The Texans are releasing WR Noah Brown, according to insider Jordan Schultz. It's a slight surprise after Brown had a few big games when Houston was dealing with injuries to WRs Nico Collins and Tank Dell last year.
Commanders HC Dan Quinn named QB Jayden Daniels the Week 1 starter. As expected. Daniels, 23, becomes the second rookie QB in franchise history to start the opener (Robert Griffin III).
Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury says RB Austin Ekeler looks as good as ever. "I watch [Ekeler] and I'm like, 'This guy is tremendous.' So, I'm not sure what it was last year, but he hasn't lost a step." Washington, of course, signed Ekeler in free agency to join RB Brian Robinson Jr. -- while also letting RB Antonio Gibson leave for New England.
Commanders WR Jahan Dotson is excited by what he's seen from QB Jayden Daniels in training camp so far, calling the rookie a "special talent." Daniels had his best day of camp on Tuesday, per The Washington Post's Sam Fortier, connecting on multiple deep passes and breaking off at least one long run.
Ben Standig of The Athletic writes that TE Zach Ertz "showed more speed than expected" in spring practices. He added that second-round rookie TE Ben Sinnott "might ultimately be more H-back or fullback than tight end."
New Commanders RB Austin Ekeler endured a forgettable 2023 season. It started with a Week 1 high-ankle sprain, one that lingered upon returning in Week 6. The now 29-year-old set career lows in yards per carry (3.5), yards after contact per attempt (2.64) and Pro Football Focus Elusive Rating (49.4). With better health, can Ekeler rebound in Washington?
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels spoke glowingly about OC Kliff Kingsbury's offense. Of course, it'd be a much bigger surprise if a rookie QB had anything negative to say about his OC. But it's noteworthy after Kingsbury helped QB Kyler Murray to a strong rookie season in Arizona back in 2019.
The Commanders selected Kansas State TE Ben Sinnott in Round 2 of the NFL Draft. Sinnott was a no-star recruit and walked on at Kansas State. He totaled just two catches across his first two years on campus but earned a scholarship and significant role as a junior in 2022. Sinnott ranked fourth on that Wildcats team with 447 receiving yards and tied for second with four receiving TDs. 2023 brought new career highs across the board: 49 catches, a team-high 676 yards, and a team-high six scores. Sinnott ranked ninth in both Pro Football Focus receiving grade and yards per route among 81 qualifying TEs. The 6’4, 250-pounder boasts plus ball skills and fluidity in his routes and after the catch. He crushed the Combine with a 4.68-second 40 time, a 40-inch vertical, and elite marks in 3-cone and short shuttle to earn a 9.73 Relative Athletic Score. Sinnott also brings versatility, lining up in-line, in the slot, out wide, and in the backfield at Kansas State. The Commanders currently have Zach Ertz atop the depth chart, but he’s playing on a one-year deal. He also turns 34 next season. If Jayden Daniels hits, Sinnott could develop into a spot-start TE1 before the end of 2025.
The Commanders added LSU QB Jayden Daniels in Round 1 of the NFL Draft. Daniels won the 2023 Heisman Award after racking up 3,812 yards and 40 TDs passing, plus 1,134 yards and 10 TDs rushing. He completed a sterling 72.2% of his passes in spite of a big 10.5-yard average target depth. Daniels was especially lethal throwing deep, completing 35 of 55 passes 20+ yards downfield for 1,347 yards, 22 TDs, and 0 INTs. He led the FBS in completion rate, yards per attempt, TDs, and Pro Football Focus passing grade on throws 20+ yards downfield. Daniels was just as impressive as a runner, averaging 10.4 yards per carry if we remove the negative yardage from sacks taken. He ripped off eight runs of 15+ yards, including an 85-yard TD vs. Florida. It’s certainly worth noting that it all came in Daniels’ fifth college season. He spent three years at Arizona State before transferring to LSU for the last two. But he consistently improved as a passer, culminating with a 92.0 PFF passing grade last year – second among 125 qualifiers. Daniels’ combination of deep-ball prowess and truly elite rushing ability give him massive fantasy upside. Think Lamar Jackson. In Washington, Daniels has a clear path to the Week 1 starting role. This supporting cast is underwhelming behind Terry McLaurin, but note that the Commanders have two Round 2 picks and three Round 3 picks. Regardless of what tomorrow brings, Daniels’ fantasy upside will remain tied to his excellent rushing ability. Consider him a likely fantasy spot-starter in 2024.
The Texans re-signed WR Noah Brown, ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime reports. Brown flashed in spurts last year, with receiving lines of 6-153-1, 7-172-0, and 8-82-1. He struggled staying healthy otherwise, missing seven games and most of an eighth. Brown, of course, will be no better than No. 3 on Houston's depth chart in 2024 behind WRs Nico Collins and Tank Dell. If he hangs on to that No. 3 job, though, Brown could at least provide value as a late-round best-ball pick.
The Commanders are signing RB Austin Ekeler to a two-year deal, according to multiple reports. NFL Networks' Tom Pelissero reports it's worth "up to $11.43 million." The exact terms aren't yet clear, but it looks like he'll get a larger annual average than the three-year deal Antonio Gibson agreed to with the Patriots. The new Washington staff likely views Ekeler as at least an upgrade over Gibson. And Commanders run-game coordinator Anthony Lynn is plenty familiar with the veteran RB, having served as Chargers HC through the first four years of Ekeler's career. Ekeler figures to share touches with Brian Robinson Jr., operating as the lead receiving back. We'll watch for more signals on Ekeler's expected role. For now, both Washington RBs make sense in RB3 range of best ball drafts. Check our best ball rankings to see exactly where they land.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that TE Zach Ertz has agreed to a one-year deal with the Commanders worth "up to" $5 million. We'll be curious to see more specific terms on the contract -- such as whether it even guarantees he'll even break training camp with the team. Ertz managed just 27 catches over six games for the Cardinals last year, coming off a 2022 ACL tear. He failed to reach another active roster after Arizona waived him Nov. 30. (He finished the year on Detroit's practice squad.) Ertz will turn 34 in November and has set career lows in yards per catch each of the past two seasons (8.6, then 6.9). He spent his pre-2023 Arizona time playing under then-HC Kliff Kingsbury, who joined Washington as OC this offseason. We'll see how much that factored into Ertz's signing and what Kingsbury might have planned. The Commanders have room on the TE depth chart after dumping Logan Thomas, with only Cole Turner and John Bates under contract. But the Ertz signing shouldn't exclude them from making any other moves at the position. You can consider Ertz as a third TE late in your best ball drafts, but we wouldn't chase him any earlier than that.
LSU QB Jayden Daniels didn’t throw or work out at the NFL Combine. He wasn’t measured, either, so we’ll have to wait until LSU’s March 27 pro day for official numbers. (The team lists him at 6’4, 210.) The slender, fifth-year breakout displayed a dynamic run/pass ability last fall alongside stud WRs Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. Daniels’ raw stats really jump off the page: 3,812-40-4 passing, plus 1,134 rushing yards and ten scores. It’s the rushing that supplies an enticing fantasy ceiling. The 23-year-old could enter the spot-start QB1 mix as early as 2024.
The Commanders are hiring Kliff Kingsbury as their OC under HC Dan Quinn, according to multiple reports. Kingsbury had an underwhelming tenure as Cardinals HC from 2019 to 2022, going 28-37-1 over those four seasons. He landed two of those teams inside the top 8 in total yards, but none cracked the top 10 in points. Kingsbury at least deployed fast-paced attacks, with three of his four offenses finishing top 3 in pace and offensive plays. He joins a Washington squad with plenty of skill-position talent and the No. 2 overall pick in this spring's draft, which will presumably be used to take a QB.
The Commanders are hiring Dan Quinn to be the new HC. Quinn spent the past three years as Cowboys DC. Those teams finished seventh, fifth, and fifth in points allowed after checking in 28th and 11th the two years before he arrived. Quinn spent 2015-19 as HC of the Falcons, going 43-37 over that span with two winning seasons. Atlanta fired him five games into 2020 (with an 0-5 record). As a career-long defensive coach, Quinn shouldn't affect offensive outlooks in Washington with his arrival. We'll see who he brings in to assist on that side of the ball and what the Commanders decide to do at QB. We'd bet they'll select one with the second overall pick in the draft. The Washington defense can only improve after ranking last in both yards and points allowed in 2023.
The Lions are signing TE Zach Ertz, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Ertz arrives as a fairly big name, but don't consider him a serious challenge to TE Sam LaPorta's outlook. Detroit suddenly finds weak depth at the position after losing Brock Wright to a forearm fracture in Sunday's win over the Buccaneers. The team previously placed TE James Mitchell on IR after he suffered a hand injury in practice ahead of the win over the Rams. Wright drew just 1 target before leaving Sunday's game, in which he played 30 snaps. No Lions TE besides LaPorta drew a target in the previous game, despite LaPorta being just a week removed from a knee injury.
Texans WR Noah Brown has been placed on IR with the shoulder injury he suffered in Saturday's Wild Card win over the Browns. He'll miss the rest of the postseason. Brown flashed a few times during the 2023 season but was unable to string together more than a handful of healthy games at a time. The 28-year-old is due to hit free agency in March.
Texans WR Noah Brown suffered a shoulder injury in the first half of Saturday's game vs. the Browns and has been ruled out. That leaves WRs Robert Woods, John Metchie, and Xavier Hutchinson behind alpha dog Nico Collins.
Texans WR Noah Brown (back) is listed as questionable for Saturday's Wild Card game vs. the Browns. He only got in a limited practice on Thursday, so it's safe to assume that Brown won't be close to 100% if he ends up playing. He's not an attractive option in playoff-long contests or the Wild Card DFS slate.
The Commanders fired HC Ron Rivera on Monday. The writing was on the wall after Washington went 4-13 and ended the season with eight straight losses. Rivera lasted four seasons on the job but never posted a winning record. Per league insider Jordan Schultz, Washington has contacted the agent for Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh. We’ll see if there’s mutual interest. But there’s little doubt that Washington will usher in a new starting QB after Sam Howell’s second-season slump. The Commanders sit atop the league in projected cap space -- $85 million, according to Spotrac -- while they also hold the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
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