Commanders Team Notes

[Washington Commanders]

Automated news about the Washington Commanders.

 

[Washington Commanders]

Jayden Daniels took the NFL by storm in 2024. The Washington Commanders’ rookie quarterback broke numerous records and led his team to its best season in 33 years, two road playoff wins and was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

The future is bright for Daniels and the Commanders. But critics will tell you to be careful in expecting Daniels to repeat his 2024 success, often pointing to Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud. Stroud led the Texans from worst to first in 2023, breaking numerous rookie quarterback records before struggling at times in 2024.

Ultimately, Stroud settled down to have a solid second season, but some were disappointed that he didn’t take a more significant step forward in 2024.

Kurt Warner can say he’s lived in Daniels and Stroud’s shoes. The Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback was thrust into a starting role in 1999 after Trent Green’s injury and would lead the St. Louis Rams to the Super Bowl as a first-year starter.

A two-time MVP winner, Warner enjoyed a 12-year career before retiring, but things weren’t always as easy as they were in his first year as a starter.

Last week, in town for Super Bowl LIX, Warner joined Grant Paulsen of the “Grant and Danny” show on 106.7 The Fan in Washington, D.C., where he discussed Daniels.

“He’s a really good player. I know sometimes we get caught up in rookies aren’t supposed to be successful, but I can go back to ’99 when I felt I was a good player and so I played well, and that’s what I think about Jayden Daniels,” Warner said via Lou DiPietro of Audacy. “You watched him last year win the Heisman, and coming out, you knew that if everything you saw on tape translated to the NFL, this kid’s gonna be a phenomenal player because he can do everything really, really well. And I think that’s what we saw this year.”

Warner was most impressed by Daniels’ poise and how nothing ever rattled him.

Warner already believes Daniels is a big-time NFL quarterback. However, he believes some should tone down their expectations for Daniels. Not because he thinks Daniels can’t exceed them but because if Daniels takes even a small step back in 2024, it will be held against him because of the bar he set in 2024.

“Jayden’s gonna put in the work, and sometimes, you have off games or off seasons, but you don’t go into things thinking, he’s gonna have a sophomore slump, or, he’s got to be better than he was this year,” Warner said.

“To me, it’s always about letting it play its course. I’m always a believer of give me three years of seeing a guy, because there’s going to be ebbs and flows, but then I can tell you who I believe he is as a quarterback. So I think the hard thing is having a year like this is you guys are going to come back and go, if he doesn’t do better than this, then what’s wrong? But if he just drops a little bit from what he did this year, it’s still gonna be a phenomenal season for him, so we have to put things in perspective. You’ve got a really good quarterback who I believe is going to be good for a long time, let him show us who he is over a few years and let it play out – I think you’re going to see that Jayden Daniels is going to be a solid NFL starter for a long time.”

This is very good advice from Warner. He had a phenomenal start to his career before crashing down to earth a few years later. Warner recovered and was still playing at a high level when he retired after the 2009 season.

These days, there is always a hurry to anoint or crown someone immediately. That happens in football, other sports, or even the workplace. Daniels doesn’t need to put up better statistics in 2025 to prove his rookie wasn’t a fluke. He understands what needs to be done to take the next step, and there’s no reason to doubt next season will be just as big for Daniels.

Source: https://commanderswire.usatoday.com...ame-qb-kurt-warner-commanders-jayden-daniels/

 

[Washington Commanders]

Did the Commanders' Adam Peters offer former Eagles cornerback a contract?

Did the Washington Commanders pursue the former Eagles’ cornerback Bradley Roby?

Last offseason, Commanders GM Adam Peters was indeed very busy nearly entirely making over and reconstructing the Commanders’ roster, ridding himself of many players Ron Rivera brought to Ashburn.

Interestingly enough, veteran cornerback Bradley Roby tweeted Sunday afternoon, implying he could have signed with the Commanders last offseason but refused to ink a deal with Washington.

Roby tweeted, “Didn’t sign to commanders this year bc I loved it in Philly too much and knew Eagles was destined for the ring this yr ! Gotta bring it home today.”

Didnt sign to commanders this year bc I loved it in Philly too much and knew Eagles was destined for the ring this yr ! Gotta bring it home today

— Bradley Roby (@BradRoby_1) February 9, 2025

It is true; Roby was an unrestricted free agent last spring. In addition, I find no record that Roby signed with any NFL team during the free agency signing period, the summer offseason, or during this 2024 season.

So, why did Roby declare he didn’t sign with the Commanders because he loved Philly too much? Do we know that the Commanders even offered Roby a contract? Roby says he loved Philly so much. Thus, if Philly had offered him a deal, he would have signed with the Eagles, correct?

Whatever the truth is regarding the Commanders and Roby, the one truth we do know is that no team signed Roby all year, including the Eagles.

Thus, a logical question would be, “Was Roby tweeting he didn’t sign with the Commanders simply to get attention on Super Bowl Sunday?”

If so, Commanders Wire is not providing him the attention he desires. The Eagles never re-signed Roby, either. Therefore, is Roby attempting to claim the Eagles are his NFL team?

Actually, Roby, in his 10 NFL seasons, was with the Eagles only one season (2023) when he appeared in nine games, starting two.

Roby was drafted by the Broncos 31st overall in the 2014 draft out of Ohio State. Roby played five seasons with the Broncos, then played two years for the Texans, two with the Saints, and the lone 2023 season with the Eagles.

Adam Peters not signing Roby appears to have been the right move by Peters because no one else signed Roby either.

Source: https://commanderswire.usatoday.com...offer-former-philadelphia-eagles-cb-contract/

 

[Washington Commanders]

Commanders have less than 5% chance to win Super Bowl LX

In 2024, the Washington Commanders had one of the most tantalizing seasons in their history. Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels burst onto the scene and showed the entire NFL what he is truly capable of. Adam Peters and Dan Quinn put together a team that somehow gelled in a way we haven’t seen in decades.

The result was that Daniels broke records, set new records, and changed the way the entire world looked at the franchise. The Commanders went farther into the postseason than they have in over 30 years, having their best season since 1991.

With all that in mind, you would think the Commanders would be closer to the top of the list of potential Super Bowl LX winners, but they actually rank ninth, according to BetMGM.

Not only that, but BetMGM gives the Commanders just a 4.76% chance to win the big game. That’s behind the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals, and Green Bay Packers.

Let’s put this in perspective, though. BetMGM gives the Eagles the best chance to win the Super Bowl next year with 13.33%. This is not a high number either, and they are at the top. And, the reality is, all of these numbers are going to change every single time a team adds or drops a player.

But today, the Commanders have less than a five percent chance of winning the 2025 Super Bowl. Now, they just have to go out and prove everyone wrong all over again.

Related​

Key dates for Commanders fans to know this offseason​

Jayden Daniels remains haunted by NFC Championship loss to Eagles​

Where are the Commanders in ESPN's first 2025 NFL power rankings?​

Source: https://commanderswire.usatoday.com...have-less-than-5-chance-to-win-super-bowl-lx/

 

[Washington Commanders]

Commanders select Ohio State star in latest Field Yates mock draft

The 2025 NFL draft is less than three months away, and with the Super Bowl marking the end of the 2024 season, the league is focused on what comes next. For analysts and insiders, it’s all about the mock drafts, predicting which teams will select which players.

Most analysts predict that the Washington Commanders will elect to pick up a defensive player to strengthen its run defense, a few have suggested a tight end, and now ESPN’s Field Yates is predicting that the Commanders will draft a wide receiver.

Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State

As the Commanders look to surround Jayden Daniels with more playmakers, they could tap back into the Ohio State receiver pipeline to pair Terry McLaurin with Egbuka, who leaves Columbus with the most catches in school history (205). Egbuka is among the most ready-made prospects in this class, as he features pristine route running, reliable hands and a selflessness as a blocker that the Commanders would undoubtedly love. He caught 10 touchdowns for the Buckeyes this season.

The Ohio State Buckeyes won this year’s NCAA CFP National Championship game in decisive fashion, overcoming the toughest road to get to the big game. Emeka Egbuka was a big part of the Buckeyes’ success in 2024, and despite the hype around Jeremiah Smith’s freakishly talented athleticism, Egbuka proved he is equally as dynamic and capable on the field.

Not only would Egbuka provide Jayden Daniels with a reliable target, but Terry McLaurin is a former Buckeye, too. The two receivers complement each other well, especially with Egbuka’s experience covering the middle of the field while Smith handled the length.

The Commanders have the 29th overall pick in this year’s draft, so who they decide to grab will depend on who’s left to choose.

Related​

Comanders select LB James Pearce in latest 33rd Team mock​

Commanders make surprising pick new CBS mock draft​

Jayden Daniels gets some help in the new Daniel Jeremiah mock draft​

Source: https://commanderswire.usatoday.com...nders-emeka-egbuka-ohio-state-nfl-mock-draft/

 

[Washington Commanders]

Where did the Commanders' tackling rank in 2024?

Prior to the 2024 season, Next Gen Stats and Amazon Web Services collaborated to create Tackle Probability. This is a new artificial intelligence model to estimate all 11 defenders’ chances of making a tackle every tenth of a second of every play from scrimmage. At the end of the season, the NFL used this model to grade each team’s defensive tackling ability. They looked at metrics like tackle efficiency and missed tackle yards lost and graded each team’s success.

The Washington Commanders landed in the top 10 in this category, ranking 8th overall with an 86.8% (B+).

Dan Quinn led the league’s greatest turnaround in Washington this season, and one factor was his development of a disciplined tackling unit that improved from 22nd in the NFL in efficiency in 2023 to fifth this year. The Commanders’ playoff campaign was keyed by a raft of veteran acquisitions, including Bobby Wagner and Jeremy Chinn, who were as impressive as anyone; they were two of four players in the league to convert over 100 tackles on an efficiency rate of 93% or better. Both cornerstones were on one-year deals, and Washington might need to pay up to retain them.

Washington definitely needs to find a way to retain both Wagner and Chinn. They were instrumental in the Commanders’ success on defense this year. While the run defense still needs some love, these two leaving for another team is not ideal for the Commanders.

It is interesting, though, that the Commanders rank 8th in this category, considering how poor their run defense was in 2024, although they did have one of the top-ranked passing defenses. Still, they must find a way to get a solid edge rusher on their line while ensuring Bobby Wagner and Jeremy Chinn don’t go anywhere else.

Source: https://commanderswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/13/washington-commanders-ranked-8th-in-tackling-in-2024/

 

[Washington Commanders]

One free agent each NFL team should want to sign in 2025

We’re less than a month away from the start of NFL free agency, which begins at 4 p.m. ET on March 12. But the legal tampering window opens two days before that on March 10 at 12 p.m. ET, where teams will be able to negotiate with free agents before the official start of the new league year.

The 2025 salary cap hasn’t been set yet, but it will land between $277.5 and $281.5 million, according to NFL.com. A number of NFL teams have some work to do over the next month when it comes to building their 2025 rosters.

Our NFL Wire editors identified one pending free agent (at the time of publication) that each team should sign to help improve their roster. And it seems like guard Trey Smith and edge rusher Josh Sweat will be in high demand.

Source: https://commanderswire.usatoday.com/lists/one-free-agent-each-nfl-team-should-want-to-sign-in-2025/