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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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Lands with Washington
Mon, May 2, 2022, 10:55 PM
Turner signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Commanders on Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Analysis: Turner figures to compete for a starting spot on Washington's offensive line after starting in 2021 at right guard for Pittsburgh. |
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Latches on with Commanders
Mon, May 2, 2022, 10:02 PM
Washington signed Rogers as an undrafted free agent Monday.
Analysis: Rogers is listed as a tight end on Washington's roster, despite playing quarterback in college at UNLV and Ohio. He'll aim to compete at a new position with the hope of securing a roster spot after failing to hear his name called in the 2022 NFL Draft. |
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Gets chance with Washington
Mon, May 2, 2022, 9:58 PM
The Commanders signed McGowan as an undrafted free agent Monday.
Analysis: McGowan turned in his best year of college football in 2021 after transferring to Georgia Tech, hauling in 37 passes for 467 yards and seven touchdowns over 11 games. He'll set his sights on competing for an NFL roster spot after he wasn't selected in the 2022 Draft. |
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Joins Washington
Mon, May 2, 2022, 9:50 PM
The Commanders signed Ezzard as an undrafted free agent Monday.
Analysis: Ezzard spent the last two years of his college career with Sam Houston State, racking up 1,470 receiving yards and 16 total touchdowns in 20 games during that span. He'll now have an opportunity to compete for a roster spot after failing to hear his name called during the 2022 NFL Draft. |
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Lands with Commanders
Mon, May 2, 2022, 9:46 PM
Washington signed Kelley as an undrafted free agent Monday.
Analysis: Kelley will join the Commanders as depth under center after failing to hear his name called in the 2022 NFL Draft. After making his college football debut with Arkansas in 2018, he spent the next three years at Southeastern Louisiana. Kelley put up an eye-popping 5,124 passing yards to go with 44 touchdowns and 10 picks while rushing for 491 yards and 16 scores through 13 contests during the 2021 campaign. |
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Selected by Washington
Sat, Apr 30, 2022, 5:11 PM
The Commanders selected Holmes in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 240th overall.
Analysis: Holmes isn't particularly fast (4.52 40-yard dash), but he does have some size for a corner (5-11, 201 pounds) and he flashed an impressive vertical jump (39 inches). An excellent closer on passes in front of him, Holmes could carve out a niche role in a Washington secondary that's still developing. |
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Falls to Washington in seventh
Sat, Apr 30, 2022, 4:47 PM
The Commanders selected Paul in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 230th overall.
Analysis: Paul becomes the second player drafted off the Tulsa offensive line this year, joining Tyler Smith. He made 38 starts at Tulsa and his 40-yard dash of 4.89 seconds at 323 pounds put him in the 97th percentile for speed at his position. Experienced, athletic and big-framed, Paul has a chance to outperform his draft slot in Washington. |
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Big target lands with Washington
Sat, Apr 30, 2022, 1:22 PM
The Commanders selected Turner in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 149th overall.
Analysis: Turner broke out as a junior at Nevada when he finished second on the team with 605 receiving yards while tying with Romeo Doubs, who was picked by the Packers in the fourth round, for a team-high nine receiving touchdowns. The former's athleticism is his limiting factor, as his 4.76 40-yard dash is average and his 27-inch vertical is putrid, but he has steady hands and good body control. He'll add depth at tight end for the Commanders as Logan Thomas recovers from a torn ACL. Turner will battle 2021 fourth-round pick John Bates for the No. 2 role if Thomas is healthy for training camp. |
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Slide ends with Washington
Sat, Apr 30, 2022, 1:05 PM
The Commanders selected Howell in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 144th overall.
Analysis: Howell, like many of the 2022 rookie quarterbacks, slid further than many assumed, but he lands in an intriguing spot with the Commanders. A three-year starter at North Carolina, Howell is hardly a dynamic athlete out of the pocket, but he's mobile enough to extend plays at times and can make every throw at the NFL level. Given that the uninspiring duo of Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke sits above Howell on the depth chart, the 21-year-old could be in position to compete for a starting job in the near future provided he's able to develop and clean up his mechanics in Washington. |
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Finds home in D.C.
Sat, Apr 30, 2022, 11:38 AM
The Commanders selected Butler in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 113th overall.
Analysis: Butler brings significant speed to the Commanders' secondary, as he ran a 4.36 40-yard dash at 6-foot, 194 pounds. Over his final two seasons at Louisiana, Butler posted 105 tackles, 13 pass breakups, three interceptions and a sack. He'll still need to fine-tune his ball skills and perhaps bulk up before he can take on a significant workload on an NFL defense. Still, his speed should make him effective on special teams in the meantime. |
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Enters D.C. backfield
Fri, Apr 29, 2022, 10:18 PM
The Commanders selected Robinson in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 98th overall.
Analysis: Robinson (6-foot-2, 225 pounds) is big running back with an upright build, which can be a hindrance. He was one of the least productive Alabama running backs in recent memory, playing as a backup for four years before finally starting as a fifth-year player in 2021. He'll run hard and do his job well, but the talent is not compelling and he doesn't project to be more than a backup at any point. Even a player like T.J. Yeldon was a much better Crimson Tide prospect. |
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Heads to Nation's Capital
Fri, Apr 29, 2022, 7:20 PM
The Commanders selected Mathis in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 47th overall.
Analysis: Washington's affinity for Alabama defenders is on display again with the Mathis selection. Mathis is a big presence at 6-foot-4 and 310 pounds with big hands and long arms. Despite not being a standout athlete, Mathis was a productive part of the Crimson Tide's defense. He racked up 9.0 sacks and 12.0 tackles for loss as a fifth-year senior in 2021. Mathis will settle in behind former Alabama defensive tackles Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen in the middle of the Washington defense. |
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Surprise pick for Washington
Thu, Apr 28, 2022, 9:07 PM
The Commanders selected Dotson in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 16th overall.
Analysis: Washington traded back from their original 11th overall slot, but not very far. Their selection might indicate that they held Dotson in similar or equal esteem to the wide receivers selected shortly before him, as the Penn State product wasn't expected to go this close in the order to Drake London (No. 8, Atlanta), Garrett Wilson (No. 10, Jets), Chris Olave (No. 11, New Orleans) or Jameson Williams (No. 12, Detroit). While his selection is surprisingly high at 16, it's easy to justify the Dotson pick after a highly convincing collegiate career where he produced 183 receptions for 2,757 yards and 25 touchdowns. Although he's skinny at 5-foot-11, 178 pounds, Dotson creates enough separation to keep defenders off him underneath and he has enough long speed (4.43-second 40) to threaten downfield. Rather than his abilities, Dotson's limitations in Washington would sooner have to do with his quarterbacks. |
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Contract option exercised
Wed, Apr 27, 2022, 12:46 PM
The Commanders have exercised Sweat's fifth-year contract option.
Analysis: As a result, the 2019 first-rounder is under contract with the team through 2023. This coming season, Sweat is set to reprise his starting defensive end duties opposite Chase Young. The 25-year-old is coming off a 2021 campaign in which he recorded 24 tackles, five sacks and three forced fumbles in 10 games. |
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Attacking rehab, doing well
Mon, Apr 25, 2022, 1:57 PM
Commanders head coach Ron Rivera said Monday that Young (knee) is doing "real well," and it's great to see him at the team facility and attacking the rehab process, JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington reports.
Analysis: Young suffered a torn ACL in Week 10 against the Buccaneers and underwent surgery Nov. 22. The 2020 No. 2 overall pick was able to begin jogging in mid-February and appears to be making substantial progress, but Rivera says the dominant pass rusher still doesn't have a timetable to return to on-field activities, per JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington. Young's rehab is currently being overseen by Washington's new head athletic trainer Al Bellamy, according to Ben Standig of The Athletic. |
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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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