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Daily Slop – 16 Apr 24: Commanders front office hire, Eagles extend Smith, and what the Bears and Pats are thinking ahead of the draft

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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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Commanders.com

Washington Commanders name Dave Gardi Senior Vice President of Football Initiatives

Gardi joins the Commanders after working at the NFL League Office for 21 years. He held the role of senior vice president of football operations for 10 years. Prior to his role as senior vice president of football operations, he served as the League’s vice president of labor relations and football administration. Gardi started at the League Office as counsel in 2003.

Gardi will handle a number of in-game management duties and will support the coaching staff and front office on compliance with League protocols, officiating trends and health and safety guidelines.

“I’m excited to welcome Dave Gardi to the Washington Commanders,” said General Manager Adam Peters. “Dave has been one of the most highly regarded executives at the NFL League Office and is someone with an immense knowledge of the game. He will be an invaluable resource to our front office as we continue to usher in a new era of Washington Commanders football. It’s my pleasure to welcome Dave and his family to the DMV.”

As the NFL’s Senior Vice President of Football Operations, Gardi played a pivotal role in the development of policies and procedures that helped control the competitive balance and integrity of the game. He also helped oversee all of the League’s rules administration on game day.

Prior to his role with the football operations department at the NFL League Office, Gardi advised clubs on matters related to the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement, including players contracts, salary cap, club discipline, League policies, and workers compensation.

A Sayville, N.Y. native, Gardi played quarterback for four years at Brown.

Riggo’s Rag

Commanders’ latest masterstroke makes Josh Harris’ intentions clear

The Commanders are leaving no stone unturned.

Given the Washington Commanders have languished in football poverty for so long thanks to Dan Snyder’s reclusive approach and lack of investment, it’s no surprise to see Harris change all that. He’s also sparing no expense to get the right people in place to spearhead his exciting revolution.

Commanders make shrewd hire in Dave Gardi

The latest to raise eyebrows was the appointment of Dave Gardi, who becomes the team’s senior vice president of football initiatives. That might not mean much, but the fact he’s left his 21-year stint in the NFL league office – 10 of which were spent as senior vice president of football operations – represents a major statement of intent from the Commanders.

Gardi will be responsible for ensuring the Commanders are compliant with league protocols in addition to handling in-game management duties. He’ll also keep everyone well-informed about officiating trends and any potential changes. Looking at his résumé, he is arguably the best possible candidate for such responsibilities.

Harris is looking to gain advantages in any way he can. Investing heavily in the football infrastructure with industry leaders in their respective specialties is something that could potentially give the Commanders an edge. Gardi wouldn’t have left a high-ranking NFL office job for nothing – he thinks something special might be happening and has likely been paid handsomely to make the switch.

Pro Football Talk

Commanders hire long-time league-office executive Dave Gardi

The league office laid the foundation for new ownership in Washington. New ownership in Washington has now hired a long-time member of the league office.

I’m not saying it’s not a coincidence. I’m just saying it happened.

The Commanders have hired Dave Gardi. He had most recently been the NFL’s V.P. of football initiatives.

He knows how the sausage is made at 345 Park Avenue. He can use that knowledge to get an edge for the Commanders. The fact that he’ll be involved with “in-game management duties” means that the Commanders fully expect him to leverage his background to help the Commanders.

Commanders Wire

Commanders host Texas tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders on a top 30 visit

The 6-foot-4, 245-pound Sanders was a two-time All-Big-12 selection at tight end over the past two seasons. Sanders is considered a likely day-two selection, meaning he could go in the second or third round. Washington has five selections on day two, with two second-round picks and three third-round selections.

The Commanders signed veteran tight end Zach Ertz to start in 2024. However, it is just a one-year deal, and Washington will likely draft a tight end at some point during the draft.

The Commanders currently have John Bates, Armani Rogers and Cole Turner on the roster. Rogers is coming off an Achilles injury, and Bates is primarily a blocking tight end. Turner faces a make-or-break summer entering year three of his career.

Pro Football Talk

J.J. McCarthy completes pre-draft visits with a trip to Washington

J.J. McCarthy will leave New England for Washington tonight.

His final pre-draft visit will come Tuesday and Wednesday, when he is scheduled to meet with the Commanders, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

McCarthy will have visited the Commanders, Patriots and Giants, while also conducting private workouts for the Vikings, Broncos and Giants.

The Commanders select second and the Patriots third.

Podcasts & videos

Locked on Commanders: Jayden Daniels to Washington Commanders a Lock? | NFL Draft Duos and Trade Duos

New Hires, WR trades, and Hail…literally

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NFL.com

Eagles sign WR DeVonta Smith to three-year, $75 million extension

Wide receiver DeVonta Smith won’t need to play out his fifth-year option to convince the Philadelphia Eagles to keep him beyond 2024.

The former 2021 first-round selection agreed to a three-year, $75 million extension with the Eagles, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Monday. Smith’s deal includes $51 million in guaranteed money, per Rapoport.

Pro Football Talk

Inside the DeVonta Smith deal

The deal has a new-money average of $25 million; it’s basically the same three years, $25 million that Tyreek Hill received two years ago. Given that Smith was due to earn $3.406 million this year and $15.591 million in 2025, the value of the five-year deal from signing is $18.799 million over five years.

The simple reality is that the longer a team waits the more expensive a second contract gets. The Eagles got a jump on that process, before other high-end receivers get high-end deals.

Deadspin

Giants QB Daniel Jones aims to be ready for training camp

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones said he’s “making progress” from his torn ACL, telling reporters Monday that he’s trending to be ready for the start of training camp this summer.

Jones added that his “neck is 100 percent healthy.”

“That was a stinger-type injury that’s pretty common in football, and that’s calmed down and I feel good,” Jones told reporters.

But all eyes are on Jones’ knee. He underwent season-ending surgery on the injured right knee in late November after sustaining the injury in a 30-6 loss at Las Vegas on Nov. 5.

While Giants head coach Brian Daboll on Monday declined to give a timeline on Jones’ recovery or whether he’s “further ahead or behind,” Jones had no such apprehension.

“The plan is to be ready to go by training camp,” he said. “So, yeah, that’s what I’m shooting for and feel good about being ready.”

Big Blue View

‘I do, yes’: Daniel Jones still believes he is the best quarterback for the Giants

Jones says he is still on target to be ready for training camp as he rehabs from ACL surgery

There are concerns about his knee. His neck. His ability. There are whispers, no, roars, that the New York Giants will look to take a quarterback in the upcoming NFL Draft who could succeed him.

Daniel Jones probably knows all that. He also knows he thinks he is the team’s best option at quarterback in 2024.

“I do, yes,” Jones said with a smile when asked if he thought he was the best quarterback for the team to start the upcoming season with.

SB Nation links

This section has been added to the Daily Slop at the suggestion of a HH member, who felt it would be good to look at (a) the blogs of teams picking just before or after our draft position, or (b) upcoming or recent opponents during the season

ESPN (via Pats Pulpit)

Could the Patriots trade the No. 3 draft pick in Round 1?

First-year coach Jerod Mayo put his spin on it, saying if someone offers “a bag,” the Patriots would “definitely have to talk about it.”

So what would have to be in the bag? Former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman (2012-21) has an idea of what he would require if trading down.

“I know if any team is coming up to No. 3, they’re coming up to get a premium position. So I’m going to squeeze them for everything I can,” said Spielman, who is now an analyst for CBS Sports and the podcast “With The First Pick.”

“And if I need a quarterback, too, as New England does, then the deal better be pretty rich for me to pass up one of these quarterbacks and move down. They would have to pay above a premium.”

Using the Vikings as an example, Spielman opined that two 2024 first-round picks (No. 11 and No. 23), a 2025 first-round pick and a future second-round pick would be the starting point.

But even that might not be enough for the Patriots, who likely won’t want to move too far down the board and also could prefer to see an established veteran as part of any package, similar to how the Bears acquired receiver DJ Moore from the Panthers last year — along with 2023 first- and second-round picks, a 2024 first-round pick and a 2025 second-rounder — in the deal for the No. 1 pick.

In landing Moore, who was already established after five seasons in the NFL, the Bears eliminated the unknown that comes with any draft pick.

Along those lines, the “pipe dream” for the Patriots, per Spielman, would be the Vikings trading receiver Justin Jefferson as part of a package that includes multiple first-round picks. Or maybe starting left tackle Christian Darrisaw.

Receiver and left tackle are two of the Patriots’ top needs, alongside quarterback, and the latter is why former Buccaneers general manager Mark Dominik (2009-13) isn’t sure any trade — other than a blockbuster in the pipe dream category — would be worth it for New England.

Pats Pulpit

Sunday Patriots Notes: Is the J.J. McCarthy hype real?

Notes and thoughts on the Patriots and the NFL on April 14.

1. Is the J.J. McCarthy hype real? Sitting at No. 3 overall, the Patriots will have at least two of the non-Caleb Williams quarterbacks in this year’s draft on the board: only one of Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy will be gone by the time the QB-needy team is on the clock. Who will actually make it this far remains to be seen, but the signs continue to point toward Maye and McCarthy being available for New England.

McCarthy is expected to visit the team this month, so now is a good time to assess what to make of this climb. Is the hype real?

First things first: the draft is a crapshoot, with even highly-touted prospects not guaranteed to work out. And in McCarthy’s case, there is more guesswork and projection needed given that Michigan did not ask him to do as much as other quarterbacks in the class did.

That being said, teams have indeed fallen in love with him. His pro day workout and interview performance seem to play a big role in this, and his tape itself also is better than a lot of people seem to realize

I was looking at the film going, ‘Man, who would I want to hitch with for the next half a decade?’ it would be hard for me not to go J.J. McCarthy there. I’m going to be honest, that’s just the truth. I see the big splash plays from Drake Maye, but I see him f—king skipping balls, man. I don’t see that from J.J. McCarthy.”

Now would the Patriots be willing to invest the third overall pick in McCarthy? That is anybody’s guess, with the team seemingly playing its card rather close to the vest.

Still, the fact that he is in the conversation either at that spot or lower — possibly with New England slightly moving down the board via trade — is no coincidence. McCarthy is a legitimate prospect, despite the projection needed being more significant than with Caleb Williams or Jayden Daniels, for example.

Pats Pulpit

J.J. McCarthy not the only noteworthy draft prospect to visit Patriots this week

New England continues to invite draft prospects on Top-30 visits.

New England is also hosting Mississippi State cornerback Decamerion Richardson, as first reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Projected as an early Day 3 selection, Richardson offers an intriguing athletic skillset. Standing at 6-foot-2, 188 pounds, he ran a 4.34 40-yard dash during the pre-draft process and registered an 8.61 Relative Athletic Score. The outside cornerback led all cornerbacks in the SEC in tackles as both a junior and a senior, and while not registering any interceptions offers an intriguing developmental skillset.

Besides Richardson and, of course, McCarthy, the Patriots also recently hosted two other plays at Gillette Stadium: Oregon defensive tackle Brandon Dorlus and UAB wide receiver Tejhaun Palmer.

Pats Pulpit

Patriots hosting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. for pre-draft visit

Penix is the fourth QB New England has hosted.

The Patriots did not meet with the lefty at the NFL Combine while their presence was notably smaller at the Washington Pro Day compared to the large contingent at the other top quarterback prospect’s workouts.

It is noteworthy that New England has Tyler Hughes on staff as their wide receiver coach, who spent last season at the University of Washington with Penix as an offensive analyst.

Penix is coming off a career-season in which he threw 4,903 yards and 36 touchdowns as he led the Huskies to the National Championship game. His season-long performance led to him finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting.

Windy City Gridiron

Most Bears fans are excited for Caleb Williams

Chicago Bears fans, we asked you guys to vote earlier this week — Are you excited at the possibility of Caleb Williams becoming a Bear? — and the results are in!

We’re less than three weeks away from the Bears making Caleb Williams the first overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, and while some are soured on the thought, 71% of us are excited at what he’ll bring to the franchise.


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NFL.com

2024 NFL Draft: Prospects Charles Davis would pound the table for

With the 2024 NFL Draft just around the corner (April 25-27 in Detroit), here is my list of prospects I feel most passionately about. This exercise isn’t all-encompassing, and it doesn’t feature players who are likely to hear their names called during Round 1 — after all, we know there are plenty of eyeballs on those high-profile types, and plenty of teams with strong interest in them. I’ve included likely Day 2 (Rounds 2-3) and Day 3 (Rounds 4-7) picks here. There are others I would strongly advocate for, too, but I don’t want to be pounding the table non-stop.

Fifteen of the 17 players on last year’s version of this list were drafted, and the two undrafted players were brought into camp and landed on a practice squad. Seven of the 17 started at least one game in 2023, with one member — Sam LaPorta — making the Pro Bowl. Hopefully the players mentioned below can replicate — if not exceed — the success of last year’s pound-the-table class!

Ainias Smith – Texas A&M · WR · Senior

Smith is not the biggest, strongest or fastest receiver, but when he touches the ball, good things happen. After a leg injury limited him to four games in 2022, he returned stronger than ever in 2023, earning first-team All-SEC honors as an all-purpose player/return specialist for the Aggies. He’s the only SEC player ever to reach 2,000-plus receiving yards, 250-plus rushing yards, 250-plus kick-return yards and 250-plus punt-return yards, per NFL Research. I know he’s been dealing with a stress fracture in his left shin this spring, but we’ve seen Smith come back from injury in a big way before. I wouldn’t sleep on him doing it again.

Dallin Holker – Colorado State · TE · Senior

Holker might not be a pure tight end — he’s more of a fit in the H-back mold — but I think he’s going to be a great pick for a team on Day 3 of the draft. Clearly, he understands the passing game. Holker led all FBS tight ends with 64 catches and 767 receiving yards last season. He was coached very well by Jay Norvell at Colorado State, the school that produced Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride, who is coming off a breakout season in Year 2. Oh, and Holker also gave us one of the best highlights of this year’s NFL Scouting Combine, when he made a one-handed catch during the gauntlet drill while holding a ball in the other hand!

Christian Jones – Texas · OT · Senior

I watched Jones closely at the Senior Bowl and he kept stringing together quality reps against top competition. He lost some of those battles, but he won more than his share. The Texas product might not be getting a lot of hype leading up to the draft, but he will fit into a lot of offensive line rooms and give you quality play, mostly likely at right tackle, although he could play inside if asked. Jones has allowed 23 pressures since 2022, the fewest among FBS tackles with a minimum of 900 pass-block snaps over that span, per Pro Football Focus. I would be pounding the table for him early on Day 3 of the draft.

Tyrice Knight – Texas-El Paso · LB · Senior

Sure, numbers can lie sometimes, but they can also tell us a lot about a player. In Knight’s case, they’re illustrative of a guy who is always attached to the ball-carrier. He led the FBS last season with 84 solo tackles and tied for sixth in the FBS with 140 total tackles. He also led his team with 15.5 tackles for loss in 2023. He more than held his own at the Senior Bowl, too. We’ve seen off-ball linebackers devalued in the NFL, but I believe, if he’s given another year or two to hone his instincts, Knight will prove the team that drafts him right.

Myles Harden – South Dakota · CB · Senior

If your team is looking for a young man who can make plays on the ball in coverage and be an excellent tackler on the perimeter, I have the perfect candidate for you. Harden led his squad with three interceptions and four forced fumbles in 2022, and he tied for the team lead with six pass breakups in 2023. He’s not going to wow anyone with speed, but he’s adequate in that department. Players like him find ways to get on the field and make good things happen.

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