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Daily Slop – 5 Feb 25: Sainristil the most utilized rookie CB in NFL in ‘24 with 1,158 defensive snaps

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NFL: JAN 05 Commanders at Cowboys
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Commanders.com

Commanders 2024 position review | Cornerback

Stats to know

— Washington’s secondary finished the regular season ranked third with 189.5 passing yards allowed — their lowest average since 2004.

— Sainristil was the most utilized rookie cornerback in the NFL last season with 1,158 defensive snaps.

Questions to answer

— What’s next for Sainristil? The 2024 second-round pick was one of the mainstays on Washington’s defense, ranking fourth on the team in defensive snaps behind Bobby Wagner, Frankie Luvu and Jeremy Chinn. The original plan was to keep Sainristil in the slot, where he spent most of his time in college, but he began to play more on the outside with the team needing more depth at cornerback. It’s a credit to his versatility, but assuming the Commanders address the position in either free agency or the draft, the team must decide if he’s better suited to go back inside or remain a perimeter corner.

Free agency

Click HERE to see all the players the Commanders could pursue in free agency with their available cap space.

Sports Illustrated

49ers coach hired by Washington Commanders, reunited with Dan Quinn

The Washington Commanders are boosting their special teams unit with the addition of a veteran coach.

The Commanders are hiring long-time special teams coordinator Brian Schneider as assistant special teams coordinator, a source tells NFL on CBS.

Schneider brings over 15 years of NFL coaching experience, with a proven track record of developing productive special teams units. He served as the special teams coordinator for the Seahawks from 2010 to 2020, helping the team reach back-to-back Super Bowls.

Now, he’ll bring his expertise to the Washington Commanders, teaming up with current special teams coordinator Larry Izzo.

Washington Post (paywall)

Should the Commanders trade for Myles Garrett? Let’s take a close look.

Garrett requested a trade, and he’s the caliber of player who could change Washington’s defense. If he’s truly available, the team has a lot to consider.

How much would it cost?

A lot. One agent, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he did not want to publicly comment on a player he doesn’t represent, estimated an opening offer would start with two first-round picks. A bidding war could drive up the price.

Any team that acquired Garrett probably would want to give Garrett a contract extension. Spotrac, a contracts website, estimates Garrett’s market value at four years and $137 million. Brad Spielberger, the director of football administration for Grand Central Sports Management, estimated Garrett would get four years and $160 million to $170 million.

Landing Garrett, 29, is certain to require multiple high draft picks and a market-resetting deal.

Garrett would be an elite upgrade at a position of need. The Commanders have one veteran edge rusher under contract next season, Dorance Armstrong, and he has never had more than 8.5 sacks in a season. Garrett, meanwhile, has had at least 14 sacks in four straight seasons. He also sets edges against the run, which the Commanders struggled to do this season….

Peters said the Commanders traded for Lattimore because they preferred him to the cornerbacks who could be available in free agency and the draft. But the landscape looks better for edge rushers, even though none are nearly as accomplished as Garrett.

WUSA9

DC government keeps stadium financing plans under wraps despite taxpayer-funded reports

Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris has left the door open to seeking public funding for new stadium.

D.C. officials are refusing to reveal how they might use public money to help build a new Washington Commanders stadium, even as the project took a significant step forward with the DC Council’s approval to transfer the RFK site to the District.

Despite taxpayers footing the bill for multiple studies examining stadium financing options, the DC Government has repeatedly denied public records requests seeking details about potential funding mechanisms, citing the need to protect its negotiating position with the team.

The secrecy comes as the District faces mounting financial pressures, with data showing the city is approaching its borrowing limit after committing $520 million to Capital One Arena renovations. Projections indicate D.C. will carry $1.7 billion in debt by 2030.

Last June, the District paid more than $500,000 to a Los Angeles consulting firm, SMG Holdings, to offer expertise on redeveloping the RFK site and exploring options to bring the Commanders back to D.C., including analyzing “stadium financing options” and preliminary funding sources. However, when WUSA9 filed Freedom of Information Act requests for the taxpayer-funded report, the District responded with heavily redacted documents.

While the DC Council’s recent approval to transfer the RFK site to the District marks a significant milestone, it doesn’t guarantee a stadium deal will materialize. The authorization simply allows Mayor Muriel Bowser to negotiate with the team about building a new stadium at the site.

The mayor’s office has maintained a tight lip about potential financing plans, responding to inquiries with a brief statement: “There is currently no deal in place for a stadium.”

Commanders.com

Five takeaways from Josh Harris’ end-of-season press conference

The expectations have changed.

Harris acknowledged that the 2024 season unfolded better than “anyone expected.” The Commanders had their best regular season finish since 1991, won their first playoff game since 2007, beat the No. 1-seeded Detroit Lions and advanced to the NFC Championship.

That kind of performance means the standards have been raised for the organization.

“We’ve arrived, and that changes expectations,” Harris said. “And I’ve lived through this before, and we welcome it. We’re just going to work harder to create a situation where next year, we win.”

Podcasts & videos

Logan Paulsen on Senior Bowl and HC Hires Around the League! | Get Loud with Smoot & Jenks

NFC East links

Dallas Morning News

Zack Martin’s return to football remains up in the air; so does his return to the Cowboys

It’s understandable one of the longest-tenured players on the Cowboys’ roster is still trying to figure out his playing status for 2025.

Martin, the seven-time All-Pro guard, is six weeks out from ankle surgery on a joint that cost him mobility during the 2024 season and limited him to just 10 games.

When it comes to his future, Martin said he’s not sure what he might do. He could retire. He could play for the Cowboys. He could play for somebody else.

“I think people forget I’m a free agent, too,” Martin told The Dallas Morning News from the site of Super Bowl LIX on Tuesday. “I’ll figure out if I am, where I’m playing and if I’m not, then obviously you guys will hear about that. Just trying to get healthy and make a decision down the road.”

Martin and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence are the longest-tenured players on the current roster. Both were drafted in 2014: Martin in the first round and Lawrence in the second round.

It doesn’t seem long ago that Stephen Jones convinced his father, Jerry Jones, the Martin was a better draft selection than Johnny Manziel.

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