Tag: Washington Commanders

Fantasy football reaction: Deebo Samuel is headed to Washington

What does this move do for Deebo’s fantasy value in 2025?

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel requested a trade out of town several weeks ago and was unofficially granted his wish on March 1. The Washington Commanders will send a fifth-round selection to the Niners for Samuel, which will be formally completed once the new league year begins March 12.

https://x.com/RapSheet/status/1895983372515840377

Washington gains a versatile playmaker who nicely contrasts Terry McLaurin to give a dangerous one-two aerial punch for second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels. Pass-catching running back Austin Ekeler remains under contract, although TE Zach Ertz is slated to hit free agency but still could return. The rest of the receiving components are far from integral.

A multilayered offensive attack will make life difficult on defenders, but it also means there may not be enough passes to go around to maintain weekly consistency for more than two of these guys. It’s unclear if Washington will utilize Samuel on the ground as much as San Fran did, which mostly was done out of necessity when he was rushing more than a change-of-pace play here and there.

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From San Fran’s perspective — one we’ll go into greater deal as the team rounds out its offensive corps — this move allows second-year receivers Jacob Cowing and Ricky Pearsall to gear up for more work. Expect the 49ers to continue to address the position, likely in the draft, as Brandon Aiyuk (knee) isn’t a sure thing as he comes back from knee reconstruction.

Fantasy football takeaway

Samuel has a storied history of being dinged and missing small amounts of time each year. Furthermore, Deebo’s lack of scoring prowess isn’t probable to turn around at this stage of his career, so all of this works in harmony to create a WR3 in upcoming drafts.

While he has the talent to be more, and gamers will get strong No. 2 returns from him on occasion, the situation alone doesn’t bode well for weekly utility. It’s not like he’ll be without upside entirely … but this veteran might be frustrating in weekly lineup formats. His addition arguably does far more for the fantasy value of Daniels than Samuel himself.

Did the Commanders’ Adam Peters offer former Eagles cornerback a contract?

Veteran NFL cornerback says he didn’t sign with Commanders last offseason because he loved the Eagles “too much.” Yet

Did the Washington Commanders pursue the former Eagles’ cornerback Bradley Roby?

Last offseason, Commanders GM Adam Peters was indeed very busy nearly entirely making over and reconstructing the Commanders’ roster, ridding himself of many players Ron Rivera brought to Ashburn.

Interestingly enough, veteran cornerback Bradley Roby tweeted Sunday afternoon, implying he could have signed with the Commanders last offseason but refused to ink a deal with Washington.

Roby tweeted, “Didn’t sign to commanders this year bc I loved it in Philly too much and knew Eagles was destined for the ring this yr ! Gotta bring it home today.”

It is true; Roby was an unrestricted free agent last spring. In addition, I find no record that Roby signed with any NFL team during the free agency signing period, the summer offseason, or during this 2024 season.

So, why did Roby declare he didn’t sign with the Commanders because he loved Philly too much? Do we know that the Commanders even offered Roby a contract? Roby says he loved Philly so much. Thus, if Philly had offered him a deal, he would have signed with the Eagles, correct?

Whatever the truth is regarding the Commanders and Roby, the one truth we do know is that no team signed Roby all year, including the Eagles.

Thus, a logical question would be, “Was Roby tweeting he didn’t sign with the Commanders simply to get attention on Super Bowl Sunday?”

If so, Commanders Wire is not providing him the attention he desires. The Eagles never re-signed Roby, either. Therefore, is Roby attempting to claim the Eagles are his NFL team?

Actually, Roby, in his 10 NFL seasons, was with the Eagles only one season (2023) when he appeared in nine games, starting two.

Roby was drafted by the Broncos 31st overall in the 2014 draft out of Ohio State. Roby played five seasons with the Broncos, then played two years for the Texans, two with the Saints, and the lone 2023 season with the Eagles.

Adam Peters not signing Roby appears to have been the right move by Peters because no one else signed Roby either.

 

X reacts to Eagles beatdown of Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX

X reacts to Eagles’ win over Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX from a Commanders’ perspective.

For Washington Commanders fans, watching this year’s Super Bowl felt slightly different. After winning 12 games and two playoff games, the Commanders were one game short of appearing in their first Super Bowl in 33 years.

Unfortunately for Washington, it ran into the Philadelphia Eagles. Turnovers plagued the Commanders in their third matchup against the Eagles, allowing Philly to come away with a blowout win. That led to a rematch in Super Bowl LIX between the Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. The Eagles and Chiefs met two years ago, with Kansas City coming away with a 38-35 win.

Sunday’s rematch proved to be a far different result, though, with the Eagles steamrolling the Chiefs 40-22 for their second Super Bowl championship in franchise history.

The game was never competitive, with Philadelphia owning a 24-0 halftime lead. Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes struggled, throwing two first-half interceptions. While Mahomes finished the game with three touchdown passes, his final numbers were deceptive as he didn’t lead the Chiefs to their first score until they were already down 34-0.

Washington fans were not rooting for the Eagles. But many Commanders’ fans couldn’t help but wonder, “What could have been.” Could Washington have beaten Kansas City?

One thing was clear: the Commanders’ offense looked much better against Philly’s vaunted defense. Even with 10 turnovers in their three meetings against the Eagles, Jayden Daniels and the Commanders averaged 26 points per game against Philadelphia.

We took to X after the Eagles’ victory to see how some viewed this game from a Commanders’ perspective.

 

Hall of Fame QB is a big fan of Jayden Daniels, but cautions everyone to remain patient

Hall of Fame QB believes Jayden Daniels is already a star, but hopes everyone remains patient with him.

Jayden Daniels took the NFL by storm in 2024. The Washington Commanders’ rookie quarterback broke numerous records and led his team to its best season in 33 years, two road playoff wins and was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

The future is bright for Daniels and the Commanders. But critics will tell you to be careful in expecting Daniels to repeat his 2024 success, often pointing to Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud. Stroud led the Texans from worst to first in 2023, breaking numerous rookie quarterback records before struggling at times in 2024.

Ultimately, Stroud settled down to have a solid second season, but some were disappointed that he didn’t take a more significant step forward in 2024.

Kurt Warner can say he’s lived in Daniels and Stroud’s shoes. The Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback was thrust into a starting role in 1999 after Trent Green’s injury and would lead the St. Louis Rams to the Super Bowl as a first-year starter.

A two-time MVP winner, Warner enjoyed a 12-year career before retiring, but things weren’t always as easy as they were in his first year as a starter.

Last week, in town for Super Bowl LIX, Warner joined Grant Paulsen of the “Grant and Danny” show on 106.7 The Fan in Washington, D.C., where he discussed Daniels.

“He’s a really good player. I know sometimes we get caught up in rookies aren’t supposed to be successful, but I can go back to ’99 when I felt I was a good player and so I played well, and that’s what I think about Jayden Daniels,” Warner said via Lou DiPietro of Audacy. “You watched him last year win the Heisman, and coming out, you knew that if everything you saw on tape translated to the NFL, this kid’s gonna be a phenomenal player because he can do everything really, really well. And I think that’s what we saw this year.”

Warner was most impressed by Daniels’ poise and how nothing ever rattled him.

Warner already believes Daniels is a big-time NFL quarterback. However, he believes some should tone down their expectations for Daniels. Not because he thinks Daniels can’t exceed them but because if Daniels takes even a small step back in 2024, it will be held against him because of the bar he set in 2024.

“Jayden’s gonna put in the work, and sometimes, you have off games or off seasons, but you don’t go into things thinking, he’s gonna have a sophomore slump, or, he’s got to be better than he was this year,” Warner said.

“To me, it’s always about letting it play its course. I’m always a believer of give me three years of seeing a guy, because there’s going to be ebbs and flows, but then I can tell you who I believe he is as a quarterback. So I think the hard thing is having a year like this is you guys are going to come back and go, if he doesn’t do better than this, then what’s wrong? But if he just drops a little bit from what he did this year, it’s still gonna be a phenomenal season for him, so we have to put things in perspective. You’ve got a really good quarterback who I believe is going to be good for a long time, let him show us who he is over a few years and let it play out – I think you’re going to see that Jayden Daniels is going to be a solid NFL starter for a long time.”

This is very good advice from Warner. He had a phenomenal start to his career before crashing down to earth a few years later. Warner recovered and was still playing at a high level when he retired after the 2009 season.

These days, there is always a hurry to anoint or crown someone immediately. That happens in football, other sports, or even the workplace. Daniels doesn’t need to put up better statistics in 2025 to prove his rookie wasn’t a fluke. He understands what needs to be done to take the next step, and there’s no reason to doubt next season will be just as big for Daniels.

Commanders QB Jayden Daniels shares appreciation for team’s fans

Jayden Daniels shares his appreciation for Washington fans.

Jayden Daniels is already one of the NFL’s most popular players. The Washington Commanders quarterback broke numerous team, rookie and NFL records in 2024 on his way to being named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Daniels’ jersey was a big seller, too. He led all NFL players in jersey sales, and his No. 5 jersey was also a big seller internationally, as well.

With his success as a rookie, Daniels not only brought back previous Washington fans but also helped create new ones. Games at Northwest Stadium often featured more of the opposing team’s fans than Washington’s. That began to change in 2024, with many Commanders’ fans donning Daniels’ popular No. 5 jersey.

More than once, Daniels shared his appreciation for Washington fans. During Super Bowl week in New Orleans, Daniels spoke with Kevin Clark of the “This is Football” podcast, where the star rookie again shared his love for the franchise’s fan base.

“The fanbase,” Daniels said when Clark asked him what his favorite thing about the DMV (D.C., Maryland, Virginia) had been since arriving there last spring.

“I love riding to a game and seeing everybody tailgating, all the flags and everything; they are very passionate.”

When the Commanders lost to the Eagles in the NFC championship game, several Washington fans were waiting at the airport in the early morning to greet the team. Daniels stopped, signed autographs, and took pictures with every fan there.

Commanders fans can finally say, “We’ve got our quarterback.”

Commanders’ Dan Quinn didn’t finish in the top four for NFL Coach of the Year

Despite leading one of the more impressive turnarounds in NFL history, it wasn’t enough for Dan Quinn to finish among the top four for NFL Coach of the Year.

You likely heard that Josh Allen won the MVP award at the NFL Honors ceremony on Thursday night. This upset some, who believed Lamar Jackson should’ve won the award. Both players had strong arguments for the prize.

However, that’s not the biggest robbery from Thursday’s annual NFL award show.

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn didn’t win NFL Coach of the Year. We presented our case about how Quinn was robbed. Afterward, we learned where Quinn finished in the Coach of the Year voting: fifth among the five candidates. 

Yes, you read that correctly. The coach who inherited a 4-13 roster and won 12 games in his first season and two more on the road in the playoffs before falling short in the NFC championship.

Kevin O’Connell won the award. O’Connell was deserving, leading the Vikings to 14 wins, and the job he did helping quarterback Sam Darnold turn his career around was super impressive. Minnesota won seven games in 2023.

The other finalists, Dan Campbell (Lions) and Andy Reid (Chiefs) entered the season expected to be in their respective conference championship games. Both finished ahead of Quinn.

Finally, the other candidate, a former Coach of the Year and Super Bowl champion, Sean Payton (Broncos), finished fourth. Payton went 8-9 in 2023 and 10-7 in 2025. Yet, somehow, voters felt he was more deserving than Quinn.

This isn’t a knock on any of these four coaches. If they walk away, Reid and Payton are Hall of Fame coaches right now. Campbell has built a juggernaut in Detroit, while O’Connell has quickly proved to be an elite coach.

The Washington Commanders were a mess before Josh Harris bought the team in July 2023. They finished 4-13 during his first season as owner, firing head coach/GM Ron Rivera. Everything was new when Harris hired Adam Peters as the new general manager last January. The duo later hired Quinn as head coach, a move many criticized.

Quinn clearly got the last laugh, proving to be the leader the Commanders desperately needed. Somehow, that wasn’t enough to get him NFL Coach of the Year honors, or finish in the top four.

Quinn doesn’t care. He would tell you he doesn’t care and that would be genuine. That’s not the type of guy Dan Quinn is. He’s all about the team. Quinn would quickly deflect to Washington’s other leaders, his coaching staff, and the players for the Commanders’ 2024 success.

Quinn should’ve been the NFL Coach of the Year., or, at the very least, finished a close second to O’Connell. Those Much like the voting for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, this system is broken, too.

 

Commanders’ Jayden Daniels nails quarterback silhouette challenge

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels proves he watches film when he nails the quarterback silhouette challenge.

When the Washington Commanders drafted Jayden Daniels with the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, Chicago Bears fans became arrogant because they selected Caleb Williams. As the season progressed, it became increasingly clear that the Commanders had the right guy under center.

Not only did Daniels break records and set new ones, but he transformed an entire franchise, with the help of Adam Peters and Dan Quinn, of course. Daniels’ talent is evident every time he’s on the field, but what you might not know about him is how much he studies the game of football.

Daniels proved just how much film he watches when he participated in the quarterback silhouette challenge in New Orleans ahead of Super Bowl XLVII.

In the game, Daniels is shown a black-and-white video of a quarterback through some part of his progression. In some cases it’s a drop-back, in others it’s a scramble, and Daniels’ job is to guess who the quarterback is from just this image.

Daniels got every single video correct. Patrick Mahomes, Kyler Murray, Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson, Tua Tagovailoa, and Aaron Rodgers, and he gives a distinguishing characteristic of each player indicating how he knew who it was.

Jayden Daniels is going to have a long and illustrious career in the NFL. Not just because he’s a talented player who can get the job done, but because he studies the game, learns from it, adapts his own game and decision-making to what is happening, and he is incredibly humble about all of it.

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Dan Graziano: Expect Commanders to be ‘aggressive’ in defensive upgrades

NFL Insider Dan Graziano says he expects the Commanders to be ‘aggressive’ in upgrading its defense this offseason.

The Washington Commanders had one glaring problem this season: its subpar run defense. The Commanders’ run defense ranked near the bottom of the league and was a thorn in its own side all season long. The explosiveness of Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels and the resurgence of wide receiver Terry McLaurin are primary reasons why the Commanders were so successful in 2024.

Because of that, NFL Insider and ESPN reporter Dan Graziano says he expects the Commanders to be “aggressive” in its search for defensive roster upgrades.

Graziano: Expect the Commanders to be aggressive this offseason in pursuing roster upgrades on defense. Much like the Texans last year after C.J. Stroud’s dazzling rookie season, Washington believes it has something special in quarterback Jayden Daniels and wants to maximize his rookie-contract window. Getting to the NFC Championship Game in Daniels’ first year only makes Washington more likely to get aggressive for someone like Garrett if and when Cleveland decides to move him.

Washington needs a lot of work on defense, and don’t be surprised to see the team stretch for an impact player or two in the coming months. The Commanders were 19th in defensive EPA this season.

Washington has already been named a prime place for Myles Garrett to land if and when Cleveland decides to move him, so it’s not far-fetched to think the Commanders would actively seek a trade. Garrett, arguably the NFL’s best defensive player, is a beast on the field and would instantly improve the performance of the Commanders’ defense.

However, the Commanders could also answer this question in the draft or free agency. If they decide Cleveland’s asking price for Garrett is too high, they can look for other options that will not cost them trade assets. Washington has options. We’ll all have to wait and see what they choose to do.

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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.

Analyst reveals why he didn’t vote for Jayden Daniels as Offensive Rookie of the Year

One person didn’t vote for Jayden Daniels. He explained why.

It was apparent early in the 2024 season that Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels was the frontrunner for the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

Daniels never let up. Instead, he improved throughout his rookie season, saving his best for the playoffs. He led the Commanders to road wins over the Buccaneers and top-seeded Lions. While Washington ultimately fell short against the Eagles in the NFC championship, the future is brighter than ever.

Daniels won the Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Week award a record-breaking 11 times this season. This week, he was named Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Year, which he followed up with the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

Daniels received 49 out of 50 votes, with the only other vote for Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers. It was surprising that Daniels wasn’t the unanimous winner. After every voter’s ballot was revealed, we learned that former PFF analyst Sam Monson didn’t vote for Daniels.

He explained why he voted for Bowers on X:

While you can strongly disagree with Monson, he made a valid point. But while Bowers had a historic rookie campaign, Daniels helped turn around a moribund franchise. When voting for these awards, you must consider everything.

On Friday, Monson joined “Grant and Danny” of 106.7 The Fan in Washington, D.C., and further explained his reasoning.

“You don’t love it. I have a pretty good idea of what my mentions are going to look like for the next couple of days,” Monson said via Lou DiPietro of Audacy.

“To me, they were extremely close, and I think either one of them wins in another season. I knew I’d be in a minority, but I was surprised I was the minority of one. Even the guys from the AP don’t know if there’s been a unanimous winner, but ultimately, 49 concurred on this one.”

Again, you can disagree with Monson, but attacking him on social media is not the answer. It never is. Monson should be commended for not hiding behind his vote.

“It’s a regular-season award, so the playoffs that enhanced his candidacy didn’t matter, because the deadline is the day after the end of the regular season,” Monson continued. “That would’ve pushed Daniels above Bowers, but you’re talking about two guys who had incredible rookie years, and Bowers had a better season than the benchmark for a rookie tight end. QB is the hardest position to play, but tight end is not an easy position to hit the ground running, either. He was breaking not just tight end records, but rookie receiving records.”

Bowers, Bo Nix, Brian Thomas Jr., and Malik Nabers all had strong cases for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. It was an incredible rookie class. Ultimately, though, the voters got this one right.