Washington Commanders News & Rumors

Commanders Sign RB Jeremy McNichols

April 1st, 2024 at 6:36pm CST by Ben Levine

The Commanders are continuing to add to their running backs room. The team announced that they’ve signed running back Jeremy McNichols.

The 2017 fifth-round pick will now be joining his 10th NFL team. The running back got his longest look in Tennessee in 2020 and 2021, getting into 30 total games. He served as Derrick Henry‘s primary backup/third-down back during his first season with the Titans, finishing with 259 yards from scrimmage.

When Henry missed half of the 2021 campaign, McNichols still only served as a change-of-pace back, although he did garner a career-high 69 touches for 396 yards. The 28-year-old spent the 2023 season bouncing between the 49ers’ active roster and practice squad.

Austin Ekeler is now atop the depth chart in Washington, and the Commanders are still rostering Brian Robinson, who is coming off a season where he topped 1,100 yards from scrimmage and scored nine touchdowns. McNichols will likely compete for the RB3 spot with 2023 sixth-round pick Chris Rodriguez, who got 53 touches as a rookie playing behind Robinson and Antonio Gibson.

Commanders Sign QB Jeff Driskel

April 1st, 2024 at 1:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jeff Driskel will soon have a chance to play a ninth NFL season. An eighth team will give the veteran quarterback an opportunity.

The Commanders signed Driskel on Monday, putting him on track to compete for one of the team’s reserve jobs. Driskel joins Marcus Mariota and Jake Fromm as Washington QBs presently, though a rookie passer is almost definitely going to join this trio — most likely at No. 2 overall. Driskel will turn 31 later this month. It is a one-year deal, per the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala.

Although Driskel is 1-10 as a starter since coming into the league as a 2016 sixth-round pick, he has continued to find work as either a backup or third-string option. The 49ers draftee has bounced to the Bengals, Lions, Broncos, Texans, Cardinals and Browns. He split last season between Arizona and Cleveland, starting the Browns’ Week 18 game despite joining the team just before New Year’s Day.

Driskel’s Cardinals stay did not overlap with Kliff Kingsbury‘s; the Cards added the former Florida and Louisiana Tech passer just before the 2023 draft. Arizona shook up its QB room just before last season, cutting Colt McCoy and David Blough and adding Joshua Dobbs via trade. But Driskel remained part of the equation, residing on the Cardinals’ practice squad — behind Dobbs, Clayton Tune and later Kyler Murray — for most of last season.

The QB-needy Browns poached Driskel off the Cards’ P-squad in late December. Resting Joe Flacco for the playoffs, Cleveland gave Driskel the Week 18 start. He completed a 13-for-26 outing with two touchdown passes and two interceptions. For his career, Driskel is a 58.6% passer (6.1 yards per attempt) who has thrown 16 TD passes and 10 INTs. Most of his starts came in place of an injured Andy Dalton back in 2018; he went 1-4 for the Bengals down the stretch that year.

Washington’s decision at No. 2 overall represents the lead plotline in this year’s draft, with the Bears all but certain to draft Caleb Williams. The Commanders have been connected to Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy with the second pick. Dan Quinn effectively confirmed Washington would leave this draft with a quarterback, though the new HC did not specify where that passer would be drafted. That said, it would be quite surprising if the rebuilding team did not select a passer at 2. Driskel will likely have a chance to compete for the third-string job, with Mariota receiving $5.39MM guaranteed on a one-year, $6MM deal.

Commanders G Nick Allegretti Eyeing Starting Role

April 1st, 2024 at 9:42am CST by Adam La Rose

Nick Allegretti spent the first five seasons of his career in Kansas City, but a new deal with the defending champions would have consigned him to backup duties. The veteran guard instead departed in free agency, signing a three-year, $16MM deal with the Commanders.

Allegretti played 74 regular season games during his tenure with the Chiefs, one which included four Super Bowl appearances and three titles. He logged only 13 starts, however, and the presence of Joe Thuney and Trey Smith meant 2024 would have been a repeat of backup and spot-start duties. The 27-year-old will now look to carve out a first-team role in Washington.

“I have a ton of respect for the guys in Kansas City,” Allegretti said (via the Commanders’ website). “I enjoyed my role there, but I think I had gotten to the point in my career where I wanted to come and be a starter in Week 1. That’s my goal coming to Washington.”

After Thuney suffered an injury in the divisional round of the 2023 playoffs, Allegretti took over as a starter for the AFC title game and Super Bowl. The former seventh-rounder also started each of Kansas City’s three postseason contests in 2020, and he will aim to parlay that big-game experience into full-time duties with his new team. Allegretti’s overall PFF grades have ranged between 52.4 and 70.4 in his career, with strong showings in pass protection being a common theme in his evaluations.

The latter factor will be a key one for the Commanders, after quarterback Sam Howell led the league in sacks taken last season. Changes along the O-line have been a priority for Washington’s new regime (led by general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn), and only right guard Sam Cosmi and right tackle Andrew Wylie remain in place as 2023 carryovers projected to start this year.

Given the terms of his contract (which includes $9MM guaranteed), Allegretti will certainly be expected to hold down a starting position with the Commanders. If he can replicate his Chiefs performances in Washington, he could go a long way toward helping his new team take a much-needed step forward along the O-line.

Seahawks Beat Out Three Teams For Sam Howell Trade

March 28th, 2024 at 6:49pm CST by Ben Levine

Before Sam Howell was dealt to the Seahawks, the quarterback attracted interest from a handful of other suitors. As ESPN’s Brady Henderson writes, at least three other teams negotiated a Howell trade with the Commanders.

One of those squads is believed to be the Rams, who have already pivoted away from Carson Wentz as Matthew Stafford‘s primary backup. When the Rams lost out on the Howell sweepstakes to their division rival, they ended up pivoting to veteran Jimmy Garoppolo, who will miss the first two games of the season after being suspended for PEDs. There was some recent chatter that the Rams could be a suitor for Jets bust Zach Wilson, and it seems pretty clear that the front office was looking to reset the QB depth chart with a veteran backup and a reclamation project.

Ultimately, the Seahawks won out, sending a third- and fifth-round pick to Washington for Howell, a fourth-round pick, and a sixth-round pick. Seattle has made it very clear that Geno Smith still sits atop the depth chart, although general manager John Schneider recently admitted that his newest acquisition could “absolutely” be a full-time starter (via Henderson).

Howell was sacked a league-high 65 times last season. As Henderson notes, part of that blame has been placed on Howell, who has been criticized for holding the ball too long. However, the Seahawks are convinced the QB was “hesitant while playing behind a struggling O-line,” and he could excel with better personnel.

With that in mind, the Seahawks still have work to do on their own offensive line, with both guard spots currently open. Henderson points to free agents Laken Tomlinson and Cody Whitehair as two potential targets for the organization.

Commanders To Sign WR Olamide Zaccheaus

March 28th, 2024 at 5:45pm CST by Ben Levine

Following a one-year stop in Philadelphia, Olamide Zaccheaus will be sticking in the NFC East. The veteran wide receiver has agreed to a contract with the Commanders, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

The former undrafted free agent made a name for himself in Atlanta, where he spent the first four seasons of his career. Zaccheaus earned a larger role each season during his time with the Falcons, culminating in a 2022 campaign where he hauled in 40 receptions for 533 yards and three touchdowns. The wideout spent two of his four seasons with the Falcons playing under current Commanders head coach Dan Quinn.

He caught on with the Eagles last offseason and proceeded to get into every game for his new squad. Zaccheaus mostly served as the third receiver behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, but that still only resulted in 10 catches.

In Washington, Zaccheaus could settle into that familiar WR3 role behind Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson. Swiff Army Knife weapon Curtis Samuel won’t be part of Kliff Kingsbury‘s first offense in Washington, so there are some WR snaps to go around. The team gave Dyami Brown a look last year, and the 2021 third-round pick should compete for reps behind the top-two wideouts. The team also re-signed veteran Jamison Crowder, so there’s a bit of competition for Zaccheaus to overcome.

Commanders GM: Team Not Interested In Trading DT Jonathan Allen

March 26th, 2024 at 2:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jonathan Allen has expressed hesitancy about being part of another Washington rebuild. The standout defensive tackle may not have a choice.

Although the Commanders have a new head coach and football ops boss in place, the Dan Quinn–Adam Peters regime appears prepared to go into the season with Allen in place at his defensive tackle post. Peters said this week (via Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano) the team is not interested in a trade. Only Tress Way has been with the franchise longer than Allen, who is going into his eighth season.

The Commanders have Allen on what has become a team-friendly deal. Since Allen agreed to his four-year, $72MM extension in 2021, the D-tackle market has seen multiple waves adjust its contract hierarchy. Although no one approached Aaron Donald‘s $31.7MM-per-year deal while he was still active, Daron Payne‘s $22.5MM-per-year contract started the formation of a second tier on that market. The subsequent deals for Dexter Lawrence, Jeffery Simmons and Quinnen Williams preceded this year’s monster contracts handed to Chris Jones, Christian Wilkins and Justin Madubuike.

The activity on this market over the past three offseasons has dropped Allen to 12th at the position in terms of AAV. With the 2017 first-round pick signed through 2025, it can be expected he will be asked to play another season on this deal — if, in fact, he remains a Commander going into the season.

Teams asked about Allen before last year’s deadline, but Ron Rivera and Co. did not move either of their D-tackle pieces; they instead traded both their defensive ends. Rivera and other staffers did not want to give up Montez Sweat, but ownership is widely believed to have played a role in the team moving on from both its top DEs last fall.

It would be interesting to see if Josh Harris would step in on the Allen front, but considering he just hired Peters to run football ops, another such intervention would surprise. Allen is coming off a 5.5-sack season, though he totaled more QB hits (19) compared to his 7.5-sack 2022. Allen, 29, has registered 22 sacks over the past three seasons, helping a D-line compensate for Chase Young‘s injury trouble.

Washington would seem to still have an opening opposite ex-Quinn Dallas disciple Dorance Armstrong at defensive end, though fellow ex-Quinn Cowboys charge Dante Fowler and Clelin Ferrell could conceivably compete for the other starting job. But Allen staying keeps D-tackle as a team strength. Former second-round pick Phidarian Mathis joins Allen and Payne inside. A big offer could change the Commanders’ mind here, as this regime is inheriting the Rivera-era extension, and Allen could be a name to watch at the deadline come November. For now, however, the oldest of the team’s three ex-Alabama DTs is staying put.

Latest On Commanders’ QB Plans; J.J. McCarthy In Play At No. 2 Overall?

March 25th, 2024 at 10:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Dan Quinn effectively confirmed the long-held expectation the Commanders will be likely to draft a quarterback this year. While the new Washington HC did not indicate that move would necessarily come at No. 2 overall, that should be expected.

Which passer the NFC East team will take may be this year’s most intriguing first-round development. With the Bears almost definitely set to draft Caleb Williams first overall, a Jayden Daniels-or-Drake Maye question persists for the Commanders. But the J.J. McCarthy rise may have reached the point where Washington’s No. 2 draft slot pertains to the recent national championship-winning passer.

A number of executives at this week’s league meetings view McCarthy as the most likely Commanders choice at No. 2, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero offers (video link). This would certainly be a considerable jump from where McCarthy was viewed as Michigan’s unbeaten season wound down, but the 21-year-old prospect has continued to climb during the pre-draft process.

McCarthy impressed at his pro day, with Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline noting the number of NFL execs topped the scout count at the Ann Arbor event. The Chargers trading out of No. 5 to a team aiming to leapfrog the Giants for McCarthy should be considered in play, per Pauline. The Commanders making this sort of move would obviously make this scenario moot, though it would be a different move compared to how the 49ers played it when Adam Peters last offered input into a quarterback decision near the top of the draft.

The 2021 draft featured Trevor Lawrence locked in at No. 1 for months in advance, and the Jets’ Zach Wilson intentions became clear weeks ahead of the event. The 49ers, who had traded two future first-rounders to move up to No. 3, went with Trey Lance. This came after reports linked Mac Jones to San Francisco. Viewed as a lower-ceiling prospect compared to Lance at the time, Jones did not profile as a player worthy of the No. 3 pick. This is believed to have impacted the 49ers’ thinking, as Kyle Shanahan may or may not have been overruled regarding Jones at 3.

Neither of those passers panned out with his original team, but the 49ers giving up on Lance after two years (four starts) proved eye-opening. The miss did not deter the Commanders from naming Peters their president of football ops, however, and he faces a similar decision in his first draft running Washington’s front office.

McCarthy has already met with the Giants and Broncos, but those teams would not have a route toward outflanking the Commanders for the fast-rising ex-Wolverine. Jim Harbaugh did not ask his final Michigan QB to do too much, and he totaled just 2,991 passing yards in 15 games last season. But the 6-foot-2 passer showed accuracy improvement from the 2022 season, vaulting to a 72.3% completion rate; his TD-INT ratios in two starter seasons: 22-5, 22-4.

Daniel Jeremiah’s most recent NFL.com mock draft has Maye going to Washington at No. 2 (with the Vikings coming up to No. 4 for McCarthy), while Mel Kiper Jr.’s ESPN.com big board sends Daniels to the nation’s capital. We are still weeks away from the draft, with prospect visit season beginning.

On that note, SI.com’s Albert Breer indicates Daniels is believed to hold pole position for the Commanders, citing the fit with OC Kliff Kingsbury as part of the reason behind this placement. The 2023 Heisman winner joined McCarthy in upping his draft stock considerably in his final college season, dominating in his second year at LSU. The Raiders have been the team most closely connected to Daniels, due to Antonio Pierce‘s past with the QB when the two were at Arizona State. Las Vegas sitting at No. 13 obviously presents a steep trade path to Daniels.

But the Commanders would have first dibs on Daniels, Maye or McCarthy; as of now, FanDuel odds give Daniels a slight edge on Maye. McCarthy’s rise should certainly be monitored, however, and it has become clear a team eyeing the Michigan-developed passer will probably need to move into or near the top five to draft him.

Commanders Sign OL Michael Deiter

March 25th, 2024 at 1:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

Michael Deiter‘s Texans contract ended up producing more starts than expected, as the AFC South champions needed the ex-Dolphins draftee due to injuries along their front. But the sides will part ways.

The Commanders reached an agreement to bring in Deiter, according to the team. The five-year veteran interior O-lineman is coming off a 10-start season. The former third-round pick has worked at center and guard as a pro.

Washington released starting center Nick Gates but added Tyler Biadasz early in free agency, giving the team a clear-cut favorite to become the starting snapper. Guard Nick Allegretti also signed with Washington. However, guard starter Saahdiq Charles left to join the Titans recently. Deiter stands to at least provide swing depth for the rebuilding team.

The Commanders’ O-line will look different next season; Charles, Gates and left tackle Charles Leno are no longer on the roster. The team still has a need on the blind side, and while right tackle Andrew Wylie and right guard Sam Cosmi remain under contract, Biadasz and Allegretti are on track to start. Deiter provided important depth for a resurgent Texans team that employed a rookie quarterback chosen second overall; his Washington role could be eerily similar.

Deiter played on a one-year, $1.23MM deal in Houston but ended up being needed extensively at center. The team lost its primary 2022 starting pivot, Scott Quessenberry, to a season-ending injury last summer and then saw guards Kenyon Green and Kendrick Green go down for the year. Second-round pick Juice Scruggs, who had been tapped to play center coming out of Penn State, debuted well into the season due a significant hamstring setback sustained during the preseason. This turn of events moved Deiter into a starting job, and the team kept him there when Scruggs recovered. With Scruggs potentially set to take over at center in Houston, Deiter is moving on.

Pro Football Focus graded Deiter 26th among centers last season. The Dolphins demoted him following a 15-start rookie year, one that came for a Miami team beginning a rebuild, but used him as an eight-game starter in 2021. The Wisconsin alum’s starter experience — particularly for rebuilding teams — should be key for a Commanders team breaking in some new faces up front.

Falcons Were Interested In Top Defensive FAs; More On Kirk Cousins’ Decision

March 24th, 2024 at 10:34pm CST by Rory Parks

On the day before the 2024 league year opened, the Falcons agreed to a four-year, $180MM deal with former Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, a deal that will pay the 35-year-old passer (36 in August) $50MM in guaranteed money. Even if Atlanta had not signed Cousins, the club was still prepared to make a major free agent splash.

Albert Breer of SI.com, in a piece that is well-worth a read for fans of the Falcons and Vikings in particular, explores in considerable detail how Cousins came to sign with Atlanta, beginning with the February 2022 meeting between the quarterback, his agent, and Minnesota head coach Kevin O’Connell, whom the Vikes had just hired. While most of Breer’s writing focuses on the discussions, both football and contractual, between Cousins’ camp and Vikings brass and then between Cousins’ camp and Falcons brass, he does note that Atlanta had interest in top defensive free agents Danielle Hunter — another long-time member of the Vikings — and Christian Wilkins.

Per Breer, if the Falcons had not been successful in their pursuit of Cousins or another high-priced FA signal-caller like Baker Mayfield, they would have spent their money on defense, with Hunter and Wilkins named as potential targets. Mayfield had agreed to a new contract with the Bucs while Cousins was still in limbo, so Atlanta GM Terry Fontenot spoke with the agents for Hunter and Wilkins in case he would have to address his QB position via a trade for a player like Justin Fields or via the draft. He was told that both players would fetch at least $25MM per year, which turned out to be pretty accurate. Fontenot also explored the possibility of trading up into the top-three of the draft to land a blue-chip collegiate quarterback, though the teams holding those selections (the Bears, Commanders, and Patriots) were not interested in dealing, at least not that early in the process.

Ultimately, Cousins chose to sign with the Falcons, and Atlanta subsequently bolstered his pass-catching contingent by authorizing a notable contract for wide receiver Darnell Mooney and sending displaced quarterback Desmond Ridder to the Cardinals in exchange for slot man Rondale Moore. Without a high-end QB contract on their books, it was the Vikings who pivoted to the defensive side of the ball, adding Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Blake Cashman in quick succession while bidding farewell to Hunter.

Shortly after Cousins decided to make the move to Atlanta, he said the team simply seemed more prepared than Minnesota to commit to him on a long-term basis. Indeed, Breer reports that while the Vikings did improve their offer to Cousins as negotiations went on by putting more guaranteed money on the table, it was the structure of those guarantees that swung the pendulum in the Falcons’ favor. The Vikings’ proposals always gave them the ability to part ways with Cousins in 2025 without many financial ramifications, and Cousins ultimately felt he was being viewed as a bridge to a passer that the team would select in next month’s draft.

The Falcons’ deal, on the other hand, guarantees all of Cousins’ 2025 base salary of $27.5MM, effectively tethering player and team to each other for the next two seasons. Atlanta can realistically get out of the deal in 2026, at which point Cousins’ cap number skyrockets to $57.5MM. Still, he will at least have an NFL home beyond the upcoming campaign, which was clearly a top priority for him.

Having devoted so many resources to their offense, Fontenot & Co. will have to turn their attention to the draft to address a defense that finished 24th in DVOA and 21st in sacks in 2023. To that end, the team has scheduled a predraft visit with Alabama edge defender Dallas Turner, as Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reports. The Vikings and Bears will also visit with Turner, who could be the first defensive player off the board.

Commanders HC Dan Quinn Addresses QB Plans

March 23rd, 2024 at 9:17pm CST by Adam La Rose

The top three selections in April’s draft belong to QB-needy teams, leading many to expect the Bears, Commanders and Patriots to turn down trade offers and add a signal-caller at the top of the board. When speaking about the team’s plans, Washington head coach Dan Quinn confirmed a rookie quarterback will likely be in place by the start of the 2024 season.

“I would say it’d be fair to envision we’d be taking a quarterback,” Quinn said during an interview with NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. “To say where it’ll be happening, I think that’s a better question for [general manager] Adam [Peters]. As the next weeks unfold there’ll be a lot of discussion, and that’s why we’ve had a great trip out seeing some guys, we’ll do that some more in the weeks ahead, but I’ve enjoyed that process with Adam, and going through it.”

With nine selections (including six of the first 100) in the draft, the Commanders will have plenty of opportunities to make a long-term investment under center. The likeliest point at which that will happen, though, is of course the No. 2 slot. The now Justin Fields-less Bears are on track to take Caleb Williams off the board first overall, leaving Peters, Quinn and Co. to choose between LSU’s Jayden Daniels and North Carolina’s Drake Maye.

The former won the Heisman in 2023 after posting by far a career-high 40 touchdown passes (along with only four interceptions). Daniels added 1,134 yards and 10 scores on the ground, but the former Arizona State transfer has drawn criticism for only having one season of stellar production. Due to his longstanding relationship with Antonio Pierce and the Raiders’ potential desire to add a first-round passer, Las Vegas could be a team willing to make a bold move up the order if the Commanders pass on him.

In that event, Washington would likely add Maye, who entered the 2023 season relatively close to Williams in many evaluations. After his second full season as the Tar Heels’ starter did not go as well as the first, though, Maye’s stock may have experienced a drop. The Patriots reportedly have concerns with him, something which would of course be relevant if Williams and Daniels came off the board first and second overall. After neither Daniels nor Maye threw at the Combine, individual meetings with both will be crucial for the Commanders and teams within their range.

Trading out of the second slot would be another possibility for the Commanders – a team which traded away Sam Howell not long after signing veteran backup Marcus Mariota. As Quinn noted, though, while inquiries have started, it would take a massive offer from an interested team to convince Washington to give up the opportunity to select one of the top signal-callers available. Plenty is yet to be determined in the coming weeks, but as things stand a QB selection should still be expected on the part of the Commanders.

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