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Dan Snyder Roundup: Indemnification, Financial Impropriety, Potential Sale

By | at March 4, 2023 8:55 pm

The past few days have seen a number of reports emerge with respect to Commanders owner Dan Snyder which add further to the disdain felt towards him and the uncertainty that he will sell the team. With league meetings approaching later this month, pressure is likely to increase from other owners to distance himself from the league.

In the event that takes place, however, a number of legal actions could be soon to follow. A report from Mark Maske, Nicki Jhabvala and Liz Clarke of the Washington Post claims that Snyder is seeking protection against future liability and costs if he ultimately decides to sell the team. That demand for indemnity is a noteworthy one, as it comes against a backdrop of his fellow owners seeking to have him either sell the team or face the possibility of an unprecedented vote to remove him taking place.

The Post’s report notes, to little surprise, that Snyder’s indemnification request has not sat well with the other owners. In the event it is not granted, however, Snyder has threatened to sue them and the league in the event he is forced out. In addition, Snyder is reportedly seeking to keep the results of the ongoing Mary Jo White investigation into the team’s workplace culture and allegations of financial impropriety from going public. The NFL has stated that a written report on that front will be released, and Snyder’s demands to the contrary are similarly not likely to be met with sympathy from around the league. For their part, the Commanders have issued a statement which says the above claims are “simply untrue.”

Here is a roundup of some other Snyder-related notes, as this ongoing storyline continues to take shape:

  • In a follow-up to the aforementioned Post article, Clark, Maske and Jhabvala detail that league sources believe a vote forcing Snyder out would hold up against a hypothetical legal challenge. The preference amongst owners, however, remains that Jerry Jones (long thought to be Snyder’s closest ally, though their relationship seems to have worsened recently) helps convince Snyder to take the less challenging path of selling the franchise. On the point of indemnity, the expectation exists that it will be flatly rejected, given the myriad issues which have dogged Snyder over the course of his 24-year tenure as owner.
  • In a lengthy piece examining the financial aspects of the controversy surrounding the Commanders, ESPN’s Don Van Natta writes that a $55MM loan obtained in 2019 marked a key turning point in Snyder’s buyout of the team’s three minority owners. The latter group claimed they were not made aware of the loan being requested and obtained (a clear violation of the club’s shareholder agreement), and aired the grievance during a mediation session including NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Van Natta notes that no league action was taken to investigate the matter, which ended in the minority partners’ stake in the franchise being sold. This episode, they claim, represents one of several examples of Snyder using the team “as a personal piggy bank.”
  • Other issues of financial impropriety are at the heart of an ongoing probe from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Eastern Virginia. As reported by A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports, that process now includes at least one subpoena being issued. The Commanders, who by their own admission have remained cooperative in the investigation, have previously been forced to pay a $250K penalty and refund season-ticket holders after deposits were found to have been withheld improperly. Van Natta’s ESPN’s piece adds that a criminal probe is underway, and is being led by FBI and IRS agents investigating what one source described as “jail time type of fraud” on Snyder’s part.
  • As was the case in October, owners are set to once again discuss Snyder and the Commanders situation in the coming league meetings, writes Rob Maaddi and Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press. It was during the fall summit that Colts owner Jim Irsay publicly spoke out about the potential Snyder is forced to sell. Such action would become possible if at least 24 of the 31 other owners voted in favor of ousting Snyder, though questions have persisted throughout this saga whether the required majority exists to follow through on that.
  • On the point of a potential sale, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reports that $7B remains the “magic number” which Snyder is seeking. The latest on the bidding process has suggested that $6B could be closer to the sales price, which could cloud Snyder’s intentions of selling all or part of his share even further. The top name linked to buying the franchise, Jeff Bezos, has reportedly been blocked from taking part in the Commanders bidding process to date. Breer notes that the Amazon founder may very well prefer to buy the Seahawks should they hit the market, something which is not expected in at least the near future. While Bezos’ interest (or lack thereof) in buying the Commanders remains a storyline worth watching, further developments could be coming soon regarding Snyder’s future vis-à-vis the league’s other owners.
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NFC Coaching Updates: Bears, Falcons, Engram

By | at March 4, 2023 9:26 am

The offseason giveth and the offseason taketh away as the Bears learned this past week with the addition and subtraction of two coaching assistants earlier in the week.

After the departure of assistant offensive line coach Austin King to join Sean Payton‘s new staff in Denver under the same title, Chicago hired longtime Titans assistant Luke Steckel to fill the role. This will be Steckel’s first time working specifically with offensive linemen in the NFL. After four years in Cleveland as an assistant to the head coach, Steckel joined the Titans in 2013 as an offensive assistant/special assistant to the head coach. He cycled through other roles with the team over the years including assistant wide receivers coach and his most recent role of the past two seasons as tight ends coach.

Steckel is credited with having contributed to the success of wide receiver A.J. Brown during his rookie season in Tennessee and quarterback Ryan Tannehill in the year that he won Comeback Player of the Year. As a tight ends coach, Steckel worked with newcomer Austin Hooper and rookie Chigoziem Okonkwo. Both finished with similar statistics, combining for 894 yards and five touchdowns. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Hooper had the 12th-best receiving grade of any tight end in the NFL while Okonkwo finished third behind only Travis Kelce and George Kittle. Steckel will now be assisting with coaching an offensive line that utilizes strong youth pieces like Teven Jenkins and Braxton Jones.

Here are a few more coaching updates from around the NFC:

  • The Falcons have made some updates to their staff from last year, according to Falcons features reporter Ashton Edmunds. Steve Jackson, who shockingly was hired in the position of senior offensive assistant last year despite his years of defensive coaching experience, has rightfully returned to the defensive side of the ball as the team’s secondary coach. Another assistant expected to switch sides of the ball, Nick Perry will move from assistant defensive backs coach to assistant wide receivers coach. Former defensive assistant Lanier Goethie has been promoted to defensive front specialist. The team has also added longtime college coaching assistant Dave Huxatable into his first NFL role of senior defensive assistant. Additionally, former John Carroll offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Matt Baker has been added to the staff as special teams assistant. Lastly, the team has hired Steven King and Patrick Kramer as offensive assistants, Mario Jeberaeel as the special projects: defense coach, Shawn Flaherty as the assistant offensive line coach, Michael Gray as a football analyst, and Mateo Kambui as the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellow assigned to work with the offensive line.
  • With Drew Terrell‘s departure to Arizona as passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach, the Commanders have a vacancy to fill at wide receivers coach. According to Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post, one candidate who has been interviewed for the role is former NFL wide receiver Bobby Engram. After his retirement as a player, the longtime Seahawk immediately went into coaching, signing with the rival 49ers as an offensive assistant. Since then, Engram has worked his way up, going from coaching wide receivers in the college ranks at Pitt to earning the same position in Baltimore. With the Ravens, Engram earned his paycheck putting together veteran receiver groups for quarterback Joe Flacco. In healthy years, Engram coached up impressive duos such as Steve Smith–Torrey Smith and Mike Wallace-Steve Smith. When injuries decimated the team he helped Kamar Aiken to a breakout season, pieced together what he could out of a group that included Wallace, Jeremy Maclin, and Chris Moore, and got a respectable output from a corps of John Brown, Willie Snead, and Michael Crabtree. Engram moved to tight ends coach for the Ravens in 2019 and helped in the emergence of star tight end Mark Andrews, who earned two Pro Bowl bids and a first-team All-Pro selection under Engram. Last year, Engram took the role of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Wisconsin, but an interview with the Commanders could indicate his willingness to return to the NFL.
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Minor NFL Transactions: 3/1/23

By | at March 1, 2023 5:34 pm

Here are today’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

Washington Commanders

After taking some time away from football, Hubert, who retired before the start of his sophomore season in August, tweeted that he is coming out of retirement. Taking time away from the game helped Hubert to heal, and he’s reportedly missed the game a lot in his time off the field. The Bengals, though, have terminated Hubert through the waiver system, so he’ll have to find another squad willing to put him back on the field.

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Minor NFL Transactions: 2/28/23

By | at February 28, 2023 8:29 pm

Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:

Houston Texans

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Washington Commanders

Jennings will be back with the 49ers in 2023. As an ERFA, the former seventh-round pick had limited options. Jennings, who caught 35 passes for 416 yards last season, entered the league as a 2020 draftee but did not play that season. The 49ers will have the option of keeping the young wide receiver through the 2024 campaign; Jennings will be eligible for restricted free agency next year.

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2023 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

By | at February 28, 2023 2:45 pm

As the head coaching carousel spun for several weeks, many teams made coordinator changes as well. Teams seeking new head coaches are conducting OC and DC searches, and a handful of other teams that did not make HC changes are also searching for top assistants.

This is a big year for offensive coordinator hires, with nearly half the league making changes. Here are the teams searching for new OCs and DCs. As new searches emerge, they will be added to the list.

Updated 3-1-23 (3:31pm CT)

Offensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals 

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Greg Roman)

Carolina Panthers (Out: Ben McAdoo)

  • Thomas Brown, tight ends coach, (Rams): Hired
  • Jim Bob Cooter, passing-game coordinator (Jaguars): Interviewed

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Kellen Moore)

  • Brian Angelichio, tight ends coach (Vikings): Interviewed 2/2
  • Thomas Brown, tight ends coach (Rams): Interviewed
  • Jeff Nixon, running backs coach (Panthers): Interviewed
  • Brian Schottenheimer, offensive consultant (Cowboys): Hired

Denver Broncos (Out: Justin Outten)

Houston Texans (Out: Pep Hamilton)

Indianapolis Colts (Out: Parks Frazier)

  • Jim Bob Cooter, passing-game coordinator (Jaguars): Hired
  • Tee Martin, wide receivers coach (Ravens): Interview requested

Kansas City Chiefs (Out: Eric Bieniemy)

  • Matt Nagy, quarterbacks coach (Chiefs): Hired

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Joe Lombardi)

Los Angeles Rams (Out: Liam Coen)

New York Jets (Out: Mike LaFleur)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Shane Steichen)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Byron Leftwich)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Todd Downing)

Washington Commanders (Out: Scott Turner)

Defensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals (Out: Vance Joseph)

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Dean Pees)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Leslie Frazier)

Carolina Panthers (Out: Al Holcomb)

  • Ejiro Evero, former defensive coordinator (Broncos): Hired
  • Vic Fangio, former head coach (Broncos): Interviewed
  • Marquand Manuel, safeties coach (Jets): Interviewed
  • Kris Richard, co-defensive coordinator (Saints): Interviewed

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans 

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Renaldo Hill)

  • Derrick Ansley, defensive backs coach (Chargers): Promoted
  • Doug Belk, defensive coordinator (Houston): Interviewed
  • DeMarcus Covington, defensive line coach (Patriots): Interviewed

Miami Dolphins (Out: Josh Boyer)

Minnesota Vikings (Out: Ed Donatell)

New Orleans Saints (Out: Ryan Nielsen, Kris Richard)

  • Joe Woods, former defensive coordinator (Browns): Hired

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Jonathan Gannon)

San Francisco 49ers (Out: DeMeco Ryans)

  • Vic Fangio, former head coach (Broncos): On radar
  • Chris Harris, defensive backs coach (Commanders): Interviewed 1/31
  • Kris Kocurek, defensive line coach (49ers): On radar
  • Steve Wilks, former interim head coach (Panthers): Hired
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Commanders Place Franchise Tag On Daron Payne

By | at February 28, 2023 11:05 am

Monday saw the Commanders make a pair of cost-cutting moves which gave them considerable financial flexibility. Today, they have taken an expected step using some of those funds.

Washington has placed the franchise tag on defensive tackle Daron Payne, per a team announcement. That comes as little surprise with the tag deadline one week away, and a considerable market awaiting him had he been allowed to test free agency. This move allows the team to continue contract talks through mid-July on what would be a very lucrative long-term deal.

Payne, 25, played himself into a sizeable pay raise this season. He put up career-highs across the board, including 11.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss. He racked up 64 total stops, 20 QB hits and five pass deflections, demonstrating his value both against the run and as a disruptive presence in the passing game. The Commanders had been expected to use the tag on Payne.

Doing so will lock him into a $18.94MM salary for 2023 in the absence of a new deal. That would add further financial commitment to a Commanders defensive front which already features former first-rounders Chase Young and Montez Sweat on the edges and Jonathan Allen along the interior. Keeping Payne is a logical priority, one which head coach Ron Rivera confirmed earlier this offseason. With more than $17MM in cap space even after this move, the team still has the flexibility to make others in advance of free agency, regardless of Payne’s status.

With the Alabama product officially off the market, the top pending free agent along the defensive interior will not be able to test free agency. Attention will instead turn to the likes of Javon Hargrave, Dalvin Tomlinson and Larry Ogunjobi in terms of high-end DTs whose contracts are set to expire. Negotiations between Payne and the Commanders, meanwhile, will continue without as much urgency as would have been necessary if they had elected not to use the tag.

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Commanders Release DB Bobby McCain

By | at February 27, 2023 3:32 pm

The Commanders’ secondary depth has led to a cost-cutting move. Washington is releasing veteran defensive back Bobby McCain, per a team announcement.

[RELATED: Commanders Cut Wentz]

McCain had one season remaining on his current contract, an $11MM pact he signed last offseason. That deal, in turn, came after a one-year stint in the nation’s capital following his release from the Dolphins. The former fifth-rounder had a six-year stay in Miami, and followed it up with a strong first season with the Commanders

His production in 2021 (including four interceptions and nine pass deflections) earned him the two-year accord the following offseason. McCain continued to see time in a hybrid slot corner/safety role this past year, once again logging a snap share of 93%. He racked up 76 tackles, but was held without an interception for only the second time in his career and first since his rookie season.

This move will see Washington open up $2.3MM in cap space if it is processed as a pre-June 1 cut. If the team designates it as a post-June 1 release, that figure will rise to $4.4MM. Moving on from McCain will clear a path to increased playing time for the team’s other options on the backend, including Darrick Forrest and Percy Butler. The latter two flashed potential this season as compliments to Kamren Curl in a three-safety look. As recent draftees, they carry a far lower financial cost than McCain.

The 29-year-old is now on the market for the second time in the past three years, and will look to catch on with a team which will allow him to maintain a starting role. For the Commanders, this move will add incrementally to their financial flexibility, which has increased dramatically now that the team has moved on from quarterback Carson Wentz.

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Commanders Release Carson Wentz

By | at February 27, 2023 2:33 pm

The Commanders have been expected to move on from Carson Wentz since his time as their starting quarterback came to an end. A team announcement on Monday confirmed that he has been released.

Wentz has bounced around the NFL since his Eagles tenure came to a close. The Commanders acquired him from the Colts last offseason in their latest attempt to secure a long-term solution under center. The structure of his contract (which was set to run through 2025, but had no guaranteed money after 2022) made this offseason an important milestone with respect to the one-year experiment with him as a starter.

The 30-year-old held the No. 1 role to begin the season, one which carried notable expectation given the Commanders’ willingness to part with multiple picks for him and take on his contract in full. His play early in the campaign drew criticism, but was not enough for head coach Ron Rivera to consider benching him. The team was nevertheless obligated to try other options at the position when Wentz suffered a broken thumb.

That paved the way for Taylor Heinicke to regain his starting role, one which he maintained even after Wentz was activated from IR. The QB pecking order did change once again, however, in Week 17 when Wentz got the nod to lead the team in their late-season playoff push. After both passers failed to deliver performances worthy of keeping their role in 2023, rookie Sam Howell was named the starter entering next season.

Once that decision became clear, it was a matter of time before the Commanders cut ties with Wentz. This move will give them roughly $26.2MM in cap savings, a figure which will not (at least to a great extent) be put towards a veteran replacement. Rivera has insisted that competition for Howell will be acquired at some point this offseason, but other priorities exist on the roster. Given the added flexibility from cutting Wentz, the Commanders now sit inside the top 10 in the league in cap space.

That could make it easier to retain defensive tackle Daron Payne, who is likely to receive the franchise tag this year. Increased funds will go a long way in a making a long-term deal possible, or to help in acquiring a less expensive starter along the defensive front. For Wentz, the timing of this release will give him a head start on free agency, as he searches for his best fit to rebuild his value, though that will likely not involve a starting position in 2023.

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Latest On Potential Commanders Sale

By | at February 26, 2023 11:00 am

Previous reports indicated that a resolution would be coming soon in the ongoing sales process concerning the Commanders. Further developments have recently taken place, though they may not point to a sale being as likely as once believed.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos – who has long been considered the top name to watch amongst bidders for the Washington franchise – has been barred from taking part in the bidding process, as first reported by Josh Kosman of the New York Post. That news comes in spite of Bezos’ stated interest in being a candidate to buy the Commanders, as evidenced by his decision to hire an investment firm just days ago.

Adding further clarity to the Bezos matter, Ben Standig and Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic report that the mogul’s inability to place a bid “has been a reality for months.” Tense relations between current Commanders owner Dan Snyder and Bezos, who owns the Washington Post, have been frequently mentioned as a potential obstacle to the latter becoming involved in the bidding process. The timing of reports that he has never truly been a candidate to buy the team are certainly noteworthy in light of his earlier actions, and the Post’s continuing mention of him as someone who could still play a part in a potential sale.

With Bezos presumably out of the running, two apparent finalists remain. One is Josh Harris, who was named as a prospective buyer after he toured the Commanders’ facility recently. The billionaire has an ownership stake in several pro sports teams, and took part in the bidding process for the Broncos last offseason. The identity of his primary competition as now been revealed.

Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta is “involved in the bidding” on the Commanders, per the Washington Post’s Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala. That makes him the previously unidentified bidder who was mentioned as the one other than Harris to make a formal visit to the team’s facility with the bidding process close to its first major deadline. That has come and passed, and Maske and Jhavbala report that Fertitta placed a bid of just over $5.5BB; as a result, they add that the 65-year-old is not considered the frontrunner.

That figure falls in line with Standig and Kaplan’s assertion that Snyder’s asking price has come down from $7BB closer to the $6BB mark. The latter amount would still comfortably exceed the $4.65BB price tag on the Broncos from 2022, which itself shattered the North American sports record for franchise sales. The Athletic report adds that underwhelming bids could entice Snyder to simply remain his ownership stake, but also that activity surrounding a potential sale has “ramped up.”

Much is still to be determined in this situation, but Bezos being left out of the bidding process is a major takeaway from this latest set of updates. How much Harris and Fertitta are willing to pay for the embattled franchise will soon become clearer, though, if the previously reported goal of having a deal in place buy the March owner’s meetings holds true.

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