Washington NFL Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

Commanders, DE Dante Fowler Agree To Deal

March 12th, 2024 at 2:36pm CST by Adam La Rose

Cowboys free agents continue to trek to the nation’s capital. Defensive end Dante Fowler has agreed to a deal with the Commanders, Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Fowler joins Dorance Armstrong as the latest defender set to follow former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn from Dallas to Washington. The latter is in place as head coach, and he will have multiple familiar faces along the defensive front as the team looks to re-build along the edge in particular.

Like Armstrong, Fowler occupied a rotational role as part of a deep edge contingent during his time with the Cowboys. The 30-year-old logged snap shares of only 30% and 25% over the past two years, so it comes as little surprise he will head elsewhere in search of more playing time. The Commanders will mark the fifth career team for the 29-year-old.

Fowler combined to post 10 sacks and 33 pressures during his run with the Cowboys. The former third overall pick has only managed double-digit sacks once in his career – the 2019 campaign when he was with the Falcons – and his journeyman status will continue this offseason. Fowler played on consecutive one-year pacts with Dallas, and it would come as no surprise if this Commanders accord was likewise a short-term investment.

Washington’s edge group was thinned out at the 2023 trade deadline with Montez Sweat and Chase Young beind dealt prior to the expiration of their respective rookie deals. Armstrong, Clelin Ferrell as well as hybrid linebacker Frankie Luvu – added on a big-money deal in part for his ability as a pass rusher – and now Fowler will be among players the faces brought in by Washington’s new regime.

Commanders To Sign QB Marcus Mariota

March 12th, 2024 at 9:42am CST by Adam La Rose

Widely expected to draft a passer with the second overall pick in this year’s draft, the Commanders are adding a veteran to the mix. Quarterback Marcus Mariota is set to join Washington on a one-year deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The pact has a base value of $6MM and can be worth up to $10MM, he adds.

Mariota’s journeyman status will continue with this pact. Washington will represent the fourth different team in as many years for the former No. 2 pick. After his run as the Titans’ starter came to an end in 2019, he had a two-year stint with the Raiders. That was followed by one-year pacts in Atlanta and Philadelphia, with the Falcons being the only team to provide a starting opportunity during that stretch.

The 30-year-old’s play in Atlanta came to an end under unusual circumstances. Mariota left the team before ultimately undergoing knee surgery. His performance and health status limited him to a one-year accord with the Eagles, although he has landed more money upfront and a higher maximum value this time around. The Oregon alum played in three games last season, attempting 23 passes. Easton Stick – a familiar face for new Eagles OC Kellen Moore – could replace Mariota as the team’s backup, Pro Football Network’s Adam Caplan notes.

The Commanders have Sam Howell on the roster, having drafted the North Carolina alum in 2022. He was handed the starting gig ahead of 2023, and for a time the 23-year-old showed flashes of potential. Things took a turn for the worse toward the end of the campaign, though, and a new general manager and head coach are in place compared to the regime which drafted him. Howell has been mentioned in trade talk with the expectation Washington would add a veteran passer before drafting either Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels in April.

Having Mariota in place will no doubt lead to increased chatter regarding a deal sending Howell out of the nation’s capital. A number of teams have already made a move on the backup quarterback market, but the latter (who has two more years on his rookie contract) could still be of interest to teams looking for a developmental option. Mariota, meanwhile, will aim to lock down the backup spot in Washington with the potential to see playing time early in 2024.

Commanders To Sign DE Clelin Ferrell

March 12th, 2024 at 8:33am CST by Adam La Rose

The defensive re-tooling effort in Washington is continuing. The Commanders are expected to sign defensive end Clelin Ferrell, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports.

After spending last season with the 49ers, the former No. 4 overall pick saw his most recent team devote more funds to replacing him. San Francisco added both Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos on the first day of the legal tampering period, leaving Ferrell out of the mix. Dan Quinn’s team will add the five-year veteran to its evolving group of DEs.

Although the 49ers added both Chase Young and Randy Gregory via trade last year, they turned to Ferrell as the full-time starter opposite Nick Bosa. That setup produced 3.5 sacks but a career-high 13 quarterback hits. Ferrell, however, suffered what turned out to be a season-ending injury in San Francisco’s meaningless Week 18 contest. The 49ers placed him on IR, with the timing of that move preventing an activation before Super Bowl LVIII.

In addition to trading Young and Sweat on deadline day, the Commanders have fill-in starters James Smith-Williams and Casey Toohill unsigned. Dorance Armstrong is expected to take over as one D-end starter; Ferrell could well have a chance to supplement him. Washington also agreed to terms with Frankie Luvu to help out its sack efforts, though the ex-Panther is technically a linebacker.

Ferrell joins Arden Key as a player the 49ers helped rebound. While the Raiders cut Key before the conclusion of his rookie contract, they retained Ferrell for four unremarkable years. He closed that tenure as a healthy scratch at points for the Silver and Black. Quinn will see what the former top prospect looks like in his system.

Commanders To Sign OL Nick Allegretti

March 11th, 2024 at 10:29pm CST by Ben Levine

Following a standout performance in the Super Bowl, Nick Allegretti has earned a nice contract from the Commanders. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that the guard is signing with Washington.

Allegretti earned a three-year deal from the Commanders. The deal is worth $16MM and includes $9.02MM in guaranteed money.

The former seventh-round pick spent the first five seasons of his career in Kansas City, earning three Super Bowl rings along the way. The lineman mostly served as a backup during his time with the Chiefs, starting only 13 of his 74 appearances. Nine of those starts came in 2020, when Allegretti got into a career-high 63 percent of his team’s offensive snaps.

2023 was looking like another footnote on Allegretti’s resume, as the lineman was limited to only seven percent of the Chiefs’ offensive snaps during the regular season. However, he was forced into the starting lineup for the AFC Championship Game and Super Bowl after teammate Joe Thuney went down with an injury. Allegretti earned even more headlines when it was revealed that he played through a torn UCL during the title game without missing a snap.

Now, he’ll finally have a chance to be a full-time starter in Washington. The Commanders’ offensive line was inconsistent this past season, and OC Kliff Kingsbury and co. were expected to dedicate some resources to the unit. Allegretti will likely be part of the answer, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if the team pursues more depth via free agency and/or the draft.

Commanders To Sign K Brandon McManus

March 11th, 2024 at 9:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

After a Jaguars one-off, Brandon McManus will have another opportunity. The longtime Broncos kicker has a deal in place with the Commanders.

The veteran specialist informed NFL.com’s Jason McCourty of his deal, which is a one-year pact worth $3.6MM. This will be McManus’ third team in three seasons, with the Broncos having cut him last year. Despite the Jaguars missing out on Wil Lutz today, they will let McManus defect to the Commanders.

In 2023, McManus fared slightly better than he did in his final Broncos season; he made 30 of 37 field goal tries. Though, the strong-legged kicker was only 5 of 10 from beyond 50 yards. McManus has been a good, not great, option throughout his career, making between 80 and 86% of his tries in all but two seasons.

Never topping an 85.7% make rate in a season, McManus has not strayed far from his mean. That has kept the veteran, who played a key part in the 2015 Broncos’ Super Bowl-winning effort as their offense slowed during Peyton Manning‘s final season, on the radar.

Going into his age-33 season, McManus will step in for Joey Slye, who is unsigned. Slye kicked for Ron Rivera in Carolina and Washington, but with a new staff in town, it is safe to assume McManus has a clear runway to win the job. This will be the former Giants UDFA’s 11th season as a regular kicker. As for the Jaguars, they still have their 2022 kicker — Riley Patterson — signed to a futures deal.

Broncos, Vikings Submit Offers To QB Sam Darnold; Commanders In Mix

March 11th, 2024 at 9:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

9:20pm: The Commanders are also in talks with Darnold, NFL.com’s Peter Schrager tweets. That would seem a less enticing fit, due to the team being expected to draft a passer at No. 2 overall. Though, that is not a lock. And the Commanders, Sam Howell’s status notwithstanding, are kicking the tires on adding Darnold to Kliff Kingsbury‘s offense.

8:13pm: Sam Darnold has an interesting decision to make. Two teams in need of at least a bridge starter — the Vikings and Broncos — are pursuing him. Both have made offers, per the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin.

After spending last season as the 49ers’ backup, the former No. 3 overall pick profiles as a lower-cost option for a team in need of a reset. Both Denver and Minnesota qualify, given Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins‘ respective exits. With Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew committing elsewhere, options have thinned a bit in this market.

Darnold-to-Denver would probably make him the favorite over Jarrett Stidham to replace Wilson on a full-time basis. But the Broncos’ draft plan introduces a variable. Then again, the Vikings are now in the same boat post-Cousins. Both teams figure to be closely connected to QBs in this draft, and Darnold will be cognizant of that. But starting jobs, especially with the Raiders snagging Minshew, are running out. Darnold seems like he will be the bridge in Denver or Minnesota soon, however.

Immediately linked to Darnold in the aftermath of Cousins’ Falcons decision, the Vikings will need a lower-cost option in 2024. They are about to eat $28.5MM in dead money stemming from Cousins’ last contract. A disagreement on guarantees last year nixed another Cousins extension, leading to Minnesota using void years to make his 2023 cap hit work. Although the Vikings pursued their six-year starter and drove up the Falcons’ price, Cousins is still bolting for Georgia.

The team that misses out on Darnold here would have the likes of Ryan Tannehill, Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota and Joe Flacco (though, probably not in Denver’s case) still available. The Raiders are also planning to cut Jimmy Garoppolo on Wednesday; the six-year 49ers starter would stand to be an option as well, but Darnold — who is still just 26 — looks to be the teams’ top priority as of Monday night.

Commanders To Sign RB Austin Ekeler

March 11th, 2024 at 5:57pm CST by Ben Levine

Letting Antonio Gibson walk (to the Patriots) earlier Monday, the Commanders are bringing in a bigger name. Today’s running back carousel will now see Austin Ekeler change time zones.

Ekeler is headed to Washington on a two-year deal worth up to $11.43MM, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Ekeler led the NFL in touchdowns in 2021 and ’22, being a vital piece during the early Justin Herbert years. But the Chargers did not budge on an extension. This will lead the dynamic back to join Kliff Kingsbury in Washington.

In terms of base value, the Commanders are set to pay Ekeler $8.43MM, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. Ekeler’s $4.21MM in 2024 is fully guaranteed, and he will be tied to a $3MM number in 2025. Additionally, $510K in per-game roster bonuses are in place each season. Incentives — worth $1.5MM each season — comprise the remaining $3MM.

This will reunite Ekeler with ex-Chargers HC Anthony Lynn, who was in charge when the team extended the former UDFA. That was a four-year $24.5MM contract extension he signed with the organization back in 2020. Last offseason, Ekeler sought out a raise on a new Chargers deal, and when an extension didn’t materialize, he asked for and was granted permission to seek a trade. No suitors emerged, and he ultimately remained in Los Angeles on a re-worked contract.

The 2023 campaign was an important one for Ekeler given his status as a pending free agent. The 28-year-old was limited to 14 games, however, and he was less efficient when on the field (3.5 yards per carry) than any other season in his career. After scoring 38 total touchdowns from 2021-22, Ekeler managed only six as part of a Chargers offense which struggled across the board but especially in the ground game.

Considering his connection to the coaching staff, the Commanders surely know what they have in their new RB. The Commanders watched Gibson, their primary pass-catching back, leave for the Patriots today, opening a major hole on offense. The team is still rostering Brian Robinson, who topped 1,100 yards from scrimmage and scored nine touchdowns during his second season in the NFL. The team will surely lean on both of their top RBs, especially with Robinson showing some development in his receiving game in 2023.

The Chargers already started preparing for a new RBs corps today, as they agreed to a deal with former Ravens back Gus Edwards. 2024 backup Joshua Kelley is also a free agent, so the Chargers will surely be in the market for additional depth at the position.

Commanders To Sign LB Frankie Luvu

March 11th, 2024 at 4:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Commanders’ defensive re-tooling efforts will include a deal with Frankie Luvu. The hybrid linebacker has agreed to a three-year deal with Washington worth up to $36MM, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

Luvu has been one of the NFL’s most versatile defenders over the past two years, offering a Demario Davis-like blend of tackles and pass-rushing talent. Despite not working as a regular off-ball linebacker in college, he has displayed this two-pronged skillset as a pro. After playing out a two-year, $9MM agreement in Carolina, Washington will reward him.

It will be interesting to see where Washington uses Luvu most. The team agreed to terms with Dorance Armstrong earlier Monday. Needing help at linebacker as well, Dan Quinn‘s team has some options here. Luvu could keep functioning as a hybrid player, and he certainly has the numbers to back that up.

Luvu combined for 236 tackles (29 for loss) over the past two seasons, pairing that productivity with 12.5 sacks. Only nine players have amassed more TFLs over the past two years. All nine are D-linemen or 3-4 OLBs, separating the ascending performer from the pack ahead of his age-28 season. Considering that production, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the Panthers attempted to re-sign the linebacker with a “late push,” per JP Finlay of NBC 4 Sports.

The Commanders have nabbed one of this year’s most intriguing free agents, and it will be interesting to see what this contract’s base value is. Regardless, Luvu has secured a big raise thanks to his work on two sub-.500 Panthers teams.

The Commanders gave Cody Barton a one-year deal, adding the ex-Seahawk after letting Cole Holcomb join the Steelers. Jamin Davis has not panned out to the level the team hoped, and with a new coaching staff coming in, changes are to be expected. Luvu will join Armstrong as a key performer on Joe Whitt‘s first Washington defense.

Commanders To Sign C Tyler Biadasz

March 11th, 2024 at 12:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Another former Cowboy is set to join Dan Quinn in the nation’s capital. Center Tyler Biadasz is expected to join the Commanders, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk adds the pact is three years in length.

Biadasz will follow Dorance Armstrong in trekking from Dallas to Washington. While Quinn was obviously stationed on the defensive side in Dallas, the new Washington HC obviously has considerable familiarity with Biadasz. The former fourth-round pick operated as the Cowboys’ starting center for most of his tenure.

The Commanders are giving Biadasz a three-year, $30MM pact, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 adds it includes $17.5MM in guaranteed money. This will be the second straight offseason in which the team authorized an $8MM-year-per payment to a center. Washington gave Nick Gates a three-year, $24MM accord in 2023, though that came with Ron Rivera and Dan Snyder in charge. With Josh Harris and Adam Peters overseeing the offseason effort now, Gates will be out — via a post-June 1 cut — an a Quinn pick is coming in.

As the Cowboys saw Travis Frederick‘s career end early, they turned to Biadasz as the heir apparent. From 2021-23, Biadasz started 49 games. Pro Football Focus graded the Wisconsin alum as the league’s 14th-best center last season.

The Commanders are retooling up front. They do not exactly have any cornerstone blockers; this contract will aim to ensure Biadasz becomes one. But the team has more work to do along its O-line.

Commanders To Sign DE Dorance Armstrong

March 11th, 2024 at 12:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

This year’s coordinator carousel gave Dorance Armstrong multiple logical landing spots outside of Dallas. One of them will indeed produce a deal. Armstrong will reunite with his former defensive coordinator in Washington.

The Commanders are signing the longtime Cowboys pass rusher, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reports. Dan Quinn coached Armstrong for three seasons as Dallas’ DC. While the Seahawks hired former Cowboys D-line coach Aden Durde as their DC, Armstrong has a deal to stay in the NFC East.

The Commanders are giving Armstrong a three-year deal that maxes out at $45MM, Fowler adds. For base value, Washington will give Armstrong a three-year, $33MM pact, per the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala.

Re-signed as a Randy Gregory fallback option in 2022, Armstrong fared better than the former Dallas starter since. The Cowboys gave Armstrong a two-year, $12MM deal after Gregory talks fell through at the 11th hour. The team rostering Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence helped Armstrong along, and the Cowboys will have to replace one of their auxiliary pass-rushing pieces as a result of that production.

Armstrong, 26, totaled 8.5 sacks in 2022 and 7.5 last season. He outproduced Lawrence in this span from a sack perspective, and Quinn will bring him aboard as the Commanders regroup following their Montez Sweat and Chase Young trades. The Commanders will still have another DE spot to fill alongside Armstrong, but the six-year veteran will represent a key part of Quinn and Joe Whitt‘s first Washington defense.

A fourth-round pick out of Kansas, Armstrong had all of 2.5 sacks through three seasons and did not surpass 20 pressures in either of the past two. Even following Gregory’s exit, the Cowboys used Armstrong as a rotational rusher on their deep defensive line. More will be expected of Armstrong, who is surely ticketed to become a Commanders starter. Quinn having seen Armstrong for three seasons in Dallas will better position him for success in the nation’s capital. The Cowboys still have Sam Williams under contract, though they will need some help on the edge with Dante Fowler having played out his second Dallas deal.

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