Tag: Montez Sweat

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.

Bears 2024 minicamp Day 2: Cole Kmet, Braxton Jones held out of practice

The Bears completed their second minicamp practice, but two starters on offense did not participate.

Day 2 of mandatory minicamp is in the books for the Chicago Bears, and a few prominent veterans on offense who were out there on Tuesday did not practice on Wednesday.

Tight end Cole Kmet and offensive tackle Braxton Jones were held out of practice on Wednesday. Other players who did not participate include wide receivers Tyler Scott and Dante Pettis and offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie, according to NBC Sports Chicago’s Josh Schrock.

Though Kmet and Jones did not practice, head coach Matt Eberflus said there was no cause for concern as both players were held out for precautionary reasons. “Today, you saw that Cole and Braxton didn’t practice; again, that’s just precautionary,” Eberflus told reporters after practice. “When guys feel a certain way, certain thing, they get with the trainers; just work on that so they can get ready for summer conditioning because that’s coming up here pretty shortly.”

According to CHGO’s Adam Hoge, Kmet got banged up during Tuesday’s practice but still finished the session. Kmet made a nice leaping catch in the middle of the field on a pass from quarterback Caleb Williams during that practice.

Though some players were out, there was good news regarding defensive end Montez Sweat and guard Nate Davis. Both players returned to team drills after they sat out during Tuesday’s practice.

The Bears have just one more day of minicamp before they depart Halas Hall for an extended period of time.

Bears 2024 minicamp: Montez Sweat not practicing in team drills on Day 1

The Bears had perfect attendance to start their mandatory minicamp, but not everyone took part in practice.

The Chicago Bears began their mandatory minicamp on Monday by hitting the field for their first of three practices this week at Halas Hall. The team had perfect attendance, which included the return of veterans such as wide receiver Keenan Allen and cornerback Jaylon Johnson. But not everyone was able to participate on the practice field.

Defensive end Montez Sweat, who also missed voluntary workouts, did not take part in team practice. Fortunately, he was held out only as a precautionary measure as the team evaluates his conditioning level.

“We are checking on Sweat a little bit because we haven’t seen him in physical activity,” head coach Matt Eberflus told the media after practice. “He was in the building for the other stuff, but he’ll hopefully ramp up tomorrow and get some more team reps in there as we go.”

It sure sounds like the Pro Bowl defensive end will be on the field sooner rather than later and that there are no lingering issues that would prevent him from taking part in team drills. The same can’t be said for guard Nate Davis, however.

Davis was the other non-participant on Tuesday, who also did not participate during OTAs either. There was no reason given for his absence.

The Bears will be back on the field Wednesday and Thursday before they take one final break prior to training camp.

Bears OTAs: Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, Jaquan Brisker among players absent for Friday’s practice

The Bears held their sixth and final OTA practice on Friday. Here are the players who were not present or did not practice.

The Chicago Bears wrapped up their sixth and final day of voluntary organized team activities (OTAs) on Friday. It was the second practice open to the media, giving those in attendance a chance to see how the team has improved from last week. As is the case for voluntary practices, though, there were a few notable players absent from Friday’s session—including much of the starting secondary.

Cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon and safeties Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard were not present. Wide receiver Keenan Allen and defensive end Montez Sweat, who missed last Thursday’s practice, were also absent once again.

Meanwhile, guard Nate Davis, defensive end DeMarcus Walker, and linebacker TJ Edwards were at practice but did not participate. Guard Teven Jenkins did not participate in team drills, according to NBC Sports Chicago’s Josh Schrock.

With much of the starting secondary missing, the offense was able to capitalize with a strong practice. According to The Athletic’s Adam Jahns, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams completed 13 of 15 passes in 7-on-7 against the first-string defense. It was a strong day for the young signal caller, as he was able to bounce back from a rough outing last week.

As for why players like Johnson and Gordon were absent, head coach Matt Eberflus declined to go into specifics, but it is worth noting that Johnson has a charity outing for his foundation, “Kevvy’s Vision,” this weekend in California, per The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain. Eberflus expects everyone to be back next week, however, when mandatory minicamp gets underway. Those practices take place June 4–6.

Montez Sweat is huge key to Bears’ defensive success in 2024

The Bears have a lot invested in Montez Sweat, and he’ll once again be key to the defense’s success in 2024.

The Chicago Bears are going to have a great season if a lot of things on offense go right for them. They have a new quarterback and tons of new weapons for him to utilize. 

The excitement is warranted, but they also need their defense to rise to the occasion if they want to compete for the playoffs. It probably needs to be better than above average if they want their season to end in the postseason. 

Last season, they struggled during the first half of the 2023 season. Like the entire team, they got better as the year went along. There is one point, however, that you can point to as the turning point of the defense’s late success.

That moment is when they made a trade with the Washington Commanders for defensive end Montez Sweat, who made an immediate impact with Chicago.

The Bears immediately signed him to a mega extension to lock in a cornerstone piece on defense for the future. He had a career year with 12.5 sacks and 63 pressures, earning his first Pro Bowl nod. Sweat led both the Bears (6.0) and Commanders (6.5) in sacks.

Nobody is more important to the defense this season than Sweat. If he plays at the top of his game and is healthy, they should be able to be a great unit all around. 

General manager Ryan Poles has some good pieces around Sweat but may not be done. They could use another pass rusher, but they are in a good spot for now. If the offense lives up to the hype, and the defense does their job, Chicago has a good football team to watch in the fall. 

Bears OTAs: Keenan Allen, Montez Sweat among those not participating

A few Bears players were not present at Thursday’s OTAs, including Keenan Allen and Montez Sweat.

The Chicago Bears hit the field on Thursday for their third organized team activity (OTA) practice, but it was the first one open to the media, and a few prominent players were absent from the practice field. Wide receiver Keenan Allen, defensive end Montez Sweat, tackle Darnell Wright, guard Nate Davis, and wide receiver Velus Jones were not present. Rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze was in attendance but was not practicing due to a hamstring injury he suffered during rookie minicamp.

Missing two starting wide receivers and the entire right side of the offensive line might have played a role in the offense’s struggles throughout practice. Quarterback Caleb Williams was not sharp on Thursday, missing numerous passes and holding onto the ball too long, according to CHGO’s Nicholas Moreano. Head coach Matt Eberflus isn’t concerned with the attendance, however, and notes that everyone has been in the building at some point during the voluntary offseason program.

Thursday’s practice is the last one for the Bears this week. They will return to Halas Hall on Tuesday, May 28th.

 

NFL reinstates Commanders DE Shaka Toney after suspension

Toney was a seventh-round pick in 2021 and returns to a completely different team.

You can add one more name to the mix at defensive end for the Washington Commanders in 2024. The NFL reinstated five players who were suspended indefinitely last year for violating the gambling policy, and one of those players was Washington edge rusher Shaka Toney.

Things have changed dramatically since the last time Toney was in Ashburn. The 26-year-old was a 2021 seventh-round pick out of Penn State who appeared in 26 games with one start, recording 16 tackles and 1.5 sacks from 2021-22.

Toney was suspended on April 21 last year. Since then, Washington has added a new draft class, a new owner, a new GM, a new coaching staff, and over 30 new teammates.

The defensive end room is completely changed, and Efe Obada is the only familiar face from Toney’s previous time in Washington. Gone are Chase Young, Montez Sweat, James Smith-Williams and Casey Toohill. In are K.J. Henry, Andre Jones Jr., Dorance Armstrong, Dante Fowler Jr. and Clelin Ferrell.

Toney faces long odds making the roster, with the Commanders also likely to add a pass rusher in next week’s NFL draft.

Montez Sweat predicts breakout year for Bears teammate Gervon Dexter

Bears DE Montez Sweat believes DT Gervon Dexter is “gonna jump out on on the scene” this year.

There are high expectations surrounding the Chicago Bears defense, which had a strong finish to the 2023 season. Now, they have the potential to be a top-five defense in the NFL.

Chicago has an ascending secondary returning All-Pro cornerback Jaylon Johnson, a top linebacker duo with T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds and a star edge rusher in Montez Sweat. And there are some young players on the roster looking to take a step forward this season.

Sweat recently appeared on the Green Light Podcast with Chris Long, where he had high praise for defensive tackle Gervon Dexter, even going so far to predict a breakout season for last year’s second-round rookie.

“You’re gonna see man. He’s pretty good,” Sweat said about Dexter. “I feel like he’s still just kind of unlocking himself and being himself. And I think that’s gonna really flourish this year, but he’s a really talented kid. He’s one of those quick [defensive] tackles and was strong as hell. It’s really is really a sight to see. But yeah, he’s gonna jump out on on the scene for sure.”

The Bears selected Dexter in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft, and he showed signs of his potential during his rookie season. While it took him some time to adjust to the pros, his improvement was notable with the more reps he saw. Dexter totaled 20 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 12 QB hits and two pass breakups in 17 games with one start.

With Justin Jones exiting in free agency, Chicago has a starting job to fill at three-technique. Dexter is the favorite to assume the role, especially given the Bears haven’t made a move to fill that vacant spot yet. We’ll see if Dexter can take the next step forward in Year 2.

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Chicago Bears defensive end Montez Sweat discusses Caleb Williams

Montez Sweat and Caleb Williams are about to be teammates on the Bears. There’s a lot of excitement in Chicago.

Montez Sweat hopes to join Caleb Williams for a Chicago Bears NFL playoff push in 2024. Sweat recently discussed Williams and other topics in an offseason conversation you can see in the video below. Bears Wire had this to say about Montez Sweat and the Bears’ 2024 defense:

“The Bears defense got off to a brutal start in 2023, but following the acquisition of defensive end Montez Sweat and under play caller Matt Eberflus, the unit was one of the NFL’s best in the final seven weeks of the season. Now, that unit returns — near fully in tact — with the chance to add a couple of other contributors in the NFL draft. Chicago’s secondary is sound, including the return of cornerback Jaylon Johnson, the veteran addition of safety Kevin Byard and plenty of young talent in safety Jaquan Brisker and cornerbacks Kyler Gordon and Tyrique Stevenson. The linebacker corp is also solid with T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds. The defensive line is the main concern outside of Sweat and Andrew Billings.”

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Montez Sweat strongly preferred Washington’s old name

Montez Sweat liked old name, embarrassed by “Commanders” name.

The Washington Redskins selected Montez Sweat in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft. On Oct. 31, 2023, the Washington Commanders traded Sweat to the Chicago Bears for a 2024 second-round pick.

In Sweat’s five seasons with the team, Washington had three different team names because former owner Dan Snyder was forced to sell in the summer of 2020: Redskins, Football Team and Commanders.

In Tuesday’s episode of the “Green Light” podcast with Chris Long, Sweat was asked about Washington’s various names.

He clearly preferred the “Redskins” moniker.

While Sweat is no longer on the team, having signed a lucrative four-year extension with the Bears, he will endear himself to many Washington fans due to his preference for the old name.

As for the new name, Sweat said he was “embarrassed” when he first heard it.

“Oh my god, when I heard that, bro, I was embarrassed,” Sweat said. “I was so embarrassed that when people asked who I played for, I said Washington.”

Several Washington fans would agree with him.

Sweat appeared in 67 games for Washington, recording 222 tackles, including 47 for loss, 35.5 sacks and 10 forced fumbles.