Daily Slop – 27 Feb 24: Attention turns to the ‘big uglies’ available in March free agency

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

Commanders links

Articles

Washington Post (paywall)

What to expect from Kliff Kingsbury’s offense? Not the ‘Air Raid.’

In their first days together, the Washington Commanders’ new coaches have stressed that no one — including them — knows what the team’s offense will look like next season. They say it’s too early, that they’re still figuring out what they want to build, that they will mold the scheme to their roster, which is going to change a lot over the next few months.

One thing clear is what it’s not: the “Air Raid,” the pass-heavy, shotgun-based scheme offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury came up in.

Kingsbury said he “wouldn’t categorize anything we do under that name.” Offensive line coach Bobby Johnson said some of the stuff Kingsbury ran as coach of the Arizona Cardinals “doesn’t look like Air Raid.” Quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard said it’s “super reductive if you say, ‘Kliff is Air Raid.’ ”

“We want to be balanced,” Kingsbury said. “We want to be able to run the football and play-action pass and really do whatever it takes to win.”

But whatever the label, it’s hard to imagine Kingsbury will radically depart from the foundations of his past successes. He will pass first (though probably not as much as Eric Bieniemy did last season), spread the field, take deep shots and use tempo. He’s likely to feature innovate passing concepts that create space and favorable matchups for playmakers. The question is how the staff will develop the running game and protection schemes and marry them to the passes.

---

The Athletic (paywall)

Commanders at NFL combine: QB watch, hearing from Adam Peters, addressing needs

The Commanders have nine picks, three in the top 40 and six in the top 102. That’s good because they have several needs. Depending on the depth of various positions, the staff might seek fixes in free agency or internally.

Fixing the offensive line is a must, with only right guard Sam Cosmi a lock to stay put. University of Houston’s Patrick Paul, the brother of Washington guard Chris Paul, and BYU’s Kingsley Suamataia are part of a strong tackle class that occupies 10 of the initial 63 prospect slots on Brugler’s top 100 big board. Eight guards made the 100, including Arizona’s Jordan Morgan.

Finding edge rushers is crucial for a team with only 2023 Day 3 picks KJ Henry and Andre Jones Jr. returning. Brugler has five edges between Nos. 2 and 36, Washington’s first of two second-round choices, but then none until Western Kentucky’s Marshawn Kneeland at No. 51 and five others from Nos. 52 to 100.

Texas’ Ja’Tavion Sanders is Brugler’s TE2 and No. 50 prospect overall. Only four tight ends are on his 100 list. Washington’s tight ends need a significant overhaul — same with the linebackers. Only Jamin Davis remains among the Commanders’ primary options in 2023. Similar to the tight ends, this isn’t a top-heavy group. Michigan’s Junior Colson and Texas A&M’s Edgerrin Cooper are Brugler’s only linebackers from Nos. 1 to 73.

Oregon’s Bucky Irving is among the change-of-pace running backs available on Days 2 and 3. There’s no rush to snag one since the first running back might not get the call until after the first 50 picks. Cornerback and possibly safety, depending on what happens with free agent Kamren Curl, are among the other needs.

Washington won’t realistically address each concern adequately in one offseason despite that draft ammunition. With more college players benefiting from name, image and likeness incentives, rounds 4-7 are thinner than usual, said Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy.

“If I got Day 3 picks, I’m trading and moving around,” Nagy said at last month’s event. “It’s not just our board. It’s talking to teams in the league. They got wiped out as well. So I think you’re going to see a lot of movement for teams, either trying to move up in the first four rounds or trying to move out and get them for next year.”

---

Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)

Free Agent Fits: Interior Offensive Lineman

Taking a look at a few interior offensive lineman that the Washington Commanders could potentially target in free agency

Good value: Jonah Jackson, 27

Jackson is someone I had on my radar as a fit for Washington when Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was rumored to be the leading candidate to become the Commanders head coach. Jackson played for Johnson in Detroit and has been the Lions starting left guard when healthy. The Lions have been built around their offensive line and the run game, which is where Jackson excels.

Here we see some examples of Jackson pulling in the run game. The first play of this clip is a counter scheme, with Jackson pulling from his left guard spot and kicking out the edge defender on the right side of the line. He has a slight wasted movement at the snap with his outside foot stepping forward, which is something new offensive line coach Bobby Johnson is very strict about. He is not a fan of wasted movements from his offensive lineman, but what he would be a fan of is the rest of the rep from Jackson. He sets his target and path once he pulls and accelerates towards it. He does a nice job getting his pads low just as he makes contact and that helps him really kick out the defender to create the lane inside.

On the second play of the clip, the Lions run a sweep to the outside. This requires Jackson to pull in the other direction and then block in space on the edge.

---

Riggo’s Rag

6 free agent interior offensive linemen the Commanders could sign in 2024

The Commanders need help on their offensive line interior.

Commanders could sign Ezra Cleveland

A nagging foot injury precipitated a rather quick fall from grace for Ezra Cleveland with the Minnesota Vikings. They chose him in the second round of the 2020 draft and he had been a solid left guard for them. In 2022, Pro Football Focus rated him in the top 10 amongst guards league-wide.

That injury, combined with his apparent eagerness to test the free agent market, led the Vikings to essentially give him away to the Jacksonville Jaguars before the trade deadline. Dalton Risner filled in admirably in Cleveland’s absence, and the Vikings just took a sixth-round pick in exchange for a quality starter.

He never really regained form in 2023, but Cleveland should enter the 2024 season injury-free and looking to prove himself. The subpar 2023 campaign will knock his price down a little bit, so he would slot in after Kevin Dotson in terms of required compensation.

Cleveland makes a lot of sense for the Washington Commanders. He is still only 25 and plays on the left side. Therefore, there is no conflict if Sam Cosmi remains at the right guard spot.

Like Cosmi, Cleveland has a tall frame and played left tackle at Boise State. He might be able to make the transition to tackle. This is something the Commanders will be needing soon.

As with Dotson, a lineup that has Cosmi and Cleveland playing guard would be attractive but also financially unbalanced. However, if either player can move outside, it would create a very reasonable salary structure and constitute a significant upgrade in terms of both youth and talent.

Commanders could sign Robert Hunt

The Miami Dolphins have some big decisions to make along their offensive line. They are projected to be significantly over the cap and have two first-rate offensive linemen hitting free agency this offseason.

Center Connor Williams may end up being their priority. He would be on this list if not for concerns about the torn ACL that ended his season – and seriously hurt the Dolphins postseason chances – last December. If they do prioritize him, that means guard Robert Hunt will almost certainly be available.

Hunt played on the same college offensive line as Kevin Dotson. The Washington Commanders also have two defenders from that Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns team on its roster in Percy Butler and Andre Jones Jr.

He played mostly at tackle in college and his massive size – 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds – has some people wondering if he could move back outside in the pros. But Hunt has been a very good guard for the Dolphins, steadily improving through his early career, to the point where he finished 2023 as Pro Football Focus’ No. 6 rated guard.

The veteran has the power to be an excellent interior run blocker. Hunt also boasts the technique and athleticism to be an effective pass blocker as well.

Hunt may come a little bit cheaper than Ezra Cleveland and Mike Onwenu due to concerns over a hamstring issue that plagued him throughout 2023. But he has been a generally durable performer throughout his career and should be back to full strength by the start of the 2024 campaign.

For the Commanders, Hunt would immediately step in as the starting left guard – a position that Saahdiq Charles and Chris Paul struggled with in 2023.

---

Commanders.com

Five things to know about TEs coach David Raih

Imagine having a six-figure income and living comfortably with a secure career. Now, imagine giving all of that up for an unpaid internship with no certainty that the decision would work out in your favor.

That’s exactly what Raih did to become a coach.

After graduating from Iowa with a degree in finance, Raih was hired by Zimmer, Inc., a medical device company, to help sell hip and knee implants to surgeons at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. It was a solid job with a more than decent salary, but all Raih could think about was football.

“It’s one of those things, it was almost so ridiculous you don’t even want to tell anybody,” Raih told ESPN’s Rob Demovsky in 2016.

Raih’s journey began in 2008, when he attended UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel’s introductory press conference. He waited for five hours after the press conference had ended to try and convince Neuheisel to give him a chance, which led to him getting an unpaid internship on the coaching staff.

“I didn’t tell a lot of people until it was done, and I was at UCLA working. And then I certainly didn’t tell them it was for free,” Raid said.

The pay didn’t get much better in the short term — he later received a stipend for $900 — but Raih was at least around the sport he loved. He quickly impressed Neuheisel working with the quarterbacks and tight ends. Eventually, he was allowed to attend coaching staff meetings to help evaluate players.

“He became immediately part of our family,” Neuheisel said. “It was a blast to have him around. Everybody who’s ever had him on their staff falls for the guy because he’s just got that way about him.”

It might have been a big leap back then, but the decision has certainly paid off for Raih.

---

Podcasts & videos

Doing Hard Sh*t with Good People | Commanders Log Season 3, Episode 1

---

Locked on Commanders: Washington Commanders Linebacker Preview: Jamin Davis Role and Patrick Queen Leads Free Agent Class

---

Merril Hoge tells the Junkies why Caleb Williams ‘isn’t special’ – and which QB he’d take at No. 2 in Washington

---

NFC East links

Blogging the Boys

Cowboys draft 2024: WR Brian Thomas Jr. scouting report

Here is our scouting report on wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. from LSU

Brian Thomas Jr

WR

LSU TigersJunior

4-star recruit

Height- 6’4”

Weight- 205 lbs

There are few vertical threats in this year’s draft that are as productive and efficient as Brian Thomas. When a player leads the FBS in receiving touchdowns for a team in the SEC, then that player has to demand attention. Thomas has a ceiling that is one of the highest at the wide receiver position this year based on the fact he’s a quality playmaker. His size and speed along with his explosiveness and fantastic deep ball ability is enough to see him drafted in the first round. His yards-after-catch skills are excellent, showing great creativity and when mixed with his athletic traits, makes him a valuable threat on any NFL team.

But while Thomas is an elite deep receiver, he is a player that sets up shop downfield and doesn’t give an offense much else. Any route that required him to plant and go on short distances would see him look uncoordinated and he would fail to separate. Another major flaw with Thomas is the fact he relies a lot on his speed and acceleration, meaning he rarely relies on his strength, or lack of strength. He can struggle to beat press coverage at times and he gets pushed around on blocks.

In the long run, Thomas has the foundation to have a solid and productive NFL career. Getting to work on his physicality and strength will be the main focus of his development, and doing so will unlock even more production and home run plays. He has the speed, he has the explosiveness, he has the skills as a ball carrier. There should be no doubt he will be productive in the NFL.

COMPARISON:-

D.J. Chark, Carolina Panthers

GRADE:

Early second-round grade

CONSENSUS RANKING:

21st

(Consensus ranking based on the average ranking from 90 major scoring services)

---

NFL league links

Articles

Deadspin

Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Marvin Harrison Jr. are making the right call by not working out at the NFL Combine

The league, not the players, would benefit the most by them being on the field

Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels will not throw until their respective Pro Days. Marvin Harrison Jr. will not be participating in any drills at the combine and most likely will do the same at Ohio State’s Pro Day, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

With the way that NFL bylaws and strategies are stacked against players, they should be sure to maximize every single milliliter of leverage they have throughout their careers. There is no true open market for the talents of Williams, Daniels, and Harrison Jr. So why would there be any incentive for them to produce television content for the league while not under contract?

Williams, Daniels and Harrison Jr. taking the field at the combine would show a competitor’s spirit. However, by going about these final months of the scouting process in the way that best serves their careers shows that these three young men already have a professional mindset.

---

Washington Post (paywall)

For the Bears, a tricky question looms: Caleb Williams or Justin Fields?

The Bears possess the No. 1 pick in the draft courtesy of last year’s trade with the Carolina Panthers that enabled the Panthers to move up and use the top selection on quarterback Bryce Young. The Bears also have Fields on their roster. Three seasons into his NFL career, he has not developed into an upper-tier quarterback. But he has demonstrated some signs of being a capable starter.

The Bears could keep the No. 1 pick and use it on Williams, an approach that probably would entail them trading Fields. Or they could retain Fields, trade the top draft choice for a major haul of other selections — and perhaps players — to fortify the roster.

Of course, if the Bears believe Williams is a transformative player — a quarterback prospect too good to pass up no matter the trade offer — it’s not much of a decision.

“I lean heavily in favor of taking Caleb Williams,” Daniel Jeremiah, a draft analyst for the NFL Network, said last week. “Unless you’ve got the offer of all offers, which is a combination of picks and players that is literally too good to turn down, it’d have to blow me away to move off of that pick. … There aren’t perfect players. Caleb is not a perfect player. Caleb is going to require some patience and assembly there. But the ability is off the charts.”

The Bears have not yet tipped their hand. Shane Waldron, their new offensive coordinator, said at his introductory news conference last week he’s confident his system will work with Fields or a rookie at quarterback.

The Bears have gone 10-28 in Fields’s 38 NFL starts since they traded up to select him 11th in the 2021 draft. They have not finished above third place in the NFC North in his three seasons. But there have been enough flashes to wonder what could happen with a better team around him.

None of that matters, of course, if the Bears are convinced Williams, the former Gonzaga High standout, can develop into an NFL quarterback capable of Mahomes-like exploits.

The Washington Commanders have the No. 2 selection and could attempt to trade up a spot to reunite Williams with Kliff Kingsbury, their new offensive coordinator who spent last season on USC’s coaching staff as a senior offensive analyst. It’s not clear where Williams would prefer to play — or whether that preference matters to the Bears.

---

NBC Sports

NFL world suspicious after Cardinals’ pre-combine Kyler Murray post

Fans were quick to point out that the Cardinals made a similar post about a different quarterback in 2019.

One day before the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine kicks off in Indianapolis, the Cardinals, who hold the No. 4 pick in the draft, made a post on X that reemphasized the team’s commitment to quarterback Kyler Murray.

The post featured a graphic of Murray along with the caption, “Our franchise QB.”

Fans, however, were quick to point out that the Cardinals made a similar post about a different quarterback in 2019.

Arizona held the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft and, a couple of weeks before the combine, the team posted a graphic featuring a quote from then-head coach Kliff Kingsbury about the Cards’ 10th overall pick in 2018, quarterback Josh Rosen.

The caption of the post said, “Y’all are having fun with speculation, but…” with the quote from Kingsbury reading, “Josh is our guy.”

But Rosen didn’t actually prove to be Arizona’s guy. The Cardinals drafted Murray first overall a couple of months later and then traded Rosen to the Miami Dolphins.

So that infamous social media post from 2019 has led some fans to be a bit suspicious following Arizona’s latest pre-combine show of support for its QB.

---

Tweets