Daily Slop - 31 Aug 24: Commanders roster, coaching and opponent matchups come under scrutiny as season opener approaches (2024)

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The Athletic (paywall)

Commanders not likely to contend in 2024 but finally have foundation in place

Yes, the Washington Commanders have had a great offseason. They got the biggest thing right: hiring general manager Adam Peters away from the San Francisco 49ers. They got the second-biggest thing right: being so bad last season that they were able to take a shot at a potential franchise quarterback in Jayden Daniels.

They, probably, got the third-biggest thing right: turning what looked like a failed dalliance with Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson into hiring Dan Quinn. He has melded his limitless energy and hard-earned lessons from his last head-coaching stint with what Washington and its still-new ownership and front office need: someone who knows what he wants in a football team, who can sell it and teach it.

But none of this — including the positive vibes and professionalism for which Peters, Quinn and the slew of new hires have already been commended by others around the league — means you should expect a Houston Texans-like, one-year turnaround in D.C.

[T]hey could.

But they probably won’t.

And guess what? That’s not a bad thing at all.

After 32 years in the wilderness, you can wait another few seasons. This will take some time. A new system with new coaches and players takes time to implement, then know, then master.

There are too many holes in the existing roster, even though more than half of last season’s roster has been expunged. The left side of the offensive line is, let’s say, unproven. The Commanders say they love their wide receivers, yet they brought in ex-Texan Noah Brown to the active roster Wednesday. The secondary has been overhauled, and Washington got its new starting kicker from the Cleveland Browns with a week left in the preseason.

Sports Illustrated

Buccaneers Coach Gives Thoughts on Week 1 Matchup vs. Commanders

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach knows the Washington Commanders will be ready in Week 1.

[W]hen speaking to the media Bucs’ head coach Todd Bowles knows that the Commanders will be ready when they step foot onto the field in just over a week.

“Obviously the quarterback they drafted, number one. [He has an] outstanding arm, [he’s] very accurate, throws a great deep ball, knows when to get rid of the ball [and] can run, as well. Obviously, [Terry] McLaurin is another threat. They’ve got two big D-linemen in there that we’re going to have to pay attention to along with the rest of the guys I’m not even mentioning. They’ve got a slew of players, they’ve got a very good coaching staff and I know they will be ready to play,” Bowles said.

ESPN

NFL X factors for 2024 season: Key players for all 32 teams

Washington Commanders: WR Dyami Brown

Perhaps no incumbent Washington player will benefit more from new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury than Brown. A third-round selection in 2021, he never broke into the wide receiver rotation under former coordinators Scott Turner or Eric Bieniemy. He’s a bit of a one-trick pony: He runs good vertical routes, has good speed and tracks the ball well. But outside of a vertical route, he wasn’t bringing much value to the Commanders’ passing attack.

Good news! Kingsbury’s offense needs receivers who can line up outside, get vertical and win a one-on-one against the sideline. That’s Brown’s bread and butter. It already seemed like he had won the starting outside receiver job opposite Terry McLaurin before the Jahan Dotson trade — he was taking consistent reps with the first-teamers while all receivers below him were rotating — but now it’s a lock.

Even more good news for Brown: New quarterback Jayden Daniels relied heavily on winning isolation one-on-ones at LSU last season. (You would too if you had Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr.) If Brown can win consistently on this route, it will smooth the on-ramp for Daniels as the rookie gets up to NFL speed, ensure the Commanders have a viable non-McLaurin target and create scoring opportunities via the explosive play.

Commanders Wire

The Commanders have one of the NFL’s oldest rosters in 2024

In finalizing his 53-man roster, Peters gutted the 2023 draft class, leaving Washington with only two players from its seven-player class.

So, back to the age of Washington’s “recalibrating roster.” According to Jimmy Kempski of the Philly Voice, the Commanders have the NFL’s eighth-oldest roster at 26.64 years old.

No one should panic here. First, this will change daily. This was the average age of the initial roster for all 32 teams. This offseason, Peters signed numerous players to short-term deals to field a competitive team and build depth. The previous regime’s poor draft classes left the Commanders with little depth.

ESPN

Who calls plays for every NFL team in 2024? What to know

Washington Commanders

Playcaller: Kliff Kingsbury, offensive coordinator

Experience: As head coach of the Cardinals from 2019 to 2022, Kingsbury served as the primary playcaller. He entered the NFL having called plays in college from 2011 to 2018, at Houston, Texas A&M and then as the head coach at Texas Tech.

What to know: Kingsbury entered the NFL with the Air Raid offense. But that didn’t just mean a pass-heavy attack. His Arizona offenses ranked 11th in rushing attempts and 10th in rushing yards per game. But in three of his four seasons, Arizona’s ranking in yards and points scored were worse in the second half of the season. In Washington, run game coordinator Anthony Lynn, pass game coordinator Brian Johnson and line coach Bobby Johnson have helped craft the offense Kingsbury will run. They come from different systems. Kingsbury has worked with numerous young quarterbacks, from Patrick Mahomes at Texas Tech to Kyler Murray in Arizona. That experience will help with rookie Jayden Daniels. — John Keim

Washington Post (paywall)

Commanders fans asked, we answered. On the roster, ownership and beyond.

Washington Post beat writers Nicki Jhabvala and Sam Fortier dish on the hot topics — and silly ones, too — in a Reddit Ask Me Anything session.

If they ever change the name — not a guarantee — it almost certainly will be after they settle on the location for a new stadium and feel like they have rebuilt the football and business departments.

Basically, the state of the stadium search hinges on the lame-duck session of Congress after the presidential election. The bill that would make RFK a realistic option passed the House in February (with bipartisan support) but has been stuck in the Senate since May.

If the bill passes, it’s a massive win for D.C., and the city can compete with Maryland to land the stadium. If the bill fails, it would be a massive question for Harris: Will he try again to put RFK on the table, or would he go to Maryland?

Is Noah Brown going to be the team’s No. 2 wide receiver?

[T]he notion of the second wide receiver, third wide receiver and so on is a bit misleading. Terry McLaurin is clearly the leading wide receiver, and beyond him the hierarchy is usually more for the fans than the team. Opening scripts will determine who starts week to week. The more important measure is Brown’s production and his rapport with Jayden Daniels. The two got in extra reps after practice Thursday to work through details of routes, and if they can build a chemistry, then Brown’s size should help a group that is otherwise fairly small.

I know it always feels like we “win” the offseason, so how has this felt different than years past?

There actually seems to be a plan, and they’re not simply winging it. In recent years, it often felt like the Commanders wanted to change their identity almost annually, so it made it difficult to build any cohesion with their young players or veterans. First they wanted to re-create the 2015 Carolina Panthers. Then they wanted to model their rebuild after the Bills’. Then they wanted to emulate the Kansas City Chiefs. Now, there is a clear long-term plan they have followed since Day 1. They brought in veterans on short-term deals to build through the draft, and they have been disciplined in not mortgaging the future to one player or one position group. Getting the quarterback will always be paramount, though, and much of the optimism centers on Daniels. So far, he has been as advertised. Better, even. But can he do it consistently against starting defenses?

Predict our record for this year!

Sportsbooks forecast six to eight wins, which feels right to me. This is the start of a rebuild with a rookie quarterback in a new system and a bridge roster around him. It’s going to take time.

Podcasts & videos

Austin Ekeler + Clinton Portis + And NFL Insider Adam Schefter | Next Man Up | Washington Commanders

NFC East links

Bleeding Green Nation

Preseason All-NFC East Team: Defense

Interior Defender

Dexter Lawrence, New York Giants: Dexter Lawrence has been a force over the last few seasons. It’s rare to get a nose-tackle that can generate the type of pass rush that Lawrence can, especially at his size. With Aaron Donald retired, Dexter Lawrence is arguably the top interior defender in the league.

Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles: A lot of attention was paid to Jalen Carter’s drop off in the second half of his rookie season. I am guilty of focusing too much on those last weeks, since they were so miserable for the whole team. But zoom out on his first year, and he was simply one of the most disruptive players in the NFL. With another offseason under his belt and a legit defensive coordinator calling the shots, Jalen Carter will take a massive step forward in year two.

Second Team: Jonathan Allen, Washington Commanders and Osa Odighizuwa, Dallas Cowboys

Linebacker

Bobby Okereke, New York Giants: Bobby Okereke was an excellent signing by the Giants in the spring of 2023. He had the best season of his career last season, energizing the Giants whole defense. Okereke is a do-it-all linebacker and will anchor an even more improved unit this season.

Frankie Luvu, Washington Commanders: As a Tier-1 Commanders Hater, it bums me out how great this signing was. Frankie Luvu was one of the league’s underrated defenders during his time in Carolina. Now Dan Quinn has him in the new-look Commanders defense. Luvu is a smart, dependable player and he should ball out in his first year in Washington (Landover, Maryland).

Second Team: Bobby Wagner, Washington Commanders and Eric Kendricks, Dallas Cowboys

The Athletic (paywall)

2024 NFL win total projections for all 32 teams: Experts react to our model

Philadelphia Eagles

Win total: 10.2

Mock writes, “Ultimately, this division comes down to how well Eagles QB Jalen Hurts plays.” I agree. And that’s why I still feel comfortable about my 12-5 prediction from the spring. Hurts was noticeably more polished in training camp. He was decisive, effective and dangerous on deep throws. The Eagles’ wealth of offensive talent could produce, at the very least, a top-five offense if Hurts can command this system properly. Owner Jeffrey Lurie has demonstrated patience with his head coaches so long as there’s confidence in a competitive path forward. But it’s worth wondering whether a 10-win season would be considered a regression under Nick Sirianni. — Brooks Kubena

Dallas Cowboys

Win total: 10.0

Despite Dallas’ three consecutive 12-win seasons, the model’s 10-win projection is right on line with what most would expect from the Cowboys. After winning the NFC East, the Cowboys have a tough first-place schedule, which includes games against the Ravens, 49ers, Lions, Eagles (twice), Texans and Bengals. If they remain mostly healthy in all of the key spots, anywhere between nine wins and 12 wins seems like a fair projection. — Saad Yousuf

New York Giants

Win total: 6.7

This is right on target. The Giants won six games last year and, yes, there was a Murphy’s Law element involved with so many injuries to top players. But it’s not as simple as expecting improvement if the team manages to stay healthier. First, quarterback Daniel Jones has a lengthy injury history, so health isn’t a given. Additionally, the Giants are without some top players from last season’s roster (Saquon Barkley, Xavier McKinney, Leonard Williams). They traded for Brian Burns and drafted Malik Nabers in the first round with the expectation they’ll be game-changers on both sides of the ball. But there are enough question marks with the roster to temper expectations. — Dan Duggan

Washington Commanders

Win total: 5.9

The broad oddsmakers set the win total at 6.5, a number that many Jayden Daniels believers find shockingly low. Mock’s model went even lower with a league-worst 5.9 wins. What the projections cannot easily consider is the Commanders’ renewed competitive spirit under coach Dan Quinn. Daniels’ upside and more weekly consistency should push Washington above Mock’s number, but it might take injury and bounce-of-the-ball luck (and better-than-expected CB and OT play) to reach seven wins or sniff .500. — Ben Standig