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Daily Slop – 15 Mar 25 – Spotlight on newly signed DL Javon Kinlaw

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A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders

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Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)

What CB Jonathan Jones brings to the Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders signed former Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones to a one-year deal worth $5.5million with incentives that could raise that number to $6.5million. It appears as though the Commanders pivoted to Jones as a fall back option after former Jets cornerback D.J. Reed revealed he picked Detroit over Washington. Jones offers a very similar profile to Reed so it makes sense that he would be the alternative option.

So what are the Commanders getting in Jones? Jones is an experienced player with the 31-year-old corner entering the league in 2016 as an undrafted free agent and sticking with the Patriots for nine seasons, winning two Super Bowls in the process. He did all of that despite being undersized at 5-foot-9, 185 pounds.

The Commanders want the ability to play more man coverage, but to do that they need corners they can rely on to stick tight to receivers. Jones has lots of experience playing man coverage as the Bill Belichick Patriots were masters of man coverage. Jones’s skills might not quite be what they once were, but he still shows the ability to hold up well in man coverage.

This wasn’t just a one off either, Jones showed a remarkable consistency in being able to run with crossing routes.

Commanders.com

Five things to know about DT Javon Kinlaw

He had a rough upbringing in D.C.

Kinlaw immigrated to the United States from Trinidad and Tobago with his family when he was 2 years old. His childhood was difficult, as they moved three times from Washington, D.C. to Mississippi and South Carolina. Kinlaw doesn’t normally talk about that portion of his life but remembers not having a place to stay at times, going to school in the same clothes every day and filling up buckets of water from a neighbor’s house just to take a bath.

“Just being a kid, going through a lot of trauma, seeing things that kids shouldn’t see, from seeing people lose their lives — whatever you can think of,” Kinlaw said in a 2024 ESPN article.

Kinlaw eventually moved in with his father and became a three-star athlete. He played on the offensive and defensive lines at North Charleston High and Goose Creek.

Sports Illustrated

New Commanders DT credits Adam Peters and Darryl Tapp for free agency move

The newest Washington Commanders defensive tackle reunites with familiar faces.

Kinlaw, who spent his first four seasons in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers, spoke glowingly about Peters and Tapp during his introductory press conference.

“Adam Peters, of course, I’ve had a great relationship with him for a long time and the belief he’s had in me over these last couple of years has been unbelievable, from day one to now,” Kinlaw said. “And Darryl Tapp, of course, was my assistant D-Line coach in San Francisco, so it was pretty much an easy decision for me, just the belief that they have in me.”

ESPN

Commanders 2025 free agency tracker: Offseason moves, signings

Jacob Martin, DE

Martin moves over from Chicago after signing a one-year deal.

What it means: The Commanders need to find more pass rushers, and Martin can potentially provide help as a reserve. He has 21 career sacks in his first seven seasons, though he is now with his eighth franchise. The Commanders [did not re-sign] edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr. and don’t have [m]any young pass rushers to develop. Martin recorded three sacks with Chicago last season. He can also perhaps help provide versatility when the Commanders want to use different fronts. Martin has played as an end in a 4-3 and an outside linebacker in a 3-4.

What’s the risk: Washington still needs to find edge rush help. According to a league source, the Commanders were in on Joey Bosa and DeMarcus Lawrence but failed to land either. Signing Martin should not stop them from trying to add more, whether in free agency or the draft. It’s a definite area the team needs to add more competition and talent.

Nate Herbig, G

The former Steeler joins Washington on a one-year deal.

What it means: A depth signing, Herbig adds another lineman to compete for a job in training camp. Herbig has experience, having started 30 games in five seasons with Philadelphia, the Jets and Pittsburgh. The Commanders did not have strong depth inside last season and now have Cosmi coming off the torn ACL. Herbig offers size at 6-foot-4, 334 pounds — he’d be their biggest guard by approximately 15 pounds.

What’s the risk: Minimal. It’s only a one-year deal and Washington can see if he’s worthy of keeping as a backup interior lineman. The Commanders would be wise to add a young backup to develop but their limited number of draft picks next month might make that difficult to achieve.

Riggo’s Rag

Grading the latest five Commanders free-agent signings including Nate Herbig deal

The Commanders continue to make moves to strengthen their roster.

Commanders re-signed Nick Bellore

Nick Bellore is a glue guy. He’s not going to impact the defensive rotation much — not at this stage of his NFL career. However, the popular figure remains highly impactful on special teams despite his advancing years.

Bellore is a leader and plays every snap as if it’s his last. There’s an infectious enthusiasm that’s hard not to love. He also slotted into Washington’s new culture shift under head coach Dan Quinn seamlessly.

Fans were wondering if Bellore’s time in Washington would be short-lived. He’s played 14 seasons and will be 36 years old by the time Week 1 rolls around. Even so, the player and the Commanders believe there is still something left before walking away entirely.

The Commanders re-signed Bellore to a two-year deal. This was a popular move among the fanbase and the playing personnel alike. There’s a good chance this is the former undrafted free agent out of Central Michigan’s final contract, so he’ll be eager to go out with a bang.

  • Signing grade: A+

Bellore and Jeremy Reaves are two of the best special teams performers around. This is an overlooked yet integral part of any team, so having two polished players in this key discipline leading the charge is only going to help Washington’s cause.

Commanders Wire

Should the Commanders be concerned about why Laremy Tunsil was available?

Mike Florio of NBC Sports joined the “Sports Junkies” this week and said Tunsil should have a “buyer beware” label.

“I was surprised he was on the move, but the Texans are doing what they have to do to close the gap between themselves and the elite teams in the AFC,” Florio said, per Lou DiPietro of Audacy. “Two straight years they’ve lost in the Divisional Round, and they’re trying to get over that hump – and now, three offensive linemen are gone. Tunsil was a surprise, but he was the most penalized offensive lineman last year, and you could argue he’s starting on the downside of his career. I would say buyer beware, because if the Texans don’t consider him part of the solution, then he’s part of the problem.”

Florio always seems to have issues with just about anything Washington does. In this case, as an outsider, there are some questions. Remember, the Texans also have a young franchise quarterback to protect (C.J. Stroud), who happens to be close to Daniels. Why would they send him packing?

The truth is probably because the Texans didn’t want to sign Tunsil to another contract extension. He’ll be 31 soon. Washington gets Tunsil at a highly affordable rate for the next two seasons, especially for a Pro Bowl left tackle. If things go well, the Commanders will have no problems extending Tunsil. Tunsil is one of the NFL’s most dependable offensive linemen, and Washington hopes he can play deep into his 30s, much like Trent Williams is with the 49ers.

Podcasts & videos

Javon Kinlaw is “THAT GUY” | Next Man Up | Washington Commanders | NFL Free Agency

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Big Blue View

‘Zero chance’ Cam Ward falls to New York Giants at No. 3 in NFL draft

If the New York Giants want to select Miami quarterback Cam Ward in the 2025 NFL Draft, it appears they are going to have to convince the Tennessee Titans to trade them the No. 1 overall pick.

“Zero chance. Zero chance that Cam Ward is going to make it to the Giants at 3,” NFL insider Adam Schefter said on the ‘DiPietro & Rothenberg’ Show. “It’s not gonna happen.

“I expect Cam Ward will be the No. 1 pick in the draft, whether that’s Tennessee or Cleveland or the New York Giants making that pick.”

NFL draft analyst Todd McShay said on his podcast that he expects the Titans to stay at No. 1 and select Ward.

“I think Tennessee’s gonna take Cam Ward at No. 1,” McShay said. “I don’t know anything. No one outside of that building knows.”

McShay said that inside the Titans’ organization “I think they all know” they are selecting Ward.

Bleeding Green Nation

Report: Eagles open to trading Bryce Huff and Dallas Goedert

You don’t say?

The Philadelphia Eagles are “open to trade talks” involving Bryce Huff and Dallas Goedert, according to a report from Jordan Schultz.

This is hardly the first time we’ve heard of these players being on the trade block.

Huff’s name came up in rumors prior to the NFL trade deadline last season. That despite the fact the Eagles signed him to a three-year, $51.1 million contract in March 2024.

Huff did not come close to living up to expectations last season. It’s not surprising that the team would look to move on if Vic Fangio simply doesn’t trust him to play.

REVIEW: Huff was the Eagles’ first free agent signing last offseason. Yes, even before Saquon Barkley. Concerns about his big money contract began when Vic Fangio didn’t seem very thrilled about him in training camp. Huff struggled early in the regular season, to the point where he looked flat out “unplayable” as a total liability on the field. The Eagles’ decreased Huff’s role. He then suffered a wrist injury that he tried to play through with a cast on his hand before opting for surgery. Huff missed five games before returning to the roster late in the season. He really only played in garbage time in the playoffs and was a healthy scratch in Super Bowl LIX.

OUTLOOK: The Eagles cannot feasibly cut Huff, even as a post-June 1 designation. They cannot feasibly trade him until after June 1. And it’s not like he has much value. Perhaps the Eagles are stuck with him and perhaps Howie Roseman wants to see one more year before he totally gives up on this signing. But Fangio does not seem very willing to put Huff on the field. Maybe he can live with Huff as a fourth or fifth edge rusher who plays sparingly … which obviously isn’t an ideal role for what he’s being paid. But that might just be the reality for Huff in 2025 before the Eagles can more realistically move on from him in 2026, if applicable.

It’s hard to imagine the Eagles getting a great return for Huff coming off such a disappointing season. But if he’s not going to play here anyway, they might as well move on.

As for Goedert, it’s been said that the Eagles are seeking a fourth-round pick in return for the veteran tight end. They might not get that much.

Cowboys Wire

Cowboys are trying their hand at recreating Eagles’ success in one specific way

The Dallas Cowboys front office has been criticized for not learning how to build rosters in the offseason. Dallas never spends on big-money free agents and generally aren’t active early in the league year. This year, has been a bit different has been active early and is trying to hit on something they saw the Philadelphia Eagles do last offseason: get players with lots of potential on cheap deals and hope they break out like Zack Baun did last season.

Baun was seen as a top-50 prospect who fell to the No. 74 pick in the 2020 NFL draft and never made much impact for the New Orleans Saints. He never had more than 30 tackles in a season for the Saints, started only 14 games in four years, and had six tackles for a loss and two sacks. The Eagles signed him for one season for 3.5 million, and he blew up. He had 151 tackles, 11 for a loss, and added 3.5 sacks in an All-Pro season.

The Cowboys are attempting to hit that bolt of lightning this offseason by signing or trading for former first-round picks who never broke out for the team that drafted them, but may be full of potential. It sometimes just takes the right coach or scheme to unlock the full potential of a player.

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ESPN

Did the Titans show their draft hand with free agency moves?

Typically, there are two ways to construct a roster: stockpile talent before acquiring a quarterback or get the quarterback first and build around him. Tennessee’s new general manager, Mike Borgonzi, seems to be taking the initial approach.

Borgonzi fortified the trenches first, especially on the offensive line. The Titans signed former Pittsburgh Steelers left tackle Dan Moore Jr. and added veteran right guard Kevin Zeitler. The addition of Moore allows last year’s first-round pick, JC Latham, to move to right tackle from the left side and help shore up three spots.

If the Titans don’t trade down in the draft, they will likely select former Miami quarterback Cam Ward, the consensus No. 1 QB prospect, with the first overall pick. Tennessee has also met extensively with former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, so he can’t be ruled out.

Pro Football Talk

Russell Wilson leaves Giants without a contract

Two days, two visits, zero contracts.

Veteran quarterback Russell Wilson, a free agent for the first time in his career, went to Cleveland on Thursday and New York on Friday. He signed with neither team.

The Giants are, by all appearances, waiting to see what Aaron Rodgers does. When he reached out to the Giants during the week of the Scouting Combine, he had nothing else going on. Now, he does; the Steelers have reportedly made an offer, and the Vikings are still lurking.

For Wilson, it looks to be (for now) the Browns, the Giants, the Steelers, or nothing. It’s possible the Steelers have already moved on. He has no other visits scheduled.

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