Does Marcus Mariota signing suggest Commanders will take Jayden Daniels?

Does the expected signing of Mariota give us a clue about the Commanders’ plan at No. 2?

The Washington Commanders added a veteran quarterback on Tuesday, agreeing to terms on a one-year deal with Marcus Mariota.

No big deal, right?

Mariota joins a roster that features 2023 starter Sam Howell (entering his third season) and Jake Fromm. Washington is widely expected to take a quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, and Mariota’s signing could give us an indication of which way the Commanders are leaning.

Mariota, like LSU quarterback Daniels, is a former Heisman Trophy winner. Mariota won the award in 2014 for his ability as a dual-threat passer for Oregon. Daniels won it in 2023, passing for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns, only four interceptions and rushing for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Does this tell us that GM Adam Peters, head coach Dan Quinn and new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury already have a preference?

Daniels is a far more advanced passer than Mariota was at any time. However, Kingsbury made it clear how important mobility is for the quarterback position.

Signing Mariota doesn’t necessarily mean Washington wants Daniels over Drake Maye. And here’s another thing that’s often lost: Drake Maye is exceptionally athletic, too.

On Monday, it was revealed the Commanders were checking in on Sam Darnold as a potential veteran option. Darnold is not known for his mobility. He eventually signed with the Vikings for a chance to start.

While on the surface, it would appear that Mariota’s signing would mean Washington is leaning toward Daniels, that’s far from a certainty. Several NFL teams don’t need the backup quarterback’s skills to mirror the starting quarterback. The Commanders aren’t running an option offense. Daniels and Maye are both passers first who can run.

So while it’s easy to draw in the blanks and think Mariota automatically means Daniels is coming to Washington, slow down. There’s a long way to go until the first round of next month’s 2024 NFL draft.

The more immediate thought is, what does this mean for Howell?

 

Commanders place multiple starters on IR ahead of Week 17

The Commanders made a host of moves Saturday, including ending the seasons of LT Charles Leno Jr and C Tyler Larsen.

The Washington Commanders ruled out multiple starters for Sunday’s Week 17 game against the San Francisco 49ers. Left tackle Charles Leno Jr., center Tyler Larsen, safety Percy Butler, cornerbacks Kendall Fuller and Benjamin St-Juste will all miss Sunday’s game.

On Saturday, Washington ended the seasons of Leno, Larsen and Butler by placing all three players on injured reserve. That means Cornelius Lucas will start at left tackle, Nick Gates at center and Terrell Burgess will likely replace Butler. With so many injuries in the secondary for the game against San Francisco, the Commanders elevated two defensive backs from the practice squad for Week 17.

Safety Sean Chandler and cornerback Nick Whiteside II will provide depth behind Quan Martin, Emmanuel Forbes, Kam Curl, Burgess and Tariq Castro-Fields. Castro-Fields has yet to play a defensive snap this season.

The Commanders also promoted long-snapper Tucker Addington, which was the plan when they signed him after releasing Camaron Cheeseman. And with the uncertainty surrounding quarterback Jacoby Brissett, Jake Fromm will be active for the first time this season.

In another move, offensive tackle Alex Akingbulu was signed from the practice squad to give Washington depth in Leno’s absence.

The 49ers are one of the NFL’s best teams, so things could get ugly in Landover on Sunday.

 

Matthew Stafford joked about getting ‘the old man treatment’ from fellow former Georgia QB Jake Fromm in meeting

Time waits for no former Georgia Bulldog, including Matthew Stafford.

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has officially entered the “I watched you play when I was a kid!” phase of his career.

After saying hello to former Georgia and now Washington Commanders quarterback Jake Fromm, Stafford joked about Fromm telling him that he grew up watching the Rams quarterback play football for the Bulldogs.

Fromm played at Georgia from 2017-19, which is about a decade after Stafford played at the school (2006-08). Stafford is also a decade (35) older than Fromm (25) is, and that’s a great reason for how Fromm could’ve watched Stafford while he was growing up.

For Stafford, it’s a tough-yet-hilarious reminder about the passage of time and how much younger some of the players are in the NFL at this point in his career.

You just never know who you’re going to meet on game day, and Stafford got to say hello to one of his successors with the Bulldogs, one who he inspired during his 2000s playing days in Athens.

It’s a really cool interaction, and a sign of the times, too.

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Behind Enemy Lines: Week 7 Q&A with Commanders Wire

With a Week 7 matchup between the New York Giants and Washington Commanders on tap, we go behind enemy lines for a chat with Commanders Wire.

The New York Giants (1-5) and Washington Commanders (3-3) will square off on Sunday afternoon in a Week 7 matchup at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The Giants opened the week as 1.5-point home underdogs but that has only gotten worse since then. They are +3 as of this writing.

With this matchup on tap, Giants Wire took the opportunity to hold a Q&A with Commanders Wire managing editor Bryan Manning.

Former Georgia QB Jake Fromm takes spot on Commanders’ practice squad

Fromm is staying in Washington after being released earlier this week…

The Washington Commanders signed former Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm to their practice squad following his release this week.

Fromm was expected to make an NFL roster after a productive preseason competing with veteran Jacoby Brissett for the backup role behind starter Sam Howell.

Fromm completed 13-of-18 passes for 144 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in Washington’s 21-19 win over Cincinnati in the final preseason matchup.

The highlight of Fromm’s preseason came in a comeback win that snapped the Baltimore Ravens’ preseason winning streak in Week 2. Fromm finished 10-of-16 passing for 91 yards and a touchdown.

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Fromm could have a long pro career if he keeps producing when given opportunities.

Commanders announced 15 players signed to the practice squad

Jake Fromm, Mason Brooks and Kazmeir Allen are among those back.

The Washington Commanders wasted no time in formulating their practice squad Wednesday, announcing they had signed 15 players. Teams can have 16 players on the practice squad, so the Commanders have an open spot. However, that opening is expected to go to linebacker Jabril Cox, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys, per Mike Garofolo of the NFL Network.

For those worrying about Washington losing quarterback Jake Fromm or rookie wide receiver Kazmeir Allen, both are back on the practice squad. Fromm had an excellent preseason and will be Washington’s third quarterback.

Allen, an undrafted rookie from UCLA, was a running back in college before moving to wide receiver in his final season. He proved to be an electric kick returner in college but had no experience returning punts. Washington tried him at returning punts, and while he showed promise, he muffed a punt in the preseason finale.

Of the 15 players announced, all were with the Commanders in training camp and the preseason.

Here is the complete list:

  • QB Jake Fromm
  • RB Derrick Gore
  • RB/TE Alex Armah
  • WR Kazmeir Allen
  • WR Brycen Tremayne
  • G Mason Brooks
  • G/C Nolan Laufenberg
  • T Alex Akingbulu
  • T Jaryd Jones-Smith
  • DE William Bradley-King
  • DT Benning Potoa’e
  • LB De’Jon Harris
  • CB Nick Whiteside
  • CB Tariq Castro-Fields
  • S Terrell Burgess

Commanders 2023 practice squad tracker

Keep up with all of the Commanders’ practice squad additions here.

The Washington Commanders’ initial 53-man roster is set. But, as general manager Martin Mayhew said on Tuesday, it is “very fluid.”

There will be changes. Some due to waivers, some due to injuries and some due to re-signing veterans.

Which players could the Commanders bring back to the practice squad? Head coach Ron Rivera said most players released on Tuesday were candidates to return to the practice squad, whereas those released on Monday were less likely to be brought back.

Players such as quarterback Jake Fromm, running back Derrick Gore and wide receiver Kazmeir Allen are prime candidates to return if not claimed by another NFL team.

Track all of Washington’s practice squad additions below.

8 takeaways from Commanders’ initial 53-man roster

7 wide receivers? 11 defensive linemen? Some takeaways on the Commanders’ initial 53-man roster.

The Washington Commanders were busy trimming their roster from 90 to 53 players over the last two days. Washington released 12 players on Monday and placed rookie offensive tackle Braeden Daniels on the reserve/injured list with a torn rotator cuff.

On Tuesday, Washington continued making moves and announced its initial 53-man roster before the 4:00 p.m. ET deadline. There weren’t many surprises for the Commanders, but some things did stand out.

Before we offer our thoughts on the first 53-man roster of the 2023 season, let’s stress again that it is the initial roster, and general manager Martin Mayhew called it “very fluid” right now.

Here are six takeaways from the Commanders’ initial 53-man roster.

Commanders release QB Jake Fromm

Fromm is likely headed to Washington’s practice squad.

Quarterback Jake Fromm had a good preseason for the Washington Commanders. Unfortunately for him, it wasn’t enough to earn a spot on the 53-man roster.

The Commanders released Fromm before Tuesday’s deadline to trim NFL rosters from 90 to 53 players. The move was not a surprise despite Fromm’s strong preseason. Washington was always likely to keep just two quarterbacks — starter Sam Howell and veteran backup Jacoby Brissett.

Fromm, who originally signed with Washington’s practice squad last October, signed a reserve/futures contract in January. He is a prime candidate for the Commanders to sign to the practice when he clears waivers on Wednesday.

Could another team claim Fromm? Sure, but it appears doubtful as most teams’ quarterback situations are finalized, or they have someone like Fromm who can be added as the third quarterback or signed to the practice squad.

Fromm, a fifth-round pick of the Buffalo Bills in the 2020 NFL draft, has spent time with the Bills and New York Giants before signing with Washington. He appeared in three games for the Giants, with two starts, in 2021.

Fromm showed command of offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s offense throughout the preseason.

 

Washington Commanders release former Georgia QB Jake Fromm

Fromm should find a spot on an NFL roster after a productive preseason…

The Washington Commanders released quarterback Jake Fromm on Tuesday after a productive preseason by the former Georgia signal caller, per NFL insider Ian Rapoport.

Fromm completed 13-of-18 passes for 144 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in Washington’s 21-19 win over Cincinnati in the final preseason matchup.

The highlight of Fromm’s preseason came in a comeback win that snapped the Baltimore Ravens’ historic preseason winning streak in Week 2. Fromm finished 10-of-16 passing for 91 yards and a touchdown.

Washington seems content with starter Sam Howell and veteran backup Jacoby Brissett. Releasing Fromm still gives the Commanders the option to re-sign him to the practice squad.

Whether Fromm stays in Washington or not is unknown, but he did enough this preseason to earn a spot on an NFL roster.

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