Ricky Stromberg - Pro Football Rumors

Price finds his way to injured reserve with an undisclosed injury in order to make room for quarterback Kyler Murray, who was activated from IR this afternoon. Price spent time on IR last year with a knee injury before missing the first five games of this season, as well.

Vilain and Wooten join eight other defenders on IR as Carolina continues to deal with injury issues on that side of the ball. They recently added veteran pass rusher Justin Houston to the injured list but may soon get back linebacker Marquis Haynes after opening his 21-day practice window yesterday.

NFC East Notes: Commanders, Kearse, Giants

August 24th, 2023 at 10:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Battling a turf toe issue sustained Monday night, Terry McLaurin will not need surgery. But an extended rest period is underway. This hiatus has the top Commanders skill-position talent uncertain to be ready by Week 1, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler (Twitter links). McLaurin has not missed a game due to injury since 2020. The Commanders have made some big investments at wide receiver since starting McLaurin’s tenure off with little around him. Curtis Samuel is going into the final season of his three-year, $34.5MM contract, and the team has first-rounder Jahan Dotson going into his second season. But McLaurin has been one of the NFL’s best receivers, totaling his third straight 1,000-yard season months after signing a three-year, $69.6MM extension.

Here is the latest from the NFC East:

Washington’s offensive line is nearly set. Free agent Nick Gates will enter the season as the starting center, despite the team drafting Ricky Stromberg in Round 3, while SI.com’s Albert Breer notes Sam Cosmi — a converted tackle who was not a full-time starter last season — will line up at right guard. The left guard competition is not yet over, but Saahdiq Charles is believed to have the lead on Chris Paul. Stromberg could have a chance to step in at center or one of the guard spots, Breer adds, noting the rookie improved as camp progressed. Stromberg earned third- and first-team All-SEC acclaim during his final two seasons at Arkansas. If nothing else, Stromberg represents intriguing 2023 depth. Charles Leno and free agency addition Andrew Wylie are in place at tackle.
The Giants have not determined who their starting guards will be, having held a three-way competition between Mark Glowinski, Ben Bredeson and 2022 third-rounder Joshua Ezeudu. But they ended their center competition. Second-rounder John Michael Schmitz ran away with the competition and will start, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post notes. Just before the Giants picked Schmitz at No. 56, Brian Daboll said the All-Big Ten blocker could start in Week 1. Schmitz and two of the above-referenced trio will take their spots alongside Andrew Thomas and Evan Neal up front for the Giants.
Big Blue continues to consider a cornerback configuration where Adoree’ Jackson shifts to the slot, with Schwartz adding the current plan appears to be a setup with the veteran inside and rookies Deonte Banks and Tre Hawkins on the perimeter. The Old Dominion-developed sixth-rounder moving into the lineup would keep slot options Darnay Holmes and Cor’Dale Flott on the bench, with Jackson — a career-long boundary corner — taking over there. This would be a bold move, but it has been on the team’s radar for a bit now.
Myles Jack announced his retirement shortly after joining the Eagles. The veteran linebacker had taken first-team reps with the defending NFC champions, but ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Caplan notes Zach Cunningham — who signed with Philly on the same day Jack did — had moved ahead at the position. Amid a February salary purge, the Titans released Cunningham after an injury-plagued season. Cunningham, 28, has made 76 career starts and would be an interesting option alongside Nakobe Dean. While Cunningham is not a lock to start, The Athletic’s Bo Wulf notes the former Texans second-rounder and extension recipient is a roster lock (subscription required).
Finishing up an offseason in which the Cowboys took care of their safeties, the team guaranteed Jayron Kearse‘s $4MM 2023 base salary, per ESPN’s Field Yates and Todd Archer (on Twitter). As a vested veteran, Kearse’s salary would have become guaranteed just before Week 1. But the Cowboys offered some protection for the starter. At safety this offseason, Dallas re-signed Donovan Wilson to a three-year, $21MM deal and extended Malik Hooker for the same terms. Kearse, who has started 29 of the 30 games he has played with the Cowboys, is tied to a two-year, $10MM deal signed in 2022.

Latest On Commanders’ OL Situation

July 3rd, 2023 at 7:54pm CST by Ely Allen

The Commanders’ 2022 offensive line was one of the league’s most beleaguered position groups last year. The team dealt with multiple injuries throughout the season, handicapping a group that already was lacking in star talent. A good amount of turnover is expected from last year’s lineup, but is it nearly enough to not be a hindrance to quarterback Sam Howell‘s first season as a Day 1 starter?

In terms of turnover, Trai Turner, who started 12 games at guard last season, has departed as a free agent. Wes Schweitzer, who started six games at guard, is now on the Jets. Nick Martin and Chase Roullier have also made their way to free agency, and Andrew Norwell is soon set to join them. It was announced a little over a month ago that the team was waiting to release Norwell until he could pass a physical, but he’s still currently on the roster today.

In terms of new blood, the Commanders signed former Chiefs tackle Andrew Wylie, who followed new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy from Kansas City. The team also added former Giants interior lineman Nick Gates with the intent to play him at center. Washington did re-sign Tyler Larsen, who started eight games at center for the team last year. The loser of the starting battle between Gates and Larsen will become an experienced depth piece on the interior line. Additionally, the team used both a third- and a fourth-round draft pick to address the offensive line, bringing in rookie center Ricky Stromberg from Arkansas and rookie tackle Braeden Daniels from Utah. While both could project as long-term starters for the future, neither rookie seems to be a contender to make an impact this season.

With the offseason moves, we’re starting to see the line take shape. Left tackle Charles Leno is the only sure thing on the line. He’s a definitive starter and should produce at a consistent level. The Commanders spent too much money on Wylie for him not to start. It’s been a couple years since his best performances (he allowed nine sacks last year), but his starting experience for a Super Bowl-winning team is likely enough to cement him at right tackle.

Gates likewise is being paid at a starters’ rate, so he’s the odds-on favorite to take the starting job at center. In that case, it ends up being a smart move to have retained Larsen, since over the past two years, Gates has only appeared in 12 games. If Gates continues to struggle to stay on the field, Washington knows Larsen can step up. With the addition of Stromberg in the draft, the Commanders are certainly attempting to feel secure after a season that decimated their centers room.

Samuel Cosmi is an interesting piece in the line. He was drafted out of Texas in the second round two years ago as a top tackle prospect, and while he’s gotten some run there in Washington, he’s also filled in a bit at guard. With Wylie and Leno likely securing starting roles on the outside, Cosmi can either become a strong depth piece at tackle or continue working as a starter at guard.

The other guard spot seems fairly open. Saahdiq Charles is currently one of the top candidates for the starting role. In three years with the team, Charles has started eight games, but he’s not really expected to excel as a starting guard. His main competition for the position seems to be last year’s seventh-round pick Chris Paul. Paul only made his NFL debut when he started the season finale for the Commanders last year, but Rivera has heaped praise on the progress and abilities of the young man. If he continues to impress, he could push Charles for the starting spot opposite Cosmi.

So, did the Commanders piece together a line that their second-year passer can be confident behind? It’s almost certainly too soon to tell. There’s an argument to be made that they were able to increase the talent of their two-deep, but the biggest thing they could improve on to better their chances of success this year is just health.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/19/23

May 19th, 2023 at 7:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s mid- to late- draft pick signings from around the NFL:

Washington Commanders

C Ricky Stromberg (third round, Arkansas)
T Braeden Daniels (fourth round, Utah)

Stromberg was brought in with the intention that he would compete for the starting center job with returning starter Chase Roullier and former Giant Nick Gates. The oft-injured Rouiller was released two weeks ago. Gates has spent most of his time in the NFL at the center position but has experience at both guard spots and right tackle, as well.

While Stromberg has a decent opportunity to earn a starting spot, Daniels will be competing with Cornelius Lucas for one of the top backup spots behind starting tackles Andrew Wylie and Charles Leno.