Tag: Pro Dawgs

“Quarterbacks rejoice,” the Los Angeles Rams said on X (formerly Twitter) as future Hall of Fame defensive tackle Aaron Donald announced his retirement from the NFL after 10 seasons with the Los Angeles Rams.

The three-time Defensive Player of the Year leaves a large void in the league, as for the first time since 2017, a debate can be had about who the best defensive tackle in the NFL is. One person who certainly has a claim to that crown is former Washington Huskies star Vita Vea.

Since he was drafted with the No. 12 overall pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2018, he has been a disruptive force. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2021 after recording 4 sacks and signed a four-year, $73 million extension following the conclusion of the regular season.

Since signing the deal, he has only gotten better. Vea tallied a career-high 6.5 sacks in 2022 and in 2023, set career-best marks in tackles (41) and tackles for loss (8) while still earning 5.5 sacks. He also led the Buccaneers to the No. 5 run defense by yards allowed last year.

Vita Vea vs. the Titans 🤪

5 total pressures
1 sack
17.9% pass rush win rate

📸 @Buccaneers pic.twitter.com/8wof2qXMsJ

— PFF TB Buccaneers (@PFF_Buccaneers) November 13, 2023

Vea has always been one of the best at collapsing the pocket even if he is never among the leaders at the position in sacks and he should continue to build on his success in 2024.

Even though he has to compete with players like the Baltimore Ravens’ Justin Madubuike and the Kansas City Chiefs’ Chris Jones who have better counting stats, Vea makes arguably the biggest impact of any defensive tackle in the NFL thanks to his ability against the run.

The 6-foot-4, 347-pound lineman is extremely hard to move in the run game and even when he isn’t the one making the tackle, is consistently creating opportunities for his teammates to make plays.

Now, Vea will have a chance to assert himself as the best defensive tackle in the league without Donald around and should take full advantage of that chance this fall.

The Chicago Bears are the talk of the NFL world after trading for wide receiver Keenan Allen while deciding what to do with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. As they decide between a new quarterback with that pick or Justin Fields, general manager Ryan Poles has decided to bring back former Washington Huskies wide receiver Dante Pettis on a one-year contract.

After being drafted in the second round by the San Francisco 49ers in 2018, Pettis has spent the last three seasons with the Bears. In 2022, he pulled in 19 receptions for 245 yards and 3 touchdowns before missing all of 2023 with an injury.

During his time at Washington, Pettis was a consensus First-Team All-American in 2017 and set an NCAA record with 9 punt returns for a touchdown. He finished his career with 153 catches for 2,256 yards and 24 touchdowns.

The Bears appear to be loading up on offense after adding Allen in a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night and signing running back D’Andre Swift in free agency. Pettis should provide quality depth for Chicago while also acting as a returner.

After being released by the Seattle Seahawks last week, former Washington Huskies tight end Will Dissly signed a three year, $14 million deal with the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday, which will also pay him $10 million guaranteed. He was a salary cap casualty for the Seahawks and coach Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers jumped quickly to sign the six-year veteran.

A native of Bozeman, Montana, Dissly started his college career at Boise State before transferring to Washington in 2015 to join coach Chris Petersen after his freshman year. Mostly known as a blocking tight end, he elevated those skills under tight end coach Jordan Paopao, who recently began his second stint at UW under coach Jedd Fisch.

The Seahawks drafted Dissly in the fourth round of the 2018 draft, where he didn’t see much action after suffering injuries in his first two seasons in Seattle.

He signed a three-year, $24 million extension with the Seahawks in 2022 before he posted a career year of 34 receptions for 349 yards and 3 touchdowns. He was also the No. 15 blocking tight end per Pro Football Focus, finishing the season with a pass blocking grade of 83.5 and run blocking grade of 77.2.

On March 5, he was released by Seattle and it took just six days for him to strike a deal with the Chargers to be what could be an integral part of new offensive coordinator, Greg Roman’s scheme and a reliable security blanket for quarterback Justin Herbert.

Run game coordinator and tight ends coach Andy Bischoff should utilize Dissly to the fullest as the Chargers attempt to rebuild on what has been a mess of a roster in recent years.

Former Washington Huskies tight end Drew Sample signed a three-year, $10.5 million contract extension on Monday to stay with the Cincinnati Bengals. The native of Bellevue, Washington has spent his entire career in Cincinnati after the organization took him in the second round in the 2019 NFL draft.

During Sample’s time on Montlake, he played in 51 games totaling 46 receptions for 487 yards and 5 touchdowns while earning an All-Pac-12 honorable mention following his senior season.

The 6-foot-5, 256-pound tight end has been a solid contributor to head coach Zac Taylor’s blocking scheme. While he didn’t see the field much during his rookie season, he had his best year in 2020 where he recorded 40 receptions for 349 yards and a touchdown during quarterback Joe Burrow’s first season.

After a heartbreaking loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl to end the 2021 season, Sample didn’t see much of 2022 following a knee injury in week two against the Dallas Cowboys that ended his season prematurely.

Before the start of the 2023 season, he signed a one-year extension worth $1.2 million and quickly became the Bengals’ top tight end after Irv Smith Jr. was lost for the year. He also became a reliable safety valve for former Husky quarterback Jake Browning, who assumed the starting role after Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury.

Sample’s ability as a blocker could fit well new offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher’s plans, which seems to be signified by the team’s investment in him through 2026, and his stat line could benefit from Burrow’s return.

Former Washington Huskies safety Taylor Rapp signed a three year extension with the Buffalo Bills on Wednesday, worth up to $14.5 million. The three year starter with the Huskies was taken 61st overall by the Los Angeles Rams in 2019 and was part of coach Sean McVay’s 2021 Super Bowl winning team.

Rapp signed with Buffalo in March 2023 on a one year deal after spending four seasons with McVay and the Rams where he had some great moments, such as forcing a fumble of former Husky teammate running back Myles Gaskin in a 2020 game against the Miami Dolphins.

Last season was one of many successes and one very scary moment for Rapp, when he was hit by the New York Jets running back Breece Hall in week 11. He was taken by ambulance off of the field and avoided going to the hospital and treated for a neck injury in the locker room by the medical staff.

He returned to play against the Kansas City Chiefs on December 10 in a 20-17 victory for the Bills. After the injury, he finished the season strong allowing just 9 catches on 17 targets for 139 yards and 1 touchdown. He allowed a passer rating of 75.4, which was better than veteran safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer, which probably cemented his new deal and possible starting role in coach Sean McDermott’s secondary next season.

Rapp finished out the season with an interception of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with a little over a minute left in the fourth quarter, clinching the win and AFC East title for Buffalo to send them to the postseason.

It seems that the former Husky has earned his way to his big contract and has made himself a valuable piece of newly hired defensive coordinator Bobby Babich’s scheme for the 2024 season in Buffalo.

As the NFL’s salary cap compliance deadline on March 13 approaches, many teams have made some surprising cuts, including the Seattle Seahawks, who let go of former Washington Huskies tight end Will Dissly on Tuesday. The Bozeman, Montana native was drafted by the Seahawks in the 4th round and spent six years in Seattle, signing a three-year, $24 million extension in 2022.

As a free agent, Dissly should have plenty of suitors, with one potential landing spot being the Los Angeles Chargers. Coach Jim Harbaugh’s team has a huge need at the position, with the oft-injured Gerald Everett and former XFL star Donald Parham Jr. combining for a meager 696 yards last season.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are also in need of another weapon for quarterback Trevor Lawrence and some depth behind tight end Evan Engram. Dissly would fit nicely into that second slot, replacing Luke Farrell, who had just 13 receptions for 155 yards in 2023.

However, the best fit for Dissly might be the Baltimore Ravens. He could shine playing alongside Mark Andrews in an offense that is built around a run game and short passing. Dissly could help as a run blocker while Andrews and Isaiah Likely handle the majority of the receiving work at the position.


With tight end being such a need for many teams across the league, it shouldn’t take long for Dissly to find a new home.

On Tuesday, the Seattle Seahawks released former Washington Huskies tight end Will Dissly, along with safeties Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs to save money against the salary cap. Dissly was in the final season of a three-year, $24 million extension he signed before the 2022 season and will cost the Seahawks just $3 million against the cap according to Spotrac.

After being selected in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL draft, Dissly struggled with injuries in his first two professional seasons before becoming a mainstay in the Seahawks lineup. He started 65 of the 72 games he appeared in over his six years with the Seahawks, pulling in 127 receptions for 1,421 yards and 13 touchdowns.

He was also an excellent run blocker for the Seahawks, just like his time under position coach Jordan Paopao on the other side of Seattle. After playing defensive line in 2014 and 2015, Dissly transitioned to tight end before Washington’s run to the College Football Playoff and Peach Bowl in 2016.

The #Seahawks are also releasing veteran TE Will Dissly, per source.

Seattle saves $7 million in cash and salary cap space, while Dissly — who has 13 career TDs — hits the market at age 27. pic.twitter.com/ZLurUNi3Fn

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 5, 2024

During his two season on the offensive side of the ball, Dissly reeled in 25 catches for 336 yards and 3 touchdowns before heading off to the draft. He should have plenty of suitors when free agency opens on March 13, with the New England Patriots, Washington Commanders, and Los Angeles Chargers among the teams that have a need at tight end.