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Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Commanders' Top Offensive Trio Given So-So Ranking
Commanders' Top Offensive Trio Given So-So Ranking originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Washington Commanders' offense under Kliff Kingsbury is expected to be one of the better units in football this upcoming season. With Jayden Daniels orchestrating it, and Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel, Zach Ertz and Brian Robinson Jr. as the top weapons, the Commanders do have a lot going for them offensively. But what about their top three weapons against the rest of the league? CBS Sports' Jared Dubin named "triplets" for each team and ranked them accordingly. For Washington, it was Daniels, McLaurin and Robinson Jr., with the trio coming in at No. 12. "The biggest risers from year to year, Washington leaps from 25th a year ago to just a smidge outside the top 10," Dubin writes. "That's obviously on the strength of Daniels' all-time great rookie season, and of us finally getting to see what it looks like when McLaurin plays with a real live NFL quarterback. "Robinson probably holds this group back, though, as a straight-line runner with no real passing game production. If Washington had added an explosive rookie back, I think the Commies might have jumped into the next group." Daniels will be the straw that stirs the offense's drink in 2025, but he'll have help in McLaurin and Samuel in the passing game, and Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler in the run game. Some think a regression is coming for Washington after a 12-5 regular season and an NFC Championship Game appearance, while others think Daniels will only continue his ascension to becoming one of the NFL's best. There's pressure on the Commanders in 2025, but with an offensive trio that could be seen as better than its No. 12 ranking, expect head coach Dan Quinn and his team to continue building something special in the nation's capital. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
These 2 players could shape the Commanders' 2025 season
We're officially 50 days from the start of the 2025 NFL season, less than two months away. For the third year in a row, CBS Sports senior writer Zachary Pereles created a list of 50 under-the-radar players who could shape the 2025 NFL season. Now, "under the radar" is subjective, so this year, Pereles created some boundaries: Not an All-Pro or Pro Bowler in 2024 or 2023 (we have one exception here, with good reason) Not drafted in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft Not in my 100 most important players that published 100 days before the season began He also included at least one player from each team, but some teams obviously had multiple players to get to 50. The Washington Commanders had two players land on this list. First: Brian Robinson Jr., Commanders: From Weeks 1-8, Robinson was one of the league's best runners on a success rate and a yards after contact basis. Then he missed Weeks 9 and 10 with a hamstring injury and was among the NFL's least efficient runners thereafter. A Week 12 ankle injury didn't help, either. The change was clear: He avoided 18.8% of tackles from Weeks 1-9. That fell to 11.6% in Weeks 11-18. Washington, once thought of as a landing spot for a top running back in the draft, didn't select one until the seventh round. Robinson will lead the backfield once again. Robinson is in the final year of his rookie contract and has missed at least two games in each season he's played. That said, the Commanders' offensive line will be improved this year, and if he can stay healthy, Robinson can get the job done. But if he continues how he has the last couple of years, he will likely find himself as RB2, whether he's with the Commanders or not. The Commanders' second player on the list might surprise you. Trey Amos (CB), Commanders: Washington found a gem in last year's second-round cornerback, Mike Sainristil, and hopes this year's version, Amos, is able to make a similar immediate impact. At 6-foot-1 he has the size to play outside, which would allow Washington to slide Sainristil inside, and he tested well at the combine. Rookie cornerbacks can experience a trial by fire, but if Amos holds up, it's a huge improvement for a defense that needs to improve. Amos has all kinds of upside, and Joe Whitt comes from a secondary background. Whitt and Dan Quinn will have the defensive side of the ball in much better shape in 2025 than it was in 2024, when Quinn was much more focused on the offense. Both Robinson and Amos have tremendous upside, and both have the potential to impact the Commanders and shape their season, thereby helping to shape the overall landscape of the NFL. If things pan out the way they look on paper, the Commanders are going to have a very successful 2025 season. This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: 2 Commanders named players who could shape 2025 season
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Commanders' 7th-Round Draft Pick Predicted to 'Surprise' in 2025
Commanders' 7th-Round Draft Pick Predicted to 'Surprise' in 2025 originally appeared on Athlon Sports. For some reason, the Washington Commanders were hell bent on adding another running back to the already crowded room that includes Brian Robinson Jr., Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols. Advertisement With all three of those players entering the final season of their respective contracts, it could be that general manager Adam Peters wanted to ensure a future piece of the puzzle. But that's a stretch in the seventh round. Regardless, USA Today's Bucs Wire predicted that Croskey-Merritt will be a "surprise" in 2025. "Croskey-Merritt isn't a typical seventh-round pick. A bogus NCAA eligibility issue cost him all but one game after he transferred to Arizona last season," Commanders Wire's Bryan Manning wrote. "Croskey-Merritt has thrived each time he moved up a level and was slated to be a much higher pick in April's NFL draft. He has a good combination of size and speed and runs with excellent power. One knock is his lack of impact in the passing game during his college career. Advertisement "The Commanders have Austin Ekeler for that. Croskey-Merritt could quickly move up the depth chart if Brian Robinson Jr. misses any time." Croskey-Merritt appeared in just one game last season after being deemed ineligible for all the others after a dispute over a prior redshirt season. In his last season at New Mexico in 2023, Croskey-Merritt appeared in 122 games and carried the ball 189 times for 1,190 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also caught seven passes for 72 yards and another score. His speed should be a factor in the NFL after running a 4.45 40-yard dash at his Pro Day. That was the fastest among running backs. Advertisement Related: Commanders' Free Agent Signing Predicted To Be Biggest 'Bust' Related: Two Reasons Why Commanders' Jayden Daniels Can 'Dominate' In 2025 This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Commanders Predicted To Make Trade Involving 73-TD Running Back
Commanders Predicted To Make Trade Involving 73-TD Running Back originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Washington Commanders' running back room is causing the front office and the coaching staff to face a difficult decision. Their intended starter candidates, Austin Ekeler and Brian Robinson Jr., are entering the final years of their contracts. Advertisement The team also drafted Jacory Croskey-Merritt as a seventh-round pick in April's draft to help bolster the position group. Critics would contend that none of the three running backs are at this point in their careers fully capable of being a star lead back in any offense. Though of course Ekeler once did that with the Chargers. In the case of Ekeler now? Maybe at age 30 he actually thrives in a "by committee" approach. As he gets set for his ninth NFL season, though, the former Los Angeles back is surely acutely aware that he could be playing his final year in the league, especially after missing five games with injuries in 2024. Advertisement And there are observers who want to make that push now. Douglas Fritz from Clutch Points believes that Washington could move on from Ekeler this offseason. He predicts that the team will trade Ekeler – who in his career is a 73-touchdown guy – to make room for their seventh-round rookie. "Add in the fact that he's coming off an injury-plagued season with the dreaded concussion," Fritz said. "Further complicating his spot on the roster has been the emergence of a rookie seventh-round selection. Jacory Croskey-Merritt could make Ekeler expendable (a.k.a. tradeable) if he continues to flash NFL-ready signs during the upcoming training camp." Our thoughts? We have our doubts that a seventh-round rookie is anywhere close, in terms of dependability for a Super Bowl contender – than Ekeler. Advertisement Ekeler won't be a part of Washington's long-term plans. But the short-term plan is to win big and Ekeler figures to be a key component in that push. Related: 'Fat' Deebo 'Jacked' Photo Goes Viral In Telling Commanders' Truth Related: Jayden Daniels' Commanders Own One 'Significant Advantage' In Super Bowl Chase This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Commanders Predicted To Cut With 73-TD Former All-Pro
Commanders Predicted To Cut With 73-TD Former All-Pro originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Washington Commanders veteran running back Austin Ekeler is now on record as predicting his 2025 team is on the verge of "looking like a powerhouse out there.'' Advertisement But that leads to a question, for some ... Is eight-year veteran Ekeler, with "73 TDs'' and "the age of 30'' both on his resume, going to be part of that powerhouse? After a wonderful 2024 season in which the Commanders reached the NFC Championship Game after bumbling to a four-win 2023 season, attention now turns to doing it again. Ekeler, working in tandem last year with Brian Robinson Jr., was a part of that turnaround. He recorded 367 rushing yards on 77 attempts for four touchdowns over 12 games, while also catching 35 passes for 366 yards. Which is why it is so notable that some are writing him off this year. Advertisement Ekeler is playing out the two-year, $8.34 million contract given him last offseason; that's cheap help. But it is being pointed out that the team can gain over $3.4 million in cap savings if it cuts him. Missed in the equation, though, is the dead money. That penalty is $1.5 million with the releasing of Ekeler. So ... Washington saves $2 million by cutting him. What's the point of this again? If we get to camp and there is some sign that he's "lost it''? This is worthy of a revisit. But for now? 'I think there's even going to be more growth this year, which is awesome because of where we are at with our team and have a lot of players back,'' he tells SiriusXM. "We still have a lot of playmakers. ... Advertisement "Oh man, we are going to be looking like a powerhouse out there.' And for the money, fans of Ekeler think having him around adds to the power. Related: Commanders Trade for Trey Hendrickson Idea Gets Final Pre-Camp Update Related: 'The Trajectory': Commanders' Jayden Scouted by Ekeler This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
