Daily Slop – 7 Mar 24: Mark Bullock breaks down Zach Ertz game film; Commanders add Sr Director of Health & Performance

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TE Zach Ertz reaches one-year deal with Commanders

The Washington Commanders made their first key offseason signing and reunited offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury with one of his former players.

The Commanders and veteran tight end Zach Ertz agreed to a one-year deal, his agency confirmed on Thursday.

Ertz, entering his 13th season, agreed to a contract worth up to $5 million, a source told ESPN. NFL Network first reported the terms of the contract.

Ertz, 33, played parts of three seasons in Arizona, including 21 games with Kingsbury in 2021 and ‘22.

He spent seven games with the Cardinals last season, catching 27 passes with one touchdown, before going on injured reserve with a quadriceps injury. He asked for his release one month later. He signed to the Detroit Lions’ practice squad the week before the NFC Championship Game but was not elevated to the active roster for that game.

The Cardinals traded for Ertz in October 2021. Under Kingsbury, Ertz caught a combined 103 passes for 980 yards and seven touchdowns. Ertz missed the final seven games of ‘22 with a knee injury.

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Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)

What does Zach Ertz bring to the Washington Commanders?

Breaking down what new TE Zach Ertz has left to offer the Commanders

How much does Ertz have left?

The first question I suspect most people will ask with Ertz is how much he has left in the tank. At 33, he’s older than the tight end the team just cut in Logan Thomas. So is he here as a veteran that has experience in Kingsbury’s system or can he still offer production on the field? Watching some games from last season suggests Ertz isn’t washed up. He’s still athletic with the ability to run and cut at a decent speed and he’s willing to make tough catches over the middle. That makes him a threat to be respected at the tight end position.

Here’s a play from this past season against the 49ers. Ertz lines up as a detached tight end in the slot to the right and runs up the seam. The 49ers bail out into a Tampa-2 coverage and Ertz adjusts his route accordingly, finding space in the seam and making himself available. He makes the catch over the middle before both the safety and linebacker close in to make the tackle. He holds onto the ball despite taking a low hit near his knee from the safety and picks up a first down that puts the Cardinals in field goal range.

He also still has decent hands that allow him to adjust to throws and make difficult catches.

This time we see Ertz aligned as the outside receiver to the right of the formation with the running back stacked behind him. Ertz runs a basic cross, getting to about 10 yards of depth before breaking inside towards the middle of the field. He does a nice job widening the defender with his initial path to create space inside for his break. Once he makes his break inside, you’ll see the quarterback deliver a low throw. The end zone replay angle shows just how well Ertz adjusts to get low and make a hands catch away from his body to secure the ball and pick up another nice gain.

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Commanders.com

Washington Commanders name Tim McGrath as senior director of player health & performance

The Washington Commanders today announced Tim McGrath as the team’s senior director of player health and performance. McGrath will oversee the training room along with the strength and conditioning, nutrition, sports science and player wellness programs at the organization.

McGrath arrives in Washington with an extensive background in clinical practice, rehabilitation & performance programming and implementation in professional sports. He has 20 years of professional sports experience and 22 years of clinical experience.

“Tim McGrath has been an incredible resource for our players since joining the organization as a consultant towards the end of last season,” said General Manager Adam Peters. “I’m excited to officially welcome him to the organization in a full-time capacity as our senior director of player health and performance. I’ve been impressed with the time I’ve spent with him since I was hired here in January. He has a vast knowledge in all areas of player wellness and athlete performance and will play a vital role in improving our overall athletic training and athlete care services here in Washington.”

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Commanders.com

Five things to know about senior defensive assistant John Pagano

1. He rose through the ranks with the Chargers.

Pagano had been in coaching long before he joined the Chargers franchise in 2002. After wrapping up his playing career at Colorado Mesa University, he coached at Mesa State, UNLV, Overland High School, Louisiana Tech and Ole Miss at the college level before moving to the NFL with the Saints and Colts.

It wasn’t until he became the Chargers’ defensive assistant and defensive quality control coach that his career truly took off.

Over the next nine seasons, Pagano was promoted from assistant linebackers coach to mentoring the outside linebackers and eventually the entire position. During that time, several of his players had individual success, but the most notable was Shawne Merriman, who led the league with 17 sacks in 2006 after being the Defensive Rookie of the Year the previous season.

In 2012, he was named as the Chargers’ defensive coordinator, a position he held for five seasons. In his first year, the Chargers scored seven defensive touchdowns, nearly tying a franchise record set in 1961. The Chargers had two top 10 finishes in yards allowed during his tenure as coordinator, ranking ninth in 2012 and 2014.

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Commanders.com

Darryl Tapp excited to pass on knowledge, elevate players in return to Washington as DL coach

Tapp, who retired as a player after the 2017 season, is still in the infancy of his NFL coaching career but has earned his peers’ respect, both as a former player with a 12-year career and a promising young member of the staff. Though he only spent one season in the DMV, he’s happy to be back, and he’s ready to help elevate the Commanders’ defensive front.

“We’re gonna work our butts off and make sure we’re at maximum shape and conditioning to do that,” Tapp said. “I’m gonna work my butt off with [defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr.] and coach Quinn to put them in position to make plays.”

“It seems in a crazy way that my 12 years of playing were preparing me to be a coach,” Tapp said. “All the different scheme, all the different coaches were preparing me for this moment.”

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Podcasts & videos

Ertz tells McAfee why he’s excited to play for Dan Quinn

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