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Jason Wright To Depart Commanders Following 2024 Season

July 18th, 2024 at 12:41pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 2024 season will be the last for Jason Wright as a member of the Commanders. He and team owner Josh Harris said on Thursday Wright will leave the organization by the end of the upcoming campaign.

As detailed by Nicki Jhabvala and Mark Maske of the Washington Post, Wright will immediately step down from his role as president. He will carry on the duties he previously had in that capacity while taking on the title of senior advisor. Harris and Tad Brown will lead the search for Wright’s replacement.

The Post report notes that Wright – who joined the team in 2020 – was believed to have his previous contract expire in August, making his departure an unsurprising one. He could leave prior to the conclusion of the coming season, in which case the Commanders would allow him to accelerate the process of taking on his next opportunity. Today’s news was foreshadowed by the fact Wright, 42, was a finalist to succeed Mark Murphy as president of the Packers next year.

“This feels like the right moment for me to explore my next leadership opportunity,” a statement from Wright reads. “I’m extremely grateful to my Commanders colleagues, our fans and this community for all that we have accomplished these past four years, and am looking forward to the start of a very successful season for the Burgundy and Gold.”

Wright’s upcoming departure will mark another notable change in the front office following Harris’ 2023 purchase of the Commanders. The latter’s first season in control consisted of evaluating the organization at all levels before authorizing sweeping changes in recent months. That process has included Dan Quinn being hired as Ron Rivera‘s replacement on the sidelines as well as Adam Peters joining as general manager (although his predecessor, Martin Mayhew, remains in the organization). Earlier this week, it was learned ex-Panthers GM Scott Fitterer will be a member of Washington’s front office moving forward.

“Jason has made a remarkable impact on the Commanders organization since he joined four years ago,” a statement from Harris reads. “He stepped in at a time of immense challenge and has led this organization through an incredible transformation that set that stage for everything that is to come. I am extremely grateful to Jason for his partnership to me and the rest of the ownership group over the past year. His guidance has been invaluable and his leadership has helped reshape our culture.”

Wright’s hire was made during times of transition in the nation’s capital with the organization facing allegations of workplace misconduct and a toxic culture under then-owner Dan Snyder. Much has changed for the franchise since then, and Wright will look to use the improvements seen in Washington as a means of landing another high-ranking executive role on a new team.

Largest 2024 Cap Hits: Defense

July 17th, 2024 at 2:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

As veteran report dates for training camps near, NFL payrolls are largely set. Extension- and trade-related matters remain, but as far as high cap numbers go, the list will not change much between now and Week 1. After we ran down the top cap charges on the offensive side of the ball last week, here are the highest 2024 figures tied to defenders:

  1. Maxx Crosby, EDGE (Raiders): $30.48MM
  2. T.J. Watt, EDGE (Steelers): $30.42MM
  3. Kenny Clark, DL (Packers): $27.49MM
  4. Joey Bosa, EDGE (Chargers): $26.11MM
  5. Khalil Mack, EDGE (Chargers): $25.39MM
  6. Montez Sweat, EDGE (Bears): $25.09MM
  7. Harold Landry, EDGE (Titans): $23.8MM
  8. Jaire Alexander, CB (Packers): $23.49MM
  9. Marlon Humphrey, CB (Ravens): $22.88MM
  10. Tremaine Edmunds, LB (Bears): $22.44MM
  11. Cameron Heyward, DL (Steelers): $22.41MM
  12. Jeffery Simmons, DL (Titans): $21.65MM
  13. Daron Payne, DL (Commanders): $21.61MM
  14. Jonathan Allen, DL (Commanders): $21.44MM
  15. Minkah Fitzpatrick, S (Steelers): $21.36MM
  16. Vita Vea, DL (Buccaneers): $20.97MM
  17. DeMarcus Lawrence, EDGE (Cowboys): $20.46MM
  18. Quinnen Williams, DL (Jets): $20.4MM
  19. Grady Jarrett, DL (Falcons): $20.38MM
  20. Myles Garrett, EDGE (Browns): $20.17MM
  21. Trey Hendrickson, EDGE (Bengals): $20.17MM
  22. Derwin James, S (Chargers): $19.86MM
  23. Budda Baker, S (Cardinals): $19.03MM
  24. Charvarius Ward, CB (49ers): $18.4MM
  25. Marcus Williams, S (Ravens): $18.03MM

While a handful of quarterbacks are set to break the single-player record for cap hit — after this offseason’s $30.6MM cap spike — this year’s defensive hits do not check in on that level. Crosby and Watt are at $30MM, but those numbers do not match last year’s top defender cap hit — attached to then-Giants D-lineman Leonard Williams ($32.26MM). With Aaron Donald now in the dead money category following his retirement and Chris Jones extended, some new faces have climbed toward the top of this list.

The Raiders gave Crosby a $6MM 2024 pay bump to reward a former Day 3 pick who has unlocked another level while attached to an extension signed in 2022. Rather than greenlight a new deal for their top defender, the Raiders moved money around on his through-2026 extension to accommodate a rising market. This season now marks the highest cap hit on this Crosby contract.

Although the Chargers worked out pay-cut agreements with Bosa and Mack, both edge rushers are still among the most expensive — cap-wise — players in the league. The March reductions, however, moved Bosa’s cap number down from $36.6MM and lowered Mack’s from $38.5MM. With James tied to the second-highest 2024 safety figure, Jim Harbaugh‘s team — while clearing out costs on offense — remains among the top defensive spenders.

Two years remain on Watt’s deal, which has paid out its guaranteed money. With Nick Bosa having secured a defender-record extension and lower-production players — compared to Watt, at least — Brian Burns and Josh Allen surpassing the future Hall of Famer’s 2021 extension, a third Steelers-Watt agreement will likely be rumored soon. Heyward has expressed interest in a fourth Steelers contract, which would reduce his lofty cap figure, but the accomplished veteran has not heard much from the team’s side on this matter.

The Packers have begun talks with Clark on what would be a third extension. His current $17.5MM-per-year contract has fallen to 15th among active D-linemen. A new deal would update that figure for a reliable starter while reducing his 2024 cap hit. Despite rumors about the Pack separating from Alexander coming out in December, GM Brian Gutekunst shot down any such move associated with the league’s highest-paid corner.

Baker requested a trade last year, eyeing a deal closer to the James-Fitzpatrick level. The longtime Cardinal DB is in the final year of an extension agreed to back in 2020. Although the Cardinals are rebuilding, Baker has remained part of Jonathan Gannon‘s team. He expressed hope to stay in Arizona beyond 2024, and the Cardinals have the contract-year safety — the team’s longest-tenured starter, now that D.J. Humphries is off the roster — on the team going into his age-28 season.

Montez Sweat Informed Bears He Would Not Debut Without Extension; No Commanders Talks Transpired

July 17th, 2024 at 11:34am CST by Sam Robinson

The Bears have restarted their quarterback contract clock, swapping out a fourth season of Justin Fields for Caleb Williams‘ rookie deal. That will give the NFC North team more roster flexibility, helping make two recent big-ticket extensions palatable.

Chicago authorized high-priced re-ups for Montez Sweat and Jaylon Johnson between November and March. The first of those deals, for Sweat, obviously came before the team knew Williams was Chicago-bound. Sweat came to the Windy City in a deadline deal for a second-round pick, ending a five-year Washington run.

Sweat said the Commanders, who were transitioning from Dan Snyder to Josh Harris during the defensive end’s contract year, did not engage in extension talks. Upon hearing from Ron Rivera that he would be traded, Sweat said (via The Athletic’s Dan Pompei) “some things I wanted to take back.” It turned out Rivera and then-DC Jack Del Rio wanted to keep Sweat, but Harris made a push for the team to trade both its starting D-ends — as Chase Young was later dealt to the 49ers — to accumulate draft capital. That ended up helping Adam Peters and Dan Quinn, with Rivera fired after an eight-game losing streak.

The Bears did hammer out an extension with Sweat days after his arrival, signing the 2019 first-rounder to a four-year, $98MM deal before Week 9. Sweat took a diplomatic approach publicly when asked about an extension, but the relocating defender had told the Bears (via Pompei) he would not have debuted without an extension in place.

Rivera said in August that Sweat negotiations — on hold due to the ownership transfer — could end up taking place, but they did not come to pass. With Young running into career-altering injury trouble midway through the 2021 season, Sweat served as Washington’s edge anchor. No Pro Bowl nods came, but the five-year starter accumulated 35.5 sacks during his time in Washington. This included six before the 2023 trade. Sweat, 27, did receive a Pro Bowl invite after finishing last season with 12.5 sacks.

The Bears may be in the market for another D-end, with a Yannick Ngakoue reunion potentially on the table. The Commanders have retooled around ex-Quinn Cowboys pieces, signing Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler. The team also signed Clelin Ferrell. None of these talents has performed on Sweat’s level, but ownership and Washington’s previous football staff moved him out of the equation before the Peters-Quinn duo arrived. Washington traded down (via Philadelphia) from the Sweat-obtained draft slot (No. 40), picking up an extra second-rounder in the process. After drafting Johnny Newton with their own second-rounder, the Commanders turned the Sweat choice into cornerback Mike Sainristil and tight end Ben Sinnott.

Commanders To Hire Scott Fitterer

July 15th, 2024 at 10:17pm CST by Adam La Rose

Scott Fitterer‘s tenure as general manager of the Panthers came to an end this winter, but the veteran executive has lined up a new gig for the 2024 campaign. Fitterer is being hired by the Commanders as a personnel executive, as first reported by Ben Standig of The Athletic.

Fitterer began his NFL front office career with the Giants before a lengthy tenure in Seattle’s organization. He joined the Seahawks in 2001 as an area scout and spent the next two decades working his way up the ladder while spending time in the personnel department. After a single season as the team’s VP of football operations, Fitterer was hired as general manager of the Panthers.

The 50-year-old held that position for three years, but Carolina was unable to put together a run of success during that time. The team went 5-12 in 2021, and the following season saw Christian McCaffrey traded away as a sign of a rebuild. Fitterer’s most impactful decision was of course the trade with the Bears which allowed for the acquisition of the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft. That selection was used on Bryce Young, whom the franchise is banking on becoming a true franchise quarterback.

Young’s rookie campaign did not go according to plan, and head coach Frank Reich did not make it through his debut Panthers season. The latter was fired after a 1-10 start to the campaign, and increasing pressure emerged with respect to Fitterer’s job security. After Carolina finished out the season 2-15 (a record which did not yield the first overall pick in 2024, per the terms of the Young blockbuster) and failed to work out a long-term extension with edge rusher Brian Burns, it came as little surprise that Fitterer was dismissed.

The Panthers promoted from within by tapping Dan Morgan as Fitterer’s successor, and Dave Canales is in place as a first-time head coach. That pair will be tasked with overseeing Young’s development moving forward as Carolina attempts to rebound from the 14-37 record posted during Fitterer’s time at the helm. The latter will now turn his attention to the Commanders’ rebuilding efforts.

As expected, new Washington owner Josh Harris used his first campaign in charge to evaluate the team’s front office and coaching staff. Ron Rivera was fired after the end of the regular season and Martin Mayhew was replaced by Adam Peters as general manager. Mayhew is still in the organization, one which has undergone considerable turnover at a number of positions since Peters’ hire. Fitterer will have a voice in Commanders decisions – including those affecting the scouting department, ESPN’s John Keim adds – moving forward as he aims to rebuild his GM stock.

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured GMs

July 10th, 2024 at 10:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL’s general manager ranks featured some key shakeups this offseason. One of the longest-tenured pure GMs in the game, Tom Telesco, lost his Chargers seat 11 years in. The Raiders, however, gave Telesco a second chance. He now controls the Las Vegas roster. Only Telesco and the Jaguars’ Trent Baalke reside as second-chance GMs currently.

Two long-serving personnel bosses also exited this offseason. The Patriots’ decision to move on from 24-year HC Bill Belichick gave Jerod Mayo a head coaching opportunity but also resulted in Eliot Wolf belatedly rising to the top of the team’s front office hierarchy. A former Packers and Browns exec, Wolf held decision-making power through the draft and kept it on an official basis soon after. While John Schneider arrived in Seattle with Pete Carroll in 2010, the latter held final say. Following Carroll’s ouster after 14 seasons, Schneider has full control.

[RELATED: The NFL’s Longest-Tenured Head Coaches]

The Commanders changed GMs this offseason, hiring ex-San Francisco staffer Adam Peters, but Martin Mayhew received merely a demotion. The three-year Washington GM, who worked alongside Peters with the 49ers, is now in place as a senior personnel exec advising Peters. Rather than look outside the organization, Panthers owner David Tepper replaced Scott Fitterer with Dan Morgan, who had previously worked as the team’s assistant GM.

Going into his 23rd season running the Saints, Mickey Loomis remains the NFL’s longest-serving pure GM. This will mark the veteran exec’s third season without Sean Payton. An eight-year gap now exists between Loomis and the NFL’s second-longest-tenured pure GM.

As the offseason winds down, here is how the league’s 32 GM jobs look:

  1. Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys): April 18, 1989[1]
  2. Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals): August 5, 1991[2]
  3. Mickey Loomis (New Orleans Saints): May 14, 2002
  4. John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks): January 19, 2010; signed extension in 2021
  5. Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles): January 29, 2010[3]; signed extension in 2022
  6. Les Snead (Los Angeles Rams): February 10, 2012; signed extension in 2022
  7. Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 21, 2014; signed extension in 2021
  8. Chris Grier (Miami Dolphins): January 4, 2016[4]
  9. John Lynch (San Francisco 49ers): January 29, 2017; signed extension in 2023
  10. Chris Ballard (Indianapolis Colts): January 30, 2017; signed extension in 2021
  11. Brandon Beane (Buffalo Bills): May 9, 2017; signed extension in 2023
  12. Brett Veach (Kansas City Chiefs): July 11, 2017; signed extension in 2024
  13. Brian Gutekunst (Green Bay Packers): January 7, 2018; agreed to extension in 2022
  14. Eric DeCosta (Baltimore Ravens): January 7, 2019
  15. Joe Douglas (New York Jets): June 7, 2019
  16. Andrew Berry (Cleveland Browns): January 27, 2020: signed extension in 2024
  17. Nick Caserio (Houston Texans): January 5, 2021
  18. George Paton (Denver Broncos): January 13, 2021
  19. Brad Holmes (Detroit Lions): January 14, 2021: agreed to extension in 2024
  20. Terry Fontenot (Atlanta Falcons): January 19, 2021
  21. Trent Baalke (Jacksonville Jaguars): January 21, 2021
  22. Joe Schoen (New York Giants): January 21, 2022
  23. Ryan Poles (Chicago Bears): January 25, 2022
  24. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Minnesota Vikings): January 26, 2022
  25. Omar Khan (Pittsburgh Steelers): May 24, 2022
  26. Monti Ossenfort (Arizona Cardinals): January 16, 2023
  27. Ran Carthon (Tennessee Titans): January 17, 2023
  28. Adam Peters (Washington Commanders): January 12, 2024
  29. Dan Morgan (Carolina Panthers): January 22, 2024
  30. Tom Telesco (Las Vegas Raiders): January 23, 2024
  31. Joe Hortiz (Los Angeles Chargers): January 29, 2024
  32. Eliot Wolf (New England Patriots): May 11, 2024

Footnotes:

  1. Jones has been the Cowboys’ de facto general manager since former GM Tex Schramm resigned in April 1989.
  2. Brown has been the Bengals’ de facto GM since taking over as the team’s owner in August 1991.
  3. The Eagles bumped Roseman from the top decision-making post in 2015, giving Chip Kelly personnel power. Roseman was reinstated upon Kelly’s December 2015 firing.
  4. Although Grier was hired in 2016, he became the Dolphins’ top football exec on Dec. 31, 2018

WR Martavis Bryant Still Eyeing NFL Gig

July 6th, 2024 at 8:51am CST by Ben Levine

Martavis Bryant isn’t planning to hang up his cleats. The wide receiver is still hoping to catch on with a team for the 2024 campaign, and the veteran believes he can still be productive if given the chance.

“I got a lot of football left,” Bryant told Queen City News (via Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com). “Still love the game, never stopped loving the game. I had to take some time to reflect on myself and get my situation straight off the field. I did that. I put in a lot of work. There’s still so much left I can do. I know I can contribute to somebody that wants to give me the opportunity.”

Bryant’s five-year banishment from the NFL came to an end last November when he was reinstated by the league. He subsequently caught on with the Cowboys practice squad, but he didn’t earn a promotion to the 53-man roster during the 2023 campaign. Despite signing a reserve/futures contract with Dallas at the beginning of the offseason, Bryant was squeezed off the offseason roster in May following the Cowboys’ acquisition of several rookie wideouts.

The receiver had a workout with the Commanders back in May, but no deal materialized. Bryant also told the Queen City News that he met with Panthers senior assistant Jim Caldwell at a recent event, but it’s uncertain if the two sides had significant talks about a deal.

The wideout quickly made a name for himself with the Steelers after being selected in the fourth round of the 2014 draft. He hauled in 14 touchdowns through his first two seasons in the NFL (plus another two playoff scores) before being sidelined for the entire 2016 campaign thanks to his second career suspension. He topped 600 yards following his return in 2017, but the Steelers quickly traded him off to the Raiders for a third-round pick.

He got into eight games with Oakland before being hit with his most-recent suspension in 2018. Between that initial suspension and his 2023 comeback attempt with the Cowboys, Bryant spent time in a handful of alternative leagues, including stints in the CFL and XFL. While Bryant has been staying active in recent years, there’s no hiding the fact that he hasn’t gotten into an NFL game since the 2018 campaign. With 2024 representing his age-33 season, Bryant’s hopes of an NFL return will soon run dry.

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured Head Coaches

July 5th, 2024 at 10:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following 2023’s five-team coaching carousel, this offseason featured a quarter of the jobs becoming available. One HC-needy team (New England) did not put its position on the market, promoting Jerod Mayo, but the rest did. The Patriots’ decision also produced the first shakeup among the league’s longest-tenured head coach list since 2013.

Since the Eagles fired Andy Reid, Bill Belichick‘s Patriots HC stint had run the longest. After a 4-13 season, the six-time Super Bowl-winning leader was moved out of the picture. No team hired Belichick, generating a wave of rumors, and only one (Atlanta) brought him in for an official interview. While Belichick should be expected to take at least one more run at a third-chance HC gig, Mike Tomlin rises into the top spot on this list.

Tomlin is going into his 18th season with the Steelers, and while he has surpassed Bill Cowher for longevity, the steady leader still has a ways to go to reach Chuck Noll‘s 23-season Pittsburgh benchmark. Tomlin, 52, enters the 2024 season 17-for-17 in non-losing seasons, separating himself from his predecessors in that regard.

Belichick’s ouster brought far more attention, but his Patriots predecessor also slid out of the HC ranks after a 14-year Seattle stay. Pete Carroll‘s third HC shot elevated the Seahawks to their franchise peak. No Hawks HC comes close to Carroll’s duration, and while the Super Bowl winner was interested in remaining a head coach, no team interviewed the 72-year-old sideline staple.

Belichick and Carroll’s exits leave only Tomlin, John Harbaugh and Reid as coaches who have been in place at least 10 years. With Mike Vrabel also booted this offseason, only eight HCs have held their current jobs since the 2010s. A few 2017 hires, however, stand out; Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay and Sean McDermott have now each signed multiple extensions. Now riding back-to-back Super Bowl wins, Reid joined Tomlin in signing an offseason extension.

Here is how the 32 HC jobs look for the 2024 season:

  1. Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers): January 27, 2007; extended through 2027
  2. John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens): January 19, 2008; extended through 2025
  3. Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs): January 4, 2013; extended through 2029
  4. Sean McDermott (Buffalo Bills): January 11, 2017; extended through 2027
  5. Sean McVay (Los Angeles Rams): January 12, 2017; extended through 2027
  6. Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco 49ers): February 6, 2017; extended through 2027
  7. Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers): January 8, 2019: signed extension in July 2022
  8. Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals): February 4, 2019; extended through 2026
  9. Mike McCarthy (Dallas Cowboys): January 7, 2020
  10. Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland Browns): January 13, 2020; signed offseason extension
  11. Robert Saleh (New York Jets): January 15, 2021
  12. Dan Campbell (Detroit Lions): January 20, 2021; extended through 2027
  13. Nick Sirianni (Philadelphia Eagles): January 21, 2021
  14. Matt Eberflus (Chicago Bears): January 27, 2022
  15. Brian Daboll (New York Giants): January 28, 2022
  16. Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings): February 2, 2022
  17. Doug Pederson (Jacksonville Jaguars): February 3, 2022
  18. Mike McDaniel (Miami Dolphins): February 6, 2022
  19. Dennis Allen (New Orleans Saints): February 7, 2022
  20. Todd Bowles (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): March 30, 2022
  21. Sean Payton (Denver Broncos): January 31, 2023
  22. DeMeco Ryans (Houston Texans): January 31, 2023
  23. Shane Steichen (Indianapolis Colts): February 14, 2023
  24. Jonathan Gannon (Arizona Cardinals): February 14, 2023
  25. Jerod Mayo (New England Patriots): January 12, 2024
  26. Antonio Pierce (Las Vegas Raiders): January 19, 2024
  27. Brian Callahan (Tennessee Titans): January 22, 2024
  28. Jim Harbaugh (Los Angeles Chargers): January 24, 2024
  29. Dave Canales (Carolina Panthers): January 25, 2024
  30. Raheem Morris (Atlanta Falcons): January 25, 2024
  31. Mike Macdonald (Seattle Seahawks): January 31, 2024
  32. Dan Quinn (Washington Commanders): February 1, 2024

NFC Front Office Updates: White, 49ers, Seahawks

June 30th, 2024 at 9:56pm CST by Ely Allen

The Commanders recently announced all the updates to their personnel and football support staff that the team has made this offseason. We’ve already covered nearly all of the updates as they occurred throughout the past few months, but we finally got confirmation of a rumor we’d seen back in May. We saw the writing on the wall before, but Chris White has officially been announced as a member of the Commanders scouting staff, according to the team announcement.

White comes from Chicago, where he recently served as assistant director of pro scouting before being removed from the team’s website a month ago. He had served in the role for two years, getting promoted after five seasons as a pro scout for the Bears.

As predicted, White will be serving in Washington as director of pro scouting. He’s essentially filling the role left vacant by former director of pro personnel Chris Polian, who made his way to Cleveland to work as an advisor under Browns general manager Andrew Berry.

Here are a couple other updates from around the NFC:

  • The 49ers are bringing on Jordan Fox to work as a player personnel analyst in 2024, according to Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com. Fox debuted in the NFL as a seasonal personnel operations intern for the Jets in 2022. After two years with New York, Fox earns his first full-time NFL position in San Francisco.
  • Up the coast, the division-rival Seahawks are granting a first full-time NFL position, as well. Per Stratton, the team’s player personnel intern, Azzaam Kapadia, has officially been promoted to the full-time player personnel assistant role. Kapadia interned with the Colts at one point in time and worked part-time as a film analyst for the Browns during the 2022 season.

Commanders, Steelers Were Contenders For WR Brandon Aiyuk

June 29th, 2024 at 10:35pm CST by Ely Allen

The month of June has been full of news pertaining to the strained contract negotiations between wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and the 49ers. As things currently stand, it appears that a trade is no longer expected separate the two parties, but negotiations seem to be at a standstill as both sides refuse to cede ground on price. While most all signs are still pointing to Aiyuk playing for San Francisco in 2024, he did mention two other teams whose uniforms he could see himself in should negotiations fall through over the summer.

In his appearance on The Pivot Podcast (video link), Aiyuk was asked what uniform he sees himself playing in next season. “If I were to take a guess, probably a Niner uniform,” he answered. “Probably a Niner uniform. If not a Niners uniform, probably a Washington Commanders uniform. If not a Washington Commanders uniform, probably a Steelers uniform.”

Aiyuk would be a phenomenal addition to either squad. In D.C., the second-team All-Pro wideout would join Terry McLaurin atop the depth chart as Jahan Dotson would return to a WR3 role. Aiyuk would be a massive upgrade over last year’s WR2, Curtis Samuel. Currently, without Aiyuk, Washington has Dotson bumping up to WR2 in his third season as Dyami Brown, Olamide Zaccheus, and Jamison Crowder attempt to hold off third-round rookie Luke McCaffrey for the WR3 job.

Aiyuk would also be an interesting addition to the Commanders due to his history with No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels. The rookie out of LSU transferred to Baton Rouge after three years at Arizona State. Daniels’ freshman season in Tempe aligned with Aiyuk’s senior year with the Sun Devils. Working together on offense, Aiyuk led the team with 65 catches for 1,192 yards and eight touchdowns. Reuniting the two could be a huge safety blanket for Daniels as he makes the jump to professional play.

It’s been no secret that the Steelers are looking for veteran wide receiver help after sending Diontae Johnson to Carolina. The team currently rosters budding star George Pickens and Van Jefferson, who impressed in 2021 with an 800-yard, six-touchdown season but has faltered in the two seasons since. Pittsburgh also selected Michigan wide receiver Roman Wilson in the third round of this year’s draft and are holding out hope that third-year wideout Calvin Austin will blossom soon.

Still adding Aiyuk to the roster in Pittsburgh would be huge for new quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. The Steelers showed early interest in acquiring Aiyuk’s teammate, Deebo Samuel, back around the time of the draft, but should Aiyuk come up in an offer, it’s hard to imagine they would turn him away.

When all is said and done, it’s still widely expected that Aiyuk will remain in the Bay Area for at least next season. The two sides continue to work towards a common goal, but the 49ers seem to be employing similar tactics as they did when extending Samuel two years ago. If that road continues, a new Aiyuk deal could be coming around the end of July, like Samuel’s did. Should things fall through, though, it sounds like Aiyuk is open to a change of scenery.

Latest On Commanders’ CB Situation

June 29th, 2024 at 9:46pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Commanders invested a first-round pick at the cornerback position last year, and the team followed that up with a second-round selection this spring. Both Emmanuel Forbes and Mike Sainristil could see notable roles in 2024.

Forbes had a record-breaking college career in terms of pick-sixes, but his ball skills were balanced against concerns related to his frame. The Mississippi State product was listed at 173 pounds during his rookie year, although to little surprise ESPN’s John Keim notes he has added weight this offseason. After finding himself a healthy scratch at times in 2023, Forbes could be in line for increased usage in Year 2.

The 23-year-old took first-team reps during spring practices, Keim notes. He rotated in a starting perimeter role with free agent addition Michael Davis, a veteran of 107 games and 74 starts with the Chargers. Forbes, by contrast, was limited to six starts and a 50% defensive snap share last season. He totaled one interception and 11 pass deflections, but coverage was an issue with three touchdowns and a 103 passer rating allowed as the nearest defender.

The Commanders overhauled their coaching staff this offseason, and the arrival of Dan Quinn has provided Forbes with a clean slate ahead of an important second season in the nation’s capital. Carrying over his spring performances into training camp – when padded practices take place – will of course be important for Forbes as he looks to earn a starting role opposite Benjamin St-Juste on the perimeter. Keim adds that Sainristil, meanwhile, will be used in the slot as he transitions to the pro game.

A converted receiver, the Michigan alum proved to be an effective cover man on the inside during his college career. Sainristil developed into a key member of the Wolverines’ defense, and translating that success in Washington would be crucial for a team which ranked last in points and yards allowed in 2023. Deploying a starting CB trio of Forbes, Sainristil and St-Juste would certainly mark a departure from Washington’s previous secondary and leave the team with a young set of cover men.

The latter is entering the final year of his rookie contract, but Forbes and Sainristil could both be under team control though 2028 if Forbes’ fifth-year option were to be picked up. A decision on that front will not need to be made until after the 2025 campaign, but it will be informed in large part by his play under Quinn and Co. this year.

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