Daily Slop – 8 May 2024: Commanders release 3 defensive players; film study of Luke McCaffrey

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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Articles

Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)

What WR Luke McCaffrey brings to the Washington Commanders

Breaking down what the Commanders are getting from their third round wide receiver

The 6-foot-2, 198 pound receiver profiles as a big slot receiver. The current trend of the NFL is to have slot receivers that are bigger than the traditional slot receiver profiles. This is primarily to gain an advantage in the run game. Defenses match slot receivers with smaller nickel corners, so if that slot receiver then aligns tight to the formation or motions into the formation, then the slot corner suddenly becomes part of the run fit and the offense in theory has a man to target. This is what has made Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua so impactful for the Rams because not only are they great receivers, they cause matchup issues in the run game too.

Now McCaffrey profiles as that type of bigger slot receiver, but at Rice I rarely saw him asked to block as part of the core run game. Perhaps that is something he can do and we just didn’t get to see it in college, but without seeing him block effectively, I can’t say for certain that’s the role he’ll be able to play from day one, though I suspect they will be trying to develop him into that down the line. So what can McCaffrey offer straight away? The trait that immediately stands out is his hands. McCaffrey has strong hands that enable him to pull off some terrific catches, even one-handed.

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Commanders Wire

5 undrafted rookies with the best chance to make the Commanders’ 53-man roster

S Tyler Owens

When you talk about a world-class athlete, that’s Tyler Owens. The 6-foot-2, 216-pound Owens began his career at Texas, where he played as a backup for three seasons. He entered the starting lineup in 2022 and remained there in 2023. Owens has the size/speed combo that Quinn loves in a hybrid safety/linebacker prospect. Even if Owens never starts a game at safety, he could thrive on special teams. That’s important. Owens is a prospect worth developing, which is why Washington will give him a long look this summer.

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Commanders.com

11 things to know about Washington’s 11 UDFAs

2. Sam Hartman has a long resume.

Hartman was part of the most talented quarterback class in recent memory, which probably played a role in him being undrafted. However, it’s worth pointing out that his resume can stack up against any other signal-caller this year.

Hartman wrapped up a six-year career (five at Wake Forrest and one at Notre Dame) as one of the best passers in ACC history. He threw a conference-record 134 touchdowns to go with 15,656 yards, which ranks second most in ACC history. He also has Wake Forrest records in career completions, attempts, total touchdowns and total yards.

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Podcasts & videos

Shawne Merriman tells JP Finlay that Jayden Daniels is ‘the most NFL ready’ QB in the Class of 2024

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All a’Twitter

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