Tag: Frankie Luvu

Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu embraces the underdog mentality

Frankie Luvu has been an underdog his entire career, and continues to embrace that mentality heading into his first season with the Washington Commanders

Frankie Luvu may very well be the most underrated linebacker in the NFL, and is arguably the most underappreciated player in the league, period.

The veteran linebacker is heading into his seventh season in the NFL, and his first with the Washington Commanders after putting pen to paper on a three-year, $36 million dollar deal.

Speaking on his new contract, and new team, Luvu tells Touchdown Wire that the plans in store for him, as well as the overall outlook of the franchise, made Washington his ultimate destination.

“Just the opportunity and what they have planned for me,” Luvu said. “The culture. Talking to the coaching staff and everyone now that I’m here, I know they’ll know how to utilize me in every way in this defense.”

Luvu added that playing for new head coach and defensive guru Dan Quinn is something that he is very much looking forward to in this new endeavor with Washington.

“Man, I can’t wait,” Luvu said with an excited grin. “Everybody speaks highly of him, and rightfully so. You see what he’s done with the guys that he’s had over the last few seasons in Dallas, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but under his wing.”

Luvu isn’t the only linebacker Washington added to the middle of their defense, though. The Commanders signed future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner to play alongside Luvu — a move that has the former Carolina Panther very galvanized.

“Bobby is the epitome of what it means to be a linebacker in this league,” Luvu said. “How he walks in the building, his habits, how he takes care of his body, how he watches tape- what more can I ask for in a guy to come in and learn from? To pick his mind and better my mind, make myself better. Every day, we’re in the room competing, talking, and building that bond and chemistry, and it’s an absolute blessing to be in that room with him.”

Luvu spent the previous three years of his career with the Carolina Panthers. While there was constant turnover in terms of head coaches and quarterbacks, Luvu doesn’t have a bad word to say about his time in Charlotte.

“I can say I had a good time in Carolina,” Luvu said. “The relationships I built out there with all the coaches, all my teammates- I’ll always have love for them, as well as the organization and the city of Charlotte. I look at every year as a blessing. I had three years out there to build my name and build my brand. And because of that, I have new opportunities in Washington where I feel like the sky is the limit.”

Luvu has consistently been one of the league’s top off-ball linebackers. He finished last season in the top 25 in total tackles and once agin being one of PFF’s highest rated linebackers with an overall grade of 80. Despite his production, though, few seem to mention him in the same breath as the Fred Warners and Roquan Smiths of the NFL — something that Luvu himself says just adds more fuel to his fire.

“That’s just another chip on my shoulder, man,” Luvu said. “I came in undrafted and now I’m going into my seventh year in the league. I’ve been an underdog, doubted, counted out my whole life. That’s just the type of mentality I’ve had, and what’s got me this far. So when I see the headlines of ‘underrated linebacker,’ that’s just more wood to the fire for me.”

Not only is Luvu a perennial underdog, so too is his new squad. The Commanders haven’t won more than 10 games in a season since 1991, a streak that the Washington State product and the rest of the veterans on the team are hoping to break.

“I truly believe we’ve got a good squad,” Luvu said. “Having Bobby in there, Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, Jeremy Chinn. Plus on offense you bring in a guy like Austin Ekeler, who is one of those top guys at the running back position, Terry McLaurin- we have the guys. Now it’s just a matter of us being able to put it all together. Vets like myself and those names I just mentioned, we just have to lead from the front.”

The Commanders will all but certainly be riding the hand of a rookie quarterback this season, which will have its own set of built-in challenges. However, if the team can lean on their defensive stars and whomever their rookie quarterback is can make enough plays to win games, who’s to say they can’t have ride all the way to surprising the NFL with a playoff berth?

Commanders sign linebacker Mykal Walker

The Commanders add another linebacker.

The Washington Commanders kicked off their offseason program on Tuesday, and general manager Adam Peters is still making moves.

The Commanders signed veteran linebacker Mykal Walker on Tuesday, the third linebacker they’ve signed since free agency opened last month, joining Frankie Luvu and Bobby Wagner.

Walker, 26, was a fourth-round pick of the Atlanta Falcons in the 2020 NFL draft out of Fresno State. Washington head coach Dan Quinn was the Falcons head coach when they selected Walker.

After three seasons with the Falcons, the 6-foot-3, 232-pound Walker was released in August 2023. The Bears claimed Walker off waivers and released him two weeks later. From there, he signed with the Raiders and was placed on the practice squad. After one month with Las Vegas, Walker was released and signed by the Steelers.

Walker appeared in eight games for Pittsburgh last season, making five starts. He recorded 33 tackles, including two for loss.

Commanders to host Kentucky linebacker on top 30 visit

The Commanders plan to host talented and athletic Kentucky linebacker on a top-30 visit.

Three years ago, the Washington Commanders spent a first-round pick on Kentucky linebacker Jamin Davis. Shortly after the 2024 NFL draft, the Commanders must decide whether to pick up Davis’ fifth-year option for 2025.

Washington will likely decline the option, and for good reason. Davis has yet to show that he can consistently be an impact player. Of course, the previous coaching staff did him no favors in fairness to Davis. But some of that falls on Davis, too.

The Commanders signed two starting linebackers in free agency — Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu — which likely means a more specialized role for Davis in 2024.

Washington also shown an interest in linebackers in this month’s 2024 NFL draft. Coincidentally enough, one of those linebackers comes from the University of Kentucky. According to Pro Football Network, the Commanders will host linebacker Trevin Wallace on a top-30 visit.

We’ve mentioned a trend with how the Commanders use their top 30 visits. Washington is looking for players with elite traits. Wallace is 6-foot-1 and 237 pounds, but he is a phenomenal athlete. If you watch his highlights, you see a bit of Davis in him. Both lacked consistency during their college careers at Kentucky.

New head coach Dan Quinn can be trusted more to use players to their strengths. Wallace is a good blitzer and is excellent from sideline to sideline.

Panthers projected defensive depth chart heading into April

The Panthers defense looks quite different than it did compared to this time last offseason.

While the Carolina Panthers could have another move or two up their sleeve, (we’re looking at you, Stephon Gilmore), the major waves of free agency have crashed.

The hectic tides brought a ton of change for the team, especially on defense. Linebackers Brian Burns, Frankie Luvu and Yetur Gross-Matos, cornerback Donte Jackson and safeties Jeremy Chinn and Vonn Bell were amongst the many names that have now washed away.

But those waters also turned up some new and exciting ones.

So, as we head out of March and further towards the 2024 NFL draft, here is our projected defensive depth chart for the Panthers:

1st 2nd 3rd 4th
DE Derrick Brown LaBryan Ray
DT Shy Tuttle Nick Thurman
DE A’Shawn Robinson Raequan Williams
OLB Jadeveon Clowney K’Lavon Chaisson Amaré Barno Luiji Vilain
LB Shaq Thompson Chandler Wooten Claudin Cherelus
LB Josey Jewell Tae Davis
OLB D.J. Wonnum DJ Johnson
CB Jaycee Horn D’Shawn Jamison Lamar Jackson
CB Dane Jackson Dicaprio Bootle
SS Xavier Woods Jammie Robinson Sam Franklin Jr.
FS Jordan Fuller Nick Scott Alex Cook
NCB Troy Hill AJ Parker

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Commanders coach Dan Quinn on Bobby Wagner: ‘He’s all that I love about football’

Dan Quinn has been a massive Bobby Wagner fan for over a decade.

New Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn only spent two seasons with linebacker Bobby Wagner in Seattle. But those two seasons were in Wagner’s formative years (2013-14), and the future Hall of Fame linebacker left quite the impression on his former defensive coordinator.

Quinn left to become the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, while Wagner remained with Seattle for the next eight seasons. In 2022, the Seahawks released Wagner after 10 seasons. He suddenly became a sought-after free agent, despite his age and rarely ever leaving the field.

At this time, Quinn was the defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys and he wanted Wagner. However, Wagner signed with the Los Angeles Rams, where he was terrific again, making the Pro Bowl and was named a second-team All-Pro. Unfortunately, after the 2022 season, the Rams decided to shed salaries after a Super Bowl run and released Wagner.

Quinn tried to get the Cowboys to sign him again. He chose a return to Seattle.

Earlier this month, in free agency, Quinn finally got his man when Wagner signed a one-year deal with the Commanders. Wagner, who will turn 34 in June, remains one of the NFL’s best inside linebackers and leaders.

Wagner discussed his reasons for signing with Washington, which included Quinn.

“I think DQ (Dan Quinn) does an amazing job of just putting all the players in right positions, and you know, getting the best out of everybody,” Wagner said. “N’s (LB coach Ken Norton) one of my favorite coaches of all time, so that was enough for me.”

This week, Quinn was a guest on Moving the Chains on SiriusXM NFL Radio and discussed the Commanders signing Wagner.

“He’s all that I love about football,” Quinn said. “Like, he’s a tackler; he’s aggressive; he’s tough; he’s smart; he takes care of himself. And, so, what I’m hopeful to see — and I’m certain it’ll happen — he’s a multiplier. Wags is. Because this is how the standard is, this is how I operate, this is a process to go through. If you were a young linebacker being around somebody, this is the exact type of linebacker you’d want to be around. A defensive ballplayer in that instance. Seeing that standard of how we operate. I thought that was really important, and so that’s why I’m so lit up about getting him here.”

Quinn said he’s coached against Wagner a lot and how the offense would always need to game plan around Wagner.

The Commanders have struggled to find consistent linebacker play for years. The previous regime ignored the position, but Quinn and general manager Adam Peters quickly changed that, signing Wagner and former Panthers LB Frankie Luvu. Wagner may not be the same player he was five years ago, but he remains one of the best. His presence in 2024 will be as impactful for Washington in the offseason and on the practice field as it will be on the field in the fall.

 

Commanders have made no decision on LB Jamin Davis’ 5th-year option

Washington has yet to make a decision on LB Jamin Davis, although it looks fairly obvious.

The Washington Commanders have until after next month’s 2024 NFL draft to decide whether to exercise linebacker Jamin Davis’ fifth-year option for 2025.

According to general manager Adam Peters, he and head coach Dan Quinn have yet to decide on Davis.

In reality, what was he supposed to say? If the deadline was this week, there is no way that Washington picks up Davis’ fifth-year option. And nothing can change from now until after the draft to change their minds.

Through three NFL seasons, Davis, the No. 19 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, has yet to play up to his status as a first-round pick. After initially selecting Davis to be a middle linebacker, Washington’s former staff quickly realized he was a better fit on the outside.

Davis has had his share of moments. He’s improved each season, with his best season coming in 2023. Davis had his first career interception and forced two fumbles last season. However, new GM Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn went into free agency with the goal of improving at linebacker. The Commanders signed Frankie Luvu and Bobby Wagner, both of whom will start.

That tells you where they are with Davis — for now. If Washington doesn’t pick up the fifth-year option, that doesn’t mean he’s not included in its plans. The 2024 season is a turning point for Davis. Coaching was a real issue for all of Washington’s defensive players in recent years. That will not be an excuse moving forward. Quinn will determine what Davis does best and put him in a position to succeed.

The rest is up to Davis.

Commanders have the 11th-most expensive defense in 2024

Adam Peters is slowly reshaping the NFL’s worst defense.

The Washington Commanders entered free agency with over $90 million in available salary cap space. Washington general manager Adam Peters had some money to spend but several holes to fill on both sides of the ball.

Early in free agency, Peters aggressively filled some of the Commanders’ needs on the offensive line, at linebacker and edge rusher. He even worked to shore up Washington’s special teams by signing a new kicker and long snapper.

However, Peters spent wisely across the board. There were no record-setting deals that reset the market at their respective positions. Instead, Peters and head coach Dan Quinn worked to improve the 2024 roster while remaining flexible in 2025 and beyond.

On Saturday, we looked at Washington’s offensive spending for 2024. Currently, the Commanders have the fifth-cheapest offensive roster for next season. That will change after the 2024 NFL draft when Washington likely selects a quarterback at No. 2 overall.

But what has Washington done to improve the defense?

Per Over the Cap, the Commanders have the 11th-most expensive defense in 2024. Washington has significant money tied up in defensive tackles Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen. Also, linebacker Jamin Davis and cornerback Emmanuel Forbes are on first-round contracts.

To improve the NFL’s worst defense, Peters signed linebackers Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu — both will start. At edge rusher, the Commanders signed Dorance Armstrong, Dante Fowler Jr. and Clelin Ferrell. Armstrong signed a three-year deal, while Fowler and Ferrell agreed to one-year pacts. Washington also re-signed defensive end Efe Obada.

Washington has almost $106 million committed to the defense in 2024. The Pittsburgh Steelers have the NFL’s most expensive defense ($160.3 million) but the NFL’s cheapest offense ($64.8 million). The Commanders currently have $82.8 million committed to the offense thus far for 2024.

Wagner ($6.5 million), Armstrong ($4.9 million), safety Jeremy Chinn ($3.9 million) and Luvu ($3.9 million) have four of Washington’s top 12 cap hits for 2024.

Payne ($21.6 million) and Allen ($21.4 million) have the second and third-highest cap hits for 2024 behind wide receiver Terry McLaurin.

Commanders among the NFL’s most improved teams after first wave of free agency

Washington was named as one of the NFL’s most improved teams through the early stages of free agency.

The Washington Commanders entered free agency with at least 27 free agents, plenty of roster holes, but the most salary cap room in the NFL.

How would new general manager Adam Peters approach free agency?

Peters gave some hints ahead of free agency that the Commanders would always prefer to build the roster via the NFL draft and use free agency to supplement the roster.

On the first day of the legal tampering period ahead of free agency, Washington agreed to terms with six players. The Commanders remained busy, signing several more players last week, including future Hall of Fame linebacker Bobby Wagner. Since Sunday, Washington has signed three cornerbacks to add depth after Kendall Fuller’s departure.

Much of Peters’ strategy was to sign players with ties to new head coach Dan Quinn and his coaching staff to raise Washington’s floor in 2024 without sacrificing future cap flexibility.

Mission accomplished. The Commanders will be better in 2024. They’ve filled numerous holes that will allow them to use the 2024 NFL draft to focus on adding the best player available. Washington holds nine picks in next month’s draft, including six of the top 100.

How much better is Washington now compared to the end of the season? That’s difficult to say, but it was a low bar. The Commanders were 4-13 last season.

Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated recently named his most improved teams after the first week of free agency. Manzano had eight teams on the list, with Washington coming in at No. 6.

The teams that make the most noise in free agency often regret the spring shopping spree come fall. Perhaps the Commanders have found the right formula for spending in free agency after many of their signings went unnoticed.

The additions of Armstrong and Luvu are two of many smart, savvy signings the Commanders had last week. Their presence will help one of the worst defenses in the league, and it didn’t require the team to overspend on the open market. Armstrong, the former underrated Cowboys edge rusher, agreed to a three-year, $45 million contract. Luvu, the former versatile playmaker of the Panthers, agreed to a three-year, $36 million contract.

Washington also added (Clelin) Ferrell, Wagner and (Jeremy) Chinn on one-year deals. New coach Dan Quinn now has the talent to improve the defense without the team having to make long-term commitments. The incoming rookie quarterback—the Commanders have the No. 2 pick in the draft—could have a decent surrounding with the arrivals of Ekeler, Allegretti and Biadasz.

Comparing Washington’s “shopping spree” to some of the others in recent years isn’t a fair comparison. The Commanders didn’t shop at the top of the market for anyone. Armstrong and Luvu received nice three-year deals but were hardly market-setting contracts.

Peters can now focus on continuing to add depth and find Washington’s quarterback of the future next month.

LOOK: New Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu is switching to a single-digit number

No. 4 looks good on Luvu.

In his three seasons with the Carolina Panthers, new Washington linebacker Frankie Luvu wore the No. 49 jersey. Upon signing with the Commanders, that number was off-limits, as it is retired as the number of the legendary Bobby Mitchell.

So, would Luvu return to the No. 50 he wore with the New York Jets when he first entered the NFL?

We have our answer. Per Washington’s X page, Luvu will wear No. 4 in 2024. The No. 4 jersey was worn by wide receiver Curtis Samuel in 2023, but Samuel departed in free agency. From 2020-22, quarterback Taylor Heinicke donned the No. 4.

While it may take some getting used to, the No. 4 looks pretty slick on Luvu.

Before 2021, Luvu would’ve had to wear a more traditional linebacker number. However, the NFL relaxed those rules, allowing more flexibility for jersey numbers.

Washington’s signing of Luvu has been praised around the NFL, as many believe his football is still ahead of him.

Commanders signing linebacker Frankie Luvu named one of the NFL offseason’s top 10 moves

More praise for new Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu.

In four seasons as head coach of the Washington Commanders, Ron Rivera never could figure out the linebacker position. Whether it was his refusal to invest in the position in free agency or just choosing the wrong players, the position was a significant weakness for Washington.

In three days last week, new general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn did more to address the position than in Rivera’s entire tenure.

The Commanders signed former Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu to a three-year deal and followed that up by landing future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner. Wagner may be entering his 12th season in 2024, but he proved he has plenty left in the tank last season.

Luvu is coming off his best two seasons and, at 27, is an ascending player. He fits everything that Peters, Quinn, and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. describe as players they wanted to build around.

Luvu’s signing has been touted as one of the more underrated moves of the offseason. Cody Benjamin of CBS took that a step further, calling Luvu’s signing one of the 10 best moves of the offseason thus far.

Bobby Wagner is the bigger name joining new coach Dan Quinn’s defense in Washington, but Luvu has the makeup of a real building block. The former Carolina Panthers standout is going on 28 but appears to be just entering his prime, emerging as a fast, physical, downhill pocket disruptor. He’s got the potential to be a tone-setter for a franchise in transition.

Washington fans will love Luvu, and don’t be surprised if he’s a popular jersey among fans next season.