Daily Slop – 18 Mar 25 – Spotlight interview with new Commanders CB Jonathan Jones

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

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Commanders.com

Five things to know about LT Laremy Tunsil

The trade made waves in the NFL.

The move between the Commanders and Texans was an unexpected one, as reports of the trade began emerging on social media not long after the legal tampering period opened on March 10. The Commanders, who advanced to the NFC Championship last year, made an aggressive move to acquire one of the best offensive tackles in the sport and shore up a serious position of need; so, naturally, the move made waves around the NFL.

“Tunsil is a dog, bro,” said Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby. “That’s the one that really stuck out to me amidst all the craziness. That one, definitely for sure.”

Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons had a more simplistic, yet no less effective, way of expressing his feelings about the trade.

“Wtf,” he posted on X.

Meanwhile, reporters generally praised the move by Washington to acquire Tunsil. Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer gave the Commanders an “A,” saying “the veteran tackle immediately becomes a key leader of the line with plenty of high-level play left in him ahead of turning 31 in August.” The Athletic gave the Commanders an “A-” for elevating their personnel at offensive tackle.

Although it might have cost Washington valuable draft capital, the belief is that the player is worth the cost and raises the offense’s ceiling.

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Washington Post (paywall)

Laremy Tunsil ‘damn sure can’t wait to block’ for Jayden Daniels

This time, Tunsil is joining a team that finished 12-5, with a rookie of the year quarterback in Jayden Daniels and a widely respected coach in Dan Quinn. For perhaps the first time in decades, Washington is a coveted landing spot — for free agents, draftees and trade acquisitions, including Tunsil.

“Just watching this team on film last year, a tremendous team, top to bottom — special teams, defense, offense,” Tunsil said. “I think [General Manager Adam Peters and Quinn] put a great team together and just added a few more pieces, added myself. It’s only going to make it better.”

Tunsil’s potential to revamp Washington’s offensive line and transform the offense can’t be overstated. The Commanders’ line has undergone multiple iterations in recent years, but it hadn’t received significant investment before last year, when Washington gave guard Sam Cosmi a four-year, $74 million extension.

But everything changed last year thanks to the play of Daniels. Washington made it clear late last season, when it traded for cornerback Marshon Lattimore, that its front office was out to win now, maximizing the few years left on Daniels’s rookie contract.

“In my opinion, they traded for me for that reason, just to make a huge impact on the team,” Tunsil said. “I’m down to do whatever they want me to do, especially at Year 10. If they need me to play quarterback and back up Jayden Daniels, then I can do that — running back, whatever.”

Tunsil said he “damn sure can’t wait to block for” Daniels, calling him “a baller” just from watching him on TV and game film.

“It seems like he’s a better dude, too, just hearing from a lot of people just around the locker room and his teammates at LSU. I know a couple of guys,” Tunsil said. “… So I can’t wait. He’ll make my job hella easy.”

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The Athletic (paywall)

Commanders proving they won’t get complacent coming off surprising season

“For the guys that are coming back, I think the messaging is very simple,” Ertz said on a video call with local reporters. “We can’t say we’re 12-5 and be complacent in how we approach the process. We have to get better as a football team.”

That’s how general manager Adam Peters and coach Dan Quinn entered the transactional part of the offseason. Washington acquired wide receiver Deebo Samuel and left tackle Laremy Tunsil in a pair of splashy trades that cost four draft picks, including a 2025 third- and 2026 second-rounder. Combined with last season’s trade deadline acquisition of cornerback Marshon Lattimore, the team that sincerely believes in building through the draft lost six selections from its war chest.

This divergent path from last year’s slower and self-described recalibration approach has led to “all in for the Super Bowl” talk, or at least the idea of Washington being extra aggressive after a surprising season.

Risk-reward debates followed, including the thought of pushing in more chips by trading for Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson. Cincinnati’s trade demands — a first-round pick at minimum — and potentially a lack of interest in moving the 2024 sacks leader in search of a new contract are the hold-ups in any deal, league sources tell The Athletic. The sources said Washington has explored a Hendrickson trade, but the level of interest following the move for Tunsil is unclear.

The fork-in-the-road scenario for Washington’s consideration added a twist. The rare two-year window with a star quarterback playing on a far cheaper rookie contract before becoming extension-eligible creates an aggressive roster-building opportunity.

“Draft picks are fun … but oftentimes they do take a few years to develop,” said the 34-year-old Ertz following the Samuel and Tunsil deals. “For a guy that wants to win now, just like everyone else in this building, sometimes (trades) are a little bit of a shortcut to get a proven commodity. There is no guessing or projection in that regard.”

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Commanders.com

Mock Draft Monday | CBS Sports’ Garrett Podell gives Commanders athletic pass-rusher

The opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of the team.

This week, we’re looking at a recent mock draft from CBS Sports’ Garrett Podell, who provided Washington with a talented, athletic edge rusher.

Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College

The Washington Commanders entered their second offseason with general manager Adam Peters at the helm with several holes to fill, and one of the biggest was at edge rusher.

The need to find a player who can consistently disrupt quarterbacks increased since free agency began on March 12. Dante Fowler Jr., who led the team in sacks last year, is headed back to the Dallas Cowboys on a one-year deal. The team has focused on adding depth pieces and players with upside like Javon Kinlaw, but most of the top options have signed elsewhere. Though there are solid players still available, the Commanders appear to be lacking a true game-changer at the position.

However, the Commanders can still turn to the draft, and this year’s class is considered to be heavy on pass-rushing talent. Even at 29th overall — currently the team’s first of five picks — the expectations are for there to be impactful players, and Podell has given Washington one of this year’s best in Boston College’s Donovan Ezeiruaku.

“He’s quick off the snap, using bend and agility to win at the top of the rush or make stops in the backfield,” **wrote NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein.** “His hands exploit small advantages to turn them into big ones and he has a variety of ways to challenge protection, though he’s still learning to craft his plans.”

The Commanders could use a player who knows how to step up against the run and pass on their roster in 2025. They were fine in sack production last year with 43 in 2024 — in fairness, that’s tied for the most they’ve recorded in a season since 2020 — but there were moments when it was clear they still needed more from their defensive ends. The defense’s performance against the run was troublesome all season, although it was most glaring when the Philadelphia Eagles rushed for 229 yards in the NFC Championship.

And Ezeiruaku would not provide a complete solution to Washington’s defensive issues. He likes to cut under offensive tackles, which can result in him losing contain and providing an escape route for quarterbacks. Although he’s found ways around his size, it’s clear that it does hinder him at times in the run game.

The good news is that Ezeiruaku doesn’t have to carry the burden of being Washington’s only solution on the edge, especially as a rookie. The staff has shown a knack for finding what players do well and putting them in the best scenario to succeed. For Ezeiruaku, that’s beating players around the edge and getting quarterbacks on the ground.

“Ezeiruaku’s play demeanor, skill and athletic talent are the underpinnings of a productive starter with three-down value,” Zierlein wrote.

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Commanders Wire

Are the Commanders bringing back too many of their own players?

“Is Will Harris an upgrade over Jeremy Chinn? Jeremy Chinn was pretty good as the season went along…Jeremy Chinn’s contract was more noteworthy than Will Harris. It suggests the marketplace wanted Jeremy Chinn more than it wanted Will Harris. So it is hard to say on paper that this (signing) has been an improvement.”

How about Johnny Newton? Yes, he got off to a rough start, requiring surgery on both feet in the offseason. So he could come back better prepared for his second season. However, the team encouraged Jonathan Allen to look elsewhere. Does anyone know that Javon Kinlaw will be better than Allen? Or will Newton be better than Allen?

Standig concluded, by way of an analogy, “It feels like they are bringing the band back together, and the band was off key for a good chunk of their performances last year. It is confusing, and I kind of get the guys they brought back. By the way, the defensive line has 11 guys that could make the team, but is it good enough to improve?”

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Podcasts & videos

2x Super Bowl Champion Jonathan Jones is still “HUNGRY to WIN” | Next Man Up | NFL Free Agency

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Nicki Jhabvala on the Tunsil Trade and Other Moves | John Keim Report

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NFC East links

Bleeding Green Nation

Lane Johnson, Eagles agree to contract extension through 2027

Here are some details on the new deal, via NFL insider Adam Schefter:

Johnson has reworked his contract to add $8 million dollars over the next two years, and an additional $30 million in guarantees, per his agent Ken Sarnoff from 1 of 1 Agency. The soon-to-be 35-year-old Johnson now will earn $48 million over the next two years, including $40 million guaranteed. […] In the end, Eagles All-Pro RT Lane Johnson added one year at $25 million to his deal and he now is under contract through the 2027 season.

Eagles sign former Giants second-round pick

Intriguing pass rusher addition!

The Philadelphia Eagles are signing free agent edge rusher Azeez Ojulari to a one-year, $4 million contract, according to a report from NFL insider Jeremy Fowler.

The New York Giants reportedly tried to retain their second-round pick (No. 50 overall) from the 2021 NFL Draft. But Fowler notes that the Eagles “heavily recruited” Ojulari, who played college football at Georgia (ever hear of that school?).

Ojulari was one of the more intriguing free agent options remaining on the open market. It’s a bit surprising he didn’t generate a higher price tag since:

• He’s only 24 years old (turns 25 on June 16)
• He’s produced 22 sacks, 37 QB hits, and 21 TFLs in 46 career games played (30 starts)
• He plays a premium position

It is worth noting that injury issues have caused Ojulari to miss 22 games over the past three years. He hasn’t been available for an entire season since his rookie campaign in 2021.

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Big Blue View

New York Giants free agency: QB Jameis Winston to meet with the Giants

The Giants’ QB search continues

The Giants, like every other team still in the market for a quarterback, are in a holding pattern while the Minnesota Vikings decide whether or not to court Aaron Rodgers, and Rodgers weighs his various options.

Russell Wilson is likely the next-best option for the Giants, though they have competition from the Pittsburgh Steelers in that regard.

Winston is significantly younger than either Wilson or Rodgers, just turning 31 in January of this year. He’s a volatile passer who’s disregard for risk for a potential reward, but his arm strength and mobility could mesh with a more aggressive version of the Giants’ offense. He’s also said that he has “a ton of respect for coach Brian Daboll, the things he does offensively.”

Winston has also said that he would “absolutely” sign with the Giants and that he believes that the Giants’ young roster is ready to win now. We’ll see if he gets the chance to back up his beliefs.

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NFL league links

Articles

The Athletic (paywall)

Is Kyle McCord an NFL Draft sleeper? QB guru Jordan Palmer thinks so — and he can prove it

“Playing quarterback is different,” Palmer says. “Golfers swing when they’re ready. When I tell you a pitcher throws 94, you wouldn’t ask me, ‘From how far away?’

“Everything quarterbacks do is a reaction. And you do not need to be the most dynamic athlete in the world to create time and space, to make plays.”

He believes coaches and organizations are inching closer to seeing things a bit different when it comes to player evaluation, especially at quarterback.

He also believes the game is still at least a decade behind where it should be, although he’s convinced it won’t take another decade to make up that ground.

“Ten years ago, if I would’ve said, ‘That receiver over there runs 22,’ you’d have said, ‘Twenty-two what?’ Now, they’re talking about how a kid runs 22 miles per hour before they talk about his 40 time,” Palmer says. “I believe, within the next few years, you’re going to (be able to) point to that quarterback, and I’ll ask you, ‘How good is he?’ And you’ll say, ‘He’s a 760.’ And I’ll be like, ‘Wow, he can spin it.’ Or, ‘That guy has small hands, but he’s a 770′ — and I don’t care that he has small hands, because he can spin it.’

“We’re replacing the nomenclature over time.”

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Discussion topics

Pro Football Talk

Last Week Tonight tackles sports betting

In the latest episode, the topic was sports betting.

It’s worth watching. It shines a light on issues like the three-leg parlay, termed a “sucker” bet because it’s so hard to win. Oliver explains that one study showed parlays account for a quarter of the bets made but more than half of the betting revenue.

Think of it this way. If the odds are set properly so that each leg is a 50-50 proposition, it’s like winning a coin toss three times in a row. Statistically, that has a 12.5-percent chance of happening.

The show also delves into the problem of gambling addiction. At one point, it was mentioned that 86 percent of online gambling profits come from only five percent of the gamblers.

The fact that gambling is happening via mobile devices makes it even easy to develop the same kind of habits that are developed on the various other things that can be done on a phone. And it sets the stage for some bettors to lose and lose and lose and lose until there’s nothing else to lose.

Seven years after the Supreme Court opened the floodgates, the gambling industry remains in its Wild West phase. Regulation is needed. For the NFL, a major scandal seems inevitable. Even without it, many will get hooked on betting through “sucker” bets like parlays, and some will keep chasing their losses until there’s nothing left to lose.

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All aTwitter

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