Tag: Tyler Biadasz

Washington Commanders sign former Wisconsin offensive lineman

Washington Commanders sign former Wisconsin offensive lineman

Former Wisconsin Badgers offensive lineman Michael Deiter and the Washington Commanders agreed on a contract Monday.

Deiter spent the 2023 NFL campaign with the Houston Texans, but he now joins his third NFL team. He will reunite with former Badgers teammate center Tyler Biadasz, who signed with the Commanders this offseason as well.

While in Madison, Deiter played all three offensive line positions (center, guard and tackle) between 2014-2018, starting alongside Biadasz. Deiter went on to be selected in the third round (78th overall) of the 2019 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins. He’ll look to carve out a consistent role on Dan Quinn’s offensive line with the Commanders.

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Commanders sign veteran OL Michael Deiter

The Commanders add another former Wisconsin All-American to the offensive line.

The Washington Commanders continue adding depth in the trenches. After signing center Tyler Biadasz and guard Nick Allegretti early in free agency and re-signing offensive tackle Cornelius Lucas last week, Washington added more help on Monday, signing veteran offensive lineman Michael Deiter.

The 6-foot-6, 315-pound Deiter played left guard alongside Biadasz for the Badgers, where he started at left tackle, left guard and center, earning All-American honors in 2018. He was also a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection.

Deiter was a third-round pick (No. 78 overall) in the 2019 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins. As a rookie, Deiter played in all 16 games with 15 starts. He played all 16 games in 2020 as a backup and started all eight games in which he played in 2021. In 2022, he again appeared in all 17 games for Miami, departing for Houston in 2023.

Deiter appeared in 16 games for the Texans last season, making 10 starts at left guard and center.

Deiter gives the Commanders another veteran who can not only provide depth, but compete with Allegretti to start at guard. GM Adam Peters continues to bring in players with experience who, if not starting, can give Washington the kind of depth it’s lacked for years.

What does Cowboys announcer think of Commanders’ Dan Quinn?

More praise for Quinn from Dallas as a coach and person.

With new Commanders head coach Dan Quinn leaving Dallas for Washington, what does Dallas think of Quinn?

Brad Sham has been calling Cowboys football games as their play-by-play announcer for 45 seasons. He was a guest on the “Al Galdi Podcast” on Friday.

Quinn the Dallas defensive coordinator for the previous three seasons, was named the Commanders head coach and promptly hired Joe Whitt Jr. as his defensive coordinator and Sharrif Floyd as assistant defensive line coach, both away from the Cowboys staff.

Then he signed four Cowboys on his Dallas teams when Tyler Biadasz (center), Dorance Armstrong (defensive end), Dante Fowler (defensive end) and Noah Igbinoghene (cornerback) each agreed to make the Commanders their new team.

Sham had high praise for Quinn not only as a coach but as a person.

“He’s a genuine people person,” Sham said. “He does have that kind of magnetic enthusiasm. And it is not just his players who love him. Most people around him enjoy being around him. He treats everyone with such respect that it is impossible not to return that.”

Seeing how Quinn had previous head coaching experience and improved the Cowboys defense, Sham was confident Quinn would soon be moving from Dallas.

“So, I think it was inevitable that he was going to get another opportunity as a head coach. I think it is a very positive move for the Commanders.”

Sham believes Quinn will be a better head coach the second time around.

“My guess is he is a better coach than the one who left Seattle several years ago,” Sham continued. “The experience in Atlanta made him a better coach. His last three years here (Dallas) made him a better coach. I think he is not just a defensive coach, though he is very much that. He is interested in the whole team, and it’s a very positive move for the Commanders.”

Though Whitt has not garnered much publicity, Sham believes in Whitt taking on this responsibility for the Commanders. “Joe Whitt is a guy who is kind of under the radar. He is quiet but a phenomenal football coach who has really great football intelligence.”

Sham told Galdi of how the Dallas defense was horrible in the 2020 season, and the hiring of Dan Quinn saw the Cowboys defense improve tremendously during Quinn’s three seasons as the Cowboys defensive coordinator.

“He will come in and look at the personnel following the free agency and the draft. He will then decide the best way for those players to play. He finds a way to maximize the players he has.”

Sham told of how Dallas defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence injured a foot during practice week of the second game of the 2021 season. Quinn went to Micah Parsons and asked him what he thought of moving around more on defense, being on the line in pass-rushing downs. And that is why we see how the Cowboys have used Parsons in multiple positions. It came about because Quinn saw an opportunity when one of his better linemen was injured.

Sham summed it up, saying about Quinn, “He’s pretty creative, inventive, and sees the big picture.”

 

Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones talks players following Dan Quinn to Commanders

The Cowboys’ EVP understands why players and coaches want to follow Dan Quinn.

When Dan Quinn left the Dallas Cowboys after three seasons as defensive coordinator to become the head coach of the Washington Commanders, it was clear that some would follow.

Whether it be Quinn’s fellow coaches or players, Quinn was popular in Dallas, with star linebacker Micah Parsons often discussing Quinn’s impact on him. Unfortunately for Washington, though, Parsons is not available.

Since Quinn was named head coach, Dallas secondary coach Joe Whitt Jr. and assistant defensive line coach Sharrif Floyd followed him to the Commanders. Whitt is Washington’s new defensive coordinator, while Floyd is the assistant defensive line coach. Quinn tried to pry other assistants from Dallas, but the Cowboys refused to give Washington permission to interview them.

Free agency opened last week, and Quinn wasted no time looking to his former team to help his new team. On the first day of the legal tampering period, the Commanders quickly agreed to terms with center Tyler Biadasz and defensive end Dorance Armstrong. Then Washington agreed to terms with defensive end Dante Fowler Jr.

On Sunday, Washington signed cornerback Noah Igbinoghene. A former first-round pick of the Dolphins in the 2020 NFL draft, Igbinoghene spent last season in Dallas.

Last week, Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones spoke about those coaches and players following Quinn to Washington.

“Yeah, I mean that’s part of being, if you choose to go to Washington, Philadelphia or New York, that’s what we’re going to have,” Jones said. “It’s nothing but respect off the field, but when it comes time to compete against each other, then that’s what’s going to happen. It’s no surprise when we were having our farewells to him, which no one thinks more of DQ than our organization and what he brought to the table here. And obviously, the players enjoyed playing for Dan, so it doesn’t surprise me a bit that they (want to follow him).”

Jones was speaking of how fans were upset with Dallas’ disappointing offseason thus far after his father, owner and GM Jerry Jones, said the Cowboys would be “all in” this offseason. The Cowboys have watched multiple key players depart while remaining mostly inactive in free agency.

Commanders agree to terms with Chargers RB Austin Ekeler

The Commanders are expected to sign one of the NFL’s top backs in recent years to pair with Brian Robinson Jr.

The Washington Commanders are staying busy. Shortly after agreeing to terms with Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu on the first day of the legal tampering period Monday, Washington also agreed to terms with longtime Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler.

Ekeler, who will turn 29 in May, agreed to a two-year deal with Washington, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

An undrafted free agent from Western Colorado in 2017, Ekeler has been one of the NFL’s best running backs for the past few seasons. The 2023 season was a down one season for Ekeler, after rushing for over 900 yards and 13 touchdowns with 107 receptions and five receiving touchdowns in 2022.

Considered one of the NFL’s premier pass-catching backs, Ekeler replaces Antonio Gibson, who left Washington for New England.

For his NFL career, Ekeler has 4,355 rushing yards, 39 rushing touchdowns and an average of 4.4 yards per attempt. He also has 440 career receptions for 3,884 yards and 30 touchdowns.

Ekeler played the first four seasons of his career under new Commanders running backs coach Anthony Lynn, who was his head coach with the Chargers.

Commanders expected to sign Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu

Dan Quinn found the perfect linebacker for his defense in Frankie Luvu.

The Washington Commanders continue to make upgrades to their roster on the first day of the NFL’s legal tampering period.

The Commanders agreed to terms with two former Cowboys, defensive end Dorance Armstrong and center Tyler Biadasz, early on Monday. Now, new head coach Dan Quinn has found his linebacker.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Commanders have agreed to terms with Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu on a three-year deal worth up to $36 million.

Luvu, 27, was undrafted out of Washington State in 2018. He spent the first three seasons of his NFL career with the Jets. He signed with the Panthers in 2021, where his career took off.

Initially signed as a backup linebacker and key special-teamer, Luvu played 16 games in 2021, making four starts and finishing with 43 tackles.

He became a full-time starter in 2022 and recorded 111 tackles, including 19 for loss, seven sacks, one forced fumble, and one interception.

In 2023, Luvu started all 17 games and recorded 125 tackles, including 10 for loss, 5.5 sacks, five passes defended and two forced fumbles.

 

Former Wisconsin center signs with Washington Commanders

Former Wisconsin center signs with Washington Commanders

Former Wisconsin Badgers and Dallas Cowboys center Tyler Biadasz agreed to a three-year deal with the Washington Commanders Monday afternoon.

A fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft, Biadasz started 47 games for the Cowboys over the past three seasons and earned a Pro Bowl nod for his stellar 2022 campaign. 

With roughly $96 million in cap space, the Commanders added Biadasz to improve a bottom-tier offensive line from 2023. Biadasz ranks among the NFL’s elite in terms of pressure rate, something critical in a division littered with spectacular athletes on the defensive line. 

Biadasz started at center in all 41 games of his Wisconsin career and was awarded the Rimington Trophy in 2019, recognizing the best center in college football.

Most notably, the Amherst, Wisconsin native, played his entire college career blocking for two-time Doak Walker Award winner Jonathan Taylor, one of the most celebrated running backs in UW history. 

The acquisition of Biadasz could pay dividends for first-year head coach Dan Quinn with Brian Robinson Jr. budding in the backfield and a rookie quarterback projected to start under center. 

BREAKING: Cowboys to lose center Tyler Biadasz to Washington

From @ToddBrock24f7: The four-year center will join Dan Quinn’s Commanders, leaving Dallas with an obvious hole on the O-line to be filled for 2024.

The list of familiar faces Cowboys fans will see twice a year when the team faces their oldest rival continues to grow.

The Washington Commanders are expected to sign Cowboys center Tyler Biadasz, as first reported by NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport. That move comes less than two hours into the so-called “legal tapering period” that precedes the start of free agency and the new league year.

Biadasz is already the second Cowboy to depart for the Beltway on Monday; the Commanders are said to have come to terms with defensive end Dorance Armstrong as well, as ex-defensive coordinator Dan Quinn continues a rebuild in Washington that pulls heavily from his former employers in Dallas.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports Biadasz’s deal to be a three-year pact worth $30 million.

Biadasz was a fourth-round draft pick in 2020 out of Wisconsin and was tasked with the unenviable job of replacing five-time Pro Bowler Travis Frederick at center. The former Rimington Award winner did, taking over the position in the fifth game of his rookie season and then going on to start 49 games at center over the next three years.

The 26-year-old Wisconsin native was named to the Pro Bowl in 2022.

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His departure leaves a hole in the middle of the Cowboys’ offensive line. Brock Hoffman was an injury fill-in for Biadasz in Week 3 last season and started at right guard in the regular-season finale but has just 221 total game snaps with the Dallas offense.

Follow along with all the Cowboys’ additions and losses in free agency with this regularly updated tracker.

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Commanders expected to sign Cowboys center Tyler Biadasz

Adam Peters and Dan Quinn find their center.

The Washington Commanders are busy filling key positions early during the legal tampering period, and head coach Dan Quinn is reaching back to his roots to fill those holes.

Washington agreed to terms with former Cowboys defensive end Dorance Armstrong early in the legal tampering period on Monday. Shortly afterward, the Commanders found their next center, agreeing to terms with former Cowboys center Tyler Biadasz.

Biadasz comes to Washington after four years in Dallas, where he appeared in 61 games with 53 starts. Biadasz took over as the Cowboys center late in his rookie season and remained there over the next three seasons.

Biadasz reportedly agreed to a three-year deal worth $30 million, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post.

A fourth-round pick out of Wisconsin in 2020, Biadasz made the Pro Bowl in 2022.

The Commanders signed Nick Gates to a three-year deal last offseason to be the team’s starting center, but Gates was benched after Week 7. Washington will release Gates at the start of the new league year on Wednesday.

Armstrong and Biadasz can’t officially sign with the Commanders until 4 p.m. ET Wednesday.

Multiple Wisconsin Badgers make ESPN’s all-playoff era team

Who was your favorite Badger of the CFP era (since 2014)?

Nearly 10 years have passed since the first edition of the College Football Playoff, won by a surging Ohio State team led by running back Ezekiel Elliott and quarterback Cardale Jones.

Wisconsin did not make the CFP in its first decade. The Badgers came close several times, most notably falling 40 yards short of a Big Ten Championship over Ohio State and Playoff birth in 2017.

Now the format is expanding to 12 teams. It will get more challenging for schools like Wisconsin to win the entire thing, but more tickets are available for them to make the dance.

Related: Pre-spring bold predictions for the 2024 Big Ten football season

ESPN recently looked back upon the first decade of the CFP and put together an all-Playoff era team. Several Wisconsin Badgers were included:

  • RB Jonathan Taylor
  • RB Melvin Gordon (honorable mention)
  • C Tyler Biadasz (honorable mention)
  • OL Beau Benzschawel (honorable mention)
  • OLB T.J. Watt (honorable mention)

Unsurprisingly, Wisconsin got a few running backs, a few offensive linemen and an outside linebacker included. Those position groups also correlate to what the program has sent to the NFL, and the general strengths of the team under former head coach Paul Chryst.

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