Tag: Dan Snyder

Negotiations for Commanders’ potential return to D.C. remain stuck

There has been progress in the talks between the Wetzel family and the Commanders.

Earlier this year, there was excitement about the Washington Commanders and a potential return to the nation’s capital. The House of Representatives passed a bill granting the District a 99-year lease for the land where RFK Stadium sits.

The bill followed the recent goodwill between the organization and the city, which began when new owner Josh Harris purchased the team from Daniel Snyder last summer. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser went on record multiple times stating that the Commanders’ next stadium should be in D.C.

Harris and the team have options. Maryland — where the team currently plays its home games — wants to keep the team. In Virginia, where the team’s headquarters is located, Gov. Glenn Youngkin said the state is a “great place” for a new Commanders stadium.

While the Commanders haven’t tipped their hand on where they want to build a new stadium, the District would appear to be the preferred choice. Harris and minority owners Mitch Rales and Mark Ein all grew up in the Washington area, going to games at RFK Stadium as kids.

So, if the House approved this with rare bipartisan support, why isn’t this moving along?

As of now, it remains stuck in the Senate. Montana Sen. Steve Daines, the ranking member of the National Parks Subcommittee, has said he will continue to hold up the bill unless the Commanders find a way to honor the legacy of Walter “Blackie” Wetzel, who created the logo for the team’s former name that was retired in 2020.

According to A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports, Daines, the Commanders and the Wetzel family are continuing to work out a deal. Daines represents Montana, where the Wetzel family is from, and the Blackfeet tribe he was a member of is also based in Montana.

“We have been very pleased with the conversations we’ve had with the Commanders,” Ryan Wetzel, grandson of the late Wetzel, told Perez and Front Office Sports. “The three of us — meaning the Commanders, Daines’s office, and the Wetzel family — have made headway, and some steps being made that will please the D.C. community and the fan base.”

In his latest report on the story, Perez noted that one Senate aide said the bill is “unlikely to see any more action until after Thanksgiving.”

That’s good and bad. The Commanders have no known timeframe to make a deal, though the lease at Commanders Field is set to expire in 2027. The quicker this is resolved, the sooner Harris and his group can begin making plans for the team’s new home. The extra time also gives all three sides more chances to strike a deal in which everyone feels like they win.

That’s rare — almost as rare as any bill finding bipartisan support at all levels of the government.

Wetzel’s grandson made it clear that it’s not about the name; it’s about the logo his grandfather created, which was a “profile of pride for Native American communities.”

Commanders held a family picnic after conclusion of minicamp

Washington finishes minicamp with a picnic for players, staff and their families.

Remember when Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris said, “I’m not an F- guy?” Harris said this in response to the organization’s NFLPA grades, which showed the Commanders at the bottom of the league in several categories, one of which was the treatment of player families.

Washington’s new leadership group is much different from any it had in the past. It begins with the ownership group, led by Harris but including minority owners Mark Ein, Mitch Rales, Magic Johnson, David Blitzer, and others.

Harris then hired Adam Peters as general manager and Dan Quinn as head coach. Both were known for being great at their jobs but even better human beings that others wanted to work with and play for.

The Commanders concluded their three-day mandatory minicamp on Thursday, and afterward, the organization held a picnic for the players, staff and their families. Ein confirmed this on X.

It’s important to note that Harris and Ein didn’t hold a picnic because of Washington’s NFLPA rankings. This is who they are. This is who Quinn and Peters are. They treat people right. That’s why players love being at the team facility these days.

This isn’t to knock some of Washington’s other coaches in the past. They weren’t always the problem. The problem always started at the top with the former owner. Harris and his partners are not only good people and successful businessmen, but they treat people right and understand the value of family.

After the picnic, the offseason officially ended. The team has six weeks off before reporting back to Ashburn next month for training camp. In past years, players would talk of exotic vacations and wanting to be anywhere but Ashburn, but the tide is changing because of Washington’s current ownership and management.

While some grades, such as the stadium and team facilities, will still likely be lower than ownership wants due to no fault of their own, you can bet those grades will be much higher on the personal side of things next time.

Commanders land a tight end in 2019 redraft

Terry McLaurin, Montez Sweat go in the first round of 2019 NFL redraft, but not to Washington.

The Washington Commanders entered the 2019 NFL draft with the No. 15 overall pick. Jay Gruden was heading into a critical sixth season as head coach and badly needed to win.

Of course, Washington had no shot with Bruce Allen as general manager and Dan Snyder as owner. Still, Gruden needed a solid draft to give him any chance of lasting another entire season.

As the draft neared, rumors swirled that Snyder wanted Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins. Why? Because his son went to high school with him in Maryland. Still, no one believed Snyder would eventually overrule the scouts, primarily Kyle Smith, and pick Haskins.

He did. But to appease the football people, he allowed the team to move back into the first round and draft Mississippi State defensive end Montez Sweat.

In the third round, Washington stole Ohio State wide receiver Terry McLaurin.

That season was a disaster, though. Gruden was fired after an 0-5 start, and Allen was finally fired after the season. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out for Haskins, and he was released late in the 2020 season, while Sweat became a consistent performer on a solid (at times) defense.

Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report recently looked back at that draft and did a redraft. It looks much different for Washington. Sweat lands at No. 5 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and McLaurin goes No. 12 to the Green Bay Packers.

Washington’s pick is former Iowa tight end T.J. Hockenson. The Detroit Lions initially selected Hockenson No. 8 overall and later traded him to the Minnesota Vikings, where he thrived.

In a redraft, Washington instead selects Iowa tight end T.J. Hockenson, who was originally drafted eighth overall by the Lions.

The Commanders had a need for a quality tight end in 2019, as Jeremy Sprinkle went on to lead the position group with a mere 241 receiving yards and a touchdown that season. Washington did eventually find a capable tight end by signing Logan Thomas in 2020. However, Thomas was more good than great and had his fair share of injury issues in Washington.

The Commanders signed Zach Ertz this offseason, and Thomas has since made his way to San Francisco.

Hockenson has been a great tight end when healthy and has made the Pro Bowl in both Detroit and Minnesota. While he’s currently working his way back from ACL and MCL tears, the 26-year-old should still have a bright future ahead of him.

Adding Hockenson here would help stabilize a key position for the Commanders and allow them to come away from the draft with a playmaker despite missing out on Terry McLaurin.

Washington fans would be pleased with Hockenson, but they will never accept any circumstance in which McLaurin is not with the franchise. Fans haven’t had a lot to root for over the past five seasons, but McLaurin has been a consistently positive presence on and off the field.

It’s all hypothetical, but it’s a fun exercise nonetheless.

Commanders named team least likely to make headlines

The Commanders named the least likely NFC team to make headlines which is a positive.

For the past 25 years, no NFL team has found its way into the headlines more than the Washington Commanders. Before they were the Commanders, the Redskins and Football Team lived in the headlines — mainly for the wrong reasons.

That often had nothing to do with the team’s performance on the field. There were good moments, like in 2005, 2007, 2012, and 2015, but there were lots of losses and headlines outside of those years.

Most of those headlines were created by former owner Daniel Snyder. And even if Snyder’s name wasn’t in the headlines, the team was in the headlines due to the culture he created behind the scenes.

When Snyder sold the team to Josh Harris last year, Washington fans, both young and old, celebrated. After another bad season (4-13), Harris moved on from the last head coach Snyder hired (Ron Rivera).

Harris quickly hired the top general manager candidate available, Adam Peters, and gave him complete control. They hired Dan Quinn as head coach, who assembled a top-notch coaching staff, and Peters has done the same with the personnel department. Additionally, Washington is making elite hires everywhere, such as vice president of football initiatives Dave Gardi and senior vice president of football operations Brandon Sosna.

Peters has also revamped the roster, signing over 20 free agents, selecting nine players in the NFL draft, and signing 11 undrafted free agents.

It’s been a fun and busy offseason for Washington. Bill Barnwell of ESPN recently handed one superlative to all 16 NFC teams. His superlative for the Commanders: Team least likely to make headlines.

That’s good news.

Here’s his explanation:

In the post-Daniel Snyder era, the new ownership and front office in Washington has generally shied from doing splashy things or making the sort of high-profile decision the former team owner seemed to make and regret time after time during his two decades in charge. Whether that meant big-name free agents, coaches and executives or outlandish contracts, the Commanders seemed to operate in their own universe at times.

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When it came to personnel, the Commanders didn’t take a big swing and instead invested in bargain deals for a handful of veterans. Their biggest signing was former Quinn charge Dorance Armstrong, who had 21 sacks over the past three years in a situational role in Dallas. They plumbed the depths of the Panthers’ defense for Frankie Luvu and Jeremy Chinn, players who looked like potential Pro Bowlers at different times over the past few years. Running back Austin Ekeler and corner Michael Davis were meaningful parts of a playoff team in Los Angeles as recently as 2022. Their highest-profile signing was Bobby Wagner, whose one-year deal is as much about reestablishing the team’s culture as it is landing a valuable middle linebacker.

Washington’s highest-profile additions were Wagner and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. For Peters, it was about fielding a competitive team in 2024, adding some key pieces for the future and resetting the culture with one vision.

Washington fans should enjoy not being in the headlines for once.

Overreaction Saturday to Commanders coach Dan Quinn’s T-shirt

Trying to make sense of some people’s overreaction to Dan Quinn’s shirt.

The most excitement at Commanders’ rookie minicamp Saturday was actually a T-shirt.

Yes, Dan Quinn’s T-shirt is what caused the biggest stir.

Quinn’s T-shirt was short sleeves, black in color, with a capital “W” above the word “Commanders.”

But the T-shirt also contained two feathers reminiscent of the old Washington Redskins logo.

Many Commanders fans were excited, seeing that they don’t like the “Commanders” brand, which dates back to the efforts of Daniel Snyder and Jason Wright.

Saturday, many fans declared the Harris Ownership Group (HOG) was again being subtle, asking Quinn to wear the T-shirt to honor the past when “Redskins” was the team name. While some, like Scott Abraham, simply voiced their approval of the shirt.

Actually, we have no idea if the HOG was involved in this in any way. It could actually be something as simple as Dan Quinn played his college ball in the area, is familiar with the history, saw the shirt and thought it was a neat reminder of some of the glory days of Joe Gibbs’ teams.

ESPN’s Jason Reid disapproved, tweeting Quinn alone was responsible for what he wore Saturday and that others in the organization should have taken great measures to stop Quinn from wearing the shirt.

Goodness, why was Reid suggesting Quinn’s shirt was so horrible and ill-advised? Had Quinn worn a shirt endorsing Joseph Stalin?

Reid tweeted several more times, insisting his concern was not about racism but more interested in the shirt, bringing up the old name of the team again. He later suggested a concern was the licensing of the shirt.

Were we supposed to believe that was why he had earlier tweeted, “Why? I mean, why?”

Also, he posted the Commanders “can’t get outta their own way, my man.” Why was Reid suggesting Quinn had really done something wrong? Quinn’s shirt had illustrated this team simply can’t help itself? Really?

Quinn committed no great blunder on Saturday. Plain and simple, Quinn was not an example Saturday of the organization simply not being able to get out of its way.

Nor did Quinn’s T-shirt prove the HOG is dumping the “Commanders” any day now. Yes, the HOG has inherited a branding flop, but if there is going to be a name change, it will most likely not be “Redskins,” nor will it occur anytime soon.

Commanders’ fans some of the happiest in the NFL after the draft

Washington fans are among the happiest in the NFL. Times are changing.

A new era began for the Washington Commanders last July when Josh Harris and his group took over as owners. Unfortunately, the new ownership group took over too late in the year to impact the 2023 season.

The Commanders’ season on the field was abysmal, finishing 4-13. However, things began to change in January when Harris fired former head coach Ron Rivera. Harris then hired general manager Adam Peters, followed by new coach Dan Quinn.

Since then, Peters has flipped the roster, signing over 20 outside free agents, and the Commanders just completed the 2024 NFL draft, in which they drew rave reviews.

The fun began early when the Commanders found their franchise quarterback, Jayden Daniels, at No. 2 overall. As expected, Washington fans were thrilled with Daniels.

It wasn’t just Daniels’ pick that made fans happy. Commanders’ fans were happy with all three days of the draft. How happy? According to The Sports Geek, the Commanders had a 66% positive response to their draft picks. TSG’s data reveals that makes Washington fans the fifth-happiest in the NFL.

Not only were Commanders’ fans happy, but they were active on Twitter, too. There were over 34,000 tweets about the team, which was the eighth most in the NFL.

The times, indeed, are changing. Washington fans haven’t been happy for years, which was completely understandable. Former owner Dan Snyder made the franchise the laughingstock of the NFL, whether it was due to on-field struggles, multiple name changes, or investigations, but those things are in the past.

Washington fans are in a much better place now.

 

Robert Griffin applauds the Commanders’ GM Adam Peters

Robert Griffin III with some good analysis on the Commanders this time, concerning Adam Peters and the No. 2 pick.

Robert Griffin III believes his being the second overall pick by Washington in 2012 is impacting the decisions the Commanders will make in Thursday night’s draft.

Griffin, the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner at Baylor, was chosen second overall by Washington in the 2012 draft, in which Washington traded three first-round selections (2012, 2013, 2014) and a second-round pick (2012).

A guest on the “Rich Eisen Show” Tuesday, Griffin saw his choice as analogous to Jayden Daniels for Washington Thursday night.

“Where did Adam Peters come from?” asked Griffin. He came from San Francisco. What did San Francisco just deal with two years ago? They had a highly drafted quarterback in the first round, and they had the last pick in the draft, which they used to pick Brock Purdy.”

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Now, Trey Lance, in all fairness to him, didn’t get a chance to play because he was hurt and didn’t get a chance to show that he could be that guy. But Brock Purdy was the last choice in the draft, was a guy’s guy. The whole team gravitated towards him. And I feel like Adam Peters was just trying to get a sense, which one of these quarterbacks do the guys gravitate towards?”

Griffin said that outside of Caleb Williams, the other quarterbacks are all athletic and very similar in ability. Griffin expressed that because there previously was such criticism of Washington, people still automatically wondered what they were doing last week, having all four quarterbacks in at once for a group activity.

“I would say, Rich, the highlights are on the film, but the character isn’t. The organization in Washington is just trying to find the right character guys to build a team around, and I actually applaud them for that. Because character is not really something the team has been associated with for the past twenty years.”

“So, I want fans to understand. If you create a negative environment for a guy like Jayden Daniels coming in, it’s only going to breed more negativity once he’s drafted.”

“I hope they just give these guys a clean slate, whoever Washington decides to take. It’s their decision; it’s who they believe in. I want that for them. The situation with me and Kirk Cousins in Washington in 2012 was a situation where the owner and the head coach were fighting against each other.”

“You don’t want that to be repeated. So, whoever they believe in, go draft that guy…I just believe, Rich, that Jayden is the best guy for them.”

Aside from Griffin presenting that he was a victim in 2012, this was actually his best interview regarding Washington in some time.

Only 3 teams have spent less than the Commanders over the past 3 seasons

Washington has been cheap for years. That will change under Josh Harris in a number of areas.

Remember when the offseason was the Super Bowl for Washington? Back then, former owner Daniel Snyder would fire up his jet and bring some of the top free agents to Washington.

That strategy always backfired. When Bruce Allen took over as Washington’s president in 2010, the franchise changed how it operated in free agency.

For years, the franchise looked for cheap free agents on short-term deals, and the results were as predicted. When Washington did make a splash, such as Josh Norman or Landon Collins, it didn’t necessarily work out either.

That previous cheapness mainly persisted when Ron Rivera took over as coach and defacto GM in 2020. One positive from Rivera’s era was that he did manage to extend some of Washington’s top players.

But Rivera struck out in free agency, too, for the most part, particularly over the last three years.

When the Commanders did spend on outside free agents, they didn’t spend wisely. Overall, though, Washington has been cheap over the past three years, as only three teams have spent less cash than the Commanders, according to Spotrac.

Rivera received much of the blame for that, which is fair. However, Snyder’s cash flow was an issue and played a more significant role in Washington’s lack of aggressiveness in free agency.

Regardless, the Commanders won 26 games in four years under Rivera.

Snyder is gone now, and Allen has been gone for five years. Josh Harris is the new owner, and Adam Peters is the new GM. While the Commanders will primarily be built through the NFL draft, they will use free agency to supplement the roster instead of building the team.

Snyder was known for his cheapness over the years, not investing in FedEx Field or the team’s headquarters in Ashburn. Harris, who didn’t take over until July, has already earmarked $75 million in upgrades at FedEx Field and in Ashburn. Harris has also committed to analytics and sports science.

Times have indeed changed for the Commanders.

How involved is Commanders new owner Josh Harris?

What do you make of Josh Harris being present in the QB meetings at the NFL combine?

Josh Harris certainly grabbed the attention Thursday of those who follow the Washington Commanders.

We learned that the Commanders new owner was present at the 2024 NFL Combine and took part in the interviews of six quarterbacks.

A bit of historical context is that Harris last August was understandably viewed as the savior from the Dan Snyder ownership era. He was applauded, praised, and given the red carpet.

However, the 2023 Commanders’ season frankly fell apart and stunk. I don’t like to be overly negative, but isn’t true that they earned the second selection in next April’s NFL draft?

All Commanders fans understood the need for Harris to act swiftly, fire Rivera, clean house and start afresh. Harris wisely and successfully hired Adam Peters as his new general manager. He, along with help from his hiring committee, then hired Dan Quinn as head coach, and thus far, Quinn has brought in what appears to be a very experienced, capable NFL coaching staff.

Harris is off to a tremendous start in this 2024 offseason. Then came the word Harris was involved in the interviews at the annual Combine. Instant concern was raised by the media and Commanders’ fans.

Why? Because no Washington football fan/media enters this season with a blank slate. We all possess knowledge of the past. Memories have instructed us and, yes, haunted us.

We can’t easily forget the former owner instructing scouts, coaches and front office that he was drafting Dwayne Haskins in the first round of 2019.

We can’t easily forget his trading three first-round draft picks for a college quarterback who never developed into a capable NFL quarterback from the pocket.

We can’t easily forget trades for a declining Donovan McNabb, signing aging free agent veterans like Deion Sanders, Bruce Smith, Andre Reed, Jeff George, and dumping Marty Schottenheimer after only one season.

We can’t easily forget he hired an offensive coordinator (Jim Zorn) before he hired a head coach, then wondered why no capable coach would take the job, so he promoted Zorn to head coach though Zorn had yet to be an NFL or college coordinator.

So, alarm bells are ringing loudly. Red flags are being raised.

But there is also the history of Josh Harris to be considered. Has he shown himself previously to be a meddlesome owner who is foolish and delusional,  thinking he is knowledgeable enough about athletic skills to play team general manager?

So, for now, Harris gets the benefit of the doubt from Commanders Wire. 

Might Harris clarify he is simply learning about the NFL combine process and that Peters will have total freedom in making all player personnel decisions?

If Harris does, he will calm a lot of nerves right now from fans who understandably can’t simply ignore what the past has taught them.

Commanders’ fans surprisingly among the most sober in the NFL

It’s been a rough 20+ years for Washington fans, but better times are ahead.

It’s been a difficult 25 years for the Washington Commanders. It was in 1999 that Daniel Snyder began his reign of terror as owner, alienating one of the most passionate and loyal fan bases in all of sports.

Washington’s attendance plummeted over the years, and the team’s performance on the field gave fans plenty of reasons to drink. However, according to a recent study from BACtrack, Commanders’ fans are among the most sober in the NFL.

The rankings were based on blood alcohol content (BAC) numbers recorded by BACtrack, which showed that Commanders fans had an average blood alcohol content figure of 0.058 when tested, 29th in the NFL.

In a surprise, fans of the Kansas City Chiefs — back-to-back Super Bowl champions — drink the least among NFL fans.

The most “drunk” fans, according to the study? The Tennessee Titans, with a BAC of 0.093.

Now, having undergone two name changes since 2020 and Snyder having sold the team to a group led by Josh Harris after multiple scandals, things are looking better for the Commanders.

From their website, BACtrack explains the methodology:

  • Data was collected anonymously from users of the BACtrack app, which syncs with smartphone-compatible BACtrack breathalyzers. Data used in this report was collected from U.S. users who opted into sharing their data by activating the BACtrack App data storage, having location services turned on, and allowing the BACtrack app to access their smartphone’s Bluetooth. 
  • Over 28,000 unique BAC tests were reviewed for this report. 
  • To identify where fans of each NFL team are located, we utilized a map of NFL fan allegiance using Twitter data created by Matt Sorenson in order to associate BAC results with NFL teams across the country.
  • Data represents positive BAC readings. Regular season game data represents unique BAC tests collected anonymously at 6 AM the day of game to 6 AM the day after the game. 
  • Each team’s specific game schedule was used for their respective fans’ data. Regular season 2023-24 NFL games ran from September 2023 to January 2024.
  • This data does not represent data from all users.