Daily Slop – 28 Feb 25

A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders

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Articles

Washington Times

LOVERRO: Myles Garrett gives Commanders fighting chance against Eagles

[A]n offseason battle may be shaping up, one that could even the scales between the two teams. Or, depending on which franchise comes out on top, put the Commanders further behind the world champion Eagles.

The prize? Perhaps the best pass rusher in the league, Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, a six-time All Pro and 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, has made known that he wants a chance to play for a winner.

Garrett said in a statement several weeks ago that he wants out of the dysfunctional Browns. “While I’ve loved calling this city my home, my desire to win and compete on the biggest stages won’t allow me to be complacent. The goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton, it has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl.

“The Commanders are the most obvious and consequential landing spot for Garrett,” ESPN said. “They have the championship potential, the financial flexibility, and the clear and obvious need for pass-rushing help.”

But another suitor has been floated as a place where Garrett can fulfill his desire — the defending champion Eagles, of all places.

“The Eagles could potentially try to “snake” the Commanders if they think Washington is close to trading for Myles Garrett by jumping in and making Cleveland an offer they “can’t refuse” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported.

That’s something Washington cannot allow to happen.

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Sports Illustrated

Commanders’ Dan Quinn speaks on All-Pro linebacker entering free agency

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn had short comments regarding veteran linebacker Bobby Wagner entering free agency.

When speaking to the media at the NFL Scouting Combine, head coach Dan Quinn, a big fan of Wagner’s, was asked if he expects the former Super Bowl champion to be back with the team next season to which he gave a short reply.

“You’d have to talk to his agent.”

Talks are still probably ongoing between the two sides but there is always the possibility that Wagner could walk away from the game after 13 years in the league albeit it seems he still has plenty left in the tank. In a follow up question, Quinn was asked if he thinks Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll will try to steal Wagner based off the two’s prior relationship from Wagner’s time in Seattle with the Seahawks in which Quinn quipped the same exact answer with a little chuckle.

“You’d have to talk to his agent.”

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Commanders.com

‘He’s a hype man’: Notre Dame DL have fond memories of Jean-Baptiste

Jean-Baptiste didn’t spend much time with the Fighting Irish. He transferred there after five seasons at Ohio State, where he recorded eight sacks and 53 tackles in 45 games. He took a serious jump in production once he took his skills to St. Joseph, Indiana, though, amassing 49 tackles — 16 more than he got in his previous two seasons combined — and five sacks. Oh, and he recorded a team-best 11 tackles for loss.

Jean-Baptiste’s former teammates have fond memories of him, not just for his impact on the field but also for how he connected with them off of it.

“He just knew how to hype everybody up and stuff like that,” Cross said.

Baptiste fit many of the qualities the Commanders value when looking for talent in the draft. He’s long and athletic, both of which were highlighted by draft analysts before he was taken by the Commanders on Day 3 and helped him shed blockers at Notre Dame. What made him stand out even more to Washington’s staff was how much he liked football, and that came through clearly when they called to inform him of their decision.

“He was very, very excited and very emotional and really excited to add the length, the athleticism, the pass rush upside,” said Commanders assistant general manager Lance Newmark.

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Commanders Wire

Remembering the late Gene Hackman’s connection to the Washington NFL franchise

In 1990, Hackman starred with Dan Aykroyd as a tough cop in the film “Loose Cannons.” In the movie, Hackman plays the role of a Redskins’ fans, donning a burgundy and gold jacket.

That wasn’t Hackman’s only connection to Washington football. In 2000, Hackman starred as Jimmy McGinty in the “Replacements,” a movie loosely based on the 1987 Redskins.

The movie didn’t have NFL licensing, which is why the team was called the Sentinels and not the Redskins. However, some of the drama in the film mirrored the 1987 Redskins.

Finally, in 2007, Hackman was again connected to the Redskins, narrating “America’s Game” for NFL Films, focusing on the team’s triumphant 1987 season.

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Podcasts & videos

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NFC East links

Bleeding Green Nation

Should the Eagles keep Milton Williams?

Eagles roster outlook: Defensive tackle

STATS: 501 snaps, 24 total tackles, 5 sacks, 7 TFLs, 1 forced fumble, 10 QB hits, 39 QB hurries, 1 pass deflection

PLAYOFF STATS: 153 snaps, 7 total tackles, 2 sacks, 2 TFLs, 1 forced fumble, 2 QB hits, 11 QB hurries, 2 pass deflections

REVIEW: Williams had a great training camp and that offseason success carried over into the regular season. With Carter often drawing extra attention, Williams crushed his one-on-one opportunities to log a career high in sacks. Williams finished the season strong by shining in Super Bowl LIX with two sacks (including a strip-sack on Patrick Mahomes) and two TFLs.

OUTLOOK: If the salary cap didn’t exist, the Eagles keeping Williams would be a no-brainer. He’s an ascending defensive lineman who only turns 26 in April. He’s extremely athletic. He’s only missed one game in his entire career. Williams deserves to get paid … and he likely will. But given that the Eagles have limited resources to work with, I just don’t think spending them on Williams is the right play for them. With reports that Osa Odighizuwa, who is in a similar position to Williams, could make over $21 million per year … Williams is about to get PAID. Again, I believe Williams has earned his money. But this is a guy who had half of a sack in 2023. He played better than that number would suggest, to be clear. But Williams isn’t a player the Eagles MUST keep. Especially when 1) there are other defensive tackles who can excel playing next to Carter, 2) the Eagles have a potential in-house replacement for Williams in Moro Ojomo, and 3) the 2025 NFL Draft is loaded with DT talent. It’s unfortunate the Eagles can’t keep Williams but letting him walk is the right call for them. His departure will help the Birds when it comes to acquiring compensatory picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.

MY TAKE: Go.

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NFL league links

Articles

ESPN

Source: Myles Garrett not open to Browns extension amid trade ask

Myles Garrett is not open to a contract extension with the Cleveland Browns, a league source confirmed, as the team remains adamant that it will not accede to the star pass rusher’s trade request.

Cleveland.com first reported Garrett and his representatives have “slammed the door” on negotiations. The Browns met with Garrett’s representatives at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis this week.

Days after making his trade request, Garrett said it is not tied to a desire for a new contract and that he wants to play for a contender.

“Speaking with the management at the Browns, I don’t feel like our future is aligned with winning right now,” Garrett told ESPN’s “NFL Countdown” hours before Super Bowl LIX. “And that’s what I’m looking forward to do at this stage of my career.”

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Las Vegas Review Journal

Raiders absolved of wrongdoing in pursuit of Matthew Stafford

Stafford, 37, and the Rams are at an impasse on a new deal. He is under contract for two more years, but much of his compensation is not guaranteed. He is believed to be seeking a new deal that pays him $50 million per season with a substantial amount of guaranteed money.

A good comparison might be the four-year, $180 million contract Kirk Cousins signed with the Falcons last year, of which $100 million was guaranteed. Cousins was 35 at the time and had undergone surgery in November 2023 for a torn Achilles tendon.

Stafford is a superior player to Cousins and led the Rams to victory in Super Bowl 56, so his asking price is not out of line in today’s quarterback market.

Whether Stafford gets what he wants remains to be seen, but NFL sources indicate the Raiders and his camp have found common ground on what a potential new contract could look like.

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Athlon Sports

The 2025 Draft Class Of Cornerbacks Is Ready For The NFL’s Press Coverage Revolution

The NFL is all about press and match coverage now, and the 2025 class of cornerbacks have been preparing with full intent to be part of the revolution, writes Doug Farrar.

Last season, the Kansas City Chiefs had at least one of their cornerbacks playing some kind of press coverage on 88% of their snaps, which led the league. And there were seven other teams that played press with at least one cornerback at least 60% of the time. The Detroit Lions had three cornerbacks in press on 12% of their snaps, and there were six other teams with three cornerbacks in press at least 5% of the time. The Chiefs led the league with two cornerbacks in press on 54% of their snaps, and there were 10 other teams doing so at least 20% of the time.

Pro football has seen a return to the pre-zone defense days of the 1960s, when just about every cornerback played bump-and-run from the snap of the ball. The rules changes of 1978, which allowed receivers to have much more freedom from compressed coverage beyond five yards from the line of scrimmage, amplified zone concepts, and the “Legion of Boom” Seattle Seahawks took intelligent zone and off coverage to a previously unimaginable level when they led the league in scoring defense every season from 2012-2015. Not that Richard Sherman and company played off all the time — Sherm in particular was quite comfortable making receivers uncomfortable at the line of scrimmage — but things are moving towards a new press coverage revolution, and that’s been happening for a few years now.

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Discussion topics

Sports Illustrated

John Lynch Says 49ers are Listening to Trade Offers for Brandon Aiyuk

Frankly, it sounds like the 49ers want to trade Aiyuk.

Last week, it was reported that other teams are “poking around” about potentially trading for 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

This week, general manager John Lynch was asked if there’s any truth to those reports. Lynch could have shut them down with a simple, “No.” Instead, he said this:

“That typically happens with really good players. I remember two years ago having similar conversations. You get calls and you always listen to calls. Since Kyle (Shanahan) and I have been here, we’ve been the No. 2 cash-spending team. In the last four years, we’re the fourth-highest cash-spending team. So at some point, you have to reset a little bit, or at least recalibrate. You can’t just keep pressing the pedal.

“I think there’s some good that can come out of that. We need to get younger. I think we’re the oldest team in football after trying to make a run last year. I think it’s good to constantly get younger. Our draft class last year was a great move toward that. We’ll have four picks in the top 100. If the comp picks happen like we see it, we’ll have 10 picks overall. We’re excited about adding more youth to the great core of players we already have.”

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All aTwitter

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