.7 million against the salary cap in 2023, per Over the Cap.

As for the other guys, Bates is an excellent blocker and catches about everything but is limited athletically. Turner battled injuries and failed to impress as a rookie, while Rogers stole the show in the summer, forcing his way onto the team. While Rogers flashed in limited opportunities, he also battled a late-season injury. Also, it didn’t appear that former offensive coordinator Scott Turner always knew how best employ Rogers.

All are under contract for 2023.

That begs the question, should Washington consider drafting a tight end in the early rounds of the 2023 NFL draft?

At this week’s Reese’s Senior Bowl, Washington has four coaches in the game, giving them unprecedented access to the talent on both sides. One player who is having a terrific week is Oregon State tight end Luke Musgrave.

At 6-foot-5, 255 pounds, Musgrave has the size teams covet. He is also fast. Really fast. Check this out from Dane Brugler of The Athletic:

He wasn’t one of the top eight fastest tight ends at the Senior Bowl. He was timed as one of the top eight overall fastest players. Musgrave was already considered a day-two prospect, and now teams will dig back into his college film to see if his play speed matches. It will.

Musgrave has good college tape, and there’s no doubt NFL teams will pay close attention to what he does at the NFL combine.

Louis Riddick knows talent, and he’s been impressed.

Washington isn’t going tight end at No. 16. However, if the Commanders trade back as they did last year, tight end becomes a possibility. Still, it’s expected that Washington will go with an offensive lineman or cornerback in round one.

But don’t rule out a tight end in round two. And if Musgrave is on the board in round two, he should absolutely be under consideration for the Commanders. Washington can’t go into 2023 counting on more production from its tight ends. Add another talented body to the group, even if it pushes someone off the roster.

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Commanders offense revived, as Washington beats Colts 17-16

The Commanders have now won three in a row thanks to a heroic final quarter from Terry McLaurin and Taylor Heinicke.

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Taylor Heinicke’s one-yard quarterback sneak with 22 seconds remaining gave the Commanders a 17-16 win over the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium Sunday.

Leading 7-3 at the half, the Washington offense frankly became anemic and looked rather pathetic for all of the third quarter and well into the final quarter. It was so bad for the Commanders; the Colts outgained Washington 169-22 during the stretch, outscoring the Commanders 13-0 to take a 16-7 lead.

Suddenly, Washington drove 82 yards in 12 plays, using up 6:17 of the clock before Joey Slye’s 28-yard field goal with 4:15 remaining narrowed the deficit to 16-10.

During the drive, Washington had faced 4th & 6 from the Colts’ 48, when Heinicke kept the drive alive, connecting with Curtis Samuel for 18 yards to the Colts’ 30.

On the very next play, Heinicke found tight end Armani Rogers along the left sideline for 13 yards to the Colt 17.

When Daron Payne touched down a sliding Sam Ehlinger just short of a Colt first down, the Colts punted, forcing Washington to begin their final possession 89 yards away at the 11.

Again on a 4th & 1, Heinicke again found Samuel, this time for 12 yards up to the 32. Washington called timeout at 1:26 remaining.

Heinicke scrambled for 9 yards and a first down up to the 45. In addition, he got out of bounds, stopping the clock with 1:16 remaining. He made perhaps his best pass of the day on the next play to Cam Sims for 21 yards to the Colts’ 34 with the clock running down to 41 seconds when the ball was again snapped.

On that snap, Heinicke heaved a pass up that Terry McLaurin literally seized at the Colts’ 1, setting the stage for Heinicke’s winning touchdown on the sneak.

The win was the third consecutive for the Commanders evening their record at 4-4. Who would have thought it possible just three weeks ago?

Commanders tight end Logan Thomas expected to play Sunday, per Adam Schefter

Taylor Heinicke could be getting one of his top weapons back Sunday vs. the Colts.

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The Washington Commanders will be without rookie wide receiver Jahan Dotson for the fourth consecutive game Sunday in Indianapolis.

However, in some good injury news for the Commanders, veteran tight end Logan Thomas is expected to play, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Thomas, who tore his ACL last December, returned in time for Washington’s Week 1 game against Jacksonville. However, he injured his calf at some point during or after Washington’s Week 4 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. He is listed as questionable on the injury report for Sunday’s game against the Colts, but there was optimism on Friday regarding Thomas’ availability for Sunday.

In four games this season, Thomas has 13 receptions for 106 yards and one touchdown. His presence gives quarterback Taylor Heinicke a key red-zone weapon back for this week.

It will be interesting to see how much playing time rookie Armani Rogers receives. Rogers caught a career-high three passes in last week’s win over the Packers.

Commanders tight end Cole Turner ruled out with a concussion

Unfortunate news for Turner and Washington’s tight ends.

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Injuries continue to mount for the Washington Commanders at the tight end position.

Just before halftime of their Week 7 game against the Green Bay Packers, rookie tight end Cole Turner went high for a Taylor Heinicke pass, which was broken up by Packers safety Adrian Amos. However, Turner landed hard on the ground, where he remained for a few minutes.

As Turner went into the locker room, the team gave an update on his injury and status for the remainder of the game. Turner is ruled out with a concussion.

Washington came into the game without starting tight end Logan Thomas, who missed his third consecutive game with an injured calf. Backup John Bates was on the injury report all week with a hamstring injury but did play.

With Turner out, we should see plenty of fellow rookie Armani Rogers in the second half.

Rookie tight end Cole Turner will make his NFL debut Sunday

Expect multiple tight-end sets for the Commanders on Sunday.

When the Washington Commanders selected tight end Cole Turner in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL draft, head coach Ron Rivera couldn’t contain his excitement. Rivera gushed over Turner multiple times after the draft and in the offseason.

When training camp began and starting tight end Logan Thomas was on the PUP list, an opportunity emerged for the rookie. When Thomas’ backup, John Bates, also battled an injury, Turner was Washington’s top tight end at times this summer. He took advantage of those opportunities, earning praise from his coaches and teammates.

Unfortunately for Turner, he injured his hamstring in the second week of camp and missed all of the preseason. That opened the door for undrafted rookie Armani Rogers, who also impressed.

In the first four weeks of the season, the Commanders kept three tight ends active: Thomas, Bates and Rogers.

Thomas appeared on the injury report Friday with a calf injury and is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. That means Turner will make his NFL debut Sunday, according to Rivera.

While one would presume Turner will be active as an insurance policy, Rivera insisted that’s not the case. Wide receiver Jahan Dotson is out for the game, so the Commanders will use more big sets with multiple tight ends, meaning Turner gets a shot.

If Thomas plays, Washington can run multiple sets with at least two tight ends. The Commanders could also use three tight ends, which serves multiple purposes to help a struggling and injured offensive line. Also, quarterback Carson Wentz loves throwing to tight ends.

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Commanders tight end Armani Rogers is fast

Armani Rogers didn’t play a lot in Week 1, but he made an impact.

Washington Commanders tight end Armani Rogers was one of the feel-good stories of the summer. The undrafted former college quarterback transitioned to tight end at East-West Shrine Bowl and put himself on the radar of NFL teams.

The Commanders knew about Rogers back when he was a freshman quarterback at UNLV, something offensive coordinator Scott Turner recently indicated. Turner, too, played quarterback at UNLV. Former Panthers GM and current Washington executive Marty Hurney has also been following Rogers for years, according to senior director of player personnel Eric Stokes.

Rogers took advantage of Washington’s injuries at tight end and received most of the practice reps at tight end in training camp and started in the preseason games.

In Week 1, Rogers was active for his first NFL game. While he only played four snaps, he quickly made an impact, taking a tight end screen and going for 23 yards across midfield. The Commanders would later score on the drive.

In case you haven’t noticed, the 6-foot-5, 225-pound Rogers is fast. Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network pointed out that Rogers was clocked at 19.9 miles per hour on his lone reception. The players ahead of Rogers were tight ends and running backs.

Washington is thrilled to have starter Logan Thomas back and John Bates healthy. Fellow rookie, Cole Turner, could also return this week, giving the Commanders a potentially dynamic group of tight ends.

You can bet Scott Turner is going to be looking at more ways to get the football in Rogers’ hands moving forward.

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More praise for Commanders rookie tight end Armani Rogers

The hype for Armani Rogers is real.

In the first two weeks of training camp, a rookie tight end was drawing rave reviews. By the end of camp, another rookie tight end had emerged.

Early in camp, fifth-round pick Cole Turner was standing out with Logan Thomas and John Bates sidelined. Unfortunately for Turner, a hamstring injury prematurely ended his training camp, and he never played in a preseason game.

That opened the door for a relative unknown in former college quarterback Armani Rogers. Rogers, who began his collegiate career at UNLV, spent his final two seasons at Ohio. Rogers participated in the East-West Shrine Bowl, where he worked as a tight end and drew the attention of the Commanders, who signed him as an undrafted free agent.

However, Rogers was on Washington’s radar long before the Shrine Bowl. On Thursday, Washington offensive coordinator Scott Turner was the latest to praise Rogers and talked about when he first come onto his radar.

“Yeah, he’s been great, a really good kid,” Turner said of Rogers. “Went to UNLV, which, you know, shout out to the Rebels, before he transferred to Ohio. So, I remember him when he was the Mountain West freshman of the year as a quarterback and [Green Bay Packers QB] Jordan Love played at Utah State as a freshman at the same time.”

Turner gave a shoutout to UNLV because he also played college football there.

From there, Turner talked about Rogers’ quick transition to tight end.

“Because of some injuries and some other things that happened, he transitioned over to being a tight end, and he’s been great,” Turner said. “Obviously started every one of our preseason games; that wasn’t necessarily the plan going in, but he’s a really hard-working guy. He does everything a hundred miles an hour, and he has gotten better and better, and he is physical. So yeah, excited about him and just kind of the way he’s progressed.”

After all of the injuries at tight end this summer, Turner feels good heading into Week 1.

“I feel good,” Turner said about tight end. “A lot better.”

Turner offered even more praise for Rogers.

“Armani played so many snaps this preseason, and his development’s been outstanding,” the offensive coordinator said.

Regardless of who starts at tight end in Week 1, it appears there will be a role for Rogers.

Commanders tight end Logan Thomas still not sure of playing in Week 1

Whether it’s this week or next, Logan Thomas is close to a return.

When the Washington Commanders activated tight end Logan Thomas from the physically unable to perform list late in training camp last month, there was optimism he’d be ready to play in Week 1.

Thomas has been back on the practice field with his teammates, going through individual drills and participating in other drills. Thomas has maintained Week 1 was the goal, but there were no guarantees.

The Commanders returned to practice Monday ahead of their Week 1 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Thomas was on the field with his teammates.

After practice, Thomas spoke to reporters and offered an update on his status for Week 1, per John Keim of ESPN. On his status, Thomas said he was looking at “this week or next.”

As for any limitations, Thomas offered the following update: “Still feel things here and there, but not anything that affects the way I play.”

Fortunately for Washington, John Bates, Cole Turner and Armani Rogers all appear healthy. Keeping Thomas on the sideline for the first week or two is the right decision for the Commanders if all sides agree Thomas isn’t quite ready for Week 1.

Thomas certainly looks ready.

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