Tag: Terry McLaurin

Commanders star Terry McLaurin has lunch with Magic Johnson

Magic kept his promise to McLaurin.

When the Washington Commanders introduced Josh Harris and his partners as the franchise’s new owners last summer, select players were on hand. One of those players was star wide receiver Terry McLaurin.

Among Washington’s minority owners was NBA legend and successful businessman Magic Johnson. Cameras happened to catch the moment McLaurin met Johnson.

McLaurin expressed his admiration for Johnson as a successful businessman and man of God, mentioning he would love to have Johnson as a mentor. Johnson appreciated McLaurin’s gesture and said the two would have lunch in the future. Of course, this was before the 2023 NFL season, and the time wasn’t right.

Here we are, one week after the 2024 NFL draft and just before the Commanders open OTAs, and the time was finally right for that lunch.

McLaurin is one of the NFL’s best wide receivers and has a large presence in the DMV community. Having a mentor like Johnson, one of the most successful businessmen in America, is a wise choice.

On the field, the Commanders hope they’ve finally given McLaurin some stability under center with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.

What does Jayden Daniels think of the Commanders’ weapons?

Jayden Daniels weighs in on Washington’s pass catchers.

For weeks, we’ve heard endless speculation that LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels will be the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL draft to the Washington Commanders. While we have heard nothing from Washington general manager Adam Peters, almost everyone who covers the NFL believes Daniels will be the pick.

Last week, there was a brief situation in which it appeared that Daniels’ agent had an issue with how the Commanders handled his top-30 visit. Instead of a one-on-one visit, Washington hosted around 20 players on the visit, including four of the draft’s top quarterbacks. However, that turned out to be much ado about nothing.

So, while it looks like Daniels is headed to Washington, what does he think of some of the players who will surround him?

In an appearance on “Night Cap” with Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson on Sunday, Johnson asked Daniels about playing with wide receiver Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson in Washington.

“They got some dogs over there,” Daniels said.

Will Daniels be throwing to McLaurin and Dotson in September?

We find out in two days.

Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu embraces the underdog mentality

Frankie Luvu has been an underdog his entire career, and continues to embrace that mentality heading into his first season with the Washington Commanders

Frankie Luvu may very well be the most underrated linebacker in the NFL, and is arguably the most underappreciated player in the league, period.

The veteran linebacker is heading into his seventh season in the NFL, and his first with the Washington Commanders after putting pen to paper on a three-year, $36 million dollar deal.

Speaking on his new contract, and new team, Luvu tells Touchdown Wire that the plans in store for him, as well as the overall outlook of the franchise, made Washington his ultimate destination.

“Just the opportunity and what they have planned for me,” Luvu said. “The culture. Talking to the coaching staff and everyone now that I’m here, I know they’ll know how to utilize me in every way in this defense.”

Luvu added that playing for new head coach and defensive guru Dan Quinn is something that he is very much looking forward to in this new endeavor with Washington.

“Man, I can’t wait,” Luvu said with an excited grin. “Everybody speaks highly of him, and rightfully so. You see what he’s done with the guys that he’s had over the last few seasons in Dallas, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but under his wing.”

Luvu isn’t the only linebacker Washington added to the middle of their defense, though. The Commanders signed future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner to play alongside Luvu — a move that has the former Carolina Panther very galvanized.

“Bobby is the epitome of what it means to be a linebacker in this league,” Luvu said. “How he walks in the building, his habits, how he takes care of his body, how he watches tape- what more can I ask for in a guy to come in and learn from? To pick his mind and better my mind, make myself better. Every day, we’re in the room competing, talking, and building that bond and chemistry, and it’s an absolute blessing to be in that room with him.”

Luvu spent the previous three years of his career with the Carolina Panthers. While there was constant turnover in terms of head coaches and quarterbacks, Luvu doesn’t have a bad word to say about his time in Charlotte.

“I can say I had a good time in Carolina,” Luvu said. “The relationships I built out there with all the coaches, all my teammates- I’ll always have love for them, as well as the organization and the city of Charlotte. I look at every year as a blessing. I had three years out there to build my name and build my brand. And because of that, I have new opportunities in Washington where I feel like the sky is the limit.”

Luvu has consistently been one of the league’s top off-ball linebackers. He finished last season in the top 25 in total tackles and once agin being one of PFF’s highest rated linebackers with an overall grade of 80. Despite his production, though, few seem to mention him in the same breath as the Fred Warners and Roquan Smiths of the NFL — something that Luvu himself says just adds more fuel to his fire.

“That’s just another chip on my shoulder, man,” Luvu said. “I came in undrafted and now I’m going into my seventh year in the league. I’ve been an underdog, doubted, counted out my whole life. That’s just the type of mentality I’ve had, and what’s got me this far. So when I see the headlines of ‘underrated linebacker,’ that’s just more wood to the fire for me.”

Not only is Luvu a perennial underdog, so too is his new squad. The Commanders haven’t won more than 10 games in a season since 1991, a streak that the Washington State product and the rest of the veterans on the team are hoping to break.

“I truly believe we’ve got a good squad,” Luvu said. “Having Bobby in there, Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, Jeremy Chinn. Plus on offense you bring in a guy like Austin Ekeler, who is one of those top guys at the running back position, Terry McLaurin- we have the guys. Now it’s just a matter of us being able to put it all together. Vets like myself and those names I just mentioned, we just have to lead from the front.”

The Commanders will all but certainly be riding the hand of a rookie quarterback this season, which will have its own set of built-in challenges. However, if the team can lean on their defensive stars and whomever their rookie quarterback is can make enough plays to win games, who’s to say they can’t have ride all the way to surprising the NFL with a playoff berth?

Commanders named as a potential suitor for WR Stefon Diggs in 2025

Diggs is a DMV native with six consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.

The then-Washington Redskins had multiple opportunities to select former University of Maryland star Stefon Diggs in the 2015 NFL draft. As a matter of fact, every NFL team did, as Diggs somehow dropped to the fifth round — No. 146 overall.

After five standout seasons in Minnesota, Diggs wanted out. And the Vikings were happy to oblige, sending him to the Buffalo Bills for multiple picks, including a first-round pick that Minnesota used to select the NFL’s premier wide receiver, Justin Jefferson.

After four incredible seasons with Josh Allen and the Bills, the Gaithersburg, Maryland, native was traded to the Houston Texans last week. Diggs, 30, has six consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and just signed a four-year extension two years ago. The Bills took a massive cap hit to trade Diggs, meaning he had worn out his welcome in two places.

In trading him to the Texans, Houston re-did Diggs’ contract, allowing him to become a free agent next offseason. In the meantime, Diggs gets to play with another young star passer, C.J. Stroud. Another strong year and Diggs could hit the open market in 2025 and get even more than in the extension he last signed in Buffalo.

If Diggs plays well for the Texans, they’d presumably want to keep him around. However, Houston will need to save some of its cap space for several members of its young core.

Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports recently named five teams who could be Diggs’ suitors next offseason and the hometown Commanders were among those teams.

The Commanders are close to home for Diggs, playing in the wideout’s home state of Maryland. More than that, they’re likely to have a top young quarterback prospect after this year’s draft. And new coach Dan Quinn has shown no hesitation to pay big bucks to bolster his lineup with proven talent. Imagine the pairing with Terry McLaurin. Money probably wouldn’t be an issue, with Washington set to have more than $100 million in 2025 cap space.

The Commanders have plenty of money available to pay Diggs or any other top free agent. But this doesn’t seem like a move new general manager Adam Peters or head coach Dan Quinn would make. Washington will have a young quarterback on the roster and likely wouldn’t want to add someone to the team who could potentially disrupt the culture Peters and Quinn are trying to build.

The Commanders make a fun match on paper, and 2025 feels like a long time away, but don’t get your hopes up on this one. Washington has Terry McLaurin as its No. 1 wide receiver and Jahan Dotson as the No. 2. Look for the Commanders to add another young pass-catcher early in the 2024 NFL draft.

Commanders WR Terry McLaurin remains a believer in Sam Howell

Terry McLaurin believes the future is still bright for Sam Howell.

At this time last offseason, head coach then-Washington head coach Ron Rivera and multiple players were singing the praises of rising second-year quarterback Sam Howell. After an impressive first start during the 2022 regular-season finale against Dallas, Rivera chose to give Howell the reins at quarterback in 2023.

One of those who believed in Howell from the start was star wide receiver Terry McLaurin. Throughout the offseason, McLaurin spoke of Howell’s work ethic and progress.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as Rivera had hoped in 2023. Washington won four games, and after an impressive first half of the season, Howell struggled in the second half of the season. While he did start all 17 games, he was benched twice late in the season.

The Commanders fired Rivera in January, hiring Adam Peters as the new general manager and Dan Quinn as the head coach. Once free agency kicked off last month, Peters began flipping the roster. One of those moves was trading Howell to Seattle in a pick swap. With a new quarterback coming in via the 2024 NFL draft, the Commanders gave Howell a fresh start, opting to sign veteran Marcus Mariota to pair with a rookie.

Washington began its offseason program this week, and players are excited about the new regime. McLaurin is among those excited but discussed his former quarterback. The star wideout still believes Howell has a bright future ahead of him.

“It’s always tough seeing someone you build a really good relationship with move on in their career,” McLaurin said. “Especially your quarterback, because as a receiver, you want to continue to try to build that chemistry. That was only our first year playing with one another, and I feel like him and I made some great plays, and we had some room for growth, and I think that comes with any new quarterback/receiver relationship.”

As for Howell’s future, McLaurin sees a good opportunity for him in Seattle.

“To see him go in a situation to have a chance to compete and play under a really good quarterback in Geno (Smith). I think he’ll really like throwing to receivers like (Tyler) Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and DK (Metcalf). So I think he’s going to a situation where he’ll have a chance to continue to show that he can play quarterback at a high level in this league, which I still truly believe.”

McLaurin not only believes in Howell as a player, but has a tremendous amount of respect for him after a difficult season in which Howell was essentially thrown to the wolves at times.

“I’ll always have a lot of respect for Sam, how he handled things good and bad last year,” McLaurin said. “I think he took a really big step in his career to continue to prove that he can play at a high level.”

You can watch McLaurin’s entire media session below, where he talks Dan Quinn, Curtis Samuel and his feelings about the new regime.

Should the Commanders trade for 49ers star WR Brandon Aiyuk?

Would the Commanders look to make a trade with the 49ers to land an impact wide receiver?

The Washington Commanders could use some help at wide receiver. Washington has Terry McLaurin, 2022 first-round pick Jahan Dotson and lots of unproven commodities.

Curtis Samuel departed in free agency and is now in Buffalo. The Commanders are still waiting on Dyami Brown, and Jamison Crowder is in more of a supporting role at this stage of his career. Mitchell Tinsley and Kazmeir Allen will battle to earn a roster spot in training camp.

With nine picks in the 2024 NFL draft, Washington could look to add a receiver on day two. The 2024 receiver class is loaded, and you will be able to find contributors in the fourth round.

But…..what if the Commanders traded for some help at wide receiver?

Who would Washington trade for? How about San Francisco 49ers star Brandon Aiyuk?

Why Aiyuk? First, he’s good—really good. So why would San Francisco trade him? For one, the 49ers already paid Deebo Samuel and have a ton of big contracts on the books. They may not be able to afford what Aiyuk will command.

Aiyuk is heading into his fifth NFL season in 2024. He’s a free agent after the upcoming season. Ahead of this year’s NFL draft, his value will never be higher.

Back to the Commanders. They still have plenty of salary cap room and do not have a ton on the books in future years. Washington is a perfect trading partner for San Francisco. Most importantly, the Commanders have the picks to satisfy the 49ers without trading the No. 2 overall pick.

Trading for Aiyuk and pairing him with McLaurin would give the Commanders one of the NFL’s best duos. Add in Dotson, who could play in the slot, and that’s a dangerous trio.

Then, there is the new Washington GM, Adam Peters. Peters came to the Commanders from the 49ers, where he spent the past eight seasons. He was a major decision-maker in selecting Aiyuk in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft.

There is one more connection. Aiyuk played at Arizona State in 2018 and 2019. His quarterback for his final season with the Sun Devils was Jayden Daniels. Daniels, along with North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, are the top contenders to land in Washington with the second overall pick.

Daniels and Aiyuk are reportedly close.

A trade still seems unlikely, as Peters must find a left tackle early in the 2024 NFL draft. It would probably only take one of Washington’s two second-rounders, in addition to another pick, to land Aiyuk. For as much as Peters has talked about using the draft to build the roster, it seems unlikely he’d part with too much draft capital. However, in this instance, he’d be trading for a player he knows and likes.

Anytime you can add an impact player, you do whatever is possible to land that player. With a new quarterback coming, adding another talented wideout wouldn’t be the worst thing for Washington.

Commanders have the 5th-cheapest offense in the NFL for 2024

This number will certainly go up after the draft.

New Washington general manager Adam Peters quickly began working on improving the Commanders’ roster when free agency kicked off last week. Peters has signed 21 players, but only four were with Washington last season.

Much of Peters’ attention in the early stages of free agency has been focused on defense — for good reason. The Commanders were dead last in most defensive metrics in 2023. With new head coach Dan Quinn and upgrades at defensive end and linebacker, Washington should be much better defensively next season.

The offense needs work, too. It underachieved in 2023 for multiple reasons. Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is gone after one season, making way for Kliff Kingsbury. The Commanders also traded quarterback Sam Howell, paving the way for a rookie to start.

With several holes remaining on offense, the Commanders will likely use the draft to upgrade multiple positions, including quarterback, offensive tackle, wide receiver and tight end.

Washington’s focus on improving the defense was needed. But how much have the Commanders invested in offense in 2024? According to Warren Sharp, using data from Over the Cap, Washington has the 28th most expensive offense—or fifth cheapest—with $82.8 million committed on that side of the ball next season.

That number will change. The Commanders still have plenty of cap space to add an expensive veteran should one become available and still sign a large draft class.

Washington will likely take a quarterback at No. 2 overall. Last year’s No. 2 overall pick, C.J. Stroud, signed a four-year deal worth $36.9 million with a cap hit of $6.6 million as a rookie.

The Commanders’ most expensive player is wide receiver Terry McLaurin, who will count $24.1 against the cap in 2024. Washington’s most notable offensive free agents thus far have been running back Austin Ekeler, quarterback Marcus Mariota and center Tyler Biadasz.

On Sunday, we’ll take a look at Washington’s defensive spending for 2024.

Commanders sign linebacker Keandre Jones

Jones, 26, played collegiately at Ohio State and Maryland.

On the same day the NFL revealed the 2024 salary cap would jump $30 million from last season, the Washington Commanders signed a linebacker.

The team announced it had signed free-agent linebacker Keandre Jones. Jones, 26, is a native of Olney, Md., and played high school football at Good Counsel. He committed to Ohio State out of high school, where he spent three seasons before transferring to Maryland for his final season in 2019.

Jones was a college teammate of Terry McLaurin, Chase Young and the late Dwayne Haskins at Ohio State.

Jones signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent after the 2020 NFL draft. The Bears waived him during final cuts that summer, and he signed with the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad.

Jones played three seasons for the Bengals, appearing in eight games and making four tackles. He was waived during final cuts last summer and did not play in 2023.

The Commanders need help at linebacker. While Jones is viewed as more of a depth signing for Washington, he could push for a role on special teams. The Commanders are thin at the position, and new head coach Dan Quinn will value linebackers more than the previous regime.

Washington has around $87 million in salary cap space ahead of the free agency next month.

A new report shows just how disastrous the Commanders offense was last season

Washington’s offense was a mess under Eric Bieniemy in 2023 for multiple reasons.

Regardless of which metric you use, the Washington Commanders were an unmitigated disaster in 2023. If you didn’t watch the Commanders and just glanced at the basic stats, you’d see the offense was much better than the defense.

And you’d partially be right. Washington’s defense was hideous last season and, in November, cost defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio and secondary coach Brent Vieselmeyer their jobs.

While the offense was statistically better, it took a drastic turn for the worse during the second half of the season. The offensive line struggled in pass protection, quarterback Sam Howell often tried to do too much and battled turnovers and sacks, the receivers weren’t getting their typical separation and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy refused to run the football.

So, for the second consecutive season, multiple offensive players, on the condition of anonymity, spoke to The Washington Post about the offense. Toward the end of the 2022 season, players were frustrated with former offensive coordinator Scott Turner. He was fired after that season and replaced by Bieniemy, who came to Washington to call plays, install his own offense, and take a big swing at a head coaching job.

In an in-depth story from Nicki Jhabvala of Sam Fortier, players highlighted all that went wrong offensively in 2023.

Other players, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal team dynamics, described Bieniemy as a hard-working coach who hamstrung his own efforts with poor communication, stubborn play-calling and a disregard for player feedback.

The story focused on tight end Logan Thomas’ comments regarding Bieniemy at the end of the season, which weren’t positive. Also, right guard Sam Cosmi also noted how the Commanders should have run the ball more. Those were the players to go on record. And while they didn’t say anything negative about Bieniemy personally, it was clear the arrangement did not work out.

The problems between Bieniemy and his team first came to light in the summer. Former head coach Ron Rivera spoke about how some players were concerned with Bieniemy’s approach. Rivera later walked back those comments.

It came up again later in the season, when it was evident star wide receiver Terry McLaurin had grown frustrated. McLaurin isn’t a complainer, so when he has an issue, people take notice.

Multiple players told Fortier and Jhabvala the Commanders needed to run the ball more.

“I don’t think they gave [Howell] a fair chance,” a player said. “I felt like we became a one-dimensional team.”

Despite Howell’s struggles, his teammates always had his back. 

There were a lot of good quotes from the article, including one where a player grew frustrated with Rivera’s approach for not stepping in and forcing Bieniemy to run the ball more. 

If you want even more information into last season’s struggles, give it a read. 

As for Bieniemy, Washington moved on from him earlier this week, which was not a surprise. Kansas City head coach Andy Reid noted how Bieniemy was in the Chiefs’ locker room ahead of their AFC Championship game two weeks ago in Baltimore. While some speculated Bieniemy could return to the Chiefs, Reid said he didn’t have any spots open. 

Where will Bieniemy coach in 2024?

We know it won’t be in Washington.

Every NFL team’s receiving leader from the 2023 regular season

Each team’s leader in receiving yards from 2023

Look, we know the Carolina Panthers had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year—particularly on offense. But fair is fair, and we already gave you passing and rushing leaders.

So, let’s finish it out and run through each team’s leader in receiving yards from the 2023 regular season.