{"id":106072,"date":"2025-06-05T13:36:12","date_gmt":"2025-06-05T13:36:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/106072\/"},"modified":"2025-06-05T13:36:12","modified_gmt":"2025-06-05T13:36:12","slug":"wft-news-washington-commanders-news-links-36","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/106072\/","title":{"rendered":"WFT News: Washington Commanders News Links"},"content":{"rendered":"

Commanders links
\nArticles
\nBullock\u2019s Film Room
\nHow will Brandon Coleman handle shifting to guard?<\/a><\/p>\n

The good news for Coleman is that he has some experience playing left guard already, having played some in college. Many draft analysts projected him as a guard at the next level. The Commanders have been bullish on his ability to play tackle, but with Tunsil and Conerly likely the bookend tackles, the only available spot for Coleman to start at is guard. But is Coleman actually better suited to guard and how will that move mesh with his strengths and weaknesses? Let\u2019s take a closer look.<\/p>\n

Run blocking<\/p>\n

As a run blocker, Coleman showed a lot of tenacity and the ability to move defenders off their spot last season. In a lot of their gap scheme runs, Coleman would be responsible for helping a guard secure a block inside before working up to the second level, which he proved effective at.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

However, at guard, Coleman\u2019s responsibility on a lot of these gap run schemes will be slightly different. Instead of helping the guard secure a block and then working up to the second level, Coleman will be the guard that has to secure the block on the defensive tackle inside. Fortunately, there were a few different instances where he had to do just that last season.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Commanders.com
\nOTA notebook | Quan Martin could become one of NFL\u2019s \u2018better safeties\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

Martin, a second-round pick from the 2023 season, had the best campaign of his career so far, recording 87 tackles in the regular season and two total interceptions, one of which was the touchdown he scored in the Divisional round against the Detroit Lions. He started 16 games, compared to just five in 2023, and forced three fumbles as the team\u2019s strong safety.<\/p>\n

But Martin\u2019s growth has been a work in progress under Whitt and his defensive staff. Whitt had him playing with the second group during last year\u2019s OTAs, primarily because he was making mistakes that the defensive coordinator said, \u201cWe can\u2019t afford to make.\u201d<\/p>\n

After that, Martin ripped off three consecutive strong practices. He worked his way back onto the starting defense, which is when he made one of the more impressive plays of the offseason by catching an interception behind his back.<\/p>\n

Now, Martin has taken his development a step further and become a leader in terms of communicating on the field with his teammates.<\/p>\n

Washington Post (paywall)
\n\u2018We got some big ol\u2019 guys\u2019: Why the Commanders\u2019 defensive line bulked up<\/a><\/p>\n

After last season\u2019s struggles to stop the run, Washington has spent the offseason confronting some weighty issues<\/p>\n

After losing longtime tackle Jonathan Allen and last season\u2019s sack leader, Dante Fowler Jr., in free agency, the Commanders bulked up by signing defensive tackles Javon Kinlaw and Eddie Goldman and defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr., who combined weigh close to half a ton and stand 6-foot-4 on average.<\/p>\n

Washington also brought back 335-pound interior lineman Carl Davis and saw returning tackle Sheldon Day tack on a few pounds \u2014 he\u2019s now listed at 294, up from 285. And the team still has 2018 first-round pick Daron Payne anchoring the interior at a svelte 320.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to get bigger and longer, and we definitely did that up front,\u201d defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. said ahead of Wednesday\u2019s workout. \u201cThe vision of how we want to play and how we want to be and how we will look, you\u2019re seeing more of it right now from a size and length and speed standpoint.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Athletic (paywall)
\nCommanders\u2019 Daron Payne is leading by example with his inspiring offseason work<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201c(Payne) looks really good. He looks in tempo,\u201d Whitt said. \u201cLike, every day this dude is \u2014 I\u2019m having to tell him, \u2018Hey, man, let\u2019s calm down.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Washington fans previously witnessed Payne playing the role of interior monster. The 2022 version collapsed pockets and engulfed ball carriers en route to earning his lone Pro Bowl selection with 11 1\/2 sacks and 18 tackles for loss. The 2018 first-round pick signed a four-year, $90 million contract the following offseason. Whitt and Quinn will become unabashed cheerleaders if Payne\u2019s performances sniff that level.<\/p>\n

While solid in the subsequent two seasons, Payne\u2019s combined sack (8) and tackles for loss (18) numbers didn\u2019t pop. There were a few individual standout moments during Washington\u2019s all-smiles 12-win regular season. Maintaining this intensity when the games count would help regain that form.<\/p>\n

\u201cI walked past (Payne) today and said, \u2018Man, you\u2019ve had a remarkable offseason,\u2019\u201d Quinn said following Wednesday\u2019s session. \u201cI felt that way through the drill work, through the skill (work). You just see something that jumps out differently. \u2026 I felt that from him coming into this offseason, and I\u2019ve certainly been impressed by what I\u2019ve seen so far.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yardbarker
\nCommanders need big year from Daron Payne<\/a><\/p>\n

Washington is now rebuilding the line for the second straight year around Payne. However, Payne\u2019s play was lackluster the past two seasons, with four sacks each year. While interior linemen\u2019s contributions aren\u2019t completely seen on a stat sheet, Payne has underperformed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been really pleased,\u201d defensive coordinator Joe Whitt said of Payne. \u201c[Payne] is leading by example. This year you can see him taking that leadership role to the next step.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Commanders focused on interior defensive linemen for depth hoping to bolster their run defense, which ranked third-worst leaguewide (137.5 yards per game) last season. They added Javon Kinlaw, Eddie Goldman, Deatrich Wise and Jacob Martin in free agency.<\/p>\n

If Washington is to improve, it\u2019s up to Payne and his pupils.<\/p>\n

Washington Business Journal (paywall)
\nCommanders conducting preliminary search for D.C. stadium architect<\/a><\/p>\n

The spokesperson said that because of D.C.\u2019s height limit, the stadium \u201ccannot be built with a \u2018straight up\u2019 design similar to other modern stadiums and still achieve the 65,000-seat capacity the team is seeking.\u201d But they added that those limitations \u201cwill allow the team to \u2018do some really interesting things both from the experience inside the stadium as well as the aesthetics of it outside the stadium.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Podcasts & videos<\/p>\n

On video wrapping up the Commanders\u2019 OTA practice (while legendary NBC Washington sports photog \u2066@dckerNBC4<\/a>\u2069 quietly works a few feet away!). Deebo Samuel; Jayden Daniels, Will Harris, big nickels, Croskey-Merritt and more. \u2066@ESPNRichmond<\/a>\u2069 https:\/\/t.co\/4Q7ZwiKD0B<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 John Keim (@john_keim) June 5, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Commanders Defense in SPOTLIGHT as Jayden Daniels Shines in Red Zone<\/p>\n

NFC East links<\/p>\n

The Athletic (paywall)
\nThe Scotsman who helped the Eagles perfect the tush push: \u2018Nobody else is doing what I do\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve spent the last 20 years working on how to move bodies: angles, force, height, weight, you name it,\u201d Gray says. \u201cSo on watching it we kind of ripped the whole play to bits and built it back up again, and out of that conversation, I\u2019m sure there were two or three things the group took and added to the play.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe play is over three levels, firstly, the offensive line. You\u2019ve got some phenomenal O-line athletes at the Eagles, one of the heaviest in the league, some huge humans. You\u2019ve then got Jalen Hurts, who is pound-for-pound one of the strongest quarterbacks in the league, so the play is completely made for his body type.\u201d Hurts squatted 600 pounds (272 kilograms) while in college at Alabama. <\/p>\n

\u201cThen you\u2019ve got two players in behind him who actually don\u2019t add that much at all in the push. It\u2019s called the push, but if you watch it, there\u2019s actually not a lot of pushing involved in it. It\u2019s thought of as a pushing play, but a lot of the time, those two back pushers never get to Hurts. The job\u2019s done before then. I always class it as organised mass.\u201d<\/p>\n

KJ Henry used NIL to save his father\u2019s life. Signing with the Eagles brought him closer to the nonprofit that helped. https:\/\/t.co\/8tUAhZpgJw<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 The Philadelphia Inquirer (@PhillyInquirer) May 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

NFL league links
\nArticles
\nNFL.com
\nDerek Carr on decision to retire: I didn\u2019t want to \u2018just take the Saints money\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThat part was tough because I didn\u2019t want to have surgery and just sit there and \u2014 it sounds crazy but \u2014 just take the Saints money,\u201d Carr told David Rumsey of Front Office Sports<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Carr framed his May 10 decision to walk away as being in the best interest of all parties.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t have been able to play if I had the surgery,\u201d Carr said. \u201cAnd then if I tried to play with it, I wasn\u2019t near 100%, and so that doesn\u2019t help them, either. I just felt like it was the right thing to do for myself and for the team.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Saints and Carr came to the decision that the quarterback would retire, leaving $30 million guaranteed that he would have received in 2025, and the club wouldn\u2019t pursue the $10 million roster bonus that would have been forfeited by retiring.<\/p>\n

Discussion topics<\/p>\n

Washington Post (paywall)
\nAre cold plunges good for you? Here\u2019s what the science says.<\/a><\/p>\n

Cold plunges are very popular, but a new study shows they may interfere with muscle recovery and growth.<\/p>\n

Ice baths and cold plunges \u2014 interchangeable terms for soaking in near-freezing water \u2014 have grown wildly popular in recent years, thanks to podcasters<\/a>, social media influencers<\/a>, professional athletes and others touting their uses for exercise recovery and personal wellness.<\/p>\n

But do they actually work?<\/p>\n

That question was at the heart of a new study<\/a> of frigid water and resistance training. The study\u2019s authors found that plunging your limbs into icy water after lifting weights slows blood flow to muscles, hampering their ability to recover and grow, potentially reducing the benefits of the workout.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt looks like it\u2019s not a great idea\u201d to soak in freezing water after lifting weights, said Milan Betz, a doctoral student at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, who led the study.<\/p>\n

The findings add to mounting evidence that ice baths may undermine the effects of lifting and also raise the provocative issue of when, if ever, ice baths are a great idea.<\/p>\n

[S]cientists in Australia asked 21 men to lift weights twice a week. Half of the men cold plunged after every session; the others didn\u2019t. After three months, the cold plungers\u2019 muscles were nearly 20 percent smaller and weaker than the other men\u2019s, although everyone followed the same exercise routine.<\/p>\n

The review\u2019s authors speculated that frigid temperatures shrink blood vessels, impeding blood flow to muscles. Blood carries nutrients, including protein, that muscles rely on to rebuild and bulk up after draining exercise. Less blood flow means less protein and a feebler recovery.<\/p>\n

[In one recent study] volunteers…sweated though a tough session of leg press and leg extension exercises, before immediately clambering onto a bicycle-like contraption with large buckets where the pedals should be. One contained tepid 80-degree water, the other icy 30-degree water. The men slid a leg into each bucket, so one limb cold plunged, the other didn\u2019t, and stayed there for 20 minutes.<\/p>\n

Afterward, the volunteers drank a recovery shake containing protein molecules marked with a biochemical tracer. Researchers could track the tracer to see whether the proteins wound up in muscles or not. The scientists also checked blood flow with an ultrasound several more times over the next few hours.<\/p>\n

What they found was that blood flow dropped substantially in the volunteers\u2019 cold-plunged leg, compared to their other limb, and stayed low for hours. The muscles in that chilled leg consequently received and absorbed far less protein from the shake. Over time, this reduced protein intake would likely mean blunted gains in strength and muscle mass from the lifting.<\/p>\n

Some people also ice bathe for reasons unrelated to exercise recovery, including to make themselves feel mentally stronger and more resilient. The new study did not consider psychological outcomes from chilling out, Betz said, and, if you find comfort in cold plunges, \u201cthere\u2019s no reason to change your mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

But, to get the most gains from weight training, he said, the bulk of the available evidence, including the new study, suggest you should probably skip an ice bath soon afterward.<\/p>\n

Pro Football Focus
\nRanking each NFL team\u2019s top QB-WR\/TE duo ahead of the 2025 season<\/a><\/p>\n

2. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES<\/a>: JALEN HURTS<\/a> & A.J. BROWN<\/a><\/p>\n

Brown came in at No. 1 in PFF\u2019s wide receiver rankings<\/a>, thanks to his dominant 96.5 PFF receiving grade versus single coverage over the past three seasons. Hurts hasn\u2019t always been the most efficient quarterback, but he bounced back from some bad PFF passing grades under pressure to start 2024 and became a Super Bowl champion. <\/p>\n

3. HOUSTON TEXANS<\/a>: C.J. STROUD<\/a> & NICO COLLINS<\/a><\/p>\n

Stroud\u2019s 2024 campaign was largely the same as his rookie year in terms of PFF grade (80.4 PFF passing grade in 2023 compared to 77.5 in 2024), and Nico Collins has been his safety blanket. Collins has generated a 117.8 passer rating when targeted over the past two seasons with Stroud, which ranks sixth in the NFL.<\/p>\n

4. WASHINGTON COMMANDERS<\/a>: JAYDEN DANIELS<\/a> & TERRY McLAURIN<\/a><\/p>\n

Daniels came in at No. 6 in PFF\u2019s quarterback rankings<\/a> for the 2025 season, while McLaurin cracked the top 10 of the wide receiver rankings<\/a>. What puts this duo even higher on this list as a collective is the fact that Daniels earned an elite 92.9 PFF passing grade when targeting McLaurin and Marcus Mariota<\/a> earned an elite 93.2 PFF passing grade when targeting McLaurin while Daniels was hurt.<\/p>\n

All aTwitter<\/p>\n

Interesting note from Joe Whitt on Commanders rookie LB Kain Medrano wanting to see if he’s more of an LB or safety – “Is he Frankie or is he Jeremy?”<\/p>\n

\u2014 JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) June 4, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Year 13 in the NFL for Commanders TE Zach Ertz.<\/p>\n

The dude is hungrier than ever and had a lot of great things to say about Jayden Daniels.<\/p>\n

On Jayden, Ertz said, “A lot of guys love playing for him.” pic.twitter.com\/NQODhDA5M0<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Scott Abraham (@Scott7news) June 4, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Th #Jaguars<\/a> have released running back Keilan Robinson, per source. A fifth-round pick last year now set for waivers.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) June 4, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Eight teams have seen cap-space bumps thanks to post-June 1 cuts. The #Eagles<\/a> saw Brandon Graham’s retirement change their June number, while the #Saints<\/a> splitting Derek Carr’s retirement bill over two years also affected their 2025 cap sheet https:\/\/t.co\/evaO2kFzLo<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Pro Football Rumors (@pfrumors) June 4, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Even as the #Steelers<\/a> show signs of desperation in their Aaron Rodgers pursuit, this effort is not indicative of a coach on the hot seat. Mike Tomlin remains secure as he approaches the 20-year mark as the Pittsburgh HC https:\/\/t.co\/2eKkqPHJG8<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Pro Football Rumors (@pfrumors) June 4, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

While nothing is imminent, the #Falcons<\/a> do appear prepared to listen to offers on Kyle Pitts. A Day 2 pick is viewed as the baseline for the former 1,000-yard TE https:\/\/t.co\/jAW39s4Gad<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Pro Football Rumors (@pfrumors) June 4, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

games won without ever trailing:<\/p>\n

7 – GB, BAL, PHI
6 – DET, HOU
5 – BUF, WAS, TB, NO, MIN, CIN
4 – KC, DEN, ARI, LAC, MIA
3 – SEA, SF, CAR
2 – IND, LAR, PIT, DAL, NE
1 – CLE, TEN, JAX, ATL, NYJ
0 – NYG, LV, CHI<\/p>\n

*2024 regular season<\/p>\n

\u2014 Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) June 4, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Before he was the CEO of Fanatics and worth $10B, @MichaelRubin<\/a> was a member of Josh Harris\u2019 ownership group of the 76ers and Devils.<\/p>\n

We asked him about Harris and Fanatics\u2019 No. 2 jersey selling NFL athlete, Jayden Daniels. pic.twitter.com\/fqddh1PqkX<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) June 4, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

#Ravens<\/a> RB Derrick Henry told Dan Patrick that Adam Sandler is his favorite actor.<\/p>\n

Patrick made a deal: Rush for 2,000 yards again this season, and he\u2019ll get Sandler to put him in a movie.<\/p>\n

Henry\u2019s response: \u201cSay no more.\u201d <\/p>\n

(via @dpshow<\/a>, @KingHenry_2<\/a>) pic.twitter.com\/vL5mNLrvCw<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) June 4, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Well deserved. #Mystics<\/a> rookie Kiki Ifiafen has been named the WNBA’s Rookie of the Month. <\/p>\n

Ifiafen is the FIRST Mystics player to earn that honor. <\/p>\n

She is currently averaging over 14 ppg, shooting over 50% from the field. @7NewsDC<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/KN63EsvsmD<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Natalie Spala (@_nataliespala) June 4, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n