Daily Slop – 30 Aug 24 – Film review: Mark Bullock is impressed by newly-signed WR Noah Brown

A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East and the NFL in general

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Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)

What WR Noah Brown brings to the Washington Commanders

Taking a closer look at the Commanders new wide receiver.

Listed at 6-foot-2, 225 pounds, Brown spent most of his career with the Cowboys but played for the Texans last year, where he caught 33 passes for 567 yards and two touchdowns.

The Texans cut him due to having a number of strong receiving options, especially after trading for Stefon Diggs and signing Nico Collins to a three-year, $75 million extension this offseason. That left Brown as the odd man out, but while he was the odd man out in Houston, he could well become a significant contributor in Washington. Brown instantly offers the Commanders more size than they previously had at the position, both in terms of height and frame. But he’s far more than just a big body. The Commanders and particularly Kliff Kingsbury to covet speed at the receiver position to attack down the field and he has plenty of that to offer.

This clip shows Brown challenging corners down the field, despite not getting the ball. On the first play of the clip, Brown lines up against Bengals cornerback DJ Turner, a second round pick back in 2023. Turner ran a 4.26 40-yard dash, so he’s got about as much straight line speed as you can get in an NFL player. Brown gives him a little stutter step at the line of scrimmage and then takes off down the sideline. Turner doesn’t play the route particularly well, but despite his speed, Brown runs away from him down the sideline. On the second play of the clip, Brown lines up against Browns’ cornerback Greg Newsome, who ran a 4.38 40-yard dash. Brown gets maybe a little too far inside to avoid any kind of jam, but has the speed to still run away from Newsome even as he breaks the route back outside towards the sideline.

That type of deep speed is definitely something that will appeal to the Commanders. Kingsbury wants to be able to attack down the field and having that type of speed opposition Terry McLaurin will give opposing defenses a lot to think about. But Brown isn’t just a speedster to attack down the field. He’s a tough, physical receiver that doesn’t shy away from contact.

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The Athletic (paywall)

Commanders win offseason with front-office and draft additions, anonymous NFL agents say

The Washington Commanders had one of the best offseasons in the NFL, according to the league’s agents.

In The Athletic’s sixth annual NFL agent survey, the Commanders received the most votes (eight of 31) as the winner of the offseason. (The agents were granted anonymity to protect themselves and their clients.)

In Quinn’s parlance, his superpower as a coach is serving as an organizational connector. His people skills are top-rate, and it’s obvious players bought in. Most notably, the ones here throughout Washington’s persistent losing — no playoff win since 2005 and no winning record since 2016 — now show a side rarely seen in these parts: having fun.

“Dan Quinn is the perfect hire as head coach for the needed culture change,” one NFL agent said. “I love the pairing with Peters. They have so much work to do beyond football.”

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Commanders.com

Colson Yankoff goes from unknown to pleasant surprise by making Commanders roster

There are a few surprises on every initial 53-man roster, but Yankoff surviving the cut was considered a mild shock by fans and reporters covering the team. The high school quarterback-turned-running back-turned-tight end didn’t make the flashy plays in Commanders training camp, but with his special teams ability and occasional flashes on offense, it became clear to the Commanders’ coaching staff that he was too valuable to let go.

“It’s just an absolute blessing,” Yankoff said. “I couldn’t be more stoked to be here. It’s an awesome group of people from the top down. They did a phenomenal job, and I’m just really stoked to be part of this team.”

We may never know exactly why Yankoff was off teams’ boards in April, but it may have something to do with there not being much film on him with the Bruins, let alone as a tight end. He started his college career as a quarterback before switching to running back. Even then, though, his action was limited, as he touched the ball just 56 times, including a grand total of nine receptions, during his final two seasons.

Yankoff switched positions again, this time to tight end, before signing with the Commanders after the draft. As it turned out, his willingness to play multiple positions, was exactly what intrigued the Commanders enough to offer him a contract.

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Riggo’s Rag

Updated Commanders 2025 NFL Draft picks after John Ridgeway trade

Ridgeway was deemed expendable after the Commanders spent a second-round selection on Johnny Newton to end his dramatic draft slide. They’ve also witnessed some encouraging progress from Phidarian Mathis in recent weeks, so his spot was earned on the depth chart behind the starting defensive tackle tandem of Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne.

Peters deserves credit for getting something back in return for a player who was probably going to get cut. That wasn’t the case with everybody, but it’s proof that no stone will be left unturned in pursuit of progression.

It’s also worth remembering that Peters is working with a long-term goal in mind. The Commanders want to make gradual improvements, but the objective is to build a sustainable model through the draft and supplement any remaining needs in free agency. This will take time, so the project needs some semblance of patience attached if things don’t go quite according to plan initially.

Washington’s draft coffers look a lot better now than they did just a few short weeks ago. Here’s how things stand in 2025 following the team’s decision to remove Ridgeway from the equation.

Commanders 2025 NFL Draft picks after John Ridgeway III trade

• Round No. 1
• Round No. 2
• Round No. 3
• Round No. 3
• Round No. 4
• Round No. 6
• Round No. 6
• Round No. 7

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Commanders Wire

5 things to know about new Commanders WR Noah Brown

College teammate of Terry McLaurin

It’s safe to say Commanders star WR Terry McLaurin could vouch for Brown. The pair were a part of Ohio State’s star-studded 2014 recruiting class together that also featured Curtis Samuel, Malik Hooker, Sam Hubbard, Parris Campbell, Marshon Lattimore and Raekwon McMillan. Brown played three seasons at Ohio State before turning pro in 2017.

Brown is a terrific blocker

The new Washington regime wasn’t high on Dotson because of his apparent unwillingness to block. The Commanders want their receivers to block in the running game and downfield. Dotson’s lack of production and physicality was an issue for them. That’s not a concern for Brown. Not only is Brown big and physical, but he’s also not afraid to mix it up. Brown is one of the NFL’s best blocking receivers. Brown’s selflessness will make him a popular player.

Check him out here against Giants edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux.

Brown was on pace for a career year last season

Last season, Brown played with the Texans and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud and was on pace to shatter all his best single-season numbers. Unfortunately, a groin injury and, later, a shoulder injury forced him to miss seven games. In one two-game stretch last season, Brown caught a combined 13 passes for 225 yards and a touchdown.

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Commanders.com

PHOTOS | Commanders’ first practice post-roster cuts

The Washington Commanders were back on the field after the team made roster cuts for the initial 53-man roster.

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NFC East links

ESPN

No deadline for Cowboys’ Dak Prescott, but no deal ‘says a lot’

“I think it says a lot if it is or if it isn’t,” Prescott said Thursday. “But ‘however’ doesn’t really matter to me, to be honest with you.”

What does it say if a deal is not completed?

“Just how people feel,” Prescott said.

He is among a number of key players, such as Zack Martin and DeMarcus Lawrence, about to enter the final year of their contracts. Mike McCarthy and the entire coaching staff is also on the final year of their contracts.

Prescott said he understands [owner Jerry] Jones’ thinking.

“That’s the business and the nature of this game that we play,” Prescott said. “Yeah, I mean, I stopped, honestly, listening to things that he says to the media a long time ago. Doesn’t really hold weight with me.”

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Bleeding Green Nation

Eagles claim Raiders 2023 third-round pick off waivers

The Philadelphia Eagles claimed former Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Byron Young off waivers, according to NFL insider Tom Pelissero.

Young, who turns 24 in November, played college football at Alabama and was originally selected by the Raiders with a third-round pick (No. 70 overall!) in the 2023 NFL Draft. He played 99 snaps over six games as a rookie, logging four solo tackles and zero other stats.

That the Raiders were willing to move on from a third-round pick after just one season clearly raises some questions.

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Pro Football Talk

Ron Rivera joins NFL Network

Ron Rivera…is joining NFL Network.

The league’s in-house media outlet also hired former NFL linebacker Manti Te’o and former NFL receiver Isaiah Stanback.

The hires come several months after the NFL abruptly dumped Melissa Stark, Andrew Siciliano, James Palmer, and Will Selva.

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Barstool Sports

NFL Insiders are Brutally Piling On Aaron Rodgers in a Couple of Different Preseason Surveys

Aaron Rodgers second offseason in New York has been notable for a several reasons. His misunderstanding of what the word “mandatory” means, the Jets ham-handed attempt to make excuses for him treating the job of “Franchise Quarterback” like it’s a side hustle, and, not the least of which was how he looked ready for a stand-up cane with tennis balls on the bottom during OTAs:

We’re a week and a half away from finding out how Rodgers’ semi-retirement from the Jets will work out. But The Athletic have done two of their annual end-of-the-offseason anonymous surveys. Talking to two completely different sets of NFL insiders. Discussing two entirely different topics. And the one common factor between them is that both groups took a chainsaw to him.

As for Rodgers, he was demoted this year to Tier 2 for the first time ever. But some had him rated much lower:

“You go back and watch those first four plays before he got hurt, he did not look good,” a head coach placing Rodgers in Tier 3 said. “He looks old. If they can’t protect him and they can’t run the football, it’ll be just what you saw late stages in Green Bay. He became ineffective. I’m looking at what he is, not who he is.”

A voter whose team practiced against the Jets last summer said he thought Rodgers appeared “fragile” and might not last five games this season. The Achilles injury and Rodgers’ age (he turns 41 in December) created uncertainty.

The “vibe inside the building” excerpt links to an article from earlier in the summer that includes this somber note:

Never before has a team been more dependent on a 40-year-old Achilles tendon healing. As he enters his 20th season, Aaron Rodgers carries the fate of everyone else. Even people within the Jets’ building have to be shaking their heads and wringing their hands. They all know what’s at stake.

Not to further shake the Jets’ heads and wring their hands, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out something discussed a few paragraphs ago: That Achilles tendon is 41, not 40. Just to correct the record.

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Front Office Sports

Tom Brady’s Raiders Stake Bid Keeps Getting More Complicated

With Brady’s pending deal to become a Raiders limited partner, he will face severe restrictions in his new role as the lead NFL game analyst at Fox Sports, as first reported by ESPN. Even before a potential deal is approved, he will be prohibited from taking part in basic analyst duties like attending broadcast production meetings with coaches and players as well as watching practices, among other non-media-related limitations.

Fox signed Brady to a 10-year, $375 million contract. Now he’ll have an extra challenge to make that payday worthwhile.

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