Daily Slop – 22 Feb 25 – AJ Brown on Marson Lattimore: “I bullied a bully”

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Riggo’s Rag

5 intriguing replacements if Commanders don’t extend Bobby Wagner in 2025

Bobby Wagner is looking for a new deal. Will that come from the Commanders?

Commanders could draft Carson Schwesinger

Schwesinger soared up draft boards thanks to a breakout campaign with the UCLA Bruins in 2024. The prospect was a relentless force in all phases, gaining 136 tackles, four sacks, nine tackles for loss, one forced fumble, and two interceptions. He’s got sideline-to-sideline range and plays with relentless aggression that will catch the eye of Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr.

The Oaks Christian School product is a fluid mover in coverage, can rush the passer when the situation dictates, and boasts sound tackling technique. Schwesinger is a little undersized, so bulking up slightly in the pros would be beneficial. There’s also the question of whether his 2024 campaign was a flash in the pan or the start of something more.

Even if Wagner is retained, the Commanders could still draft Schwesinger. Having a year to learn from one of the greatest linebackers of the modern era would be highly advantageous for his long-term aspirations. Given the esteem in which he was held by coaches and teammates in college, he’d soak up every piece of information no matter how big or small.

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Sports Illustrated

Eagles’ star A.J. Brown has interesting words for Commanders’ Marshon Lattimore

The NFC Championship game between the Washington Commanders Philadelphia Eagles and the was filled with intense moments, but none stood out more than the heated exchange between Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown and Commanders cornerback Marshon Lattimore.

The Commanders and Eagles star players engaged in a physical and verbal battle throughout the NFC championship game, leading to comments from Brown that shed light on his perspective of Lattimore’s playing style and on-field persona.

Brown didn’t hold back when asked about his matchup against Lattimore during an appearance on the Kickin’ It with Dee podcast.“

During the NFC Championship game, tensions boiled over in the second quarter when Brown and Lattimore exchanged words after a Philadelphia one yard touchdown run. Lattimore, known for his ability to frustrate opponents, appeared to shove Brown after the whistle, leading to a brief scuffle before teammates and referees intervened.

Lattimore’s playing style has made him a polarizing figure in the league. While his aggressive nature is praised by Washington fans and teammates, it has also led to frequent clashes with opposing wide receivers. His history of on-field altercations includes notable dust-ups with players like Mike Evans and Justin Jefferson, further solidifying his reputation as a cornerback who embraces the physical and psychological aspects of the game.

Whether this strategy is effective or excessive remains a topic of debate, but one thing is certain—Marshon Lattimore remains one of the most challenging and controversial defenders in the NFL.

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STAR-STUDDED 2024 Season Recap Special | Command Center | Washington Commanders | NFL

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NFL.com

Micah Parsons, Tyreek Hill, DK Metcalf among NFL stars who SHOULD be traded this offseason

Micah Parsons – Dallas Cowboys · LB

Micah Parsons is one of just seven players to top 50 sacks in his first four NFL seasons. Could the Cowboys really be moving on from the 2021 Defensive Rookie of the Year this early in his career? There are actually ample reasons to think an extension is forthcoming heading into the final year of his rookie contract. Then again, NFL Network Insiders Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport recently reported that the team has internally discussed “whether to pay Parsons or trade him for a king’s ransom.” And mulling over the trade proposals being thrown around for Myles Garrett, I can’t help but wonder what Parsons might fetch.

It’s probably a lot. Even before we know what Garrett would actually go for, we can look back at the haul the Raiders extracted from the Bears for Khalil Mack in 2018 as the baseline of a deal for Parsons, with multiple first-rounders and maybe a few players mixed in as well. A swap like that would surely go a long way toward boosting the roster around Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, to whom the team has committed a healthy amount of money.

A deal like this might call to mind two similar trades from Jerry Jones’ past. First, there’s the Herschel Walker trade that helped jumpstart his franchise rebuild in the 1990s. Then there’s Dallas’ aforementioned acquisition of Charles Haley in 1992. Haley was a big piece of the Cowboys’ ‘90s dynasty, and the 49ers just gave him up — only to then be foiled by him in the playoffs. So if Dallas were to trade away Parsons, he’s got to go to a team like the Ravens in the AFC; the Cowboys can’t just give him away to an NFC team like Detroit or Chicago.

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Pro Football Talk

At least a fourth of the NFL’s teams are looking for public money

At least eight of 32 teams are actively looking for significant public money for the construction of a new stadium or the renovation of a current one.

For years now, public sentiment has been turning stronger and stronger against subsidizing multi-billionaires. Last year, the Chiefs couldn’t parlay two straight Super Bowl wins and the presence (and involvement) of stars like Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce into enough votes to extend an existing sales tax that would have paid for a new stadium.

And while the transfer of the site of RFK Stadium to the District of Columbia came at no taxpayer expense, there’s no way the Commanders will build a stadium there without a taxpayer contribution. Good luck getting it, given the current slash-and-burn climate in and around D.C.

[I]f anyone in a given community is going to be digging deep to pay for a new football stadium, shouldn’t the money come from the people who attend the games and not the people who don’t care about football at all? Strange as it may seem, in most cities where NFL teams play, the people who don’t care about the NFL outnumber those who do.

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Front Office Sports

House v. NCAA Settlement Creates Potential Crisis for International Athletes

International athletes on student visas may be in violation of U.S. immigration laws if they accept revenue-sharing payments this July.

If approved in April, the House v. NCAA settlement will allow a system of revenue-sharing between Division I schools and athletes for the first time in college sports history. But one group of athletes might have difficulty getting paid.

International athletes on student visas may be in violation of U.S. immigration laws if they accept revenue-sharing payments this July, multiple immigration attorneys tell Front Office Sports. It’s a concern that could impact tens of thousands of international NCAA athletes, most of whom generally use student visas.

If they violate their visa status and their visas are revoked, the consequences could go much further than lost NIL (name, image, and likeness) earnings. Athletes are at risk of losing the opportunity to study in the U.S., as they’re required to either change status or leave the country within 30 days. After that, they could be deported—or even be hit with a reentry ban if they stay longer than six months.

Athletes are allowed to receive “passive” income, or do a limited amount of work that is directly related to the degrees they’re pursuing. But the prevailing sentiment from legal experts who spoke to FOS is that international athletes could violate their visa if they participate in NIL deals—a conundrum about 25,000 international NCAA players across all three divisions have faced since 2021.

Players aware of the issue are enlisting lawyers to help them apply for different types of visas, or at the very least receive advice about whether they’re in danger of losing their visas if they take the House payments. Aaron Blumberg, a partner at Fragomen law firm, says they seem somewhat more knowledgeable about the visa landscape—and how it relates to NIL—than they did just a few years ago.

But to date, DHS has not issued any guidance. And Congress never succeeded in passing existing legislation on the subject—despite outside advocacy efforts. None of the experts FOS spoke with believe that guidance is imminent—or that athletes should bank on it.

Some, who could be in line for major paydays, may find it worth it to risk the wrath of ICE—especially if they don’t intend to stay in the U.S. permanently. Others, who may not earn much in NIL or who may be up for a green card, could act more conservatively.

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