The Commanders will use one of their 30 pre-draft visits on the Texas star tight end.
The Washington Commanders recently signed veteran tight end Zach Ertz to a one-year deal, and he will likely be the starting tight end in 2024. Ertz proved early in 2023 that he could still play, but he is 33.
Other tight ends on Washington’s roster are John Bates, Cole Turner, and Armani Rogers. Bates is primarily a blocking tight end, while the unproven Turner is more of a big receiver playing tight end. Rogers has the upside but is coming off an Achilles injury that cost him last season.
Therefore, it would make sense that tight end would be a priority for the Commanders in the 2024 NFL draft. Brock Bowers of Georgia is the top prospect but should land somewhere among the top 15 picks. Washington will use its first selection on a quarterback.
Ja’Tavion Sanders of Texas is viewed as the No. 2 tight end in the upcoming draft class. Most view Sanders as a high second-round pick, but he could find his way into the bottom of the first round.
The Commanders like Sanders and, per Ben Standig of The Athletic, will host him on a pre-draft top-30 visit.
Teams are setting up pre-draft "30" visits with prospects. On the Commanders' list, Texas TE Ja'Tavion Sanders, per source.
Typically ranked as TE2 behind Brock Bowers (with a big gap). @dpbrugler's No. 50 overall prospect pre-Combine.
Sanders measured in at 6 feet 4 inches and 245 pounds at the NFL combine, running the 40-yard dash in 4.69 seconds. He made several big plays for the Longhorns and finished his final two seasons in Austin with a combined 99 receptions for 1,295 yards and seven touchdowns. The two-time All-Big 12 selection averaged over 15 yards per reception in 2023.
Breaking: A Clemson wide receiver will miss the rest of the 2023 season after suffering an injury on Sunday.
A Clemson wide receiver is out for the rest of the 2023 season.
Sophomore wide receiver Cole Turner tore three adductor muscles in his hip area in the Tigers’ 48-14 win over FAU on Saturday night and is out for the year, head coach Dabo Swinney announced on Sunday.
“Really hate that for him,” Swinney said of Turner’s injury. “Again, a kid we felt like was on his way to a big-time year this year. But good news for him, he’s got his whole career in front of him. He knows he can do it. So, just heart breaks because he’s worked really hard, and I know what he brings to the table. But again, we’ll have a lot of great days with Cole Turner in the years to come. But definitely going to miss him.”
Turner, who had a promising finish to the 2022 season, will finish this year with three receptions for 28 yards. He caught one pass for seven yards on Saturday before he ultimately went down with the injury on a deep pass intended for him.
Dabo Swinney, on his Sunday call, says that sophomore WR Cole Turner is out for the year after tearing three adductor (hip-area) muscles against FAU. "This kid is gonna be a superstar … Really hate that for him. Part of his story." Says Turner has his whole career ahead of him
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney wasn’t too optimistic about Cole Turner’s injury status after the Tigers’ win over FAU.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney gave an injury update on wide receiver Cole Turner after the Tigers defeated Florida Atlantic on Saturday night.
After missing last week’s game against Charleston Southern with a lower-body injury, Turner returned to the lineup for the FAU game.
While he was able to play on Saturday, Turner went down on a deep pass to the end zone, grabbing his upper leg as he gingerly walked to the sidelines. He did not return to the game.
After the game, Swinney said that he didn’t have any details on Turner’s injury yet and the Tigers “don’t really know what we’re dealing with there.”
Turner finished the game with one reception for seven yards. He recorded two catches for 21 yards in the Tigers’ season opener at Duke.
As Clemson looks to develop its passing game, losing Turner would be a massive blow.
Clemson HC Dabo Swinney gave an injury update on two key contributors who both missed last Saturday’s game.
Clemson could be getting back two key contributors this week.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, head coach Dabo Swinney gave an injury update on defensive back Andrew Mukuba and wide receiver Cole Turner, both of whom missed Saturday’s game against Charleston Southern.
Mukuba, who is dealing with a lower-body injury, is “day-to-day but doing good,” Swinney said. Mukuba started at nickel in Week 1 and has been one of the top defensive backs for the Tigers since he arrived at Clemson in 2021.
Swinney also said that Turner will be available for the Tigers’ game against Florida Atlantic on Saturday after dealing with a lower-body injury. Turner caught two passes for 21 yards against Duke in Week 1.
With the win behind us, we now look toward Clemson’s next matchup at home, where they will face Florida Atlantic on September 16 at Death Valley. As we look toward the Week 3 matchup, Dabo Swinney was asked about the status of injured starters safety Andrew Mukuba and wide receiver Cole Turner.
“Both of them just have lower body injuries, but they’re going to be day to day,” Swinney said.
It’s not much of an injury update from Swinney, but day-to-day is a good sign. We can expect these two starters back on the field sooner rather than later, but Swinney might stay cautious with the two ahead of their Week 4 matchup with Florida State.
The biggest takeaway from Tuesday’s practice was all the fighting. Emmanuel Forbes got into a scuffle with a Baltimore wide receiver, and others joined. Ravens tight end Mark Andrews bodyslammed Washington cornerback Danny Johnson for no apparent reason, and Commanders center Nick Gates was also involved in another battle.
Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed, and the teams accomplished what they set out to do.
How was the final day of joint practices between the two Beltway rivals?
Here are some takeaways from the final day of practice between the Ravens and Commanders.
Sam Howell and Cole Turner displayed some impressive chemistry in the preseason opener.
Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell played three series in the preseason-opening 17-15 win over the Cleveland Browns Friday. Howell completed nine of 12 passes for 77 yards and a touchdown. Howell also had an impressive eight-yard scramble for a first down on a third-and-6.
There were multiple instances in those three series where Howell showed impressive traits. His processing was outstanding on a couple of throws, as Howell checked down instead of forcing the ball into coverage.
Was he perfect? No. On the sack he took, Howell perhaps held the ball for a second too long, and right tackle Andrew Wylie was beaten for a sack.
But on Washington’s third drive, the Commanders faced a fourth-and-3 on Cleveland’s side of the field. Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy had two downfield routes called on the fourth down play. Tight end Cole Turner ran a crossing route from the left side, while Terry McLaurin was lined up on the right side on what looked like a drag route and Antonio Gibson leaked out of the backfield.
When Howell took the snap, he immediately looked to his left toward receivers Jahan Dotson and Dyami Brown before scanning back across the field to Turner and then Gibson. As the linebacker covered up Turner and Gibson was covered, Howell scrambled to his right, and Turner reads his quarterback, drifting toward the right sideline, and Howell follows him, unleashing an accurate ball for a completion and a first down.
That’s a big-time play from Howell. He scanned the field, did not panic, and used his legs to buy time while always keeping his eyes downfield. Then, throws a dart to Turner on the move.
As for Turner, he did a really savvy job of staying with his quarterback, a positive for the future of the young tight end and quarterback working together for years to come.
When evaluating some of these young players in the preseason, it’s plays like this that stand out and excite coaches. Fans have reason to be excited, too.
We identified five offensive players to watch for the Commanders Friday.
The Washington Commanders kick off the 2023 preseason Friday with a trip to Cleveland to face the Browns.
Washington’s starters will play. How much? Head coach Ron Rivera wasn’t about to divulge that information this week, but we should assume that starting quarterback Sam Howell and the offense will play at least two series.
One offensive player who will not play is tight end Logan Thomas. The veteran tight end has dealt with a calf injury over the last week. While the injury isn’t believed to be serious, the Commanders aren’t taking any chances with their 32-year-old starter.
Washington has a new offense in 2023 with Eric Bieniemy in charge. What should we expect to see in the preseason opener?
We identify five Washington players to watch in Friday’s preseason opener.
The Washington Commanders entered the offseason feeling pretty good about their tight ends. With Logan Thomas, John Bates, Cole Turner, Armani Rogers and Curtis Hodges on the roster, there was a nice mix of experience, size, blocking ability and explosiveness.
Unfortunately, an Achilles injury ended Rogers’ season on the first day of OTAs. The former college quarterback was the most explosive of Washington’s tight ends, but despite the loss, the Commanders believe the group is healthier and improved from last year.
The group also has a new coach. Juan Castillo coached Washington’s tight ends last season, and while he still holds that title, he’ll help out former assistant offensive line coach Travelle Wharton on the offensive line in 2023. Wharton replaced John Matsko as Washington’s offensive line coach.
Todd Storm was promoted to assistant tight ends coach last season after spending two years as a quality control assistant. Now, Storm will lead the room in 2023.
The Commanders have yet to hand out any new coaching titles until the ownership transition occurs. Still, Storm recently spoke with JP Finlay of NBC 4 in Washington, D.C., and believes he has a strong group heading into training camp.
“I’m really excited about this group; we had five guys, we’ve got four guys now after losing Armani Rogers,” Storm said. We got tall, long, athletic guys that can make plays.”
Some thought Thomas could be a salary-cap casualty. Head coach Ron Rivera never considered moving on from Thomas, believing he was fully healthy at the end of last season, and that would carry over into 2023.
“He’s a great leader for our room,” Storm said of Thomas. “He does things the right way. He stays in his book; he’s studying. When he’s out on the field, he leads by example. He finishes plays; he’s finishing downfield with blocks.”
Most importantly, Storm says Thomas is fully healthy.
“I have nothing but good things to say about Logan. He looks like he was in 2020. He’s healthy.”
Some forget about Bates because he doesn’t put up eye-popping numbers, but Storm understands his importance to the offense.
“He’s a complete tight end,” Storm said of Bates. “He hasn’t gotten a ton of opportunities over the years, but he can do it. You can see it on the tape. He’s where he’s supposed to be when he’s supposed to be there…….he’s going to play in the NFL for a long time.”
While Thomas and Bates are seemingly the top two on the depth chart, Turner is one of Washington’s most critical offensive players in 2023. After bursting on the scene in OTAs and early in training camp last year, a hamstring injury prematurely ended Turner’s preseason. When he returned, he suffered a concussion that cost him more time.
Like Thomas, Turner is completely healthy and was outstanding throughout OTAs in the spring.
“He’s got a lot of work to do, but he’s working hard,” Storm said. “His ability to get in and out of breaks is really good……he has a really good feel for defense and coverage and where he fits in the concept. And he’s got top-tier ball skills.”
Don’t forget about Hodges.
“He’s huge,” Storm said of Hodges. “Another guy that has a ton of upside. The room is exciting…….I’m fired up for this season.”
Storm made sure to tell Finlay how appreciative he was of offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy for trusting him with the opportunity to lead the tight ends.
It’s understandable that people felt the Commanders didn’t do enough at tight end in the offseason. They are banking on a lot of things to go right. But if things do go right, this position may not be as weak as some presume it to be in 2023.
As we look toward the 2023 regular season, we count down the most important players for the Washington Commanders ahead of training camp. On Tuesday, No. 16 was right guard Sam Cosmi.
We continue our countdown today with No. 15, tight end Logan Thomas.
You could make the argument for Thomas being higher on this list. Why? The Commanders are banking heavily on Thomas returning to his 2020 form this season. Thomas caught 72 passes and six touchdowns that season.
Unfortunately, injuries ruined his 2021 season. He missed several games with a hamstring injury, returned, and tore his ACL in early December. Thomas would recover in time for Week 1 of the 2022 season but was clearly not 100%.
Late in the season, Thomas looked a bit more explosive, leading head coach Ron Rivera to believe Thomas was due for a bounceback in 2023. Many considered Thomas a cut candidate for salary-cap purposes, but Washington has big plans for Thomas in new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s offense.
The Commanders ignored the tight end position in a deep NFL draft class. Washington believed a trio of second-year players, Armani Rogers, Cole Turner and Curtis Hodges, would emerge behind Thomas and blocking tight end John Bates. Sadly, Rogers went down with an Achilles injury on the first day of OTAs and was lost for the season.
Fortunately, Turner has looked the part this offseason and could emerge as the perfect complement to Thomas.
Thomas and quarterback Sam Howell appeared to develop a rapport this offseason. The tight end will be featured in Bieniemy’s offense, meaning there will be an opportunity for Thomas to have a resurgence in 2023.
The Commanders need more from their tight ends in 2023, and that begins with Thomas.
