Daily Slop – 30 Apr 24 – Johnny Newton: 5 things to know, a film breakdown, and ‘best of’ photos

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

The Athletic (paywall)

Commanders’ optimistic makeover remains ongoing: ‘I think we’re off to a great start’

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the Washington Commanders weren’t trying to rebuild their fallen empire over three days of the NFL Draft.

“I don’t think that the work is done by any means,” Commanders managing partner Josh Harris said on Friday before Day 2 of the draft commenced.

Grading any draft before 3-4 years pass isn’t a fair timeframe, but quickly assessing the process (pun intended) is reasonable. However, “quickly” means after we see the training camp roster.

Peters, the coveted talent evaluator Harris convinced to run Washington’s front office after previous inquiries from competitors, is known for his drafting chops. The ex-49ers assistant GM didn’t arrive trying to showboat or reinvent the roster-building wheel. Instead, Peters brought the processes that turned San Francisco into an annual Super Bowl challenger.

Peters leaned into the best player available approach over seven rounds rather than reaching for needs. Using three second-round picks on a defensive tackle (Johnny Newton), nickel cornerback (Mike Sainristil) and tight end (Ben Sinnott) in conjunction with the pre-draft roster isn’t the work of a short-term thinker. Peters isn’t that dude anyway, especially not at this stage of the fixer-upper project.

The Commanders have a ways to go before challenging for the NFL crown. Their steps have been more reasonable than reckless, no matter what the angry fans scream. Daniels’ development may accelerate the timeline. But NFL rosters aren’t fixed in a day, even if factions demand it. The work isn’t done by any means. Nobody reasonable would think otherwise.

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Commanders.com

Five things to know about Jer’Zhan Newton

5. He’s healthy and ready to contribute.

Newton was noticeably absent from the on-field work at the combine in February. He suffered a Jones fracture in his foot, and the surgery prevented him from participating in Indianapolis.

The injury was a key topic of discussion when the Commanders first drafted him, but he brought some positive news to his Zoom press conference. He’s fully healed and ready to go.

“The injury happened midseason, got surgery on it in January, healed up, fully healed, then I did a Pro Day back in Illinois and ever since then I’ve been ready to go,” Newton said.

We’ll never get any real answer as to whether Newton’s injury caused him to slip out of the first round, although that is a common occurrence for talented prospects. Obviously, Newton is happy that he was drafted, but falling to Day 2 will “1,000%” is going to give him motivation in his career.

“A lot of people don’t have this opportunity. Definitely [adds] fuel to my fire and a chip on my shoulder. But I mean, that was always [there].”

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Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)

What DT Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton brings to the Washington Commanders

Breaking down what the Commanders are getting from their second round defensive tackle.

So what exactly does Newton bring to the Commanders? Let’s take a closer look.

Pass Rush

Newton’s “super power”, as Commanders head coach Dan Quinn likes to say, is his pass rushing ability. He’s so quick and has terrific burst that interior offensive lineman struggle to just stay in front of him, let alone try to execute any form of actual block. He consistently gives guards issues with his burst and acceleration up the field.

He has an arsenal of moves to go with his quickness and burst that makes him a real threat to offensive lineman. He also won’t just attack the same gap constantly. You’ll regularly see Newton stunt inside of a guard to give them something else to think about.

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Podcasts & videos

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Locked on Commanders: Washington Commanders Quarterback Jayden Daniels and NFL Draft With Locked On LSU and Ben Standig

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Beltway Football Draft Recap: Day 3 picks plus Josh Harris and Lance Newmark

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Photos

Commanders.com

PHOTOS | The best of Jer’Zhan (Johnny) Newton

Check out the top photos of Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton, the Washington Commanders’ first pick of Day 2 in the NFL draft.

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NFL league links

Articles

Washington Post (paywall)

Boomer Esiason, Phil Simms are out at ‘The NFL Today,’ Matt Ryan is in

CBS is shaking up its roster for “The NFL Today,” parting ways with Boomer Esiason and Phil Simms and adding former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan to its Sunday pregame show.

Host James Brown returns, as do former player Nate Burleson and ex-coach Bill Cowher. Joining the crew on a part-time basis this fall will be J.J. Watt, the defensive end who retired after the 2022 season, CBS said.

Esiason, 63, acknowledged the change during his “Boomer and Gio” WFAN radio show and said he had signed an extension to stay with Gregg Giannotti on the program. “I am stepping away from ‘The NFL Today’ on CBS — more their decision than maybe mine,” he said on the show, “but I really thought that the Super Bowl was my swan song” after 22 years with CBS.

Simms, 68, had been CBS’s lead game analyst for nearly 20 years but moved to the studio show when he was replaced on the No. 1 team by Tony Romo in 2017. “Great 26 yrs run with CBS Sports,” Simms wrote on social media. “Even though that part of my career is over I look forward to what is next.”

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