Tag: NFL Offseason

Rams lead NFL with 15 rookies on 53-man roster

The Rams have an NFL-high 17 total rookies on the team, 15 of which are on the 53-man roster

If you watched the Los Angeles Rams last season, you would know the team was very young with a bevy of unproven talent scattered all over the field. Last season, the Rams had rookie starters on both sides of the football and, to the surprise of many, those rookies blossomed. Fast-forward to this season and it appears the Rams are looking to replicate the success they’ve had via the draft and undrafted free agency.

This season, the Rams will feature a whopping 15 rookies on the active roster, with two additional rookies on IR (KT Leveston and Anthony Goodlow). For reference, the team with the second-most rookies on the roster is the Las Vegas Raiders, as they’ll have 10 rookies on the active roster and five on IR.

The Commanders are third with 14 total rookies on the roster.

Sean McVay and Les Snead have proven time and time again that they’re among the best in the NFL when it comes to identifying talent. Rookies from last year such as Puka Nacua, Kobie Turner, Steve Avila, and Byron Young proved experience may not be as important as some may have initially believed.

This season will feature much of the same, as rookies Jared Verse, Braden Fiske, Blake Corum, and Omar Speights will be expected to have an impact immediately. Even Jordan Whittington, a sixth-round pick, could see action in what’s become one of the deepest receiving rooms in the NFL. Kicker Joshua Karty was also a sixth-round pick.

The Rams have become trendsetters in the league, from never playing key players in the preseason to completely disregarding the importance of a first-round pick. It seems as though the Rams have found a new formula they’re going to roll out for a second trial when it comes to utilizing rookie talent, and it may not be long before the rest of the NFL tries to replicate this formula.

Commanders announce several moves, including promotions

Doug Williams has a new role, too.

It’s been a busy offseason for the Washington Commanders. It all began on Jan. 8, when owner Josh Harris fired head coach Ron Rivera. Within a week, Harris hired general manager Adam Peters to start a new era.

Next came the hiring of head coach Dan Quinn, who hired an impressive coaching staff. Peters essentially left the front office intact, except for hiring Lance Newmark away from the Detroit Lions as his new assistant general manager.

The lack of front-office movement was no surprise, considering every NFL team was in the middle of draft preparation. Scouts and executives usually have contracts that run through the NFL draft, meaning that type of movement is reserved for after the draft.

Once the draft ended and the calendar turned to May, Peters began making moves to shape the front office in his vision. Several former executives and scouts were allowed to depart, and Peters replaced them with qualified and respected candidates from across the NFL.

On Tuesday, the most newsworthy item was Washington and vice president of football strategy Eugene Shen parting ways. Shen was hired in October to lead Washington’s analytics program under Harris. However, Peters hired Brandon Sosna away from Detroit last month as the new senior vice president of football operations. Sosna will lead the analytics department.

The Commanders and Shen parted on amicable terms and it appears as if he could be moving into another role for Harris Blitzer Sports Entertainment.

Several in the organization received promotions, including Sean DeBarbieri to vice president of football communications. Rob Rogers, who was Washington’s chief contract negotiator, goes from senior vice president of football administration to VP of football administration. Rogers will likely report to Sosna and, of course, Peters.

Also, team legend Doug Williams, who has held several different roles in the organization since his return to the front office in 2014, is now a senior advisor to Peters and not team president Jason Wright. Peters mentioned Williams specifically after the draft

Under former coach Ron Rivera, Williams was removed from the personnel department in 2020, a move Peters reversed.

Here’s a look at the new moves the Commanders announced on Tuesday.

Washington Commanders

Tiering all 32 teams (including the Texans) by offseason grades given by ESPN

ESPN’s Seth Walder wasn’t too keen on the Houston Texans offseason, but what did he think of the other 31 team’s efforts?

The NFL offseason has hit its dry period as the Houston Texans, plus every other team, are taking a hiatus until training camp rolls around.

This is the time of the offseason when we get bigger think-pieces from outlets like ESPN to fill in the void and to kill time. One of those pieces was released by Seth Walder of ESPN, where he graded the offseason moves of all 32 teams in the NFL. Walder gave the Browns a less-than-ideal grade compared to other outlets but what did he think of the rest of the NFL?

In this piece, all 32 NFL teams are broken into grades given out by Walder, and yes, this goes by actual grade from A to D-. What grade did he give the Texans and what tier did they fall into?

  • Philadelphia Eagles
  • Kansas City Chiefs
  • Los Angeles Chargers
  • Miami Dolphins
  • New England Patriots
  • Cleveland Browns
  • Chicago Bears
  • Indianapolis Colts
  • New York Jets
  • Baltimore Ravens
  • Cincinnati Bengals
  • Pittsburgh Steelers
  • San Francisco 49ers
  • Seattle Seahawks
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • Tennessee Titans
  • Carolina Panthers
  • Denver Broncos
  • Green Bay Packers
  • Houston Texans
  • Los Angeles Rams
  • Arizona Cardinals
  • Buffalo Bills
  • Jacksonville Jaguars
  • New York Giants
  • Washington Commanders
  • Detroit Lions
  • Atlanta Falcons
  • Minnesota Vikings
  • Dallas Cowboys
  • Las Vegas Raiders
  • New Orleans Saints

NFL announces key dates for 2025 draft, start of free agency

The Saints will have some high-profile free agents in 2025 like Paulson Adebo and Rashid Shaheed. The NFL just announced when they could hit the market:

Yes, 2025 is still a long ways away — but it’s important to keep an eye on the future. That’s how the New Orleans Saints operate, and so does every other NFL team. The league office announced key dates for the 2025 offseason this week, highlighting the 2025 NFL draft and the start of free agency.

Here’s what we learned:

  • Feb. 18 to March 4: This is the window for teams to use the franchise tag (or the less-common transition tag).
  • March 12: This is the start of the new league year and free agency signing period.
  • April 24-26: The three-day 2025 NFL draft, which will be held in Green Bay.

We can infer some other things, like the real start of free agency being March 10. That’s when the legal tampering period opens, where teams court free agents and discuss contracts, but deals may only be agreed to, not signed. Every year a couple of players renege on those handshake agreements so nothing is guaranteed until pens go to paper a few days later.

Will the Saints use the franchise tag in 2025? Maybe. They’d like to avoid it given their complex salary cap situation, but they have several high-profile players headed for free agency after the 2024 season: Paulson Adebo, Pete Werner, Chase Young, Willie Gay, Juwan Johnson, Payton Turner, and Rashid Shaheed (who will be a restricted free agent, making him ineligible for the tag but easier to re-sign).

No one expected the Saints to use the franchise tag the last time they brought it out, at least not the summer before. It certainly wasn’t expected to be such a difficult decision between tagging Marcus Williams or Trey Hendrickson. Letting Hendrickson walk away in free agency (while tagging Williams only to fail to re-sign him later) has turned out to be one of Mickey Loomis’ biggest blunders, but going into his breakout season with the Saints he had just 6.5 sacks in three years. We’re in the same position now that we were then. Maybe one of those players we just listed performs so well in 2024 the Saints can’t afford to let them go in 2025.

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Sean Payton comments on NFLPA’s pitch to end OTAs

“It just is what it is. I’ll worry about that when we get there,” Sean Payton said of potential changes to the NFL’s offseason schedule.

The Denver Broncos concluded 2024 organized team activities earlier this month and if the NFL Players Union has its way, those OTAs might have been the final installment conducted in the current format.

The NFLPA has proposed changing the offseason calendar by essentially eliminating OTAs in the spring and starting training camp earlier with a longer ramp-up period beginning in mid-June or early July.

Broncos coach Sean Payton was asked about the proposed schedule change earlier this month.

“It’s a topic every year that gets brought up,” Payton said on June 4. “Is that three, four, five years from now? I don’t know. I try to focus on the things that are like — when you get older and you hear those things, you’re just like, ‘All right. I don’t need to worry about that right now.’

“Ultimately, you’re going to have a period of time where the players are working prior to the season, and you’re going to have a time where they’re gone. I think I have a grasp as to what the proposal might look like. It just is what it is. I’ll worry about that when we get there.”

If approved, the new format could take effect as early as 2025, but Payton’s focused on the present. Ironically, the NFLPA’s pitch has been met with some resistance from the players the union represents. No change is imminent, but it is being discussed, and the NFL’s offseason schedule might look different in the future. Payton will deal with any potential changes when they happen.

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Titans’ Will Levis talks QBs being weirdos and tweaking mechanics

Titans QB Will Levis explained why he’s tweaking his mechanics this offseason.

The Tennessee Titans began mandatory minicamp on Tuesday and while things are just getting started, quarterback Will Levis is already tweaking his mechanics.

The second-year signal-caller didn’t like the way the ball was coming out of his hand, so he decided to tweak a few things. When asked about why the tweaks were made, Levis had an interesting response.

“I mean, quarterbacks are weirdos,” Levis declared, according to Buck Reising of AtoZ Sports. “We’re always tweaking with something, you always feel like something might be off. You saw (Tom) Brady go through a couple of different footworks throughout one season.

“And, just the ball wasn’t coming out the way that I would’ve liked it to and just started looking at what could potentially be the cause of it. And just been messing around with things, specifically my base, that I feel like I’ve gotten to a good spot.”

Levis was then asked if the team approached him, or if it was his own idea to tweak his mechanics.

“It was both,” the QB explained. “Obviously, I know when I’m not throwing it my best, and just talking through with Bo (Hardegree) and Nick (Holz) and Brian (Callahan) about why that might be and just a couple of things that I can kind of hold in the back of my head and practice and pre-practice, and then hopefully have it transition into drills, and I feel like it has so far.”

Clearly, the quarterback is serious about taking a step forward in 2024. Levis threw for 1,808 yards, eight touchdowns, and four interceptions in his rookie campaign, but dealt with a poor supporting cast and the team sputtered to a 6-11 record.

The Titans’ mandatory minicamp ends on Thursday and OTAs resume on June 10.

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Commanders named as a fit for former Pro Bowl wide receiver

Will the Commanders add another veteran WR before training camp?

The Washington Commanders recently signed veteran wide receiver Damiere Byrd after the 2024 NFL draft. Washington used a third-round pick on Rice wide receiver Luke McCaffrey and also signed veteran Olamide Zaccheaus in March.

With Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson and McCaffrey as the only guarantees of making the 53-man roster, competition will be intense for the final few receiver spots on Washington’s roster.

The Commanders also re-signed veteran Jamison Crowder to battle with Byrd, Zaccheaus, Dyami Brown, Mitchell Tinsley, Kazmeir Allen and others.

What if Washington added another veteran to push for a roster spot? And what if that veteran is a three-time Pro Bowler?

Bleacher Report recently named one move every NFL still needs to make this offseason. The move for the Commanders was signing wide receiver Michael Thomas Jr.

Surrounding Jayden Daniels with as much support as possible should be the Commander’s top priority. Right now, third-round pick Luke McCaffery is currently projected to be the offense’s starting slot receiver and McCaffery was a reach according to B/R’s scouting department, ranking 290th on the final big board.

While Thomas is well past his prime, it would be in Daniels’ and Washington’s best interest to add the veteran wideout and kick the tires on him to see what he has left in the tank.

In theory, this sounds good. Arguably, no wide receiver in NFL history had a better four-year start to his career than Thomas. Through his first four seasons, Thomas caught 470 passes for 5,512 yards and 32 touchdowns. That was with Drew Brees under center for the Saints. Thomas made three Pro Bowls, was a two-time first-team All-Pro, the 2019 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, and led the NFL in receptions twice and in receiving yards once.

Then the injuries hit.

Thomas played in just seven games in 2020 and missed the entire 2021 season. He played in three games in 2022 and then ten games in 2023. Over the last four years, Thomas has 95 receptions, 1,057 receiving yards, and four touchdowns.

While Thomas did play in 10 games last season, how exactly would he help the Commanders? How much does he have left? He’s 31 and hasn’t played a full season in five years. He’s dealt with leg injuries. And, most receivers who aren’t in the starting lineup must be able to contribute on special teams. That’s not Thomas.

We can see why Thomas would potentially be linked to the Commanders, but it doesn’t make sense. Washington will focus on developing McCaffrey as the No. 3 wide receiver, with Byrd, Crowder and Zaccheaus battling some of the younger players in camp for multiple roster spots.

What did we learn from the Commanders’ busy offseason?

What did we learn from a busy Washington offseason?

No NFL team was busier than the Washington Commanders this offseason. Heck, Washington is still busy as general manager Adam Peters continues to reshape the front office in his image.

Beginning early in January, owner Josh Harris fired former head coach Ron Rivera and quickly hired Peters as GM. They went to work on a lengthy coaching search before choosing Dan Quinn. Quinn then built a deep and experienced coaching staff.

From there, the Commanders signed over 20 outside free agents in free agency, selected nine players in the 2024 NFL draft and added 11 more undrafted free agents.

Every team in the NFC East had an interesting offseason. The Cowboys did nothing in free agency, while the Eagles remained aggressive. The Giants made the division’s biggest trade, landing edge rusher Brian Burns from the Panthers.

So, what did we learn from this offseason?

Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports answered that question for all 32 teams. Here’s what Benjamin learned about Washington:

Dan Quinn wants to win sooner rather than later. Yes, they have a rookie at quarterback in No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels, but they were incredibly busy in free agency, pouring all kinds of resources into aging play-makers like Austin Ekeler, Zach Ertz and Bobby Wagner.

Benjamin is correct. Quinn took his second and likely last head coaching opportunity with the understanding that he needed to win. Quinn knows there are no five-year rebuilding jobs. The good news is that Peters approached this offseason with the long-term view in mind, giving the Commanders a chance to surprise some people in 2024. Washington wisely managed that balance over the past few months.

And if rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels is as advertised, the Commanders could be much better quicker than people realize.

Adam Peters, Commanders continue to shake up the front office

The Commanders continue to reshape the front office under GM Adam Peters.

It’s been a busy four-plus months for new Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters. First, he moved his family across the country and then jumped right into the middle of a coaching search.

Then, there was the NFL combine, free agency, pre-draft visits and so much more. With phase three of the offseason set to end next month, Peters finally has some time to relax.

Not so fast.

With the conclusion of the NFL draft, the offseason begins for NFL front offices, specifically scouts, personnel directors, etc. That usually means that teams, especially those with a new general manager, make some personnel moves.

Washington’s first shoe to drop was senior director of player personnel Eric Stokes. After four seasons, the Commanders moved on from Stokes. Stokes didn’t do anything wrong, but more of a case where Peters wanted to hire his own guys.

This week, the Commanders made more moves. David Whittington, who had been with Washington since 2009, most recently as a national scout, is taking a position with the Carolina Panthers, per Neil Stratton.

Stokes and Whittington aren’t the only ones departing Washington. Harrison Ritcher, who served as a college scout for the Commanders last season and had been with the team since 2017, is heading to the Atlanta Falcons. Ritcher will rejoin Kyle Smith, who was his boss in Washington. Smith departed Washington after the 2020 season.

 

Those are the only reported departures, but more will likely come. As far as who is coming aboard, Stratton names one who will follow Peters from San Francisco.

Stratton reports that Peters hired Jack Quagliarello, who spent last season with the San Francisco 49ers.

Quagliarello being called a grinder sounds a lot like Peters.

Before the NFL draft, Peters’s only front office move was hiring Lance Newmark away from the Detroit Lions to serve as his assistant general manager. The Commanders will hire more scouts, so don’t be surprised if they look to Detroit and San Francisco. Considering how the Lions and 49ers have drafted in recent years, that would be a wise choice.

Chargers projected to receive 3 compensatory picks in 2025

The Los Angeles Chargers could have seven Day 3 selections next year.

With the Jim Harbaugh era underway, the Chargers retooled their roster over the past couple of months, letting go of former players. However, there is a chance that they could be compensated for their losses.

According to Over The Cap, Los Angeles is projected to receive three compensatory picks for the departure of Kenneth Murray (Titans), Austin Ekeler (Commanders) and Gerald Everett (Bears).

The league gives out 32 compensatory picks from the third through seventh rounds of the draft each year based on a selected pool of free agents lost. Among that, the largest 32 contracts signed by free agents based on average per-year value will net a team compensation.

A formula considers salary, playing time and postseason accolades to value players and determine whether teams should be compensated for those players leaving in free agency. However, the compensation for players is also determined by a formula dictated by individual teams’ gains and losses of unrestricted free agents each year.

The picks won’t be determined until after the 2024 season, but here’s to hoping that L.A. is able to end up with a total of ten picks.