Daily Slop – 14 Mar 25 – Getting to know former Saints DB Will Harris; why is Michael Deiter back?

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Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)

What safety Will Harris brings to the Washington Commanders

Will Harris, [t]he 6-foot-1, 206 pound safety played for the Saints last year but his ties to Washington come from being a third round pick of the Detroit Lions back in 2019. Commanders assistant general manager Lance Newmark was on the Lions scouting staff at that point, so he has some familiarity with Harris. Harris comes in to replace the outgoing Jeremy Chinn, who left in free agency to join the Raiders. So what are the Commanders getting in Harris? Let’s take a closer look.

Versatility

The first thing that jumps out with Harris when watching him is how versatile he is. The Saints moved him all around the defense last year. He played snaps at free safety, strong safety, slot corner, dime linebacker and even occasionally as an outside cornerback. He performed a wide variety of tasks from those different positions too. His game against the Cowboys this past season is a perfect example of how versatile he is.

But that was just one play. Later in the game, the Saints asked him to do a completely different assignment.

This time, the Cowboys have three receivers in a bunch set to the left of the formation, with Lamb as the inside receiver in the bunch. Harris is one of four defenders the Saints have over the bunch, giving them a four-over-three coverage. As the ball is snapped and the receivers declare their intentions, Harris is left to bracket Lamb with his fellow safety. Harris takes outside leverage while his teammate plays inside. Lamb is running a corner route though, so as he breaks outside, Harris is the one responsible for the star receiver. Harris does well running stride for stride with Lamb and taking away the Cowboys top receiving target, forcing the quarterback to look elsewhere.

It’s another good play from Harris, but later on his role changed yet again.

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The Athletic (paywall)

Commanders depth chart analysis: How free agency is helping shape the roster

Guard

Nick Allegretti, Sam Cosmi, Chris Paul

Center

Tyler Biadasz, Michael Deiter

Others: Julian Good-Jones

TBD: None

Gone: None

Factoring in Wylie, a former guard with the Kansas City Chiefs, enhances the forecast without Cosmi. Deiter’s re-signing is surprising since Washington turned to Scott, a tackle by trade, after losing Cosmi in the playoffs. Good-Jones has been with Washington for two seasons, playing only one game, but he could be a dark horse to stick. Using a Day 3 selection on a lineman would be prudent.

Defensive end

Dorance Armstrong, Deatrich Wise, Javontae Jean-Baptiste, Jacob Martin

Others: Andre Jones Jr., Viliami Fehoko Jr.

TBD: Dante Fowler Jr., Clelin Ferrell

Gone: None

Be patient here. The Commanders have a Hendrickson-sized gaping hole. The NFL sacks leader’s future remains in limbo until the Bengals lower their high asking cost or extend the star lineman somewhere in the neighborhood of $30 million annually. Maybe drafting an edge defender from the loaded incoming class in the first round (and second?) will fill the void.

Until then, the defensive end group feels incomplete. Wise (17 sacks since 2022) offers pass rushing and another positive locker room presence. His arrival doesn’t mean the starting spot opposite Armstrong is taken, but it’s a hedge. Martin, a journeyman on his seventh team in eight years, averages three sacks per season.

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ESPN

Commanders 2025 free agency tracker: Offseason moves, signings

Will Harris, S

Harris, who played primarily cornerback for the Saints in 2024, comes to Washington on a two-year deal.

What it means: Jeremy Chinn, who was a hybrid safety/linebacker for Washington last season, left via free agency for the Raiders. Harris provides an experienced and versatile player as a replacement. The Commanders also have Quan Martin and Percy Butler and also Tyler Owens, who was an undrafted free agent last spring. But they needed another experienced, versatile player. Harris has played safety, in the nickel and outside corner.

What’s the risk: Washington’s coaches praised Chinn quite often last season — for his communication skills and physical play. Harris’ deal (worth up to $10 million) is less than Chinn received (two years and up to $16 million) from Las Vegas. Harris has to play well enough not to regret allowing Chinn to walk.

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Riggo’s Rag

Commanders hand Michael Deiter surprising reprieve despite subpar 2024

The problem centered on how big the drop-off was on Washington’s protection whenever he was in the lineup.

Consistency cratered when Deiter replaced starting center Tyler Biadasz. The chemistry nose-dived and quarterback Jayden Daniels was less trusting, taking off on the run when pressure inevitably arrived.

Deiter’s pass-blocking was abysmal, giving up three sacks and seven total pressures from just 144 pass-blocking snaps en route to a 41.1 grade from Pro Football Focus. This ranked 61st out of 64 qualifying centers.

Most thought Deiter would be moved on with little fanfare attached. Peters had other ideas, retaining the struggling lineman in the hope another offseason in the same blocking concepts with the same coaches can bring about improvements.

Considering Biadasz dealt with injury issues last season, the Commanders should have explored upgrades to their backup options. That’s not to say Peters won’t find a promising recruit from the college ranks. But with just five selections as it stands, Washington’s options are restricted unless a trade-down partner can be found at some stage.

This shouldn’t come with any guarantees. Deiter made the squad last season, so he’ll feel confident. Even so, his subpar performances when opportunities came his way mean the veteran needs to prove himself all over again.

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Commanders Wire

Some perspective on the Commanders’ offseason a few days into free agency

Peters is being aggressive. He traded assets to teams to fill two of Washington’s biggest needs: left tackle (Tunsil) and wide receiver (Deebo Samuel). Don’t forget the Marshon Lattimore trade in November. Peters is trying to win now while not giving up all of the Commanders’ draft assets.

Part of the problem has nothing to do with Peters. Washington’s lack of draft success from 2018-23 is showing up now.

Teams build their depth with mid-round picks, finding players to star on special teams. Yet Washington is having to sign veteran free agents—who are more expensive—to increase depth.

We promise this isn’t another “bash Ron Rivera” exercise. We’ve done that enough—and so has everyone else—but it’s important to note that’s why Peters is signing several “no-names,” as fans call them. Washington did the same thing last season, and most signings worked out perfectly. Some of the players even earned new contracts.

[Other] teams can’t employ the same strategy hoping to be the next Commanders because it’s difficult. Washington winning 12 games in the first year of the new regime is remarkable. Having a phenomenal young quarterback sure helped things.

There was a lot of talk about how this was not a strong free-agent class, as teams were choosing to keep their players. Peters must have agreed because the Commanders weren’t going over their perceived number for any free agent.

Outsiders do not understand how difficult of a job Peters accepted. Years of bad drafting left the Commanders with arguably the worst roster heading into the last offseason. He worked miracles one year ago. What about now? Just because he didn’t sign Josh Sweat, Milton Williams, Byron Murphy, Jevon Holland and Dan Moore, doesn’t mean he’s sitting idle. Each of these players were considered the best at their position in this class. How many of those players are considered among the best at their respective positions across the league?

None. And that’s not a knock on any of these players. Washington fans know all too well that Sweat and Williams are really good. Just not great. And why would you pay “great” money for “good” or “above average?”

So, before you panic or say Peters doesn’t know what he’s doing, understand that not all free-agent signings are created the same. Samuel and Tunsil are newcomers and two of the best at their respective positions in the NFL. The Commanders have certainly improved on offense. They also invested in the offensive line to protect its most important asset: Daniels.

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Podcasts & videos

Will Harris can’t wait to Raise Hail with the Commanders | Next Man Up | NFL Free Agency

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NFC East links

Blogging the Boys

The Cowboys offseason activity shows they have a “type” when it comes to acquiring outside players

The first week of free agency is nearing an end, and believe it or not, the Dallas Cowboys are making moves. And they are doing it in all kinds of different ways. They have hung on to key players by giving contract extensions to Osa Odighizuwa and KaVontae Turpin, but the bigger surprise is how many new players they have acquired. Whether it’s from free agency or trades, the Cowboys have added…players

[N]one of these guys [is] breaking the bank. The Cowboys are staying true to their low-cost spending ways. They aren’t looking to these guys to be huge difference makers, but rather to provide them solid depth. Except for linebacker Kenneth Murray, all of these guys should serve as rotational players.

Besides their cost, there are other things that fit into a “type” the Cowboys look for when acquiring outside players.

• They love former top 10 picks
• They love former first-rounders
• They love former late first/early second-round corners

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ESPN

Betting buzz: Steelers attract second-most Super Bowl bets this week

Oddsmakers believe the Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Bears have had the best offseasons so far, while bettors gravitated to the re-tooling Pittsburgh Steelers during free agency.

The Steelers landed arguably the biggest name of the offseason in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks for receiver DK Metcalf, a move that sparked a flurry of betting interest on Pittsburgh. The Steelers’ Super Bowl odds moved from 60-1 to 50-1 this week at ESPN BET. Since Sunday, only the Philadelphia Eagles had attracted more money from bettors than the Steelers in ESPN BET’s Super Bowl futures market.

John Murray, vice president of the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas, said his book moved the Steelers from 50-1 to 40-1 because “we were writing so many bets on them.”

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All aTwitter

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