Daily Slop – 12 Apr 24 – Draft evaluations: QB, Edge, 1st round picks from the past, and ‘red flag’ prospects

A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East and the NFL in general

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Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)

Draft Profiles: Day 2 Defensive End Prospects

Taking a look at a few DE prospects that could be on the board for the Commanders in the second round.

[I]t’s likely that the Commanders could be looking to draft a defensive end with one of its two second round picks. So who are some options that could interest them in that second round range? Let’s take a closer look.

Darius Robinson

[I]t is plausible that he also gets taken in the back end of the first round. Darius Robinson measured in at 6-foot-5, 285 pounds with 34 ½-inch arms. Darius Robinson is about power, relentless motor and versatility.

Another key aspect of Robinson’s game is his versatility. His body type is that of a “tweener”, where he’s not light enough to be considered a true edge rusher but not heavy enough to be a true interior defensive lineman. With that body type, he’s able to line up all across the formation and be effective against any offensive lineman.

The Athletic (paywall)

How Commanders’ top positional needs stack up in ‘The Beast’ NFL Draft guide

Tackle class thins out?

One consensus among evaluators in this class is the high talent at offensive tackle. Brugler’s rankings include five tackles with pure first-round grades. Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton, a Round 1 mock draft staple, is in the late first/second-round range for Brugler. Moving Troy Fautanu, a left tackle starter at the University of Washington, inside is the norm among public evaluators. Fautanu, Brugler’s top-ranked guard, is also his ninth overall prospect.

Then there’s Arizona’s Jordan Morgan, a three-year left tackle starter for the Wildcats. Those who see the 6-foot-5, 311-pound lineman at tackle typically have him as the sixth and final tackle with a first-round possibility. For Brugler, Morgan is his 29th overall prospect — and OG2.

Should Washington agree, that’s potentially a significant classification. Removing Morgan from the tackles would move the position group from Guyton at No. 27 to BYU’s Kingsley Suamataia at No. 40 to Patrick Paul (59), Brandon Coleman (66) and Roger Rosengarten (69). The Commanders hold pick Nos. 36, 40, 67, 78 and 100 on Day 2.

Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton is one of the offensive tackles Washington could target if he’s still available early in the second round. (Vasha Hunt / USA Today)

There would be ample irony if Washington drafted Morgan at tackle before shifting him to guard. That occurred in 2015 with Brandon Scherff, the fifth overall selection. He became a Pro Bowler and All-Pro at guard. Sam Cosmi, a second-round tackle selection, flashed Pro Bowl potential after becoming a guard last season.

“Morgan struggles to anchor mid-slide versus power, but he is a balanced mover who is well-schooled and physical in all phases,” Brugler wrote. “Though he can survive at tackle in the NFL, his skill set projects much better inside at guard.”

Commanders.com

Looking back at Dan Quinn’s last six first-round picks

It should be noted that Quinn will not have the final say in who the Commanders will pick. Technically, that responsibility rests with Peters, although he’s preached a collaborative approach that includes several voices besides his and that of the head coach.

Quinn will still be an important voice in the process, though, and his previous head-coaching stint with the Atlanta Falcons included some impressive first-round picks. Three of them have at least one Pro Bowl appearance, and while some have had winding careers, all had some successful seasons playing for him.

Here’s a look at each of the Falcons’ first-round picks with Quinn as their head coach and what they’ve accomplished in the NFL so far.

2015, 8th overall: OLB Vic Beasley

Beasley is currently on a hiatus from the NFL. After last playing for the Raiders in 2020, he was selected No. 1 overall by the Vegas Vipers in the XFL in 2023. He was drafted by the Arlington Renegades in January during the UFL dispersal draft, signing with the team on Jan. 31.

2016, 17th overall: S Keanu Neal

Neal tore his ACL in Week 1 of the 2018 season and then did the same to his Achilles three games into the 2019 campaign. When he was on the field, however, he was one of the most productive players in the Falcons secondary.

Neal returned from his Achilles tear in 2020 and recorded 100 tackles but was not re-signed by the team. He’s spent time with three teams in as many seasons and is currently a free agent.

2017, 26th overall: DE Takkarist McKinley

McKinley was released after the Falcons during the 2020 season and spent time with the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Raiders. He was most recently a member of the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad in 2023 and was set to return on a one-year but was released less than three months later. He’s currently a free agent.

2018, 26th overall: WR Calvin Ridley

Prior to his indefinite suspension for violating the league’s gambling policy, there was an argument that he was one of the top 20 receivers in the NFL.

Ridley returned to the NFL ahead of the 2023 season and was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Though it had been more than a year since he played in an NFL game, Ridley showed that he could still be a No. 1 threat, catching 76 of his 136 targets for 1,016 yards and eight scores.

Ridley signed with the Titans this offseason and is set to begin his sixth season alongside DeAndre Hopkins.

2019, 14th and 31st overall: G Chris Lindstrom and T Kaleb McGary

Both players were Year 1 starters, although Lindstrom suffered a broken foot and didn’t play until December of that season. McGary has been the Falcons’ starting right tackle since Week 1 of the 2019 season, appearing in 77 games with 76 starts. He has since calmed down from the 13 sacks and 49 pressures he allowed as a rookie and is coming off a 2023 season where tied a career-low in sacks allowed (4) with just 17 pressures.

Lindstrom made a full recovery and has started every game since the injury. He’s been one of the best guards in football over the last two seasons, earning Second Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection in 2022 and 2023. Pro Football Focus has given him a grade of at least 83 since 2021.

2020, 16th overall: CB AJ Terrell

Terrell had a nose for the ball to start his career, recording four interceptions and 23 pass breakups in his first two seasons. He earned a Second Team All-Pro nod in 2021 for hitting career highs in interceptions (3), pass breakups (16) and tackles (81). He was targeted 66 times, allowing a catch rate of just 43.9%.

While Terrell hasn’t recorded an interception since 2021, he’s been a difficult defender for offensive with 20 combined pass breakups in 2022 and 2023.

ESPN

Sizing up quarterback options for Commanders at No. 2

The case for Daniels: When asked why Daniels should be taken at No. 2, one NFL head coach highlighted his running ability and accuracy down the field.

An NFC offensive coach called Daniels “a home run.”

“The only knock on him is when [he] throws outside [the] numbers, he doesn’t drive it,” the coach said. “It’s not a fastball. But he goes through his progressions so well that it doesn’t matter and when [the play] breaks down he can run. … Jayden is a passer who can run fast.”

The case against Daniels: Daniels will be 24 by the end of his rookie season. Could he be closer to his ceiling than Maye and McCarthy?

Also, Daniels weighed in at 210 pounds at the scouting combine and has a slender frame.

“The only issue with Jayden is his stature,” said former Washington coach Jay Gruden, who analyzes draft prospects.

The case for Maye: At 6-foot-4, 230 pounds Maye has size, a big arm and running ability. Multiple coaches compared him to Justin Herbert.

“His toughness, his physical style, is what you’re looking for,” Gruden said. “He’s more of the prototypical size, strength, athletic quarterback that you want and we’ve just got to fix some of his accuracy issues, but he’ll make up for it with his ability to run and break some tackles on third and 8 and get you the first down.”

The case against Maye: The reasons some were reluctant to rate Maye over Daniels were many and varied. They pointed to “missed layups” — passes that should have been easy completions. They said his footwork needed fixing. Some said the simplicity of defenses in the ACC hindered evaluations of his ability to adjust post-snap, especially compared to Daniels, who played in the SEC. Another didn’t like the change in offensive systems UNC underwent from 2022 to 2023, saying it did not provide enough evidence of how Maye’s ability to read his progressions would translate to the NFL.

Multiple NFL head coaches said Maye would have to sit for a while before being ready to start.

“He’s worth developing because he’s big and tough and works at it,” one NFL offensive coach said. “But when you pick him, everyone’s on the hook for his development and everyone will get fired if it doesn’t work.”

Podcasts & videos

Locked on Commanders: Washington Commanders NFL Draft with Dane Brugler: Drake Maye vs. Jayden Daniels and Priorities

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Bleeding Green Nation

Report: Eagles sign C.J. Uzomah

More backup tight end competition.

The Philadelphia Eagles are expected to sign free agent tight end C.J. Uzomah to a one-year contract, according to a report from NFL insider Ian Rapoport.

Uzomah, who turned 31 in January, was released by the New York Jets earlier this offseason. He was a disappointment for them after originally signing a three-year, $24 million contract following the best season of his career in 2021. Last year, Uzomah saw just 12 targets for eight receptions, 58 yards, and one touchdown.

Of course, Uzomah was not helped by being saddled with Zach Wilson and other Jets quarterback dreck. There’s reason to believe he could be a bit more effective with a better QB, just like he was when he last played with Joe Burrow on the Cincinnati Bengals.

Now in Philly, Uzomah figures to compete for a backup tight end role behind Dallas Goedert.

Blogging the Boys

Cowboys draft 2024: 5 draft prospects that come with a ‘buyer beware’ sign

Here are five early round prospects on the Cowboys radar that come with major question marks

OT, Tyler Guyton
This one is the most obvious on this list. Guyton has a severe lack of playing experience and only started 14 games in the four years of playing at college. This hampers Guyton in terms of technique and consistency. Most prevalent of the issues comes in the form of run blocking. Not only was his run blocking an issue in 2022, it got worse in 2023. Inside run blocking is far from his biggest strength and maybe the biggest learning curve for Guyton coming into the NFL.

WR, Keon ColemanIn 2022, Coleman showed flashes of what he could do and his 798 receiving yards and seven touchdowns set him up for a huge season. The 2023 season started where everyone expected him to be. He scored three touchdowns in Week 1 against LSU and came back the following week to score another. But here’s the problem everyone needs to check before buying completely in on Coleman. After Week 4 his production completely fell off and scored only five touchdowns for the rest of the season. Three of the last two weeks of the season he failed to even get over 25 yards of receiving in a game. But the biggest problem comes in the form of his contested catches. He caught just seven of 26 contested targets and considering how people view his play style and where they want him to play, this is a big beware.

OT, Amarius MimsIf it’s a lack of playing time and experience that’s concerning with Tyler Guyton, then Mims’ situation is even more worrying. In the first two years of playing, Mims played as a backup right tackle at Georgia and totaled 352 offensive snaps in that time. It wasn’t until last year did he finally get the nod to play as a starter on the offensive line, and that was cut short. He suffered an ankle injury in Week 3 and didn’t come back to play until Week 11. This has led to him coming into the draft with issues of inconsistency in the run game and with his ability to mirror. Also take into account he played every snap in college at right tackle, his versatility is a huge question mark. High-ceiling player, but one of the lowest floors among the early round offensive tackles.

Big Blue View

NFL free agency: Giants sign veteran DL Jordan Phillips

Phillips has 24 sacks over his nine-year career

The New York Giants have added another piece to their defensive line by signing free-agent defensive tackle Jordan Phillips.

Phillips is a veteran player entering his 10th season in the league. He’s played for multiple teams during his career, including the Miami Dolphins from 2015-2018, whom Phillips was drafted by as a second-rounder in 2015, the Buffalo Bills from 2018-2019 and again in 2022-2023, and the Arizona Cardinals from 2020-2021.

Phillips has played in three postseason games, one in Miami (2019) and two in Buffalo (2019, 2022).

The 6-foot-6, 341-pound defensive tackle has appeared in 120 career games with 62 starts and has totaled 181 tackles, 36 TFL, and 24 sacks, including a career-high 9.5 sacks with the Bills in 2019. Phillips also has 51 quarterback hits, 24 passes defended, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and one career interception.

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NBC Washington

Browns restructure Nick Chubb’s contract after gruesome knee injury, AP source says

Chubb suffered a season-ending knee injury in a game last September

The Cleveland Browns have restructured star running back Nick Chubb’s contract as he continues to rehab after a season-ending knee injury in 2023, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Thursday.

Chubb was entering his final year under contract after signing a three-year, $36.6 million deal in 2021.

The 28-year-old Chubb agreed to take a salary cut — he was scheduled to make $11.75 million this season — but can earn back money through incentives, the person said.

Washington Post (paywall)

The unfathomable path of O.J. Simpson, who never stopped shocking us

I recalled a few social media videos from O.J. in recent years that left me shaking my head at the sheer audaciousness of him voluntarily inserting himself in the public eye. After all, he had become a felon who served nine years in prison for a bizarre armed robbery and was already shunned by so much of the public that suspected he got away with murdering his ex-wife and a friend of hers in 1994, after watching what became a trial of the century.

But O.J.’s post from Feb. 9, in which he denied a rumor I hadn’t heard that he was in hospice, had escaped me.

So O.J. did it, again. One last time. He shocked us all.

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