Investors In Josh Harris’s Investor Group Identified
The wait continues for the eventual sale of the Commanders from current owner Dan Snyder to the group headlined by Josh Harris. As the days pass without a final resolution, we continue to learn more and more about the situation. 
Particularly, we’ve continued to acquire information concerning the makeup of Harris’s group. Long rumored to be involved in the sale, basketball legend Magic Johnson was confirmed by Ben Volin of the Boston Globe to be a minority investor. Johnson is reportedly expected to be in for about four percent of the purchase or approximately $240MM. Co-founder of the Danaher Corporation Mitchell Rales was also confirmed to be involved, according to Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post.
Another limited partner was identified to be South American billionaire Alejandro Santo Domingo and his family, according to Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico. The Santo Domingo family is worth approximately $12.2BB thanks to a portfolio that includes the likes of Anhueser-Busch InBev, Chilean bank Corpbanca, and Spanish bank Inmobiliaria Colonial. They are believed to be the richest family in Colombia, and Santo Domingo himself has an estimated net worth of $2.8BB, according to Maske and Jhabvala.
Additionally, ex-CEO of Google Eric Schmidt has been confirmed as another investor in the group, according to Giles Turner and Heather Perlberg of Bloomberg. Schmidt’s net worth is estimated around $21.7BB by some sources and $18.1BB by others. Schmidt left Google in 2018 and Alphabet, Google’s parent company, a year later.
While all these names have been confirmed as participating, one name was confirmed as not investing. Despite some speculation that former Washington head coach Joe Gibbs would be joining the investment group, it appears his only involvement in the sale is on an advisory basis. According to John Keim of ESPN, Gibbs “is close to Harris and has provided insight/counsel.”
Commanders Release C Chase Roullier
The Commanders have made multiple additions at the center position this offseason, and they have resulted in the departure of a longtime starter. Chase Roullier is being released, per Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post (Twitter link). A team announcement has since confirmed the move. 
Roullier will be designated as a post-June 1 cut, which will generate a dead money charge of $4.05MM in each of the next two years. The Commanders will save $8.4MM in 2023 and $10.2MM in 2024 by taking this route, however. The 29-year-old was due base salaries of $8.3MM and $8.7MM for the next two years, but no guaranteed money remained on his contract.
That left his future in doubt heading into the offseason, despite his strong performances when healthy. Roullier started 63 of 69 games across his six-year tenure in the nation’s capital, but was limited to just 10 games over the past two seasons. The former sixth-rounder suffered a fibula fracture in 2021, then was only able to play the opening two contests this past campaign due to an MCL tear.
The Commanders reacted to Roullier’s situation by signing former Giant Nick Gates in free agency. The latter has experience at guard, but is expected to suit up at center with his new NFC East team. At the draft, Washington also added Ricky Stromberg in the third round, leaving he and Gates in place to compete for the starting snapping role.
Roullier will wind up on the outside of that competition, but he could find a new home in the post-draft wave of free agency. The Wyoming product has been a consistent performer in terms of PFF evaluation during his career, earning a personal best grade of 83.7 in 2021 and a 76.8 rating in his most recent full campaign. If he is able to recover from his latest major injury, he could find himself back in a starting lineup before long.
Latest On Dan Snyder, Potential Commanders Sale
While hurdles remain to be cleared, the process of the Commanders being sold from Dan Snyder to the group led by Josh Harris continues to move forward. It includes unorthodox developments, but could reach a conclusion in the near future.
NFL officials are currently in conversation with Snyder’s representatives, as detailed by Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. The end result of those talks is expected to be a conditional acceptance of Harris’ $6.05 billion bid, which is nonexclusive and currently being vetted to resolve what are believed to be relatively minor issues.
This saga has played out much differently than the most recent team sale (Rob Walton purchasing the Broncos last summer) due to the outstanding legal troubles Snyder faces. He is still under investigation from the league, something which will produce a written report from Mary Jo White upon its conclusion, regardless of where the sales process stands at that point. Maske and Jhabvala add that White is expected to make one final attempt to speak with Snyder directly as part of her investigation.
With that – along with federal inquiries into alleged financial improprieties – hanging over Snyder, his presumed exit from the league is likely to occur in stages, per the Post. That could include approving the Harris bid while stopping short of formally ratifying it, as negotiations continue regarding Snyder’s protection from future legal action and the desire of other owners to do the same with respect to actions taken by Snyder himself.
Conflicting reports have emerged on the point of indemnification, something the league has been thought to be firmly opposed to. However, Snyder is no longer believed to specifically be seeking indemnity as part of the sales agreement (Twitter link via NBC Sports’ JP Finlay). How quickly an agreement can be reached on this front will no doubt go a long way in determining the timeline of Harris officially taking over as owner.
On that point, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell recently indicated, via Maske, that a sale could be finalized by the middle or end of May. The league’s finance committee is due to meet on May 10 and will review the remaining details to be worked out in the Harris bid before the next owners’ meeting 12 days later. If all goes well, that could be the point at which a ratification vote – which would require the approval of at least 24 owners – could take place.
As noted by A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports, that final step should not be in doubt. The NFL is treating the Harris bid “as if it’s a done deal,” he notes, adding the final approval by the league is considered “a lock” at this point. The Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils owner has backing from a number of other individuals, including NBA legend Magic Johnson and was a finalist to purchase the Broncos last year.
Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos said last month that he considers himself to still be in the running against Harris, and a late-emerging development could still alter the approval process given how fluid the situation remains. It appears, though, that the spring could mark the official end of Snyder’s tenure at the helm of the Commanders.
Commanders Add 12 UDFAs
The Commanders reached agreements with 12 undrafted free agents. Here is the NFC East team’s post-draft class:
- WR Kazmeir Allen (UCLA)
- WR Zion Bowens (Hawaii)
- OL Mason Brooks (Ole Miss)
- QB Tim DeMorat (Fordham)
- S Xavier Henderson (Michigan State)
- DE Joshua Pryor (Bowie State)
- WR Jalen Sample (Minnesota State)
- S Kendall Smith (Illinois)
- CB D.J. Stirgus (Missouri Western)
- WR Mitchell Tinsley (Penn State)
- WR Brycen Tremayne (Stanford)
- CB Nick Whiteside (Saginaw Valley State)
Ron Rivera‘s team hunted for wide receiver help during the post-draft signing period. In addition to the five receivers in this group, the Commanders offered Oklahoma Baptist wideout an $80K guarantee. But he ended up with the Falcons. Washington still authorized some decent UDFA guarantees to receivers.
Tinsley received a $120K guarantee to sign, per Tom Pelissero of NFL.com, while KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson adds Tremayne signed for $100K (Twitter links). Tremayne totaled eight touchdown receptions over the past two seasons and caught 38 passes for 490 yards during his senior year. While Tinsley joins Jahan Dotson as an ex-Nittany Lions wide receiver, he was not teammates with the Commanders’ 2022 first-rounder. Tinsley transferred from Western Kentucky in 2022. One of Bailey Zappe‘s targets during his monster Hilltoppers one-off, Tinsley totaled 1,402 yards and 14 touchdowns in that pass-crazed system in 2021. In his Big Ten season, Tinsley amassed 577 yards and five scores.
A former Tinsley teammate at Western Kentucky, Brooks was a first-round USFL draft choice last month. He will put that potential option on hold. The 5-foot-9 Allen won the 100-meter dash in one of the toughest states to do so (California) and operated as the Bruins’ kick returner in multiple seasons. Henderson started 40 games for the Spartans, taking advantage of his extra year of eligibility.
The Jets extended DeMorat a rookie-camp invite, Pelissero adds (on Twitter), but he will join a few non-Division I-FBS UDFAs in Washington instead. DeMorat finished his final Fordham season as a Division I-FCS first-team All-American, lighting up scoreboards during a 56-touchdown pass senior season. DeMorat finished last season with 4,891 passing yards. He finished as a three-time first-team All-Patriot League selection and parlayed his record-setting career into a East-West Shrine Bowl invite.
At receiver, Washington has three defined starters — Dotson, Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel — and former third-round pick Dyami Brown remains rostered. But this UDFA batch will vie for backup jobs. Although Sam Howell and Jacoby Brissett headline Washington’s QB room, the team also has ex-Georgia starter Jake Fromm on its offseason roster. The team did not draft a quarterback.
Falcons Sign Six UDFAs
The Falcons kept their UDFA class small this year. Here are the six players Atlanta brought in as post-draft priority signings:
- DL Ikenna Enechukwu (Rice)
- WR Keilahn Harris (Oklahoma Baptist)
- LB Mike Jones Jr. (LSU)
- WR Xavier Malone (Henderson State)
- WR Justin Marshall (Buffalo)
- RB Carlos Washington Jr. (Southeastern Louisiana)
Only one of these prospects comes from a Power 5 program. The Falcons reached to the mid-major level in Division I-FBS (Enechukwu, Marshall), Division I-FCS (Washington) and Division II (Harris, Malone) for their UDFAs this year.
The Commanders also pursued Harris, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, who notes the NFC East team offered the small-school wideout an $80K guarantee (Twitter link). It is unclear what the Falcons are guaranteeing Harris, but it is likely in that ballpark. Harris posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons at Oklahoma Baptist; he caught 16 touchdown passes in 2021 and combined for 172 catches in that span. He also excelled as the Bison’s kick returner.
Atlanta lost Olamide Zaccheaus and Damiere Byrd in free agency and did not draft a wide receiver, opening a door for this UDFA class. The team did add Mack Hollins and Scotty Miller to its equation. Malone joined Harris as a Division II All-American last season. The former JUCO transfer caught 67 passes for 1,382 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2022. The Falcons certainly placed a premium on production with this receiver duo, which both produced out of the Great American Conference. That said, Harris and Malone will obviously be set for quite the competition level jump this offseason.
2023 NFL Draft Results: Team By Team
As the 2023 NFL Draft gets underway, we will keep track of each team’s haul here:
Arizona Cardinals
Round 1, No. 6 (from Rams through Lions): Paris Johnson, OT (Ohio State) (signed)
Round 2, No. 41 (from Titans): BJ Ojulari, DE (LSU) (signed)
Round 3, No. 72 (from Titans): Garrett Williams, CB (Syracuse) (signed)
Round 3, No. 94 (from Eagles): Michael Wilson, WR (Stanford) (signed)
Round 4, No. 122 (from Dolphins through Chiefs and Lions): Jon Gaines II, G (UCLA) (signed)
Round 5, No. 139 (from Broncos through Lions): Clayton Tune, QB (Houston) (signed)
Round 5, No. 168 (from Cardinals through Lions): Owen Pappoe, LB (Auburn) (signed)
Round 5, No. 180: Kei’Trel Clark, CB (Louisville) (signed)
Round 6, No. 213: Dante Stills, DT (West Virginia) (signed)
Atlanta Falcons
Round 1, No. 8: Bijan Robinson, RB (Texas) (signed)
Round 2, No. 38 (from Colts): Matthew Bergeron, T (Syracuse) (signed)
Round 3, No. 75: Zach Harrison, DE (Ohio State) (signed)
Round 4, No. 113: Clark Phillips III, CB (Utah) (signed)
Round 7, No. 224 (from Raiders): DeMarcco Hellams, S (Alabama) (signed)
Round 7, No. 225: Jovaughn Gwyn, G (South Carolina) (signed)
Baltimore Ravens
Round 1, No. 22: Zay Flowers, WR (Boston College) (signed)
Round 3, No. 86: Trenton Simpson, LB (Clemson) (signed)
Round 4, No. 124: Tavius Robinson, LB (Ole Miss) (signed)
Round 5, No. 157: Kyu Blu Kelly, CB (Stanford) (signed)
Round 6, No. 199: Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, OT (Oregon) (signed)
Round 7, No. 229 (from Browns): Andrew Vorhees, G (USC) (signed)
Buffalo Bills
Round 1, No. 25 (from Giants through Jaguars): Dalton Kincaid, TE (Utah) (signed)
Round 2, No. 59: O’Cyrus Torrence, G (Florida) (signed)
Round 3, No, 91: Dorian Williams, LB (Tulane) (signed)
Round 5, No. 150 (from Commanders): Justin Shorter, WR (Florida) (signed)
Round 7, No. 230 (from Buccaneers through Jets, Texans, Eagles and Bills): Nick Broeker, G (Ole Miss) (signed)
Round 7, No. 252 (from Buccaneers through Rams): Alex Austin, CB (Oregon State) (signed)
Carolina Panthers
Round 1, No. 1 (from Bears): Bryce Young, QB (Alabama) (signed)
Round 2, No. 39: Jonathan Mingo, WR (Ole Miss) (signed)
Round 3, No. 80 (from Steelers): D.J. Johnson, DE (Oregon) (signed)
Round 4, No. 114: Chandler Zavala, G (North Carolina State) (signed)
Round 5, No. 145: Jammie Robinson, S (Florida State) (signed)
Chicago Bears
Round 1, No. 10 (from Saints through Eagles): Darnell Wright, OT (Tennessee) (signed)
Round 2, No. 53 (from Ravens): Gervon Dexter, DT (Florida) (signed)
Round 2, No. 56 (from Jaguars): Tyrique Stevenson, CB (Miami) (signed)
Round 3, No. 64: Zacch Pickens, DT (South Carolina) (signed)
Round 4, No. 115 (from Saints): Roschon Johnson, RB (Texas) (signed)
Round 4, No. 133 (from Eagles): Tyler Scott, WR (Cincinnati) (signed)
Round 5, No. 148 (from Patriots through Ravens): Noah Sewell, LB (Oregon) (signed)
Round 5, No. 165 (from Saints through Eagles): Terell Smith, CB (Minnesota) (signed)
Round 7, No. 218: Travis Bell, DT (Kennesaw State) (signed)
Round 7, No. 258: Kendall Williamson, S (Stanford) (signed)
Cincinnati Bengals
Round 1, No. 28: Myles Murphy, DE (Clemson) (signed)
Round 2, No. 60: DJ Turner, CB (Michigan) (signed)
Round 3, No. 95 (from Chiefs): Jordan Battle, S (Alabama) (signed)
Round 4, No. 131: Charlie Jones, WR (Purdue) (signed)
Round 5, No. 163: Chase Brown, RB (Illinois) (signed)
Round 6, No. 206: Andrei Iosivas, WR (Princeton) (signed)
Round 6, No. 217 (from Chiefs): Brad Robbins, P (Michigan) (signed)
Round 7, No. 246: DJ Ivey, CB (Miami) (signed)
Commanders Acquire No. 137 From Bills
The Commanders made a move up the board early in Round 5. They are acquiring No. 137 overall from the Bills, who will add No. 150 and No. 215, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
With the pick, Ron Rivera‘s team chose Clemson edge rusher K.J. Henry. This marks the third Clemson D-lineman to be chosen in this draft, following first-rounders Myles Murphy and Bryan Bresee. Overall, the Tigers have seen four front-seven standouts chosen in this draft, with the Ravens taking linebacker Trenton Simpson in Round 3.
This pick proves interesting for the Commanders, given their present defensive line situation. The four first-round D-linemen chosen from 2017-20 — Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, Montez Sweat, Chase Young — remain on the team. But Washington now has both Sweat and Young going into contract years. The Commanders passed on Young’s fifth-year option this week.
Henry posted 13 sacks over the past four seasons and finished with a career-high nine tackles for loss in 2022. The Commanders used former seventh-round pick James Smith-Williams as Young’s primary fill-in last season; Young’s 2021 ACL tear — a complex injury that led to the option decline — has given Smith-Williams considerable run opposite Sweat. But Washington will bring in some additional depth in Henry.
Commanders Use No. 16 On CB Emmanuel Forbes
Christian Gonzalez remains on the draft board, but the Commanders are ignoring the mock drafts and taking another cornerback. Washington has selected Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes at No. 16. 
The latter had received more varied grades than the former, but he will enter the league with plenty of pedigree of his own. Forbes established himself as the class’ preeminent ballhawk during his career with the Bulldogs. He racked up six interceptions (three of which were returned for touchdowns) last season, bringing his total to 14 across three years. Forbes totaled a staggering six pick-sixes in college.
The most notable concern for Forbes is his size. With a 6-foot, 166-pound frame, he projects as one of the slightest corners to enter the league. Questions will be asked about his ability to handle NFL physicality, particularly in press coverage. If he can answer them, though, he can add a much-needed playmaking element to the Commanders’ secondary.
Washington recorded only nine interceptions last season, which ranked 28th in the league. Forbes should be able to boost that figure, while providing the team with another starting option on the backend. The Commanders still have Kendall Fuller and Benjamin St-Juste in the fold. They also signed Cameron Dantzler in free agency, and Forbes will represent another young addition to the CB room.
Forbes’ selection represents a slight disruption to the order in which many felt the cornerback class would fall on Day 1. Still, Forbes was in the conversation to hear his name called on Thursday, and his arrival will carry notable expectations in the nation’s capital.
Commanders Will Not Exercise Chase Young’s Fifth-Year Option
Rumored to be on the fence about Chase Young‘s fifth-year option, the Commanders look set to put the former No. 2 overall pick in a contract year. They are not planning to pick up Young’s option, Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post reports (on Twitter).
Because Young is a one-time Pro Bowler, his 2024 option would cost Washington $17.45MM. Since that rookie-year honor, however, Young ran into a complicated ACL injury that sidetracked his career. Young returned to action late last season, but more uncertainty exists regarding the former Defensive Rookie of the Year’s trajectory compared to where it stood after the 2020 campaign.
[RELATED: 2024 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker]
This will set up one of the more interesting contract years in recent memory. Young finished second in the 2019 Heisman balloting and was viewed as the consensus best non-quarterback in the 2020 draft. Young lived up to that billing as a rookie, helping lead Washington to an unexpected division title — albeit at 7-9 — by anchoring a defensive line loaded with first-round picks. But Young has since missed 22 games.
Young, who turned 24 this month, is believed to have suffered a ruptured patellar tendon in addition to an ACL tear in November 2021. This turn of events led to the Commanders holding off on redeploying him until Week 16 of last season. While other players who suffered ACL tears during the 2021 season debuted in Week 1 or early last year, Young lost nearly 1 1/2 seasons because of his setback. The injury and lengthy rehab process will force Young to prove his value in 2023.
Although Young registered 7.5 sacks and four forced fumbles as a rookie, he tallied just 1.5 sacks and four quarterback hits in nine games before suffering his seminal injury in 2021. Last season, Young logged 115 defensive snaps and one QB hit. Expected to be much healthier in 2023, Young is on track to be full-go in Week 1. That said, it is understandable the organization is expressing some caution regarding a $17MM-plus Young guarantee.
The Commanders are expected to be sold soon, but it is not yet known who will be the new owner. Josh Harris remains in the lead, as the NFL has reviewed the 76ers owner’s bid. But at least one other buyer remains in the mix. That uncertainty may well have affected Young, given the expense here. Had Young not been voted to the 2020 Pro Bowl (when COVID-19 nixed the actual game), his limited participation in the 2021 and ’22 seasons would have knocked him down to the fourth tier of the option structure ($12.14MM). The higher cost coupled with ownership instability may have impacted the team’s thinking here.
This decision will mean Washington will have picked up the fifth-year options for Montez Sweat, Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen but not Young. Given Young’s draft status compared to his D-line mates, it is fascinating he has a chance to hit free agency a year earlier. The Commanders extended Allen and did not let Payne hit the market this year, franchise-tagging him after a breakthrough fifth-year option season. Sweat is heading into his option year, which sits at $11.5MM. Young’s fourth-year cap number checks in at $10.99MM.
Allen and Payne are attached to big-ticket extensions — at $18MM and $22.5MM per year, respectively — but the team suddenly does not have long-term plans at defensive end. Sweat and Young going into contract years at the same time may put the franchise to an either/or call, with only one franchise tag available in 2024. Barring an extension before that point, one of the Commanders’ two D-end starters could be auditioning for another team this season.
Draft Rumors: Commanders, Chargers, Giants, Bengals, Bears
It’s the eve of the 2023 NFL Draft, and connections are being made left and right. Every team has hosted several prospects and done their fair share of homework. Here’s a few things we’re hearing in the hours leading up to the draft:
- The Commanders can go in a lot of directions at the exact midpoint of the first round. They’ve been connected to offensive tackle and cornerback prospects in most situations. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, though, Washington’s executive vice president of football/player personnel Marty Hurney is a big advocate for Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson. The team has committed to last year’s fifth-round pick Sam Howell as their starting quarterback for 2023, as well as bringing in Jacoby Brissett as an experienced backup. Drafting Richardson would likely be a sit-and-learn situation while either Howell or Brissett man the starting spot under center.
- The Chargers have been rumored to be looking ahead in this year’s draft towards next year’s needs, according to Breer. Even though wide receiver is clearly not a need with Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Josh Palmer, Williams may end up as a cap casualty after this season with a pending $32.46MM cap hit in 2024. This could lead to Los Angeles getting ahead of that hole and drafting a wideout in the first round this year. Breer hears the team really likes Boston College receiver Zay Flowers.
- Another team who could possibly be looking to cover a future contract situation, the Giants are reportedly fairly high on Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs, according to Breer. With contract negotiations with veteran Saquon Barkley being reported as tenuous, it’s hard to imagine general manager Joe Schoen further stirring the pot with another first-round running back. It would provide the team with a backup option if negotiations with Barkley turn sour, though.
- The Bengals ranked 29th in 2022 for team sacks and are reportedly looking for more pass rushing help on the interior defensive line, according to Breer. At the end of the first round, there’s only so many options. Georgia’s Jalen Carter surely won’t still be around at No. 28 overall. Clemson’s Bryan Bresee has some strong tools but is expected to need to improve his pass rushing arsenal. Pittsburgh’s Calijah Kancey is the only real answer here. With 14.5 sacks and 27.5 tackles for loss over the last two years, the diminutive tackle projects as a discount Aaron Donald. If Kancey isn’t available or not what the Bengals are looking for, they could trade back or just wait for someone like Auburn’s Colby Wooden in the third or fourth round.
- Lastly, the Bears have been frequently tied to offensive line prospect Peter Skoronski out of Northwestern. It’s unclear whether they like Skoronski as an improvement at tackle or a new starter on the inside, but if he’s available by the time the tenth pick rolls around, it’s hard to imagine Chicago passing up the nearby offensive lineman.