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What LT Laremy Tunsil brings to the Washington Commanders
Tunsil has long been one of the premier left tackles in the league with few better than him in pass protection. The Texans are coming off a season in which the offense struggled and apparently have decided to completely overhaul their offensive line. Tunsil is 30 and will be 31 this season, so he’s not young. He’ll also likely be seeking a new contract, which won’t be cheap. The Texans have contract extensions coming up for a number of young stars like C.J Stroud, Will Anderson and Derek Stingley, so they wanted to clear the books.
That led to the Commanders trading a third round pick and seventh round pick this year along with second and fourth round picks in 2026 in exchange for Tunsil and a fourth round pick this year from the Texans. Lots of picks involved, but the Commanders managed to work a trade for a premier left tackle without giving up a first or second round pick this year. The overall value of the trade is about a second round pick.
So what are the Commanders getting in Tunsil? Let’s take a closer look.
Tunsil works against Cowboys star pass rusher Micah Parsons on this play. I’ll begin by pointing out that the Cowboys only used Parsons against Tunsil a couple of times in this game and watching this play makes it clear why they’d try and match him up against someone else. Off the snap, Tunsil gets a terrific jump and is immediately into his kick slide. He’s very efficient with his feet, gaining width and depth quickly without any wasted movements. He doesn’t have any big or dramatic movement that could be exploited, it’s all tight and compact, but smooth at the same time.
Because of that, Tunsil is able to get out and cut off any threat of a speed rush from Parsons, who is perhaps the fastest speed rusher in the league. Parsons gets to his third step and recognizes this, so he abandons his plan to work to the edge and instead attempts to dive back inside. This is another test for Tunsil, but he handles it just as smoothly. Because of his compact and efficient movement, Tunsil is able to redirect his feet back inside with ease, cutting off Parsons and preventing him from bursting through. Tunsil then washes Parsons down the line, taking him out of the play.
Not many offensive lineman are able to make blocking Micah Parsons look so smooth and easy, but that is the level that Tunsil brings to the Commanders. His quick and efficient feet are the foundation for everything, They enable him to cut off speed rushers outside, but also position him to handle other types of rushes too. His feet aren’t the only good part of his game though. He’s also got good hands, which is necessary in pass protection.
What DL Javon Kinlaw brings to the Washington Commanders
Many media analysts and fans have questioned this move because Kinlaw has struggled for large parts of his NFL career.
The 49ers let him hit free agency last year, where he signed a one-year deal with the New York Jets, reuniting with Robert Saleh, who was his defensive coordinator in San Francisco during his rookie year. The Jets then let him go and now Washington is his third team in three years, but are giving him a significant contract, which many feel was unnecessarily large for a player of his production. However, it’s clear that those around Kinlaw believe strongly in him. It’s no coincidence that Saleh signed Kinlaw when he left the 49ers and now Peters is signing him. That tells you that people that know him and have been around him believe in his work ethic and his raw talent.
So what are the Commanders getting in Kinlaw? It’s true that he hasn’t been able to be a consistent force as a defensive lineman in the NFL to date, but the raw fundamentals are there. He’s a massive human being, listed at 6-foot-5, 319 pounds, but has good quickness despite that size. To add on to that, Kinlaw is also naturally very strong and hard to move off the ball despite questionable technique at times. Those three fundamentals - big, strong, quick - are traits that teams desire with defensive lineman and the Commanders will be hoping that Dan Quinn and his coaching staff, who have done well developing untapped potential previously, can do the same here.
So the tools are there for Kinlaw, but he doesn’t quite have the ability to put them all together on a consistent basis. There are plays where it all clicks and he gets it right, and on those plays he looks fantastic.
On this play against the Bills, Kinlaw lines up as a three technique defensive tackle on the outside shoulder of the right guard. At the snap of the ball, Kinlaw stays low and gets both hands into the chest of the guard. He punches the guard backwards and then suddenly jerks his hands down to pull him off balance.
From there, Kinlaw transitions into a nice club and swim combination, clubbing the guards hands away before using a swim technique with his left arm to skip past the guard and work into the backfield. The guard does just manage to stay with him and shove him right at the end, enabling the quarterback to step up and avoid the sack, but the pressure was enough to disrupt the play and the potential is clear to see.
ESPN
Commanders 2025 free agency tracker: Offseason moves, signings
NFL free agency has begun, and we’re keeping track of every major signing, trade and release of the 2025 offseason, with analysis from our NFL Nation reporters and grades from our experts. The new league year began March 12 at 4 p.m. ET, when free agent signings could become official. The first round of the 2025 NFL draft begins April 24 on ESPN.
Here’s a breakdown of every 2025 NFL free agent signing by the Washington Commanders and how each will impact the upcoming season:
Jonathan Jones, CB
The former Patriot comes over from New England on a one-year deal.
What it means: Washington needed more corner help to pair with Marshon Lattimore and Mike Sainristil. Dan Quinn typically valued bigger corners in the past but both Jones and Sainristil are 5-foot-9. However, both offer versatility as each has played inside and outside. Both are considered best in the slot, but this does provide more options. Jones also dropped to safety in some sets for New England.
What’s the risk: None. It’s a one-year deal so Washington is not tied long-term and Jones was considered a strong leader with the Patriots. Washington needed another leader in the secondary. The risk would be if the Commanders stopped looking for corner help. They lack depth and could use another big, young corner from the draft.
Riggo’s Rag
Commanders find major Benjamin St-Juste upgrade with proven Super Bowl winner
Jonathan Jones fits the Commanders’ culture shift perfectly
Jones was rumored to be on the trade block last year and the Commanders showed interest before acquiring Lattimore. Peters now gets the best of both worlds, giving them an upgrade on Benjamin St-Juste along the way.
St-Juste flattered to deceive last season once again. The Commanders sent him to the fringes after too many penalties in key moments. He found work quickly, accepting an offer with the Los Angeles Chargers.
That’s of no concern to the Commanders. They found a replacement — someone capable of providing more assured coverage and doing more to assist in run support. It was a down year by Jones’ typically high standards in 2024, but it’s also worth remembering that the Patriots were going nowhere fast and offered almost nothing across their defensive front seven.
This is the perfect landing spot for Jones. It also fits the mold of Peters’ preferred approach in free agency, which was a recipe for success throughout his first year at the helm.
Peters wanted to find veteran players with good football left. He wanted to find leaders capable of fitting into the scheme and improving the locker room culture. Jones ticks those boxes and more.
Riggo’s Rag
Commanders give veteran DL chance to prolong rollercoaster NFL journey
The Commanders weren’t intent on just one veteran defensive lineman in free agency.
Goldman’s professional journey had some roadblocks. He opted out of the 2020 campaign due to COVID-19. After playing 14 games the following season with the Chicago Bears, the former second-round pick retired and wasn’t seen again for two years before opting to give it another go around.
Commanders bolster defensive line depth with Eddie Goldman signing
The flashes displayed for the Atlanta Falcons in 2024 were enough for the Commanders to warrant further examination. It’s also their second move along the defensive line in free agency following Javon Kinlaw’s decision to join the ranks on a three-year, $45 million deal with $30 million guaranteed.
It’s a shot into the dark from Washington. Expecting miracles would be unrealistic, but there’s nothing to suggest he cannot improve the depth options behind Kinlaw, Daron Payne, and Johnny Newton.
Commanders.com
Five things to know about Deebo Samuel
He knows how to find the end zone.
There’s never been a player in NFL history quite like Samuel, and that’s not just hyperbole. He’s broken a couple of league records to prove it.
Samuel is known for being a versatile weapon that can be used as a wideout and in the backfield, but he didn’t truly gain that reputation until 2021, when 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan started using him as a conventional running back more often to get the ball in his hands. Samuel ended the season with 365 yards on 59 carries with eight touchdowns, which set a record for the most rushing touchdowns by a wide receiver in a single season.
Since then, Samuel’s reputation as a moveable piece, rather than a traditional receiver, has led to success for both him and the 49ers. In addition to his rushing performance in 2021, he also caught 77 passes for 1,405 yards and six scores, giving him 14 the season and earning him a Pro Bowl vote as well as a First Team All-Pro selection.
Samuel has scored 42 total touchdowns in his six-year career, including 20 as a running back. His rushing score in Week 1 of the 2024 season against the New York Jets not only gave him the most such scores by a wide receiver all-time but also made him the first wide receiver in NFL history to have at least 20 rushing scores and 20 receiving scores in a career.
Podcasts & videos
Recalibrate Your Expectations | Commanders Log: Season 4, Episode 1
John Bates, the “Best Blocking Tight End in the NFL” | Next Man Up | NFL Free Agency | Commanders
Zach Ertz Running It Back | Next Man Up | NFL Free Agency | Washington Commanders
Episode 1,026 - Guest: @MarkBullockNFL. Great all-22 analysis of Laremy Tunsil & Javon Kinlaw.
- why Tunsil is an elite LT
- theory for Tunsil's false-start problem
- what now for Brandon Coleman?
- what Commanders may be thinking with Kinlaw schematicallyhttps://t.co/CUPN04Dtp2
— Al Galdi (@AlGaldi) March 12, 2025
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Bleeding Green Nation
BREAKING: Eagles actually sign a free agent!
THIS IS NOT A DRILL: the Philadelphia Eagles have added a free agent to their roster! They’re no longer the only NFL team to not make an external signing since free agency unofficially began on Monday.
The Birds agreed to terms with former Green Bay Packers running back AJ Dillon, according to a report from Mike Garafolo.
Dillon, 26, was a second-round pick (No. 62 overall) by the Packers in the 2020 NFL Draft. Over the first four years of his career, Dillon logged 597 carries for 2428 rushing yards (4.1 average) and 16 touchdowns. He also had 86 receptions for 763 receiving yards and two scores.
Dillon missed the entire 2024 season due to a neck injury he suffered during a joint training camp practice in August. Garafolo notes that Dillon has “received clearance from the top neck specialists in the country” to continue his NFL career.
Blogging the Boys front page:
Big Blue View
New York Giants free agency: Russell Wilson to visit Giants, after Cleveland Browns
Adam Schefter of ESPN is reporting that Russell Wilson will visit the Cleveland Browns on Thursday. He’ll then fly to New York on Thursday night for a Friday meeting with the Giants.
It’s an interesting development, as the Browns also recently traded for Kenny Pickett.
There has been some smoke recently that the Browns could be targeting a quarterback at the top of the draft. Their interest in Wilson could indicate that they don’t believe that their target would be available. That could indicate that they believe either the Tennessee Titans are taking their favorite quarterback prospect, or that a team like the Giants is likely to jump them.
The fact that Wilson also has a visit scheduled with the Giants on Friday suggests a couple things as well. On one hand, they might not be expecting Aaron Rodgers’ decision any time soon and are going about their business. On the other hand, it could suggest that the Giants believe that Rodgers is leaning toward Pittsburgh and want to be ready to pivot as soon as possible.
New York Giants free agency: We’re all on Aaron Rodgers time as we await his decision
The NFL world — at least the parts of it connected to the New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings — continues to wait for the always marching to the beat of his own drummer Aaron Rodgers to decide which team he will play quarterback for in 2025.
Jordan Ranaan of ESPN said earlier on Wednesday that “a decision is expected today.”
Then again, maybe not.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport indicated Wednesday morning that a decision by Rodgers may not be imminent.
“I know a lot of people think it’s going to be today for Aaron Rodgers. Might not be,” Rapoport said. “He’s on his own time ... I’m sure he just wants to make the best decision he can. He has been slow, he has been methodical, he has not been rushed at all ... Rodgers will make a decision when he makes a decision.”
Rapoport did add that “it does seem like money will not be an issue.” Which, of course, means money will be an issue. Because money is always an issue.
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Commanders Wire
Former Commanders’ OL comes out of retirement
Back in 2020, the then-Washington Football Team used a fourth-round pick on LSU offensive tackle Saahdiq Charles. On the same day, head coach Ron Rivera traded franchise left tackle Trent Williams to the San Francisco 49ers for a couple of draft picks, the highest being in the third round.
It didn’t take anyone long to realize that Charles, LSU’s starting left tackle for its 2019 national championship team, was not an NFL offensive tackle. So, he moved to guard. Unfortunately, he couldn’t stay healthy. Every time he appeared on the verge of locking down a starting guard position, he’d get injured.
Charles appeared in 35 out of a possible 67 games in four years, making 18 starts.
So, at the end of his rookie contract, Charles moved on, signing with the Tennessee Titans on a one-year deal last March. Tennessee expected Charles to be its starting right guard. However, when training camp began in July, Charles decided he was done with football. The Titans placed him on the reserve/retired list and moved on.
Now, Charles wants back in. He plans on ending his retirement, and the Titans acquiesced, releasing him from the reserve/retired list.
Discussion topics
ESPN
2025 NFL free agency: Best, worst, most surprising moves
The Biggest Portent of Doom Award: The Colts sign QB Daniel Jones
On paper, this is a fine move. The Colts have a young quarterback in 22-year-old Anthony Richardson for whom the lightbulb simply has not come on. Entering Year 3, Richardson has one last chance to keep his starting job — but the Colts need to hedge their bets.
In context ... c’mon. It’s a quarterback battle between Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson. Both general manager Chris Ballard and coach Shane Steichen endured hot seats this offseason and need success in 2025 to hold on to their jobs. But how much success can a team draw from a QB room of Richardson and Jones when it doesn’t have a dominant WR1 and when two starting offensive linemen just left in free agency?
The Annual ‘Howie Szn’ Award: The Eagles trade QB Kenny Pickett to the Browns
There isn’t a general manager in the league with half as fervent a cult following as the Eagles’ Howie Roseman. The mastermind behind two Super Bowl champions is known for overinvesting in the quarterback position, employing more talented offensive and defensive linemen than any other team and always fleecing opposing front offices in trades.
As such, every year, there’s at least one Eagles move — a signing, a trade, whatever — that has the entire Philadelphia fan base cheering its GM’s name. This offseason, that move is the trading of Kenny Pickett. The Eagles, in classic Howie fashion, traded for Pickett last offseason solely for his status as an ex-first-round quarterback. After one season of unspectacular QB2 play, they’ve shipped Pickett away to Cleveland, a team grasping at quarterback straws for the 2025 season.
The trade return (a fifth-rounder and QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson) is about as unremarkable as what Roseman originally sent to Pittsburgh for Pickett (a third-rounder and two seventh-rounders for Pickett and a fourth-rounder).
The Friendship Award: The Commanders
In just one year at the helm, general manager Adam Peters took the Commanders from league laughingstock to the NFC Championship Game. He and coach Dan Quinn executed that turnaround by relying heavily on familiarity: In their first offseason together, they added defensive linemen Dorance Armstrong, Dante Fowler Jr. and Clelin Ferrell, linebacker Bobby Wagner and center Tyler Biadasz, all of whom had spent time with either Quinn’s or Peters’ old teams.
Why fix what isn’t broken? In Year 2, the Commanders have re-signed Wagner, tight ends Zach Ertz and John Bates, punter Tress Way and kicker Zane Gonzalez. Ertz and Wagner especially stand out, as they were signed to one-year stopgap deals last season — veterans in the twilight of their careers who could lead and set the culture for a young team. But both outperformed expectations and are running it back for one last postseason run into the sunset (or maybe two or three).
Other than the re-signings, the Commanders’ major moves were the trade for wideout Deebo Samuel Sr. with the 49ers, Peters’ previous organization, and the free agent acquisition of Javon Kinlaw, the ex-Jets defensive tackle who was initially drafted by ... the 49ers. Kinlaw’s deal — $45 million over three years — was particularly jaw-dropping, even in an offseason cycle that has spent heavily on defensive tackles. It’s hard to imagine anyone giving Kinlaw $15 million per year, save for a member of the front office that initially believed and invested in him.
The QB-proof Award: The Vikings
I think the Vikings are the winners of the free agent period. They double-dipped at defensive tackle with Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, and they need just one of the two aging interior pass rushers to hit for them at one of the lone positions of weakness on the defense last season. Star corner Byron Murphy Jr. returns to the outside, and veteran running back Aaron Jones returns on offense.
Cover up the quarterback position, and the Vikings have built one of the league’s most competitive rosters. Reveal that J.J. McCarthy is the current starting QB, and everything makes total sense. The Vikings got a first look at how their team would support an inconsistent, imperfect quarterback last season with Sam Darnold at the helm and have used that trial run to iron out the remaining wrinkles. Right guard was a big problem in pass protection, so they spent big money on ex-Colt Will Fries (five years, $88 million). Center Garrett Bradbury also often struggled when dealing with power one-on-one, so they signed another ex-Colt in Ryan Kelly (two years, $18 million) to provide competition.
There is no team better suited to incubate a first-year passer than the Vikings. They have an excellent, opportunistic defense that can create short fields. They have an excellent playcaller in Kevin O’Connell, who runs a QB-friendly system. They have an elite pass catcher in Justin Jefferson, along with excellent complementary pass catchers T.J. Hockenson and Jordan Addison. And now, they have an improved offensive line and likely improved running game as a result. If McCarthy is even an average first-year starting quarterback, the Vikings should win plenty of games.
The Universally Panned Move Award: The Seahawks trade QB Geno Smith to the Raiders
Every year, there is one big, franchise-altering move made that gets near-universal negative coverage. Think last season when the Falcons drafted Michael Penix Jr. just over a month after signing Kirk Cousins to a huge deal — the initial shock value, the total confusion. Sure, there was a way to talk yourself into the move a day later, and by the end of the 2024 season, the move made far more sense. But at the time, it caught almost nothing but heat.
The early contender for the 2025 most generally disliked move is the Seahawks’ plan at quarterback. Seattle sent Geno Smith to the Raiders for a 2025 third-round pick — an absolute pittance for a veteran starting QB! — as the extension discussion frayed over time between the player and the team. And to replace Smith, Seattle signed Sam Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million deal.
The Commitment to the Bit Award: The Saints
“This will be the year the Saints don’t spend any money,” they told me! “This is finally the year the Saints will take their lumps.”
But general manager Mickey Loomis never says die. The Saints signed a couple of internal extensions — edge rusher Chase Young and tight end Juwan Johnson — in an understandable and shrewd effort to keep void-year money stuck in future years. Were Young or Johnson to leave in free agency, the void money on those contracts would accelerate onto the 2025 cap. With deals in place, the void money instead stays in future years, and they retain good young players. That’s fine business.
But then the Saints signed free agent safety Justin Reid to a three-year, $37.5 million deal. That is decisively not stopping the spending and taking your salary cap medicine. It is spending 2025, 2026 and 2027 money — money the Saints do not have — in an effort to field a more competitive roster in the short term. We don’t have full details on the structure of Reid’s deal yet, but it will almost certainly be backloaded into 2027 and even borrow from 2028 and beyond.
All aTwitter
Washington signed DL Deatrich Wise to a one-year deal worth up to $5 million, as @AdamSchefter reported. Wise is a 6-5, 280-pound DE with 34 career sacks in eight seasons with New England. Second Patriot to join the Commanders, along with CB Jonathan Jones.
— John Keim (@john_keim) March 13, 2025
Super Bowl champs Jonathan Jones and Deatrich Wise Jr. have spent their entire NFL careers with the #Patriots. Both are unrestricted free agents.
Productive players, great people, and community MVPs. Regardless of what happens, I respect and appreciate them both. pic.twitter.com/wAMo9u6DGI
— Dan Kelley (@DanKelley66) March 10, 2025
• Javon Kinlaw (315)
• Eddie Goldman (320)
• Deatrich Wise (280)
The focus for Adam Peters is obvious — improve the trenches v the run. 915 pounds have been added up front to bolster his defensive line. Kinlaw/Wise will also offer some alignment versatility while Goldman is a…
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) March 13, 2025
Longtime Patriots CB who can play inside and outside and is considered a good locker room guy. UDFA out of Auburn in ‘16. Makes a lot of sense. https://t.co/whInDVjK9O
— Sam Fortier (@Sam4TR) March 12, 2025
Here is a list of Laremy Tunsil's 19 penalties last year. Week 3 was tough (3 false starts, 3 illegal formations). The Commanders will be looking to clean these up. pic.twitter.com/cLsd0gtOa4
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) March 12, 2025
Russell Wilson is scheduled to visit the Browns on Thursday and the Giants on Friday in free agency, source says.
— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) March 12, 2025
Kyle Shanahan traded up to No. 3 in the 2021 draft
rumors were he was going to draft Mac Jones
instead, the 49ers drafted Trey Lance & Mac fell to No. 15
four years later, Trey Lance is long gone & Kyle gets Mac https://t.co/2w80GqJrSF
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) March 13, 2025
Here is a good representation of which positions are "top heavy" in terms of contracts around the league.
The difference between the highest paid IOL and the 10th-highest paid guys is massive.
Meanwhile the QB, WR, and LT markets constantly get reset, so the gap is way smaller. pic.twitter.com/GvsLqbFjMP
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) March 13, 2025
Also the Edge difference being so high is because when the top guys get paid, they get PAID.
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) March 13, 2025
According to @AlbertBreer just now on G&D:
Commanders didn't make a formal offer to Ronnie Stanley. But it was known around league they were willing to give him $24M a year and he decided instead to stay in BAL for $20M per.
Then WSH obviously pivoted to the Tunsil deal.
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) March 12, 2025
I enjoyed sitting down with our star Quarterback Jayden Daniels and his mom Regina Jackson today talking about this upcoming season and life after football. Commander fans, we have a true leader. It was great to get to know Jayden off the field and listen to his mom’s vision for… pic.twitter.com/bSsCMHxk8d
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) March 12, 2025