Tag: Washington Commanders

Daron Payne not in Washington’s future plans?

It’s been a frustrating offseason for Washington fans.

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It wouldn’t be Washington football if it didn’t involve uncertainty.

Don’t call me a hater.

Seriously, I have followed this team much closer than most fans since the 1969 season. I fell in love as a kid when the Redskins had Sonny Jurgensen throwing tight spirals to Charley Taylor and Jerry Smith while a young Larry Brown was becoming one of the fiercest runners to ever put on a helmet.

I watched all five Super Bowls in team history and cried as a 9-year-old when they lost Super Bowl VII. So don’t call me a hater.

But today’s latest development again left me frustrated. The front office/head coach Ron Rivera and his front office assistants will not extend defensive tackle Daron Payne.

This AFTER they let Tim Settle go to sign with Buffalo for a mere $9 million over two years and then released Matt Ioannidis. Wait, what?

Following the team for 50+ years, I certainly understand it is a business. Ok, so why release this information today? Why let each of your competitors know you now “have” to trade him? I wrote about this prior to the trade for Carson Wentz, regarding their desperation to obtain a quarterback.

Ok, they were determined to re-sign Jonathan Allen, and I approved of the move. So, why haven’t they been trying to trade Daron Payne earlier in this 2022 offseason, when many other teams were making trades?

If they had traded Payne earlier, could they have not kept both Ioannidis and Settle? They certainly could have.

Has there been much of a plan this offseason? Is it just me, or does it seem there are reactions rather than direction and vision? They cannot let Payne get to the 2022 season. Good grief, Kirk Cousins, Brandon Scherff AND Daron Payne? Is there a plan?

Perhaps they will trade him during this week’s NFL draft? What will they get for him? If they lose Payne, Ioannidis and Settle in a two-month span, their strongest roster spot (DT) will have been virtually annihilated.

Forgive me, but sometimes I feel as soon as Washington strengthens one weakness (QB), it manages to create two more weaknesses, which is what they have done this offseason: strengthen QB, weaken their draft possibilities and gut their defensive tackle depth.

 

Report: Commanders are not expected to offer defensive tackle Daron Payne an extension

A new report indicates the Commanders are not expected to offer defensive tackle Daron Payne a contract extension. Payne is a free agent after the 2022 season.

In some surprising news Tuesday morning, Ben Standig of The Athletic reported the Washington Commanders are not expected to offer defensive tackle Daron Payne a contract extension.

This is surprising.

The Commanders allowed Tim Settle, who was selected in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL draft to walk. Settle signed a modest two-year deal with the Buffalo Bills. Shortly thereafter, Washington released veteran defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis, who played 59% of the team’s defensive snaps in 2021.

Once a team strength, the defensive tackle position is now left with Pro Bowler Jonathan Allen and Payne — on the final year of his contract.

The Commanders have shown interest in Oklahoma defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey, who is expected to be a second-round draft pick. Washington does not have a third-round or fifth-round selection in the 2022 NFL draft.

Other positions Washington would like to address are wide receiver, safety, linebacker and the offensive line. Now, the defensive tackle position has become a priority. With just six picks in the draft, Washington desperately needs to move back and acquire more selections.

Payne, the No. 13 overall player selected in the 2018 NFL draft, will play on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal at around $8.5 million in 2022.

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Commanders NEED to trade down in 2022 NFL draft

The Commanders should move down at every opportunity to add multiple picks in this year’s draft. Of course, you need a trade partner.

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The Washington Commanders really need to trade down in the upcoming 2022 NFL draft.

When Washington wanted Carson Wentz so badly, was it necessary to relinquish a 2022 third-round draft pick, a 2023 third-round pick that is conditional and is most likely to become second-round pick? Was it also necessary, that the Commanders allowed Colts GM Chris Ballard to talk them into swapping down from the No. 42 overall selection Friday to the No. 47 selection? Even more, did Ballard also get his way, when Washington agreed to take on Wentz’s entire salary for the next three seasons?

Colts owner Jim Irsay had already laid down the gavel to Ballard and head coach Frank Reich that Irsay did not want Wentz back for 2022. Thus Ballard “HAD” to trade Wentz.

This means Washington does not presently own an opportunity to select a player in either the third or fifth rounds of this year’s draft. You recall in the 2021 NFL draft Washington sent this year’s fifth-round pick to the Eagles for a sixth-round pick (225) and a seventh-round pick (240). With those two picks, Washington selected Cameron Cheeseman and William-Bradley King.

In addition, Washington’s strongest position last year was defensive tackle. The team exhibited strength and depth with Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, Matt Ioannidis and Tim Settle. However, they failed to sign Tim Settle, and he signed a two-year deal for only $9 million with Buffalo. Washington then released Ioannidis “after” losing Settle.

Was Washington actually negotiating with Settle, attempting to keep him? He signed quickly for a price Washington could have easily matched or bettered, had they released Ioannidis just days earlier.

Without a third-round and fifth-round pick, Washington still has two options. They have the No. 11 and No. 47 overall selections.  They desperately need to add a strong inside defensive tackle in this draft. They might also like to draft a quarterback as well to see how he develops in the next few seasons.

Consequently, Washington could trade down from No. 11 overall, still remain in the first round, and easily pick up an extra draft pick or two. They could also trade down from No. 47 adding a draft pick as well.

Yes, Washington landed an upgrade at quarterback in Wentz. And yes, they also still have the opportunity in front of them in this week’s draft to trade down and meet other roster needs that should be addressed.

Two things will need to be present: a team wanting badly enough to trade up and Washington wanting badly enough to trade down to obtain a few more draft picks.

 

One report suggests Commanders are ‘all in’ on a wide receiver

Last week, a report suggested the Commanders didn’t want to draft a first-round wide receiver. A new report suggests otherwise.

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If Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton drops from the top 10 of the 2022 NFL draft, things could get interesting. The Washington Commanders at No. 11 would be faced with the decision of selecting Hamilton or a wide receiver.

The Commanders like Hamilton. They brought him in for a visit last week. Washington also likes some of the top wide receivers. Ohio State’s Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson visited Washington, and head coach Ron Rivera didn’t attend many pro days, but he was at OSU.

Washington saw USC wide receiver Drake London at his pro day.

There are lots of rumors about which wide receiver the Commanders prefer. There was also the rumor that Washington wasn’t even looking to select a wide receiver in the first round.

Are you confused yet?

Some believe Washington has London as the top receiver on its board. Others think it’s Wilson. And some believe Olave could be the guy.

Todd McShay of ESPN believes the Commanders are pursuing a wide receiver early. In his latest draft buzz column, McShay said Washington was “all in” on finding another wide receiver.

Nothing new here, but the Washington Commanders are all in on finding another wide receiver. I’ve heard two very different nuggets on their preference at No. 11. One GM told me that buzz around the league points to Washington taking Ohio State’s Chris Olave, pairing him with a former Buckeyes teammate in Terry McLaurin. But another says London is rumored to be much higher on Washington’s board at the position. Regardless, it might be a moot point if London goes to the Falcons or Jets.

It’s challenging to decipher which report is accurate right now. The Commanders would probably prefer to trade back, add multiple picks, and still land Olave. However, there doesn’t appear to be significant interest in moving up this year. Perhaps that changes on Thursday when a blue-chip player or two slips.

Washington may not select a wide receiver in the first round, but the chances are good the Commanders will add a wideout with one of their first two selections.

5 takeaways from Martin Mayhew and Ron Rivera’s pre-draft presser

Ron Rivera and Martin Mayhew met with the media Monday. Several topics were discussed.

Each year ahead of the NFL draft, each of the 32 NFL teams’ decision-makers meets with the media to answer questions. They discuss the offseason, free agency, and, most importantly, the NFL draft.

It was the Washington Commanders’ turn Monday, as head coach Ron Rivera and general manager Martin Mayhew met with the media and answered questions. The duo discussed numerous topics surrounding the franchise, from injured players to the upcoming 2022 NFL draft.

We discussed Chase Young’s return from injury yesterday.

Here are five other topics from Monday’s press conference that we found particularly interesting.

Washington Wire 2022 NFL mock draft, 1st Round, part 1

Part 1 of Washington Wire’s mock draft as we go through picks 1-16. Who lands with the Commanders?

Washington Wire editor Bryan Manning and contributing writer Ivan Lambert joined together to produce their 2022 NFL mock draft of the first round.

Selections 1-16 are provided in this Tuesday morning post, with selections 17-32 coming Wednesday morning.

This mock draft leans upon the draft order at the time this is being selected by Bryan and Ivan. Bryan began the draft making the No. 1 pick, while Ivan picks up at No. 2, and they rotated each selection. The Washington Wire mock draft did not include trades.

2022 NFL mock draft: 7-round projections for the Commanders

Here’s how all seven rounds of the 2022 NFL draft could shake out for the Washington Commanders

The 2022 NFL draft is just days away, and your favorite NFL team is about to add tons of young talent to help improve their chances of success in the upcoming season.

Here’s how all seven rounds of this year’s draft could shake out for the Washington Commanders:

Terry McLaurin’s contract, Curtis Samuel’s return from injury will not impact Commanders’ draft plans

Washington coach Ron Rivera says Terry McLaurin’s potential contract extension or Curtis Samuel’s return from injury will not impact the team’s draft plans.

Washington head coach Ron Rivera spoke to the media Monday ahead of this week’s 2022 NFL draft and covered several topics. Rivera discussed players returning from injury, quarterbacks, and draft plans.

Wide receiver Terry McLaurin’s potential contract extension was also discussed. General manager Martin Mayhew confirmed there had been dialogue between the two sides but did not offer further details.

“Yeah, we’ve had dialogue with Terry and his agent,” Mayhew said. “Have great respect for both of those men. We’re really excited about the opportunity to have Terry continue with us for a long time. So we’re working on that. Won’t get much into detail about what’s going on there, but we have been having dialogue.”

Rivera followed up and said whether McLaurin’s extension gets done sooner or later will not impact Washington’s draft plans.

“And whether this is done or not in the next few days or afterward is not going to affect what we’re thinking about in the draft one way or the other,” Rivera said.”

That means a wide receiver is still in play for the Commanders in the first round. Right? Rivera could be posturing to keep Washington’s draft plans a secret, but he also reiterated that stance when discussing Curtis Samuel.

According to the coach, Samuel, who missed most of last season with a groin injury, is healthy and looking good. However, Samuel’s pending return will not impact the draft either.

“I don’t think it does,” Rivera answered when asked if Samuel’s return changes draft plans. “I mean, again, we’ve had to continue as we go through the process of the draft, what happens in front of us, what happens in each round. You know, those are things that really dictate and indicate really what you’re thinking and where you’re going.”

It’s good to know Rivera isn’t counting on Samuel in 2022. In an ideal world, Samuel and Dyami Brown would take big steps next season, but you can’t enter the season expecting anything more. If Samuel is healthy and Brown develops, the Commanders suddenly have a deep group of wide receivers.

Commanders coach Ron Rivera gives update on Chase Young

Ron Rivera discussed Chase Young’s rehab Monday.

Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera and general manager Martin Mayhew met with the media in Ashburn Monday afternoon to preview this week’s 2022 NFL draft. Of course, other topics were discussed, too, such as Washington’s offseason up until this point.

One of the major topics of Washington’s offseason — outside of the trade for quarterback Carson Wentz — is defensive end Chase Young’s health. In November, Young tore his ACL in a Week 10 win over the Buccaneers.

Rivera was confident Young would report to the team for the voluntary offseason program, which began last week. Young did report and is continuing his rehab in Ashburn after spending time in Colorado.

It didn’t take long for Rivera to be asked about Young.

“Well, he has been doing real well,” Rivera said. “He is here today again and it’s a great sight to see. Got an opportunity to spend a little time with him, and he’s fired up. He’s really focused in, and he’s attacking his rehab. I think, as Martin alluded to earlier, an opportunity for him to meet (new head trainer) Al and listen to Al Bellamy and listen to his plan and how he’s mapped things out.”

After Rivera answered the initial question on Young’s rehab, he was then asked if he could provide a timeline for Young’s return.

He politely declined.

“No, we’re not going to put a time limit on anybody’s injuries. All we can tell you is that he’s doing exactly needs to do.”

There will be no “All in for Week 1” for Young and the Commanders.

While it sounds like Young’s rehab is progressing well, Rivera was smart not to give a timeline. Providing a timeline puts pressure on himself and Young if he isn’t ready by a specific date.

The good news for Washington is Young is participating in the offseason program, which is exciting news for the head coach.

Commanders select defensive star in NFL.com’s expert live mock draft

Will Kyle Hamilton make it out of the top 10?

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Throughout the offseason, we’ve been under the assumption the Washington Commanders would go with an offensive player with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft.

However, recent reports have some believing Washington would have difficulty passing up Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton if he were to slip outside of the top 10. Once Washington traded for quarterback Carson Wentz, many penciled in a wide receiver for the Commanders.

Not so fast.

In a new NFL.com expert live mock draft in which Daniel Jeremiah, Bucky Brooks, Colleen Wolfe and Rhett Lewis take turns making picks for making selections, Brooks makes the pick for Washington at No. 11.

His pick? Hamilton.

Wolfe asked Brooks if he was going to go wide receiver for Wentz, and Brooks cracked:

“Wide receiver, oh no, I’m not sure if he (Wentz) would hit him anyway,” he answered. Ouch.

“I am going to go and get someone on defense because we got to make sure we gotta play great defense. Let’s go Kyle Hamilton. He was outside the top 10, I am at No. 11, so I am going to take him. Remember, this is a guy who always wanted to be Sean Taylor coming up. He doesn’t necessarily give them exactly what Sean Taylor did, but he certainly will be the best safety we’ve seen play there in years. Jack Del Rio, Ron Rivera have a lot of fun finding ways to keep Kyle Hamilton in the mix.”

We’ve certainly heard plenty of young safeties say they want to be the next Taylor. No one is the next Taylor. However, Hamilton is arguably the best safety prospect coming out in years and could be a dynamic defensive weapon if Washington coaches employ him properly.