Commanders To Sign Rookie WR Jahan Dotson
Another Day 1 wideout from last month’s draft is set to officially join the league. The Commanders are signing Jahan Dotson to his rookie deal (Twitter link via Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post). 
As the No. 16 pick, Dotson’s contract will be worth just over $15MM. The Penn State product had a four-year college career, which included significant production in his final two seasons. After playing behind fellow speedster KJ Hamler, he took on a larger workload in 2020. That year, he posted 884 yards and eight touchdowns despite the campaign being limited to just eight games.
With increased expectations as the Nittany Lions’ top pass-catcher, Dotson took another step forward in terms of production. He ranked third in the Big Ten in both receptions (91) and yards (1,182) and scored 13 total touchdowns. He also contributed on special teams as a punt returner. That ranked him near the top of this year’s class at the position, with many pegging him as a first round-caliber prospect.
Expected by many to be eyeing a wideout with the No. 11 pick, the Commanders traded down from that spot. They swapped with New Orleans, who gave up No. 16 to take Chris Olave. Situated at the end of a run on receivers as a result of the move, the Commanders had fewer options to choose from, but were still able to boost their passing game. Dotson will join the likes of Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel and Dyami Brown in their WR room, as they look to take a step forward on offense with Carson Wentz.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/16/22
Here are Monday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: WR Christian Blake, S Tae Daley, QB Jarrett Guarantano, OL Greg Long, RB T.J. Pledger, WR Jared Smart
- Waived: LB Ron’Dell Carter, OL Marcus Henry, LB Changa Hodge, S Kekaula Kaniho, DL Will Miles, WR Stephon Robinson
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: TE Tucker Fisk
- Waived: WR Chad Hansen, TE Daniel Helm, DB Luther Kirk
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: LB Vince Biegel
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DT C.J. Brewer, DT Prince Emili, CB Ja’Marcus Ingram, T Will Ulmer
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: OT Wyatt Miller, TE Jared Scott
- Waived: DB Drew Hartlaub (left squad), CB Troy Pride Jr. (failed physical)
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: CB Junior Faulk
Denver Broncos
- Signed: G Zack Johnson
- Waived: CB Cortez Davis
Detroit Lions
- Signed: OLB Natrez Patrick
- Waived: OLB Jessie Lemonier
Houston Texans
- Claimed: DB Kendall Sheffield (from Falcons), WR Connor Wedington (from 49ers)
- Waived: CB Reggie Robinson
- Waived/injured: S Kolby Harvell-Peel
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: TE Naz Bohannon, WR Marvin Hall, WR Willie Johnson, WR Ryan McDaniel
- Waived: WR Terry Godwin, WR Josh Hammond, S Sean Mahone, OL Marcus Tatum
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: CB Stanford Samuels III, T Tyrone Wheatley Jr.
- Waived: C Brett Heggie, WR Tré Turner
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: LB William Kwenkeu
- Waived: LB Tuf Borland
New England Patriots
- Signed: LS Ross Reiter
- Waived: DB Devin Hafford, QB/WR D’Eriq King
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: WR Keric Wheatfall
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Elijah Jones, T Liam Ryan
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Kameron Brown, DL Mike Greene, TE J.J. Howland
- Waived: DL Kobe Smith, WR Austin Watkins
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: CB Kenneth George
- Placed on IR: S Jamal Carter
Washington Commanders
- Claimed (from Broncos): T Drew Himmelman
- Signed: CB Nijuel Hill, LB Bryce Notree
- Waived: G Zack Bailey, LB Jordan Kunaszyk
Commanders, Chargers Put In Claims For G Wes Martin
Guard Wes Martin, who was waived by the Giants last week, generated a fair amount of interest on the waiver wire. The Jaguars have top waiver priority due to their league-worst 3-14 record in 2021, so they were awarded the Indiana product when they put in a claim, but as ESPN’s Field Yates tweets, the Commanders and Chargers put in claims as well.
Had Washington’s claim been successful, it would have represented a reunion for player and team. The Commanders made Martin a fourth-round pick in 2019, and he started 10 games for the club over the 2019-20 seasons. He did not survive the 53-man cut in advance of the 2021 campaign, though he signed with Washington’s p-squad after clearing waivers. He was poached by the Giants in late September and ultimately appeared in seven games (one start) for Big Blue.
With the Commanders, Martin would have served as useful guard depth behind presumptive starters Andrew Norwell and Trai Turner, both of whom were signed this offseason. The Chargers likewise appear to be on the lookout for interior OL reinforcements behind Matt Feiler and first-round rookie Zion Johnson.
In Jacksonville, Martin is obviously not going to unseat the newly-acquired Brandon Scherff at right guard, though he could theoretically push 2020 fourth-rounder Ben Bartch for the starting LG gig. Bartch started 11 games for the Jags in 2021 and played well at times, though his 62.1 overall grade from Pro Football Focus is underwhelming.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/13/22
Today’s minor moves around the league:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DL Kingsley Keke
- Placed on Non-Football Injury List: TE Alex Ellis
Atlanta Falcons
- Released: CB Kendall Sheffield, TE Ryan Becker
Chicago Bears
- Waived: TE Jesper Horsted
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: CB Abu Daramy-Swaray
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: RB Tre Harbison (non-football injury)
Dallas Cowboys
- Released: K Chris Naggar
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Re-Signed: OL Jared Hocker
- Released: OL Denzel Okafor
New England Patriots
- Waived: OL Liam Shanahan (failed physical designation)
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: TE Dylan Soehner (failed physical designation), TE Ethan Wolf
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: OL Trenton Scott
- Released: OL Malcolm Pridgeon
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: WR Connor Wedington
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Deontez Alexander, WR Kevin Kassis
- Waived: WR Matt Cole, WR Jake Herslow, WR John Mitchell, WR Demetris Robertson
Washington Commanders
- Waived: S De’Vante Cross
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/6/22
Here are the latest draft pick signings:
Baltimore Ravens
- RB Tyler Badie (sixth round, Missouri)
Chicago Bears
- T Braxton Jones (fifth round, Southern Utah)
- DE Dominique Robinson (fifth round, Miami University)
- RB Trestan Ebner (sixth round, Baylor)
- C Doug Kramer (sixth round, Illinois)
- T Ja’Tyre Carter (seventh round, Southern)
- DB Elijah Hicks (seventh round, California)
- P Trenton Gill (seventh round, North Carolina State)
Green Bay Packers
- LB Quay Walker (first round, Georgia)
- DT Devonte Wyatt (first round, Georgia)
- T Sean Rhyan (third round, UCLA)
- LB Kingsley Enagbare (fifth round, South Carolina)
- DB Tariq Carpenter (seventh round, Georgia Tech)
- DT Jonathan Ford (seventh round, Miami)
- WR Samori Toure (seventh round, Nebraska)
Kansas City Chiefs
- CB Trent McDuffie (first round, Washington)
- DE George Karlaftis (first round, Purdue)
- S Bryan Cook (second round, Cincinnati)
- G Darian Kinnard (fifth round, Kentucky)
- CB Jaylen Watson (seventh round, Washington State)
- RB Isiah Pacheco (seventh round, Rutgers)
- S Nazeeh Johnson (seventh round, Marshall)
Philadelphia Eagles
- DT Jordan Davis (first round, Georgia)
- LB Kyron Johnson (sixth round, Kansas)
- TE Grant Calcaterra (sixth round, SMU)
Seattle Seahawks
- DB Tariq Woolen (fifth round, Texas-San Antonio)
- LB Tyreke Smith (fifth round, Ohio State)
- WR Bo Melton (seventh round, Rutgers)
- WR Dareke Young (seventh round, Lenoir-Rhyne)
Washington Commanders
- QB Sam Howell (fifth round, North Carolina)
- TE Cole Turner (fifth round, Nevada)
- T Chris Paul (seventh round, Tulsa)
- DB Christian Holmes (seventh round, Oklahoma State)
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/4/22
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Waived: K Lirim Hajrullahu
Chicago Bears
- Claimed (from Chiefs): WR Chris Finke
Dallas Cowboys
- Waived: FB Sewo Olonilua
Houston Texans
- Signed: QB Kevin Hogan
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: DB Antoine Brooks, RB Javian Hawkins
Washington Commanders
- Signed: WR/KR Alex Erickson
Commanders Notes: Wentz, Samuel, Ownership
It’s been a strange journey for Carson Wentz. Even though the quarterback is now with his third pro team, Commanders head coach Ron Rivera is confident that this time will be the charm.
“All those guys come out and say, man, this guy was a good teammate, this was a guy that pulled us tighter, this was a guy that helped us get where we are or headed toward — you feel positive about that, you really do,” Rivera told Rich Eisen (audio link via NBCSports.com). “And it’s an exciting thing to hear that, that his teammates spoke of him in that fashion.”
Wentz was widely panned for his Week 18 showing against the Jaguars, the loss that cost the Colts a playoff spot. He also clashed with team brass throughout the year, leading some to question Wentz’s character. Still, Rivera & Co. see real potential in the former No. 2 overall pick, especially after he posted a solid 27-7 TD-INT ratio.
“The one thing I do look at is the fact that at one point he was 11-2 [in 2017],” said Rivera. “And, of course, he hurt his knee in a year he was talked about in the MVP conversation. So, there’s a lot of things that go into play, a lot of things happen. But, to us, this was a positive. We were looking for a guy of his stature, with his kind of ability. So to be able to pick him up and make the deal for him, we feel very positive about that.”
Here’s more from D.C.:
- Curtis Samuel hardly played for his new squad last year, but the wide receiver says he’s ready to go full speed (via Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post). “I’ve been training and working out, and I haven’t been limited to anything,” he said. “I’ve been doing pretty much everything that I used to be able to do — running fast, cutting fast. I’m just feeling good overall, and I’m excited about it. This upcoming season, I got a lot of goals.” In the 2021 offseason, Samuel inked a three-year deal worth up to $35.25MM with $24.5MM guaranteed. Unfortunately, his groin injury limited him to just five games last year.
- A former Commanders exec submitted a 22-page letter to the Federal Trade Commission, detailing years of alleged financial impropriety. The Commanders have responded, calling the allegations “baseless,” “false and reckless,” and based on “pure speculation,” (via ESPN.com’s John Keim).
Commanders Sign 13 Undrafted Free Agents
The Commanders added eight rookies in the draft, and they added another 13 first-year players today. Washington announced the signing of 13 undrafted free agents:
- DeVante Cross, CB (Virginia)
- Josh Drayden, CB (California)
- Jequez Ezzard, WR (Sam Houston State)
- Ferrod Gardner, S (Louisiana-Lafayette)
- Curtis Hodges, TE (Arizona State)
- Cole Kelley, QB (Southeast Louisiana)
- Kyric McGowan, WR (Georgia Tech)
- Jacub Panasiuk, DE (Michigan State)
- Armani Rogers, TE (Ohio)
- Tyrese Robinson, G (Oklahoma)
- Devin Taylor, CB (Bowling Green)
- Tre Walker, LB (Idaho)
- Drew White, LB (Notre Dame)
Arizona State tight end Curtis Hodges got a chunk of money to join Washington, earning a $25K signing bonus and a guaranteed $100K base salary, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). The 6-7 prospect showed some ability in the receiving game during the 2021 season, hauling in 20 receptions for 374 yards and two touchdowns.
Considering his position, Cole Kelley is another notable UDFA joining the Commanders. While he’s a long shot, Kelley will be one of several QBs (along with fellow rookie Sam Howell) competing for Washington’s starting nod. Kelley finished this past season having completed 73.55 percent of his passes for 5,124 yards, 44 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
Commanders To Sign OL Trai Turner
Trai Turner is set to reunite with his former head coach. The Commanders are signing the veteran guard to a one-year, $3MM deal (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). 
Turner, 28, began his career under Ron Rivera in Carolina. He started nine of 13 games in 2014, his rookie season. That set the stage for him to occupy the right guard spot full-time throughout the remaining five years he spent with the Panthers. Over that stretch, he established himself as one of the best interior linemen in the league, being selected to five consecutive Pro Bowls.
In March 2020, though, Turner was traded to the Chargers in exchange for Russell Okung. That started a short-lived and disappointing tenure in Los Angeles, which was marred by injuries limiting him to nine games. Unable to find a trade partner willing to take on a cap hit over $11MM, the Chargers released him last offseason.
On the move for the second time in his career, the LSU alum joined the Steelers a few months later. He signed an identical deal with Pittsburgh to what he is signing now with Washington. Turner started all 17 games on a re-vamped Steelers offensive front, earning a 69.4 PFF grade. While that came up short of his ratings during his Carolina days, it ranked 31st in the league amongst qualified guards, which should make him at least a serviceable addition to the team’s offense.
Taylor Heinicke To Remain Commanders’ Backup QB
The Commanders did a great deal of homework on this year’s top collegiate quarterbacks, and they came away from those evaluations most intrigued by UNC passer Sam Howell, as Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post writes. Washington ultimately selected Howell with the first pick of the fifth round of the 2022 draft, making him the sixth signal-caller to hear his name called.
Though his draft-day slide was doubtlessly disappointing, the Commanders certainly present an intriguing opportunity for Howell. The club acquired Carson Wentz from the Colts in March, and while Wentz will serve as the starting quarterback in 2022, he can be released after the season with no dead money ramifications. Current QB2 Taylor Heinicke, meanwhile, will be out of contract at the end of the upcoming campaign.
As Jhabvala notes, head coach Ron Rivera was clear during his postdraft press conference that Heinicke would remain the backup. So Howell will have the chance to develop as the No. 3 signal-caller, and both he and Rivera appear excited by that prospect.
“To have Sam fall to us was something we had to jump on,” Rivera said. “We had a very good grade on him — he was, at that point, the highest guy left on our board. … We feel this was a home run for us.”
Howell said, “I’ve had a good amount of communication with [the Commanders], but I just kind of knew all along. I kind of had a couple teams that I was interested in. Just after that combine interview and talking to Coach Rivera, I knew this was a place I definitely wanted to be.”
Howell’s trademark deep ball should mesh well with OC Scott Turner‘s Air Coryell-based offense, and if he makes the necessary strides in 2022, he will enter 2023 with a real chance to at least serve as Washington’s backup QB, and perhaps a shot to compete for the starting gig.
Heinicke, who wound up starting 15 games for Washington in 2021 after a Week 1 injury to Ryan Fitzpatrick, completed 65% of his passes last season. However, he also threw for 20 TDs against 15 interceptions, a ratio that leaves much to be desired. He is certainly a competent backup if nothing else, and while he will serve as Wentz’s clipboard holder in 2022, his future with the Commanders was complicated by the Howell selection.