Tag: Terry McLaurin

Commanders make surprising pick new CBS mock draft

Commanders add help for Jayden Daniels in this new mock draft.

The Washington Commanders picked second overall in last year’s 2024 NFL draft. One year later, last season’s No. 2 pick, quarterback Jayden Daniels, led the Commanders to 12 wins, two playoff victories and an appearance in the NFC championship game.

While the Commanders ultimately fell short of the Super Bowl, Washington’s future has never been brighter. That success comes with consequences. Due to their appearance in the NFC championship game, the Commanders will pick 29th overall in the 2025 NFL draft.

While that’s not ideal, general manager Adam Peters hopes he’ll pick at the bottom of the first round for many years to come.

Now that Super Bowl weekend is upon us, the NFL’s focus will soon turn to the combine. From there, it will be free agency and the draft.

That means mock drafts. In a new mock draft for CBS Sports, Tom Fornelli has the Commanders adding help at wide receiver, choosing Matthew Golden of Texas.

We know who the quarterback will be here for a long time; now the job is surrounding him with what he needs. Perhaps that’s an offensive lineman, or perhaps it’s another weapon in the passing game. Terry McLaurin is criminally underrated across the league, but the Commanders could use upgrades behind him. Golden’s stock skyrocketed during Texas’ playoff run as Isaiah Bond dealt with injuries. A lot of the things Golden was asked to do in Texas’ offense translate to what the Commanders do in theirs.

Golden played his first two seasons at Houston before spending his final collegiate season at Texas, where he caught 58 passes for 987 yards and nine touchdowns. Golden would be an ideal complement opposite Terry McLaurin. Golden’s elite speed often overshadows the other things he does well, too. He can line up at any receiver spot and produce.

What’s interesting is that CBS has Golden as its 74th overall player but predicts he will go in the first round. Draft analysts expect Golden to really shine at the NFL combine later this month.

ESPN’s Jordan Reid released his top 50 prospects for the 2025 NFL draft and has Golden at No. 25.

Could Bucs star wide receiver be an option for Commanders?

The Commanders need another wide receiver in 2025. Could this Bucs star be an option?

The Washington Commanders must find another wide receiver to help Terry McLaurin in 2025. Since being drafted in 2019, the Commanders have never had a legitimate No. 2 or 1b opposite McLaurin, and he still manages to produce 1,000-yard seasons.

The popular name ahead of free agency is Cincinnati Bengals star Tee Higgins. Higgins, who was franchised last offseason, is expected to hit unrestricted free agency and have numerous bidders. While Cincinnati would prefer to keep Higgins, the Bengals will likely make Ja’Marr Chase the NFL’s highest-paid receiver.

Washington is in a good position to land Higgins. The Commanders have the third-most salary cap room ahead of free agency and a star young quarterback (Jayden Daniels) to entice Higgins. But Higgins is expected to command around $30 million per season or more, which may be too much for Washington general manager Adam Peters. The Commanders also have other holes to fill and may choose to focus on multiple positions instead of one massive signing.

There happens to be another highly productive free agent this offseason. Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Chris Godwin is a free agent.

Godwin turns 29 later this month and spent his eight-year career with Tampa Bay. He was off to another phenomenal start in 2024 until breaking his ankle in Week 7. Godwin was on pace for a career-high in receptions, yards and touchdowns.

It seems unlikely the Bucs will allow Godwin to test the market. Last offseason, Tampa reached a deal with future Hall of Fame receiver Mike Evans to keep him in town, and it could be a similar situation for Godwin.

Godwin is a different type of player than Higgins. He is one of the NFL’s best route runners and still possesses good size (6-foot-1, 209) and athleticism. He would be a perfect complement to McLaurin. While he wouldn’t add the game-breaking speed that Washington may look to add, he would give the Commanders another borderline No. 1, someone who’d be a reliable target for Daniels.

A native of Delaware who played collegiately at Penn State, Godwin would be much closer to home if he signed with Washington. The Buccaneers selected Jalen McMillan in the third round last season, and he emerged after Godwin’s absence. His presence doesn’t mean the Bucs would move on from Godwin, though. Tampa Bay would prefer to keep all its top pass-catching options around quarterback Baker Mayfield after a record-breaking season.

Godwin’s price would make him a more logical candidate for the Commanders, but it will be hard to pry him away from Tampa Bay.

Why did Commanders’ McLaurin, Daniels opt out of Pro Bowl?

Why did Terry McLaurin and Jayden Daniels opt out of the Pro Bowl?

The Commanders last week had two players opt out of the NFL Pro Bowl activities, why?

Wide receiver Terry McLaurin might have been suffering from an injury while playing, which helped him decide not to participate. After 17 regular-season games and three additional playoff games, perhaps McLaurin wanted to rest.

Daniels had just completed his first NFL season, which included 20 games. He was injured twice and had to leave games against the New York Giants and the Carolina Panthers.

Two former Washington players expressed their strong feelings about why Daniels skipped the Pro Bowl weekend.

“Hearing Jayden opted out almost wowed me more about him,” stated Santana Moss. “Wow, this kid has it, man. I’m not sure if it is like, ‘I am going to get my rest’ or ‘I’m going to dive back into things’ but it shows you he is mature beyond his years. He understands, ‘I made it, I am cool with that’ but going there for nothing? ‘I got other things I want to get to.'”

Fred Smoot quickly echoed Moss’ sentiments regarding Daniels.

“It says to me, ‘Yes, I made it to that pinnacle, but that ain’t what I want.’ He’s saying the Pro Bowl is not what he wants. He wants the Super Bowl. He and Terry said “Lets not go here, let’s get back to work’. That’s unbelievable maturity. That’s at the apex, the pinnacle of maturity.”

Well, in all honesty, we don’t know their actual reasoning until we hear from McLaurin and Daniels on why they skipped out of the Pro Bowl weekend. Moss and Smoot were successful players for the Redskins, yes, but the above quotes by the two might reveal more about their own hopes than the actual reasons.

Also, let’s face it: NFL players over the last three decades have ruined the Pro Bowl and its reputation. They loafed and pretended to compete, though it certainly didn’t fool most of us. The product became such a glaring “black eye” for the NFL; the NFL, after too many years, finally pulled the plug on the dying interest in the “game.”

If Daniels and McLaurin express they want no part of the non-professional, boring show it has become, they will find that is quite good enough for many of us.

Who is one free agent the Commanders should prioritize in 2025?

A familiar name for the Commanders.

The Washington Commanders shocked everyone in 2024, falling one game short of the Super Bowl. After winning only four games in 2023, the Commanders completed one of the best turnarounds in NFL history this season. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels took the league by storm, often strapping the team to his back.

Daniels’ brilliance hid some of Washington’s weaknesses in 2024, primarily a struggling defense. That’s not to say the Commanders’ high-powered offense couldn’t use more help, too.

The bad news is Washington’s success has them picking 29th overall in the 2025 NFL draft. You will not hear any reasonable Commanders fan complain about that being the price for success. But there’s also good news. According to Over the Cap, Washington enters the offseason with around $80 million in salary cap space, which is third in the NFL.

The Commanders could approach the offseason similarly to last offseason, signing several veterans to either one-year deals or selective players to reasonable multi-year deals to fill holes on both sides of the ball.

Washington could also splurge on an elite player—someone like Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. Several analysts believe the Commanders should make a play for Higgins, giving Daniels two star wideouts in Higgins and Terry McLaurin.

Jordan Dajani of CBS Sports recently named one free agent that all 32 NFL teams should prioritize this offseason. Higgins was his pick for Washington.

The Commanders have plenty of work to do on the defensive side of the ball this offseason, but they also can’t run it back with what they have at wide receiver. Jayden Daniels needs someone other than Terry McLaurin to throw the ball to, and Tee Higgins is arguably the top free agent in this entire class. The 26-year-old caught a career-high 10 touchdowns this past season in just 12 games played.

CBS isn’t the first, nor will be the last, to believe the Commanders should pursue Higgins. However, we explained why it’s doubtful that general manager Adam Peters will give out a large contract to Higgins. Washington will likely extend McLaurin and look elsewhere for receiver help.

But, never say never.

Could Garrett Wilson end up in Washington in 2025?

The Washington Commanders need to add depth to their skill positions and one report suggests they trade for Garrett Wilson.

The Washington Commanders had an excellent 2024 season, but there is still work to do. Some player contracts will expire, some players will retire, some will be drafted and others will be traded, but movement will happen as every NFL team looks for the pieces it needs to be a better team going forward.

One of the focuses for the Commanders is ensuring that quarterback Jayden Daniels has weapons to get the ball to. Terry McLaurin was fantastic in 2024, as were others, but they could use some additional talent to support them. To that end, Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report suggests that the Commanders trade their 2025 first-round draft pick and their 2026 sixth-round to the New York Jets for wide receiver Garrett Wilson.

The article says, in part:

Trading Wilson would be a tough pill to swallow. But as good as he is, the Jets need a quarterback. Combining Washington’s No. 29 overall pick with their No. 7 overall pick would give Gang Green a better chance at moving up if they’re enamored with one of the top rookies.

An extension for Wilson would undoubtedly be part of the equation here, but the Commanders have more cap space than any team in the NFC ($86.7 million). Washington just fell one game shy of the Super Bowl and has star quarterback Jayden Daniels on a rookie contract. The time to win is now.

It’d be worth surrendering the 29th overall pick to gain a proven wide receiver who would (along with former college teammate Terry McLaurin) give the Commanders one of the better one-two punches at wideout in the league.

While Wilson and McLaurin didn’t play together at Ohio State, they only missed each other by a year. Adding Wilson to the Commanders’ roster would be a huge benefit to Daniels and certainly give him another weapon to utilize down the field. The less Daniels has to take off with the ball, the more longevity he will have as a player. Wilson would be a solid addition, but that’s only if Dan Quinn and Adam Peters are willing to get rid of their only first-round pick in 2025.

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Tee Higgins may be too expensive for the Commanders

Tee Higgins is going to get paid. Will it be by the Commanders?

The Washington Commanders need more help at wide receiver. Terry McLaurin is great. McLaurin proved to anyone who doubted him in 2024 that he is indeed a legitimate top-10, or possibly higher, NFL wide receiver.

But he needs help. Quarterback Jayden Daniels needs help. Picking at No. 29 in the 2025 NFL draft, that immediate help may not come via the college ranks.

That leads us to Cincinnati Bengals star Tee Higgins. For the second consecutive year, Higgins is a free agent. However, unlike last year, it seems doubtful the Bengals will place the franchise tag on Higgins, making him an unrestricted free agent in March.

At the Senior Bowl this week, Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin acknowledged it will be difficult for Cincinnati to retain Higgins.

“It’s going to be hard,” Tobin said via the Cincinnati Enquirer. “We feel like we have the resources to do it, but it all depends on how the negotiation goes and whether they’re willing to accept wanting to come back at a number that makes sense for everybody. And you know what we do with Tee going forward, I’ve always been very upfront in my desire to have Tee Higgins on our team. I’ve never not been upfront about that, and that desire continues, but we have to be able to come together with his representation on what that means and what the right number is for his experience, for his play time, for his production.”

To say Higgins will have a bullish market is a massive understatement. The 6-foot-4 Higgins is young (26), experienced (70 career games) and productive (330 receptions, 4,595 receiving yards and 34 touchdowns).

Several teams need help at receiver. The Panthers, Patriots, Chargers, Steelers and Titans are among the teams that could use Higgins. He could sign with any of these teams and become the No. 1 receiver. In Washington, Higgins would be the 1b to McLaurin’s 1a. But it would cost the Commanders.

According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Higgins’ contract could hit $30 million yearly or more, depending on how many teams bid for his services.

The over/under on Bengals receiver Tee Higgins’ market is $30 million per season, and the majority of team personnel that I spoke with believe he’ll hit or clear the over. The lowest estimate I heard was somewhere slightly above DeVonta Smith’s three-year, $75 million deal. The rest saw him breaking into the $30 million range, based on his status as a No. 1-caliber receiver and the number of teams desperate for pass-catching help.

The good news is that the Commanders are one of only a few teams that could easily afford Higgins. Washington has around $90 million in salary cap room. But McLaurin has only one year remaining on his contract and will likely receive an extension this offseason. It’s doubtful that Commanders’ general manager, Adam Peters, will want to pay two receivers that much money with so many other needs to address.

So, why wouldn’t Cincinnati just pay Higgins? The Bengals need to pay Ja’Marr Chase, the NFL’s best wide receiver. This comes after they paid quarterback Joe Burrow.

As for the Commanders, more good news is that with Daniels on a rookie contract for the next few seasons, Peters can take this type of risk. It will be fascinating to see how Peters chooses to add to the receiver position this offseason.

Commanders’ Jayden Daniels, Terry McLaurin to skip 2025 Pro Bowl

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is opting to skip the 2025 Pro Bowl.

The Washington Commanders’ season ended in ugly fashion on Sunday with a 55-23 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. After obliterating all expectations in 2024, the Commanders had high hopes that their season would continue to the Super Bowl, but it simply wasn’t meant to be this year.

Despite their season being over, three Commanders’ players were selected to participate in the 2025 Pro Bowl: Terry McLaurin, Jayden Daniels, and Bobby Wagner. On Tuesday, Daniels announced that he would join McLaurin in skipping the Pro Bowl this year.

As indicated in the tweet, neither player has a specific injury, but both need a break. For Daniels, his body is used to the collegiate schedule, which is much shorter than the professional schedule, and it’s likely he does need to rest. His replacement is Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield. McLaurin’s replacement is Seattle Seahawks wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

As of this writing, Bobby Wagner is still set to appear in the 2025 Pro Bowl this weekend. Festivities are set to kick off on January 30 with the skill competitions.

It’s not unheard of for players to skip the Pro Bowl without an injury. It is a meaningless game that risks injury to the healthiest of players. The game has eased up dramatically in recent years, but many players feel the risk outweighs any benefits, so it’s not uncommon for players to skip these appearances.

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It’s official: Commanders LB Bobby Wagner is heading to his 10th Pro Bowl

Commanders LB Bobby Wagner is headed to his 10th Pro Bowl.

Super Bowl LIX is set, which means next week’s Pro Bowl Games rosters are also set. Quarterback Jayden Daniels and wide receiver Terry McLaurin will represent the Washington Commanders in Orlando, Florida.

With the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl, a linebacker spot opened up and Bobby Wagner will join Daniels and McLaurin in Orlando. Originally named a first-alternate, this will be Wagner’s 10th Pro Bowl in his 13-year NFL career.

Wagner finished his first season in Washington with 132 tackles, including 10 for loss, two sacks, four passes defended, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. He went over 100 tackles for the 13th consecutive season, tying London Fletcher’s NFL record. Fletcher, of course, is a Washington legend and a current Commanders’ broadcaster.

The Commanders are coming off their best season since 1991, going 12-5 in the regular season and winning two road playoff games before losing to the Eagles in the NFC championship game.

Wagner’s impact went far beyond what he produced on the field, as he was a central figure in head coach Dan Quinn’s mission to change the franchise’s culture. The plan worked out well for everyone involved.

Quick facts from Commanders’ NFC Championship loss

Several quick facts/numbers from NFC championship.

The Commanders’ dream season reached a bitter conclusion Sunday as Washington was beaten badly by the Eagles 55-23 in this season’s NFC Championship game played in Philadelphia.

Here are some of the quick facts from the Commanders’ season-ending loss to the Eagles:

  • Four times, the Commanders turned over the ball. The Eagles seized the opportunity every time, turning it into a Philadelphia touchdown.
  • The Commanders surrendered over 200 yards rushing to the Eagles in both regular season meetings. In this NFC Championship game, they gave up another 229 rushing yards.
  • The Eagles’ 55 points is the most in history in an AFC/ NFC Championship game.
  • The Eagles’ seven rushing touchdowns are the most in NFC Championship game history and tied for the most in NFL playoff history.
  • The Commanders’ loss drops their NFC Championship game record to 5-2.
  • The Commanders entered the NFC Championship Game with a +6 turnover margin in two playoff victories. However, Sunday the Commanders were a -4 in a lopsided loss.
  • Washington ran 18 plays on their first possession, resulting in a field goal. The Eagles then responded with a touchdown in only 18 seconds.
  • The Eagles ran 66 offensive plays and averaged 7.0 yards a play, accumulating 459 total yards.
  • As expected, the Eagles’ interior lines controlled both sides of the ball, out-rushing the Commanders 229-99 while averaging 6.4 yards, a rushing attempt to Washington’s 4.0.
  • Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was quite effective, completing 20 of 28 passing attempts for 246 yards, a passing touchdown, and no interceptions.
  • Saquon Barkley accumulated 118 rushing yards on only 15 carries, and Will Shipley 77 on only four carries.
  • The Eagles led 34-23 before outscoring the Commanders 21-0 in the final quarter.
  • Though he did not make the Super Bowl, quarterback Jayden Daniels has now thrown for the most postseason passing yards by a rookie in NFL history.
  • WR Terry McLaurin became the sixth player in franchise history to record 3-plus receiving touchdowns in the postseason, joining Art Monk, Gary Clark, Alvin Garrett, Charlie Brown and Roy Jefferson.
  • Zach Ertz caught 11 passes for 104 yards. The 11 receptions is a new franchise record for a playoff game, passing Art Monk (10) in 1990.

Top photos from Eagles 55-23 win over Commanders in NFC Championship game

Top photos from Eagles 55-23 win over Commanders in NFC Championship game

The Eagles dominated every facet of the game and won the turnover battle while dominating the Commanders to advance to Super Bowl 59. Philadelphia rushed for seven touchdowns, including three scores each for Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley, blowing out their NFC East rival 55-23 at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday.

As preparations begin for the trip to New Orleans, we’re reviewing the top photos from the historic victory.

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