Daily Slop – 17 Mar 25 – Mark Bullock breaks down film of DE Deatrich Wise

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What DE Deatrich Wise brings to the Washington Commanders

Wise follows the pattern of free agents the Commanders have brought in under Adam Peters and Dan Quinn. He’s an experienced veteran, having played eight seasons in the NFL and has been part of winning teams, having spent all eight seasons in New England, where he won two Super Bowls with the Patriots. Wise isn’t a top tier free agent acquisition, but he could play a part in the defensive line rotation. So what does Wise bring to the Commanders? Let’s take a closer look.

The first thing that stands out about Wise is his size. Wise is listed at 6-foot-5, 280 pounds. That’s quite heavy for a typical edge defender. I think a lot of people saw that size and thought he was a player signed to reinforce the run defense, which the Commanders struggled with last season. But watching Wise, that’s not really his game. He was more of a pass rush specialist in New England, typically playing in obvious passing situations.

Wise isn’t a prolific sack artist by any means. He averages 4.25 sacks per season over his career, but that isn’t drastically different from Dante Fowler when he signed in Washington last year. At that point, Fowler averaged 5.6 sacks per season over his career. Fowler had a breakout year last season for Washington and has now re-signed with the Cowboys, so the Commanders will be hoping that they can replicate the success they had with Fowler again this year with Wise.

On the field, Wise is quite different in play style compared to Fowler. Wise doesn’t have the same burst and get off that Fowler had. Instead, he wins with his length and hand fighting techniques. He has nearly 36-inch arms, which is far longer than most NFL tackles. In fact, of the tackles currently scheduled to start this season, only one right tackle and four left tackles can match or better his arm length. I don’t think Wise uses his length enough from what I’ve seen of him, but when he does it can be a real handful.

Here we can see Wise working against 49ers left tackle Trent Williams, one of the best and most athletic left tackles in the entire NFL. Wise starts with quite a tight alignment, so works wide off the snap. He then reaches out with his inside hand and lands it on Trent Williams’ chest. You can see the issue this causes for Williams. As Wise locks out his elbow to ensure his arm is at full extension, Williams struggles to reach him. He can’t get his hands on Wise’s chest and can only just reach his shoulder. Wise uses that leverage to drive Williams back and try to turn the corner, but Williams does just enough to hold him off and allow the quarterback to scramble away from him.

I’d expect the Commanders coaches to try and get Wise to use that length a little more frequently because it’s such a huge advantage for him. I suspect they will enable him to work inside and rush against interior lineman too, which is something he didn’t do that often in New England despite his extra size. His length will stand out even more on the inside, so look out for that this season.

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NFL.com

NFL free agency: Nine eye-catching roster developments from wild week

Commanders again look to win offseason

At this time last year, the Washington Commanders had just hired new head coach Dan Quinn and were in the midst of a spending spree that made them one of the free agency winners in 2024. Soon after, Washington struck gold in the draft with quarterback Jayden Daniels, who would go on to lead the team to the NFC Championship Game in Year 1, running away with Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in the process.

Nowadays, general manager Adam Peters and Quinn are understandably in win-now mode, putting them in the conversation to win the offseason for a second straight year, despite having less money to spend this time around. Washington began by bolstering an offense that ranked seventh in yards and fifth in scoring last season, trading for Laremy Tunsil (acquired from the Texans) and Deebo Samuel (49ers). Tunsil is one of the best left tackles in the NFL, having recorded the highest Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade (92.0) among tackles since 2018 (min. 2,500 pass block snaps). Samuel is a do-it-all playmaker who can elevate Kliff Kingsbury’s offense. Washington also gave veteran defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw a lucrative deal after releasing longtime staple Jonathan Allen (now in Minnesota).

In addition to those splashy moves, the Commanders have smartly re-signed pieces on both sides of the ball. The offense returns backup QB Marcus Mariota, RB Jeremy McNichols and tight ends John Bates and Zach Ertz, the latter of whom finished second on the team in targets (91), catches (66), receiving yards (654) and receiving TDs (seven) last season. Pro Bowl linebacker Bobby Wagner is back for Quinn’s defense. In addition, the re-signings of kicker Zane Gonzalez and punter Tress Way were crucial under-the-radar moves.

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ESPN

Commanders 2025 free agency tracker: Offseason moves, signings

Tress Way, P

Way is returning to the Commanders on a one-year deal.

What it means: Washington won’t have to worry about this position for at least another year. Way has solidified the position since joining the organization in 2014. Way averaged 46.9 yards per punt last season, which is also his career average. He punted only 50 times — and went two games in a row without one. That marked the second fewest in his career; his low is 49 set in 2016 when they played 16 games.

What’s the risk: None. Way turns 35 next month so it’s uncertain how long he’ll want to continue playing. But there’s no need to find a successor now. He’s still a very good punter.

Marcus Mariota, QB

Mariota is returning to the Commanders on a one-year deal.

What it means: Daniels gets back a valuable mentor. It also means Mariota could not find another place where he could compete for the starting job. That was his stated desire. But, short of that, a return was at or near the top of his list. Mariota was terrific in two games replacing an injured Daniels. In wins over Carolina and Dallas — which covered five quarters — Mariota was a combined 33-for-41 for 366 yards and four touchdowns and scored another one rushing.

What’s the risk: None. Mariota proved his worth on and off the field. He liked Kliff Kingsbury’s offense and handled the role of mentoring Daniels quite well. It helps how much Daniels likes learning from veterans, but they meshed well. Breaking up that group would have been the risk. It’s a good quarterback room.

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Commanders Wire

Commanders bring back key defensive line reserve for 2025

One night after re-signing defensive end Clelin Ferrell, the Commanders are bringing back defensive lineman Jalyn Homes on a one-year deal.

The Commanders initially signed the 29-year-old Holmes on October 16, and he became a part of their defensive line rotation for the remainder of the season, including in the playoffs. In 11 games for Washington, Holmes recorded 14 tackles, including five for loss, and two sacks. Before his time with the Commanders, Holmes appeared in five games for the New York Jets.

The 6-foot-5, 283-pound Holmes entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in the 2018 NFL draft. After three seasons with Minnesota, Holmes spent time with the New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, and the Chicago Bears, in addition to the Jets and Commanders. The 2015 season will be Holmes’s eighth NFL season.

Holmes excelled in a reserve role for Washington, appearing in 23% of the Commanders’ defensive snaps. The Norfolk, Virginia, native offers versatility, playing inside or on the edge.

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Sports Illustrated

Commanders fans excited for new safety, and he’s appreciating the love

Will Harris agreed to sign with the team, a fact he enjoyed being part of, and shared with media in his introductory press conference last week.

“I know that when the news first broke, man, I know that my phone is still buzzing with Commanders fans,” Harris shared. “The last 48 hours, there has been so much love, and I haven’t seen anything like it. I haven’t felt anything like it, right? So man, this fan base is amazing, and I can’t wait to give ‘em everything I got. I can’t wait. …One thing about really good fan bases, is that we work together. We work together a lot. It’s us, and we need them. We definitely need them, especially on those third downs, you know what I mean? So we’re going to make sure they’re going to bring the noise and we’re going to make sure we get off the field. I’m super excited about it.”

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Hogs Haven

Breakout Candidates for the Commanders in 2025

Dominique Hampton may be a bit of a tweener who doesn’t fit the typical mold of a linebacker being a former safety yet his versatility could serve as an advantage in 2025. Hampton is on course to be a potential starter in 2025 meaning that the 2024 5th rounder has likely earned the trust of the coaching staff. He dealt with injuries throughout the season and only made one appearance making him off most people’s radars. Hampton, however, with an increased role could excell as a coverage linebacker especially considering that Washington has set up a system for him to succeed. Washington has improved their run defense significantly this offseason and this coupled with the fact Hampton already is a good scheme fit could help Hampton breakout in 2025.

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Blogging the Boys

Cowboys free agency: 5 targets who would be a ‘splash’ signing that are still available

1. Asante Samuel Jr (Cornerback): Samuel is causing quite the stir at the moment as a number of teams seem to be in the squabble for his skills.

His ability to play both man and zone coverage would provide flexibility to the defensive scheme making him very intriguing.

Samuel Jr. has nine interceptions and 30 pass breakups in his career, but he is coming off a season where he only played in four games. It turns out this was due to an ongoing shoulder issue that he’s had to deal with since birth. That puts a question mark around his status, and given the fact the Los Angeles Chargers’ coaches kept him on the sideline for the season adds further apprehension. Samuel Jr. will be looking for a contract that projects to being in the region of a three-year deal that’s approximately $36 million.

The question on this move is whether the price tag is worth of the risk. This one would come down to the medical situation and the risk management associated with Samuel. But he would fill a huge void in the secondary that currently remains a massive weakness on this defense.

5. Azeez Ojulari (Edge): Ojulari blew up the combine back in the day and was a big name coming out the 2021 draft class. Since joining the New York Giants he has amassed 22 sacks over four seasons, including six in 2024. His ability to pressure quarterbacks is outstanding and at only 24 years old, he still has plenty of football in him.

Unfortunately, throughout his tenure with the Giants, Ojulari has faced multiple injuries that limited his availability. In 2022, he was placed on injured reserve due to a calf injury. Similarly, in 2023, he was again placed on injured reserve which forced the Giants to find other players to hold his position.

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NFL.com

Five perfect free agent marriages

Jonathan Allen – DE · Age: 30 – Minnesota Vikings

CONTRACT: Three years, $51 million, with a max value of $60 million.

Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores has terrorized opponents with a smoke-and-mirrors scheme that befuddles quarterbacks and blockers with relentless pressure. Though the mad scientist has successfully harassed foes without an established interior pass rusher to this point, the addition of Allen gives the Vikings a destructive force at the point of attack with superb run-stopping skills and a pass-rushing presence. The two-time Pro Bowler, who missed nine regular-season games last season due to a pectoral injury but returned for the team’s playoff run, has generated 42 sacks over eight seasons with Washington. With veterans Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel commanding attention on the outside, the ninth-year pro should see his sack production spike in Minneapolis.

Commanders Wire

Commanders quarterback earned an unusual bonus for one play in 2024

Driskel did appear in one game in 2024, in Week 2 against the New York Giants. He played one snap when doctors checked out Daniels, but did not record a statistic. Driskel came in, handed the ball off, departed, and was never seen on the field again last season.

The NFL announced 2024 performance bonuses recently, and only one Commander was on the list: Driskel.

Per Ben Baby of ESPN, Driskel earned $981.12 for that one play, for which he didn’t record a statistic.

Driskel entered the league as a sixth-round pick in 2016. The Commanders were his eighth NFL team. Driskel is currently an unrestricted free agent and unlikely to return to Washington. Daniels started every game last season, and Mariota came in for him twice due to injuries, but he played exceptionally well. Mariota recently re-signed for 2025. The Commanders will likely carry only two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster next season. If they carry a third, Sam Hartman would have the best chance at making the roster, and Washington could likely retain him via the practice squad.

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