Commander Wolffe

Frustration and impulsive negative reactions from today is a result of being scarred by the previous regime. When we were gifted to get a new owner who in turn hires the top general manager this offseason I don't have the same knee jerk reaction if Ben Johnson wants to stay in Detroit. I can't dismiss the appeal having him as head coach, offensive mind, potential rookie QB to groom, etc. It's far from the end all be all; especially considering some of his demands and apparently commitment issues? The rationale behind hiring the General Manager first is for them to be in sync with the Head Coach. The alignment will be there regardless of who they hire. My current wish list. 1) McDonald 2) Vrabel 3) Slowik 4) Glenn 5) Quinn #3-5 are close enough for me not to gripe either way.

https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2023/8/11/23827776/washington-commanders-training-camp-football-focus-ron-rivera-josh-harris Ladies and Gentlemen, the Commanders Present: Actual Football at Training Camp Last year, Washington’s training camp was a desolate place full of swirling Dan Snyder rumors and bad vibes. This year, under new ownership, everything has shifted.

@Always A Commander Never A Captain From what I understand Kiem loves both Quan and BSJ in camp this year. Good problems to have given Forbes on on side and apparently Fuller is still steady.( nothing postive or negative about his play) Given the inevitable injury at corner or safety it should all work out and it's also early in camp.

1. EB mentioned passing to get a lead and running to finish games. 2. Brob was banged up after the 49er game. Need to rotate our power backs to keep them fresh for a 17 game season. I like the pick.

@method man Which EDGE do you think would have a greater impact at #16 or the backend of the first round? Not only this year given as of now Young and Sweat are still on the team but long term? Branch would start this year. Would your first round Edge? If we trade Sweat which I would be a fan of then I could ride with your thinking but even then who are the options in that range? Back to the original premise. 3-5 targets for BPA at 16 or slight trade down. Brian Branch S/CB Anton Harrison T Peter Skoronski G Devon Witherspoon CB Darnell Washington/ Michael Meyer TE Bijan Robinson RB Other? Found a few more.

I would like to extend Curl, however the defense falls off a cliff when he doesn't play and what if his price tag is to high? Regardless, we use three safeties often enough to warrant the pick. Danny is nice depth for nickel and outside cb but I wouldn't pencil him in as a starter. Just an option and still looking for 3-5 more impact players who could be our first pick in the draft.

Disagree. Immediate impact would be to replace McCain's role in the slot for this upcoming season. Future impact is an upgrade to the defensive collapse when Curl is injured or a potential future replacement. Foresight could lead to the 3 safety look of Branch-Forrest-Butler in a couple seasons.

Love the approach in Free Agency. Having a fun exercise looking at BPA at #16 or a trade down. I would like to narrow it down to 3-5 players but as of now I like the idea of Brian Branch. Position Flex and as discussed previously a potential future Curl hedge for injury or replacement. For this season a clear upgrade over McCain. ihttps://theathletic.com/4074770/2023/01/12/nfl-draft-2023-brian-branch-scouting-report?source=user-shared-articlean-branch-scouting-report?source=user-shared-article The “Star” in Nick Saban’s defense is usually reserved for players whose production embodies the name of that position. For the past couple of seasons, it’s been Brian Branch, a standout among a supporting cast that likely included at least a half-dozen future top-100 NFL picks. And now? Branch, who declared for the draft on Jan. 2, looks like the most talented off-ball defender in the 2023 class. The 6-foot-0, 195-pound defensive back seems like he was almost grown out of the ground to play as a nickel for Alabama. Branch’s speed, change of direction and instincts let him navigate wide ranges of space from the second level of the defense. We know that no one has a deeper menu of play calls for putting players in positions to succeed than the Crimson Tide, and Branch was a skeleton key that allowed for the best utilization of his teammates. Truly, only Will Anderson Jr., the first back-to-back Nagurski Trophy winner in nearly two decades, can argue having had a bigger snap-to-snap influence for that defense. After splitting time with Malachi Moore to start his career, Branch’s versatility separated him from his peers as the 2021 season played out. His coverage ability stands out among his long list of skills, whether he’s walling off receivers in 2-man, carrying verticals up the seam in man free or Cover 3, or feeling for routes as they break as an underneath zone defender. (Check out a few cutups of Branch in coverage here.) The Athletic draft expert Dane Brugler noted coming into the season that one area Branch needed to improve was his ball skills. Branch showed progress there — he had a pair of interceptions that brought his career mark to four. He finds the ball, breaks on it and knocks it away at the catch point well enough to believe that he can be an above-average playmaker, at worst. Branch also has been an adept tackler for as long as we’ve been watching him. He shows eye discipline in tracking the near hip, mirroring the tempo of the ball carrier and executing proper tackle techniques given the situation presented (profile/chest-to-chest tackles, wrap/roll tackles if he loses leverage, low tackles when necessary). What I saw increase in 2022 was the rate of explosive finishing from Branch, an impressive development for a sub-200 pound player and one that bodes well for him as he moves to the next level. (More examples of Branch as a tackler in space here.) Layered on top of Branch’s growth in explosive contact was his play as a physical run fitter, be it in the box or in the alley (the space between linemen and receivers). Branch strikes with his hands, instead of dropping his shoulder into blockers or giving up his body. He controls blockers well, knows when to slip blocks and shows up in run support. You can see his explosiveness at the point of attack, in stacking and pressing tight ends and stretching the ball out long enough for his teammates to get there. (More examples of Branch’s physicality and box fits here.) In every way, Branch checks the boxes of what you’d want in a defensive back. He’s comfortable in coverage and capable of handling all manner of receivers from outside to the slot, tight ends and running backs. He’s a strong and reliable tackler in virtually every scenario and against every body type, and he understands how to take on blocks as an undersized defensive back who spent a good amount of time lined up in the box. Where does Alabama defense stand for 2023? Strengths, weaknesses and rising stars.Yet, for all the best attributes he showed from the nickel corner spot, his most productive future as an NFL player likely won’t come playing that position — and it’s not the fault of anything other than the nature of the NFL. Sometimes, play callers in the league will send you messages about trends. In 2021, as teams were beginning to outline the next era’s approach to defending modern offenses, discussions on player and position values rapidly changed to keep pace. There was constant discussion of “big nickel” packages (where the extra defensive back is a safety): fitting the run with a smaller defender and taking the vast majority of a defensive structure and trying to shift it into nickel personnel. That’s a different conversation than “nickel is the new base defense,” which anyone can ascertain by looking at percentages. With all the time spent reconfiguring how we conceptualize the game on the defensive side, I fear that some of us in the draft space may have made the same kind of mistake that happened with the concept of “3-and-D” and “stretch” players in NBA roster construction. It’s an overwrought talking point that misses the forest for the trees. In basketball, that aforementioned player type is treated as though it is a positions on the floor, but the truth is that it’s just a role — undoubtedly, a crucial one for building a complete team, but just cogs in the greater machine. Flipping that conversation to the gridiron, let’s examine the production of slot defenders on a base level. Doing so might give us a better picture of the differences between playing football on Saturdays or Sundays and, thereby, clean up any potential projection issues. Per TruMedia, 108 players logged at least 100 snaps aligned in the slot this NFL season. Only 35 of those players had a tackle rate at or above 10 percent against rush attempts, and only 11 of the 35 are listed as cornerbacks. By design, defenses aren’t asking their nickel defenders to mix it up in the run game and produce like linebackers as tacklers, unless it’s on a defense that plays a majority of the game in nickel personnel regardless of what offensive packages are on the field. In the passing game, quarterbacks across the league targeted slot defenders an average of 61 percent of the time. This tells me that the nickel defender, specifically, is still far and away a coverage specialist. Players in that role are only asked to fit the run if they boast a unique enough skill set to handle the workload, as is the case for the likes of Mike Hilton, Charvarius Ward, Taron Johnson, Marlon Humphrey, etc. With Branch, we can look to Texans rookie safety Jalen Pitre as an example. Pitre and Branch boast a similar profile of versatility, a base level of ball skills, excellent tackling and a willingness to show up in the box. They also played nearly identical snap counts at different alignments before reaching the NFL. While both players spent the majority of their college time in the slot, Pitre was drafted to play as a safety who could fit the run or match up over tight ends and No. 4 receiving options. He exploded on the scene this season with 99 solo tackles and five interceptions. Because of the differences in quality and style of play, the players you want close to the ball in college should play the nickel, where they can fit the run in space, play RPOs and get into windows for the easy throws spread offenses want at that level. In the NFL, those players should be the “weak safety” (aligned opposite the nickel), asked to handle tight end-side runs, mix up looks in coverage as a deep zone defender or roaming underneath player, and be comfortable dropping into the box or aligning there in dime packages. The rosiest projections for Branch point to trajectory similar to that of Pitre, if Branch can land somewhere that showcases each piece of the Alabama product’s expansive skill set and allows him be an eraser in the defensive backfield. Branch is likely to be picked in the early to mid-teens in the first round. And, short of Anderson or Jalen Carter putting up an 8-plus-sack season, I would not be surprised if Branch emerges from Day 1 as the rookie defender most prepared to contribute to winning football.

The Athletic with my favorite mock so far. https://theathletic.com/4235330/2023/02/21/commanders-nfl-mock-draft-2023?source=user-shared-article Round 1, No. 16 — Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon The top three offensive linemen are likely to be off the board, so we turn to another of Washington’s top needs. There’s a trio of cornerbacks projected in the 6-16 range: Devon Witherspoon (Illinois), Joey Porter Jr. (Penn State) and Gonzalez, a 6-foot-2 athletic presence with improved playmaking skills (career-high four interceptions in 2022). The pecking order varies —The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, ESPN’s Todd McShay and NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah each have a different CB1 — but at least one likely falls to 16. Brugler has Gonzalez in his top 10 with the other two just outside. This is also the range where tight ends might start coming off the board, and Washington may consider targeting one of the four top options, including a two-way threat like Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer. Round 2, No. 47 — Steve Avila, G/C, TCU Using four different centers each year, as Washington has since 2021, is no way to go through life. Whether starter Chase Roullier becomes a salary-cap casualty or not after ending consecutive campaigns with a season-ending injury, there’s a long-term concern at the position. At guard, none of last year’s top three options may be on the 2023 roster if the Commanders release Andrew Norwell or don’t re-sign Wes Schweitzer or Trai Turner. Tyler Larsen, an 11-game starter at center over the past two seasons, is another 2023 free agent. go-deeper GO DEEPER Commanders cut candidates: Three starting O-linemen could join Carson Wentz as cap casualties Brugler’s take: The unsung hero of a TCU squad that advanced to the national championship, Steve Avila is a wide-bodied blocker and pulls rushers into his tractor beam with his ability to engulf at the point of attack. He needs added consistency to access his explosive power, but he has a strong base and legitimate position flexibility at guard or center. (Note: Exact draft slots have yet to be finalized past pick No. 95) Round 3, (compensatory pick) — Tyler Steen, OT, Alabama Selecting two or three offensive linemen in the draft, with two in the early rounds, is reasonable and necessary. One guard option would involve moving right tackle Sam Cosmi inside. That approach means targeting a replacement. Swing tackle Cornelius Lucas is entering the final year of his contract, and Washington, this offseason or next, has choices to make with starting left tackle Charles Leno Jr.’s contract. Steen won the Crimson Tide’s starting left tackle spot ahead of the 2022 season after transferring from Vanderbilt. The athletic and durable second-team All-SEC selection extended his consecutive games played streak to 46. Round 4 — Demarvion Overshown, LB, Texas With so much happening in these parts lately — what a surprise — starting linebacker Cole Holcomb entering free agency feels a tad under-discussed. That’s perhaps understandable since a foot injury knocked out one of Washington’s top tacklers. The Commanders have deemphasized the position within their defense, but they still use two linebackers on most plays, and the lack of replacement candidates should Holcomb leave is concerning. Overshown, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound linebacker, shined as a “super senior” with career highs in tackles (96), tackles for loss (10), and sacks (four). That was enough for the former safety with coverage chops and an aggressive tackling bent to earn first-team All-Big 12 honors. Round 5 — Payne Durham, TE, Purdue There’s a gap between the top four tight ends and the others in the class, but the position depth means teams can grab an intriguing prospect in the middle rounds. The 6-foot-5, 260-pound Durham garnered attention at the Senior Bowl with a stock-raising showing on top of the 56 receptions for 560 yards and eight touchdowns during his final season with the Boilermakers. If Logan Thomas is released for salary-cap reasons, Washington could seek a veteran since the three holdovers from last season have a combined four years of NFL experience. The staff also remains hopeful that Armani Rogers and Cole Turner will take strides in their second season. Round 6 — Clayton Tune, QB, Houston Always take swings at the sport’s most important position. The Commanders had three quarterbacks on the roster last season. Currently, the depth chart (once Carson Wentz is released) is Howell and a yet-to-determined experienced passer set to compete and push Howell. Tune, a three-year captain with the Cougars, finished third nationally in touchdown passes (40) and fifth in passing yards per game (313.4). Pro Football Focus’s quarterback grade on Tune matched Alabama’s Bryce Young as the nation’s best. Mobility goes in the plus side of the ledger, but limited arm strength knocks the 6-foot-3 passer into Day 3. Round 6 — Ali Gaye, DE, LSU Adding more defensive line depth never hurts, and Efe Obada is among Washington’s free agents. This would shift to defensive tackle if the Commanders’ most prominent free agent, Daron Payne, does not return. Gaye, a 6-foot-5, 265-pound edge defender, had 36 tackles, six tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in 13 games (12 starts). The native of Gambia received second-team All-SEC honors in 2020 after transferring to LSU from the juco ranks. Round 7 — Derius Davis, WR/KR, TCU This is about the return game. Dax Milne rarely made a glaring mistake and was reliable as a punt returner. But he wasn’t dynamic (7.8 yards per return). If the Commanders want more explosive plays, Davis returned five punts and one kickoff for touchdowns at TCU. The 5-foot-9 slot receiver also caught 42 passes during his final season.

Ideal scenario for me being played out by the squad. See what Wentz has under different circumstances but the added pressure to win. I want to see our WRs work with QB that has the arm to take advantage of their skillset. The Wentz approach is going down swinging for the fences as opposed to bunt singles as a primary option to score. Overall, the team is still in it albeit barely with the playoffs on the mind which is more than what most teams can say. We also haven't seen Wentz get hot. Two more games and maybe the playoffs. It could be a fun ride or we atleast understand we're a .500 going into the offseason.

Carson starts next week and we win!

Carson Wentz!!

I prefer this over Heinicke

Wentz looking quickly to the check down. I like that. Mix safe throws into his game.

Stopping momentum

Carson Wentz! Let's go!

The fight at the end was cool. The breaks didn't go our way. Jahan Dotson is a beast. As been said many times we're an OL and QB away. I don't hate this outcome or our team. Heinicke can finish the season or we can go to Wentz. I'd prefer to see Wentz but either way I'm good. Like the plays Forrest, Dotson made today. My expectations are generally lukewarm with some postive. It's not as if we're a Super Bowl contender and our draft position won't change much if we get to the playoffs or not. See you next week.

Good. This is when we play best. Keep sleeping.

Time to crack open a few beers. A win would obviously be great but a loss won't ruin my week. It's cool to be playing a prime time game in December. Flexed in! Hopefully we see Playoff Heinicke with a W!

Brob trucking CBs. Beautiful.

No negative vibes here. The defense played as well as we could hope for the most part. They won't be great until we get a new coordinator AND better players. Offensively, we relied to much on our O-line coach to fix issues, but we need a few draft picks at guard and tackle to remedy this issue. Scott needs to have a pressure beater element in his game plan. Not just WR screens, but RB screens up the middle and hot reads that have quick hitters. We will be better then today and probably finish with 6-8 wins this year. Ron will be back next year and so will Carson. Next year is the year we play competitive week in and week out to fight for a winning record. I'm not mad or disappointed. When you watch the other games you see mistakes all over the field. The chiefs lost to the colts for example. College football is based on talent, the head coach and recruiting. NFL football is based on the Front office. We just aren't there yet. We need better talent and schemes. Del Rio is probably past his prime and Scott is having growing pains. Our defensive line should be better and that's not Del Rios fault. Our running game should be better, B-Rob would help and better Oline play. I don't want a new coach and regime next year. Just more talent and some tweaks to the staff.

Don't care to resign anyone on the defensive side of the ball, maybe Curl. New coordinator, staff, scheme and new players for next year. Blow it all up.