Editor’s note: Each day, Hogs Haven compiles a collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East, the NFL and sports in general, with a sprinkling of other stuff. Enjoy!
Coming out of college, Josephs profiled as a unique blend of size, length, athleticism with upside not just as a pass rusher and run defender, but in coverage too. New defensive coordinator Daronte Jones comes from a Vikings defense where they task edge rushers to not just be able to rush the passer and stop the run, but also be capable of dropping into coverage.
They need edge rushers like Andrew Van Ginkel that can do all three facets because of the blitzing nature of the defense where anyone can rush and anyone can be asked to drop into coverage on any given play. Josephs has the profile to fit that role well, but he looked very raw coming out of college. In his first action in preseason. Josephs proved he was still raw with plenty to work on, but also that he could compete at this level and offer something in all three parts of what this defense asks from its edge rushers.
Let’s start first with the pass rush. Against the Dolphins, you could see that Josephs still has a lot to work on to improve his pass rush technique, but despite that, he is still a real handful for offensive lineman.
At Iowa, he broke or tied school records for most made field goals (76), 50-plus-yard field goals (12) and longest field goal (58 yards). He connected on 80 percent of his attempts in college (76 of 95) and missed only two of 126 extra-point attempts.
During the spring, Stevens said his range stretched to about 63 to 65 yards, when not accounting for outside conditions. His long-time kicking trainer, Dan Orner, told The Athletic at the time that he believes Stevens’ range can actually stretch to 65 or 70 yards.
Last season, 73 NFL games were decided by three points or fewer, tying the league’s all-time single-season record. What’s more, kickers made 12 of 22 field-goal attempts from at least 60 yards, shattering league records.
“What the most important thing is gonna be is who’s making the kicks,” special teams coordinator Larry Izzo said in June.
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When asked how important it is for Allegretti to get as many reps with quarterback Jayden Daniels as possible, he couldn’t answer fast enough. “Yeah, it’s for sure super important. Not just for he and Jay, but for the two guards next to him, the identification, the call,” said Quinn. “So, he’s been doing the walkthroughs in the evenings, but that’s just not the same.”
Quinn continued about Allegretti’s ramp-up process: “And so those reps will be important. We won’t give him 50 plays right off the bat. We’ll work him back into a ramp-up as he’s returning to play. But it is super important just to make sure the communication, the calls, all of that comes together. So, that’s the goal, man. Now start stacking days with he and Jay together.”
Quinn made sure to point out that the competition has now evolved: “So, over the next two weeks, or maybe two and a half weeks, we’ll call it,” Quinn said. “I’d like to see what that rotation looks like with the three of these guys.” That gives this competition an identifiable evaluation window through the rest of preseason, which it has lacked so far. Quinn’s little nugget at the end gives Gulbin another shot at the 53-man roster: “I’ll also probably work Matt at some guard at some point.”
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Reynolds, 30, arrives in Washington adding depth at the position given the news comes one day after head coach Dan Quinn said that veteran Jeremy McNichols is expected to be sidelined a few weeks due to a quad injury.
Reynolds will now look to serve as a boost in preseason and play spoiler in his second stint with the team. The former undrafted free agent first arrived in Washington as part of rookie minicamp in May 2019 before being waived ahead of the final round of roster cuts, leading him to spend the 2019 season on the Atlanta Falcons‘ practice squad. After the spending the 2020 season on the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad along with appearing in two games, Reynolds made a name for himself with the Detroit Lions as part of the rotation where he’s totaled over 650 rushing yards and one touchdown in two starts and 55 appearances over the last five seasons.
To read more of this article, Commanders film break down of Sonny
The Commanders are expected to sign linebacker Krys Barnes after working out for the team on Monday. Barnes was one of four linebackers to work out for the team alongside Triston Newson, Brandon Smith and Kyzir White while a trio of tight ends — Brandon Frazier, Johnny Lumpkin, Tre McKitty — also arrived in Ashburn for workouts.
The signing makes Barnes just the second free agent linebacker to sign with the Commanders this offseason with Leo Chenal, along with the third addition to the unit with rookie Sonny Styles anchoring the inside linebackers.
Barnes spent the 2025 season with the Carolina Panthers where he tallied 23 total tackles and 0.5 sacks in seven games before becoming a free agent. He also started in six games and appeared in 32 games during his two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals where he tallied 90 total tackles, two sacks and an interception. He began his NFL career with the Green Bay Packers after inking a three year deal back in 2020 where he started in 24 games and appeared in 35 during the duration of his contract. Barnes recorded career-highs with 81 total tackles and 58 solo tackles in his second season with the Packers, along with 20 total tackles across three postseason appearances.
To read more of this article, Commanders film break down of Sonny
There was some intrigue about undrafted defensive lineman Jeffrey M’ba when he joined the club this spring. The Commanders gave him $245,000 guaranteed on his deal to beat off interest from others, so it’s clear that those in power also had high hopes.
Unfortunately, it’s not quite gone according to plan.
M’ba has been a work in progress throughout the offseason. He hasn’t been able to force his way up the depth chart, and with Charles Omenihu and Deatrich Wise Jr. (when healthy) set to be deployed on Washington’s 3-4 defensive front under Daronte Jones, it doesn’t leave much room for the rest.
To make matters worse, M’ba was outshone in the Commanders’ preseason opener. Ricky Barber and even veteran Shy Tuttle were standing out on tape more than the first-year pro. With just a couple of weeks left until final cuts, that is a massive problem.
Perhaps M’ba will be brought back onto the practice squad to continue his development, but there is just no telling for sure. At 26, the interior lineman is not exactly a young development project, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Commanders cut their losses entirely without a strong end to the summer.
To read more of this article, Commanders film break down of Sonny
football decorum keeps anarchy at bay.
That’s a message Cross heard from his former University of Maryland head coach.
“My guy Mike Locks [Locksley] always said, ‘The game, it’s a game full of emotion, but you can’t be emotional. You can’t be an emotional player. Gotta play in between the whistles and let your play do the domination.'”
That’s some of the professional and personal insight the fifth-year safety, known for his run-stuffing exploits, shared during a get-to-know-you Q&A with Last Man Standig.
Cross, who grew up a fan of the Redskins, was the opposite of chippy when signing autographs for the young fans screaming for his attention post-practice. The same applied during our breezy chat during the second week of camp about his defensive role, his ear for music, his most cherished acquired autograph, and the football-related story he’s never shared.
For more from Ben Standig, Commanders film break down of Sonny
Hurt & Ricky Barber Shines | Take Command
Makai Lemon missed the preseason opener as he continues to nurse a hamstring injury. The Eagles wide receiver lineup really needs to help, so, here’s hoping he can get well soon!
Eli Stowers started at tight end and played a handful of snaps in the first quarter. He lined up inline and in the slot, catching three short passes. It was a pretty unremarkable day for the talented rookie tight end. His role this year will require him to make the most out of his targets and provide some solid run blocking. Stowers failed to look dynamic catching the football and only looked fine as a blocker. It is not a huge red flag given it is his first live game NFL snaps and he is playing with a bunch of guys who will not be starting in a few weeks. Hopefully he can continue to grow and make the most of his snaps through the next two preseason games.
To read more of this article, Commanders film break down of Sonny
Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers cleared a key checkpoint in his return from last year’s torn ACL on Monday, participating in full-speed team periods for the first time in training camp this summer.
For Nabers, it was akin to an awakening.
“Like I said, my soul’s been dead for so long just being away and knowing what I could’ve accomplished, knowing where I was before this happened,” Nabers told reporters after Monday’s session. “Every tear, every talk with the family, every down day, every day that I didn’t complete something, it just kept that in the back of my head to continue.”
Nabers isn’t completely back in action yet. He only saw a handful of reps in team periods on Monday and wore a red non-contact jersey, but the action still represented an important step forward.
“Being out there and having my teammates behind me kind of felt that soul come back to life,” Nabers said.
“[T]oo many cooks in the kitchen” is an idiom for a reason. It’s fair to wonder if there will be too many voices in the ear of second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart, who’s had an up-and-down start to training camp, including a roller-coaster preseason debut.
But as Dart acclimates to a new offense — particularly after playing in one last year that was largely built to make his transition to the NFL as smooth as possible — growing pains were expected. And amid the process of adjusting to a new scheme, Dart actually sees all the new voices as a positive thing — he’s soaking up a lot of knowledge from coaches who have been at this for a long time.
[T]he new scheme is a departure from the college-style, RPO-heavy scheme former coach Brian Daboll’s Giants ran last year during Dart’s rookie season. Instead of playing out of shotgun most of the time, the quarterback is being asked to line up under center far more often — largely to facilitate what’s expected to be a run-heavy attack
If the QB isn’t getting his eyes to a certain spot in the progression on a particular play, the coaching staff plans to use its remaining time before the regular season to determine why he might not be seeing it well before deciding whether to fix the issue or ditch the play.
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Dart has had an up-and-down camp by most reports. His preseason debut was also a roller coaster, one that included a stint in the medical tent after this hit.
Running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. deserves blame for that. But Dart’s long-term durability was questioned last season, and this does nothing to quell concerns. Growing pains in Matt Nagy’s new offense or a sign of what’s to come? He had some excellent moments in this game, for what its worth.
To read more of this article from The Athletic, Commanders film break down of Sonny
Four Commanders make Yahoo’s top 100 in fantasy football, led by WR Terry McLaurin.
In Justin Boone’s most recent Top 300 overall fantasy football players in full points per reception (FPPR) leagues from Aug. 11, four players from the Washington Commanders were in the top 100 players on the list, with a total of eight players making the overall list.
Washington’s top-ranked player on Boone’s list is wide receiver Terry McLaurin. He is the No. 42 overall player and No. 23 among wide receivers. The Commanders regressed significantly last year, partly because quarterback Jayden Daniels played only seven games. McLaurin also missed seven games, which is more time than he has ever missed in a season. Washington is a favorite to make a comeback this season and potentially make the playoffs as long as everyone stays healthy. McLaurin can certainly get fantasy owners a lot of points, as he proved in 2024 when he had over 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns. He is definitely someone that can be drafted in between the fifth and seventh rounds, depending on the size of your league.
The next Commanders player on Boone’s list is newly-added wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who is the No. 63 overall player.
Quarterback Jayden Daniels is the third Washington Commander on the list, ranked No. 67 overall and No. 3 among quarterbacks. The only two quarterbacks ahead of him are Josh Allen with the Buffalo Bills and Lamar Jackson with the Baltimore Ravens.
The final Commanders player to make the top 100 is running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt at No. 84 overall.
The other four Commanders players to make Boone’s top 300 are running back Rachaad White, tight end Chig Okonkwo, rookie running back Kaytron Allen and rookie wide receiver Antonio Williams.
To read more of this article, Commanders film break down of Sonny
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