Tag: Dorance Armstrong

Commanders agree to terms with Chargers RB Austin Ekeler

The Commanders are expected to sign one of the NFL’s top backs in recent years to pair with Brian Robinson Jr.

The Washington Commanders are staying busy. Shortly after agreeing to terms with Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu on the first day of the legal tampering period Monday, Washington also agreed to terms with longtime Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler.

Ekeler, who will turn 29 in May, agreed to a two-year deal with Washington, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

An undrafted free agent from Western Colorado in 2017, Ekeler has been one of the NFL’s best running backs for the past few seasons. The 2023 season was a down one season for Ekeler, after rushing for over 900 yards and 13 touchdowns with 107 receptions and five receiving touchdowns in 2022.

Considered one of the NFL’s premier pass-catching backs, Ekeler replaces Antonio Gibson, who left Washington for New England.

For his NFL career, Ekeler has 4,355 rushing yards, 39 rushing touchdowns and an average of 4.4 yards per attempt. He also has 440 career receptions for 3,884 yards and 30 touchdowns.

Ekeler played the first four seasons of his career under new Commanders running backs coach Anthony Lynn, who was his head coach with the Chargers.

Commanders expected to sign Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu

Dan Quinn found the perfect linebacker for his defense in Frankie Luvu.

The Washington Commanders continue to make upgrades to their roster on the first day of the NFL’s legal tampering period.

The Commanders agreed to terms with two former Cowboys, defensive end Dorance Armstrong and center Tyler Biadasz, early on Monday. Now, new head coach Dan Quinn has found his linebacker.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Commanders have agreed to terms with Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu on a three-year deal worth up to $36 million.

Luvu, 27, was undrafted out of Washington State in 2018. He spent the first three seasons of his NFL career with the Jets. He signed with the Panthers in 2021, where his career took off.

Initially signed as a backup linebacker and key special-teamer, Luvu played 16 games in 2021, making four starts and finishing with 43 tackles.

He became a full-time starter in 2022 and recorded 111 tackles, including 19 for loss, seven sacks, one forced fumble, and one interception.

In 2023, Luvu started all 17 games and recorded 125 tackles, including 10 for loss, 5.5 sacks, five passes defended and two forced fumbles.

 

Commanders bag two underrated defensive stars in Frankie Luvu, Dorance Armstrong

The Commanders added two underrated stars to their defense in linebacker Frankie Luvu and edge-rusher Dorance Armstrong.

The Washington Commanders hired Dan Quinn as their new head coach in part because they saw the need to re-define a defense that struggled (to put it kindly) last season under defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio and head coach Ron Rivera last season.

The Commanders worked to give Quinn two outstanding and underrated defenders in the first wave of free agency, agreeing to terms with former Carolina Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu and ex-Dallas Cowboys pass-rusher Dorance Armstrong.

Luvu was one of my favorite player in this free agent class because the more you watch his tape, the more you’re stumped on the things he can’t do as a linebacker. Last season, he played 56% of his snaps at inside ‘backer, 23% outside, and the rest at the line of scrimmage as either a stand-up rusher or as a blitzer. Luvu had seven sacks, 20 total pressures, 84 solo tackles, 47 stops, 10 tackles for loss, and he was great in coverage when asked to do that. If you need a green dot guy in the middle of your defense, there’s nobody better (or more versatile) in this free agency class. He’ll be an ideal fit for what Quinn wants to do with his defense.

 

Of course, Quinn already knows that Armstrong is a great fit for what he wants to do. The Cowboys selected Armstrong in the fourth round of the 2018 draft out of Kansas, and he became a force under Quinn, who was Dallas’ defensive coordinator over the last three seasons. Micah Parsons was the talk of the Cowboys’ pass rush, and justifiably so, but Armstrong racked up nine sacks and 35 total pressures last season — one year after amassing nine sacks and 43 total pressures in 2022. No one-year wonder, he.

The Commanders have a lot of work still to do on that side of the ball, especially in a secondary that might lose cornerback Kendall Fuller and Kameron Curl in free agency. But the first wave of Quinn Guys has what it takes.

Commanders expected to sign Cowboys center Tyler Biadasz

Adam Peters and Dan Quinn find their center.

The Washington Commanders are busy filling key positions early during the legal tampering period, and head coach Dan Quinn is reaching back to his roots to fill those holes.

Washington agreed to terms with former Cowboys defensive end Dorance Armstrong early in the legal tampering period on Monday. Shortly afterward, the Commanders found their next center, agreeing to terms with former Cowboys center Tyler Biadasz.

Biadasz comes to Washington after four years in Dallas, where he appeared in 61 games with 53 starts. Biadasz took over as the Cowboys center late in his rookie season and remained there over the next three seasons.

Biadasz reportedly agreed to a three-year deal worth $30 million, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post.

A fourth-round pick out of Wisconsin in 2020, Biadasz made the Pro Bowl in 2022.

The Commanders signed Nick Gates to a three-year deal last offseason to be the team’s starting center, but Gates was benched after Week 7. Washington will release Gates at the start of the new league year on Wednesday.

Armstrong and Biadasz can’t officially sign with the Commanders until 4 p.m. ET Wednesday.

BREAKING: Cowboys DE Dorance Armstrong set to leave for Commanders

From @ToddBrock24f7: The veteran enjoyed his best three seasons under Dan Quinn as DC in Dallas; now Armstrong will join him with the Washington Commanders.

Dorance Armstrong looks to be on his way to play for Dan Quinn for a fourth straight year.

The defensive end is reportedly finalizing a deal to leave the Cowboys and sign with the Washington Commanders, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.  The move came less than 90 minutes into the start of the so-called “legal tampering period” that precedes free agency and the start of the new league year.

Armstrong, 26, was a fourth-round draft pick by Dallas in 2018 out of Kansas. He saw action in 77 games over six seasons with the Cowboys, registering 156 tackles, 21 sacks, three passes defended, three forced fumbles, and five fumble recoveries.

The vast majority of those stats came since 2021, when Quinn became the defensive coordinator in Dallas.

The Commanders poached several assistant coaches away from the Cowboys to fill out Quinn’s staff, and the division rivals are expected to go after several free agents, too, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Armstrong’s new DC in Washington will be Joe Whitt Jr., also formerly on staff in Dallas.

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Armstrong’s pending deal is said to be for three years and a maximum of $45 million, but that won’t become official until a contract is actually signed, on Wednesday at the earliest.

A fully updated list of the Cowboys’ free agency arrivals and departures can be found by clicking here.

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Commanders plan to sign Cowboys defensive end Dorance Armstrong

Dorance Armstrong has 16 sacks over the past two seasons.

Just over one hour into Monday’s legal tampering period, the Washington Commanders are on the board. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Commanders plan to sign former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Dorance Armstrong.

Armstrong reunites with Commanders head coach Dan Quinn, his defensive coordinator with the Cowboys for the past three seasons. Also, former Cowboys secondary coach Joe Whitt Jr. is now Washington’s defensive coordinator.

The 6-foot-4, 255-pound Armstrong was a fourth-round pick in the 2018 NFL draft out of Kansas. Armstrong, entering his seventh season in 2024, will not turn 27 until June. In 77 career games with 24 starts, Armstrong has 23.5 sacks. However, his production has ramped up under Quinn’s tutelage, combining for 21 sacks over the past three seasons in a part-time pass-rushing role.

Landing an edge rusher or two is a priority for Washington in free agency. Another former Cowboys’ pass rusher, Dante Fowler Jr., could also follow Quinn to Washington. Quinn coached Fowler at the University of Florida and with the Falcons and Cowboys.

Armstrong is expected to sign with the Commanders on Wednesday when the new NFL league year opens.

 

The Commanders are ‘expected to be active’ in the edge rusher market

The Commanders need pass rushers and they should be very active in that market.

At this point one year ago, the Washington Commanders had just paid defensive tackle Daron Payne. That meant Washington had locked up defensive tackles Payne and Jonathan Allen into long-term deals.

Presumably, next up were defensive ends Montez Sweat and Chase Young.

Things didn’t go as predicted, and Washington ended up trading both of its star defensive ends at the NFL trade deadline in October. The Commanders’ previous staff always wanted to lock up Sweat, but when the Chicago Bears offered what ended up being the No. 40 overall pick, it was too good of an offer to turn down.

Washington shipped Young to the 49ers for a pick at the end of the third round.

Now, the Commanders need help at edge rusher.

The good news for Washington is that it has plenty of cap room. According to Over the Cap, the Commanders have around $80 million in effective salary cap space.

While general manager Adam Peters has made it clear Washington will build through the draft, the Commanders have many needs and money to spend. According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler, the Commanders are “expected to be active in the edge rusher market.”

Graziano specifically mentions the Seahawks and Colts, along with Washington, as the three teams to watch. However, every NFL team is always looking for a pass rush. Danielle Hunter of the Minnesota Vikings is the top edge rusher, but don’t expect Washington to be in the mix for him.

Players to watch for the Commanders are Jonathan Greenard (Texans), Dorance Armstrong (Cowboys), Bryce Huff (Jets) and Dante Fowler Jr. (Cowboys). It wouldn’t be a shock if head coach Dan Quinn brings both of his former proteges from Dallas with him to Washington.

Peters and Quinn will be looking for the right fit for the Commanders, not necessarily the top of the market. That doesn’t just go for edge rushers, but other positions, too.

6 under-the-radar free agents Saints could target

6 under-the-radar free agents the New Orleans Saints could target on offense and defense:

The New Orleans Saints will have largely the same roster next year as they did last season, but will need to look around for some role players to replace those that are on the way out.

The Saints likely won’t be in on the big name targets such as defensive linemen Chris Jones, Justin Madubike or Josh Allen but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t options at more available price points.

Last year, they signed players like veteran safeties Jonathan Abram and Ugo Amadi that flew under the radar during free agency, but ended up making a bit of an impact and will likely stick around for another year.

Here are some under-the-radar options in this free agency class at some positions of need:

Cowboys already spending 13% of cap on depleted edge rusher group

The defense end group makes up a big portion of the teams salary cap and will only get pricier. | From @ArmyChiefW3

The defensive side of the ball for the Dallas Cowboys doesn’t boast the type of contract numbers dedicated to the offense. The large cap hits defensive ends command rings true, but the available options behind them are slim. A sneaky need for this team is that a counterpart opposite of star pass rusher Micah Parsons must be found.

But Dallas has been known to be frugal and overspending on a single position group doesn’t fit their approach to team building.

Dallas was built to put pressure on the quarterback to allow their ballhawk-type secondary to cash in on the disruption. No matter the changes this defense will undergo with Mike Zimmer taking the baton from Dan Quinn, applying pressure on the opposing quarterback is something all teams want to accomplish. The remaining pass-rush production behind Parsons needs attention, but at what cost?

Could Dan Quinn bring any free-agent Cowboys’ defenders to the Commanders?

Which Cowboys could Dan Quinn target in free agency?

Lots of cap space, a new head coach and a new general manager. Might this lead Dan Quinn to try to bring some Dallas Cowboys to the Commanders?

According to Spotrac.com, the Cowboys will have 14 free agents this offseason. It is not out of the realm of possibility to think there might be a couple of defensive players who, because they enjoyed playing for Quinn in Dallas, might like a change of scenery to again play under Quinn and, of course, obtain a pay increase.

Of those 14 Cowboy free agents, eight were on Quinn’s defense: CB Stephon Gilmore, DE Dorance Armstrong, SS Jayron Kearse, CB Jourdan Lewis, DE Dante Fowler, Jr, CB Noah Igbinoghene, DT Johnathan Hankins, DT Neville Gallimore.

The first name in the list that jumps out at me as a possibility is Fowler. His average annual value was only around $3M, he is age 29, and still displays an explosion on the edge to rush the passer. Fowler and Quinn were also together briefly at the University of Florida. In a rotational role (no starts) in 2023, Fowler contributed 4.0 sacks, 5 TFL and 7 QB hits.

Gilmore, who makes $10M and is now 33, may not be what GM Adam Peters has in mind when it comes to rebuilding the Commanders’ roster.

The other name that sparks interest to me is Armstrong. He is another DE who is younger (age 26), and he would also cost more money. His AAV was $6M, and at 6-4, 255, he is lean and can run down a quarterback. In 2023, Armstrong only made one start, yet he did contribute 7.5 sacks, 7 TFL, and 12 QB hits.

Remember Quinn’s introductory press conference last week? He pointed out that the Commanders are strong at defensive tackle. He certainly realizes they are going to need to probably sign an edge rusher and draft one as well.

The Commanders moved on from defensive ends Montez Sweat and Chase Young during the 2023 regular season, trading them to the Bears and 49ers respectively.