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Antonio Gibson Antonio Gibson Competition for carries increases
Thu, May 5, 2022, 11:04 AM
Coach Ron Rivera said Thursday he hopes Gibson and rookie third-round pick Brian Robinson will operate as a "potential 1-2 punch," Grant Paulsen of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Rivera likened the new backfield tandem of Gibson and Robinson to Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams, who operated as a formidable duo during his time as the Panthers' head coach. Gibson was already primed have his receiving upside limited by pass-catching complement J.D. McKissic, who opted to stick around in Washington, and it now looks like he isn't a complete lock to dominate the bulk of work between the tackles. While Gibson remains entrenched atop the depth chart, having rushed for 1,037 yards and seven touchdowns through 16 games last year, his fantasy outlook will take a notable hit if Rivera indeed deploys a three-headed backfield committee for the 2022 season. |
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Alex Erickson Alex Erickson Signs with Washington
Wed, May 4, 2022, 12:09 PM
The Commanders signed Erickson on Wednesday.
Analysis: Erickson caught just three of four targets for 55 yards across 17 appearances with the Panthers last season, but he has proven to be a reliable punt returner during his first six NFL seasons. Washington also has Dax Milne and Curtis Samuel (hamstring) as potential punt-return options to replace DeAndre Carter, who signed with the Chargers this offseason. However, Erickson has the most experience, which will likely make him the favorite to win the gig heading into training camp. |
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Curtis Samuel Curtis Samuel Looks 'really good' during workouts
Mon, Apr 25, 2022, 1:44 PM
Commanders head coach Ron Rivera said Monday that Samuel (hamstring) looks "really good" during workouts so far, Pete Hailey of NBC Sports Washington reports.
Analysis: Samuel signed a three-year, $34.5 million contract ahead of the 2021 campaign, but he battled a lingering groin injury from the summer through the fall and later added a hamstring issue after a brief return to action Weeks 12-14. In total, he played 84 offensive snaps across five games, catching six of nine targets for 27 yards while rushing four times for 11 yards during his first campaign with Washington. After an injury-plagued start to his Commanders career, it appears the 25-year-old wideout could be healthy to start the 2022 campaign. It's important to note that Washington hasn't done any football activities yet during its voluntary offseason workouts, but Rivera said he's received positive news from trainers and added, "When you see him moving around, you feel pretty confident about him." |
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Terry McLaurin Terry McLaurin Contract talks ongoing
Mon, Apr 25, 2022, 1:35 PM
Washington general manager Martin Mayhew said Monday that the organization is in ongoing talks with McLaurin and his agent about a possible contract extension, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.
Analysis: McLaurin currently is with the team, but he isn't participating in any voluntary on-field workouts this offseason. Mandatory minicamp doesn't start until mid-June, so the two sides have some time to figure out a deal, but it's possible the wideout could continue to hold out until an extension is signed. The acquisition of Carson Wentz -- who's owed $28 million in 2022 -- has hindered Washington's moves and likely has been at least part of the reason McLaurin hasn't signed an extension yet. Regardless, Mayhew said, "We're really excited about the opportunity of having Terry continue with us for a long time," so it appears there are no intentions of trading the fourth-year wideout ahead of the draft. Commanders head coach Ron Rivera added that the team's draft process won't be impacted by McLaurin's ongoing situation. |
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Logan Thomas Logan Thomas Recovery going well
Fri, Apr 22, 2022, 8:18 AM
Thomas (knee) is progressing well in his recovery from a left ACL tear and has already resumed jogging, Ivan Lambert of USA Today reports.
Analysis: Thomas said "rehab is going very well" from his Dec. 17 surgery, and noted that his recovery is already "at the jogging stage." While it's positive that the starting tight end is currently "a little" ahead of schedule in his recovery, Thomas also revealed that his surgery was more extensive than previously disclosed. "I did ACL, MCL and both of my meniscus," Thomas said of the procedure. The severity and timing of Thomas' injury makes his status for Week 1 uncertain, so second-year pro John Bates is a candidate to handle increased work during the early stretch of the 2022 campaign. |
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Terry McLaurin Terry McLaurin Joining team but won't practice
Mon, Apr 18, 2022, 2:10 PM
McLaurin isn't expected to participate in on-field work this offseason, but he will be at the Commanders' team facility Tuesday, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.
Analysis: At this point in mid-April, workouts are voluntary and don't include much on-field work, if any. The bigger question will come later this spring when the team has mandatory minicamp (June 14-16) a week after the conclusion of OTAs. McLaurin will take part if he signs an extension before then, while he could opt to hold out if contract discussions are ongoing or stalled. The 2019 third-round pick is entering the fourth and final year of his rookie contract, averaging 74 catches for 1,030 yards and 5.3 TDs per season so far. McLaurin will work with a new QB again in 2022, with the Commanders trading for Carson Wentz and likely dropping Taylor Heinicke back to the second spot on their depth chart. |
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Cam Sims Cam Sims Re-signs with Washington
Wed, Mar 16, 2022, 4:10 PM
Sims is re-signing with the Commanders on a two-year, $3 million contract, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.
Analysis: Sims sticks with the only team he's ever known, having mostly served as a backup since first catching on with Washington in 2018. He did make 10 starts in 2020 and finished the season with 477 yards, but then dropped to a 15-211-2 receiving line in 14 games last season (three starts). He'll likely be fourth or fifth on the wideout depth chart this summer, with a role on special teams as well. |
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J.D. McKissic J.D. McKissic Nixes BUF deal, stays in Washington
Wed, Mar 16, 2022, 12:37 PM
McKissic changed his mind about signing with the Bills and now intends to re-sign with Washington instead, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Analysis: It sounds like the contract terms will be similar or identical to McKissic's verbal agreement with the Bills for two years and $7 million. The veteran scatback might have benefited in fantasy terms from playing in a better offense, but he'll still be an important piece for Washington, replacing Antonio Gibson on third downs and other passing situations. McKissic did see a big drop in usage between 2020 and 2021, albeit with better efficiency to help negate some of the losses. |
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Kyle Allen Kyle Allen Won't be tendered by Washington
Thu, Mar 10, 2022, 1:58 PM
Allen isn't in line to receive a contract tender from the Commanders, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.
Analysis: Allen earned a roster spot as Washington's backup quarterback in 2021, but he made just two appearances and completed 12 of 19 passes for 120 yards and a touchdown. He'll be free to sign with any other team starting next week after the Commanders acquired Carson Wentz from the Colts on Wednesday. |
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Taylor Heinicke Taylor Heinicke Backup role on tap
Wed, Mar 9, 2022, 3:08 PM
With Carson Wentz set to be traded from the Colts to the Commanders, Heinicke is in line to serve as Washington's No. 2 QB in 2022, Ben Standig of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Heinicke recorded a 7-8 record in his 15 starts last season after after taking over at QB for Ryan Fitzpatrick, who injured his hip in Week 1. However, based on the team's pending move to trade draft picks for Wentz, Heinicke is now in line to revert to a backup role in 2022. |
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Carson Wentz Carson Wentz Bound for Washington
Wed, Mar 9, 2022, 12:58 PM
The Colts agreed Wednesday to trade Wentz and their 2022 second-round pick to the Commanders in exchange for Washington's 2022 second-round picks as well as third-round picks in 2022 and 2023, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Analysis: Per Schefter, Washington will pay the full $28 million owed to Wentz in 2022, while the 2023 third-round selection will become a second-round pick if the quarterback plays at least 70 percent of Washington's offensive snaps during the upcoming season. The trade won't become official until after the start of the new league year March 16, but barring any hangups in Wentz's physical, the 29-year-old becomes the latest high-profile signal-caller to change teams in the early stages of the offseason. Wentz should immediately supplant Taylor Heinicke as Washington's No. 1 quarterback in 2022, following a one-year stint in Indianapolis in which he completed 62.4 percent of his passes for 3,563 yards and a 27:7 TD:INT while starting the entire 17-game slate. |
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Cam Sims Cam Sims Finishes year with 15 catches
Thu, Feb 3, 2022, 7:08 AM
Sims finished the 2021 season with 15 catches for 211 yards and two touchdowns on 23 targets, making three starts in 14 games.
Analysis: Sims finished out the season as Washington's No. 2 receiver -- at least in terms of snaps -- for the second straight year, though this time he made only three starts instead of 10. In addition to starting seven fewer contests than in 2020, he finished with about half the receiving production in each category, apart from TDs (32-477-1 on 48 targets in 2020). The 26-year-old Sims is now scheduled for free agency this spring, and he should catch on somewhere as a depth receiver and special teams player if he doesn't re-sign with Washington first. It'll be more of a surprise if he attracts serious interest as a potential starter, given that he struggled to make his presence felt the past two years even when he got more playing time. |
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John Bates John Bates Finishes year with key role
Thu, Jan 13, 2022, 9:04 AM
Bates finished his 2021 rookie campaign with 20 catches for 249 yards and a touchdown on 25 targets, starting eight of 17 games.
Analysis: The fourth-round pick never missed a game, but it wasn't until Week 10 that he saw more than 17 snaps or one target in a contest. From that point on, he played over half of Washington's snaps in each game, averaging 2.0 catches for 26.4 yards on 2.6 targets over the final nine games of the season. Bates may fall back to a reserve role in his second year, however, as Logan Thomas' season-ending ACL injury was a big factor in the rookie taking so many snaps. That could leave Bates as Washington's No. 1 TE for the offseason program, if nothing else, depending on the team's transactions this spring. Plus, the timing and severity of Thomas' injury mean he's no lock to be ready for Week 1 of 2022. |
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Dyami Brown Dyami Brown Disappointing debut campaign
Thu, Jan 13, 2022, 7:59 AM
Brown finished his 2021 rookie season with 12 catches for 165 yards on 25 targets, playing 15 of 17 games and logging 335 snaps on offense.
Analysis: The third-round pick started his first three games and five of his first six, yet entered the midpoint of the season with only eight catches for 81 yards. Brown then averaged only 11.2 snaps on offense over his final 10 games, stuck in a bench role even as Washington had minimal success finding productive pass catchers apart from top WR Terry McLaurin. While the 22-year-old Brown could get another shot at a starting job come spring/summer, there's no doubt his initial pro campaign was disappointing relative to the expectations and opportunity he had. Of course, he might've been given more time to develop -- rather than named as a Week 1 starter -- if Washington's passing offense wasn't so unimpressive in the first place. |
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DeAndre Carter DeAndre Carter Enjoys solid, versatile campaign
Thu, Jan 13, 2022, 7:54 AM
Carter played all 17 games fo Washington in 2021, catching 24 of 44 targets for 296 yards and three touchdowns, and adding 16 punt returns for 134 yards and 36 kickoff returns for 904 yards and a fourth TD.
Analysis: Carter bounced around from Houston to Philadelphia to Chicago from 2018-20, with this being just the second time he's spent the full season with one team. He even had a stretch as Washington's No. 2 receiver, which lasted about a month and a half before he moved back to a special-teams and reserve role over the final few weeks of the season. Carter is a late bloomer who made his first regular-season NFL appearance at 25, and he'll turn 29 in April about a month after he's scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. If nothing else, Carter should draw interest as a return specialist and No. 4/5 receiver. |
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Adam Humphries Adam Humphries Finishes year with 41 catches
Thu, Jan 13, 2022, 7:49 AM
Humphries played all 17 games for Washington in 2021, catching 41 of 62 targets for 383 yards and no touchdowns.
Analysis: Humphries stayed healthy after two injury-plagued seasons (2019-20) in Tennessee, but he finished with career lows for yards per catch (9.3), yards per target (6.2) and touchdowns (zero). The 28-year slot specialist is scheduled for free agency again this offseason, and while he figures to attract some level of interest, he could face tougher competition for a slot/No. 3 role, depending on where he signs and for how much. |
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Kyle Allen Kyle Allen Barely plays in 2021
Wed, Jan 12, 2022, 12:39 PM
Allen made two appearances during the 2021 campaign, completing 12 of 19 passes for 120 yards and a touchdown for Washington.
Analysis: Allen came back from last year's broken leg and earned a spot on the team as the No. 3 quarterback, then quickly rose to No. 2 on the depth chart after Ryan Fitzpatrick injured his hip Week 1 and didn't return for the rest of the season. No matter, Allen barely ended up playing, with Taylor Heinicke enjoying a healthy season under center, though his performance was less than stellar, especially toward the end. Allen is scheduled for restricted free agency in the offseason, and presumably will be viewed as a backup whether he stays in Washington or ends up elsewhere. Heinicke, meanwhile, is signed through 2022. |
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Reggie Bonnafon Reggie Bonnafon Inks new deal with Washington
Tue, Jan 11, 2022, 4:16 PM
Washington signed Bonnafon to a reserve/future contract Monday.
Analysis: Bonnafon spent the 2021 season with the Panthers' organization, appearing in four games for the team. The running back will link up with a new squad in Washington heading into the 2022 season, likely operating as a depth piece behind starter Antonio Gibson. |
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Alex Armah Alex Armah Signs new deal with Washington
Tue, Jan 11, 2022, 4:13 PM
Washington signed Armah to a reserve/future contract Tuesday.
Analysis: The fullback will return to Washington for another season in 2022 after joining the team partly through the 2021 season. Armah appeared in 11 games this season between the Saints and Washington, operating mostly as a special-teams option. |
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Jonathan Williams Jonathan Williams Agrees to contract extension
Tue, Jan 11, 2022, 4:07 PM
Washington signed Williams to a contract extension Tuesday.
Analysis: The running back will remain with the team through the 2022 season. Williams appeared in five games in 2021, turning 17 carries into 79 rushing yards and a score while also reeling in four catches for 28 yards. |
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