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Washington Commanders offensive lineman named among 25 best players in 2025 season
ESPN ranked [Laremy Tunsil] the 24th best player during the 2025 NFL season, along with the second-best offensive tackle behind Denver’s star and first-team All Pro Garett Bolles.
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Tunsil…arrived in Washington [already] viewed as one of the best tackles across the NFL, and [during] his first season protecting what proved to be a rotating starting quarterback room, cemented that [reputation], grading as the third-best pass blocker per PFF. Tunsil allowed just two hits and sacks in nearly 500 snaps during the 2025 season, tied with Texans tackle Tytus Howard as the fourth-highest graded tackle in efficiency across the league.
[O]ne of the several questions this offseason is whether the Commanders work out a contract extension with the veteran tackle entering the final year of his three year, $75 million deal that was agreed to during his time with the Houston Texans.
General manager Adam Peters expressed optimism about an extension after noting the two sides were in “constant communication” with Tunsil self represented.
“He has a team around him that we have constant communication with and have throughout the year. So I think what I can say is we definitely want to get something done with them sooner rather than later,” Peters said in the end of season press conference.
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“I want to play for [Dan Quinn] as long as I can. He’s become one of my favorite coaches that I had in the league. It’s fun to follow a guy like that,” Tunsil said in December. “As he leads, it’s not like a hard-ass or like cussing players out or anything, it’s more of just like teaching, you know, talking, letting you be free and giving you the freedom to like to be a professional.”
A to Z Sports
The Commanders are interviewing Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, and it wouldn’t be the right hire to make after recent results
The Commanders should not hire Teryl Austin
Austin does have a lot of experience, which I’m sure Quinn loves, but it’s a move that wouldn’t move the needle, and the Commanders have a drastically worse roster on defense than the Steelers. I reached out to A to Z Sports Pittsburgh’s beat writer, Rob Gregson, to get his thoughts on Austin, and he agrees that it wouldn’t be a good move to make.
“The Pittsburgh Steelers had a lot of good players during Teryl Austin’s tenure as defensive coordinator. As a matter of fact, they had potential Hall of Famers in T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward, with tons of Pro Bowlers and All-Pros mixed in. Yet every year, there were questions. Blown assignments, bad communication, and just poor execution. It feels like there were yearly questions when it came to the run defense, and for as long as Austin was there, the team could never cover tight ends. It felt like whatever improvements came from that unit occurred when Mike Tomlin had to step in and imprint his DNA on that side of the ball. That shouldn’t be the case for a DC.” – Rob Gregson, A to Z Sports Pittsburgh
The Commanders need to nail this hire, and Austin would be a bad [choice].
Riggo’s Rag
Logan Paulsen touts Penn State edge Dani Dennis-Sutton for the Commanders
Dani Dennis-Sutton is a prototypical modern edge rusher. Or, to put it in Paulson’s words, “He’s a big ole’ hoss.”
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At 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds, Dennis-Sutton has the size and length to set edges in the NFL. He also has excellent straight-line speed. He has run 4.68 seconds in the 40-yard dash, exceptional for a man of his size. It suggests a player with the ability to chase down ball carriers and quarterbacks from the backside.
Coming from the Nittany Lions, Dennis-Sutton has faced top-level competition over the span of four years and 55 games. Teams don’t have to guess about what they are getting.
The McDonogh High School graduate from nearby Owings Mills has been a model of consistency over his last two seasons. He had 8.5 sacks in both 2024 and 2025, along with getting 25 tackles for loss, split evenly over the two years. Dennis-Sutton was even credited with three pass defenses in both years.
In the 2024 college football playoff matchup with Notre Dame, Dennis-Sutton recorded two sacks and a forced fumble. This suggests that he does not disappear in big moments.
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Though he has dropped off in coverage at times, Dennis-Sutton is most likely destined to be on the line in the pros, as an end in either a 4-3 or 3-4 front. Some reports from scouts indicate he would function best as a 3-4 end, which is not Washington’s current defensive alignment.
As Paulsen points out, “He’s got long arms. He’s got everything you want. He’s big; he’s heavy-handed.”
The reason a player like Dennis-Sutton falls a round or two behind players like Bailey and Bain is the way he bends the edge.
He does not have that elite athleticism to maintain maximum speed while veering around a blocker. The more compact Bain and the more agile Bailey have exceptional leans. Dennis-Sutton is a little more upright, a bit less flexible.
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But he still has plenty of raw speed and power to contribute immediately in the NFL. As a pro pass rusher, he brings a solid floor, something the Commanders desperately need. With technique refinement, he could have a very high ceiling as well.
A to Z Sports
The Commanders can use one of their later-round picks on one of these Senior Bowl wide receiver prospects to give Jayden Daniels extra help
Third round wide receiver options at the Senior Bowl
Elijah Sarratt, Indiana
Indiana had a loaded offense in their National Championship run, and Elijah Sarratt was a big piece of it. Sarratt is a 6-2, 213-pound outside wide receiver who doesn’t get the best separation in his routes, but he makes 50/50 balls more like 80/20 with 12 contested catches on the season. He’s a reliable short and deepthreat with only three drops on 87 targets. 80% of his catches went for a first down, and he had 15 touchdowns on the season. Sarratt has the size and length to win often, and reminds me of Keenan Allen.
Day Three wide receiver options at the Senior Bowl
Kevin Coleman Jr, Missouri
Kevin Coleman Jr. is an underrated prospect and my likeliest candidate to make the most noise at the Senior Bowl to everyone’s surprise. He’s a 5-11, 180-pound slot wide receiver who would fit the Commanders’ new offense perfectly. They desperately need a legit threat in the slot who can carve defenses with his route-running, and also win after the catch. He forced 18 missed tackles after the catch and only two drops on the season. The numbers aren’t glaring because of Missouri’s lack of a true passing game, but Coleman Jr. has the goods and is one of my favorite gems in the draft.
Brenen Thompson, Mississippi State
Brenen Thompson has the best odds of being the fastest player in the 2026 NFL Draft, and he’s a blur on film. He’s only 5-9, 180 pounds, but he’s a natural separator in his routes and plays at a different speed than everyone else. Thompson led the SEC in receiving yards in 2025 with 1,054 and averaged 18.5 yards per catch. He’s an elite deep threat with 11 deep catches and gets behind the defense with ease. Thompson isn’t just a deep threat; he also runs crisp routes, uses leverage, and is very sudden with his movements in the short game. I’m a big fan and can’t wait to see him dominate at the Senior Bowl.
NFC East links
Fox News
Giants’ Cam Skattebo says college earnings from NIL are creating entitled NFL rookies
Skattebo says rookies who made a lot of money in college think they are ‘hot s—‘
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Skattebo, who just finished his rookie season, said the players coming out of college think they are “hot s—” because they enter the NFL having already made substantial money through NIL in college.
“The rookies that come in have made $2-$3 million in college, like they think they hot s—,” Skattebo said during a recent appearance on the “Roommates Show.”
“Like, there could be a vet that’s been in the league for three years, four years, and this rookie could have come from college and already made more money than him.”
“You could just tell by the way these college kids act now,” Skattebo said. “There’s some people act right, some people don’t care that there was ever such thing as a rookie situation.”
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“I got rookie duties cause I’m a rookie, and I’m not going to sit there and say, ‘No, f— you.’ If my vets tell me to go get some snacks for the running back room for weeks in and weeks out, like I’m going to go get the snacks,” Skattebo said.
Bleeding Green Nation
Mekhi Becton reportedly expected to be released: Should the Eagles have interest in a reunion?
Philadelphia could look to bring their former starting guard back
Becton is expected to be released by the Los Angeles Chargers after a disappointing season. Tony Pauline had the following to say about the matter in a report from the Shrine Bowl:
After seemingly turning his career around, word at the Shrine Bowl is that Mekhi Becton has reverted to his former ways, and the Los Angeles Chargers will opt out of the final year of his contract. […] A one-year stint with the Eagles saw him get his game and life back on track, culminating in a Super Bowl ring and a new two-year, $20 million contract with the Chargers last offseason. But he’s been a disappointment despite starting 15 games. Becton’s run and pass blocking were both a disaster, and he was ranked as one of the worst guards in the league. The Chargers can opt out of the second year of his deal, and people at the Shrine Bowl tell me that’s exactly what will happen.
It’s not hard to believe this report is true since the Bolts can cut Becton to clear $9.7 million in cap space while only taking on $2.5 million in dead money.
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There’s a common belief that the 2025 Eagles missed the 2024 version of Becton, especially when it came to Philly’s ability to run the ball.
While there’s no doubt that Becton made some really nice plays as a run blocker during Philly’s Super Bowl LIX-winning season, it’s hardly like his replacement was a total liability. The perception is that Steen was worse as a run blocker but better in pass protection. But here’s what the Pro Football Focus grading (grain of salt) looks like:
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2025 Tyler Steen: 16th overall out of 85 guards … 15th in run blocking, 9th in pass blocking
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2024 Mekhi Becton: 20th overall out of 79 guards … 22nd in run blocking, t-51st in pass blocking
I don’t get the sense that the Eagles are itching to replace Steen — who is now eligible for an extension as he enters the final year of his rookie contract — with Becton.
Big Blue View
With Harbaugh as coach, will the Giants look to poach players from the Baltimore Ravens in free agency?
TE Isaiah Likely
Likely would be an excellent addition to the Giants, and would make a nice 1A to Theo Johnson. Likely took a backseat role to Mark Andrews over his rookie contract. He still earned 487 total offensive snaps in 2025, due to Todd Monken’s penchant for 12 personnel — Baltimore ran it more than any other personnel package at a 37% rate.
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Likely caught 27 of 34 targets for 307 yards with just one touchdown, but he broke out last year in Monken’s explosive, No. 1-ranked 2024 offense. Likely caught 49 of 65 passes for 603 yards with seven touchdowns. Monken’s 12 personnel was dangerous, and Likely acted as a mismatch weapon for the offense. New York could use another tight end, especially if Daniel Bellinger or Chris Manhertz leaves the team.
The 6-foot-4, 241-pound four-year veteran would give Jaxson Dart a potent 12 personnel passing attack with blocking upside. Spotrac.com lists Likely’s market value at $ 9 million per year. This would put Likely in the Hunter Henry ($9 million) and Dawson Knox ($9.83 million) range.
TE Charlie Kolar
Another tight end option that will be cheaper than Likely, who worked with Harbaugh and Monken. The 26-year-old caught 10 of 13 passes for 142 yards with a pair of touchdowns in 2025. He has secured 31 of 40 passes for 413 yards with four touchdowns in his career. At Iowa State, with Brock Purdy, Kolar was a seam threat who caught 63 of 95 targets for 764 yards with six touchdowns. He finished his four-year college career with 23 total touchdowns.
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There is more to Kolar’s receiving profile than we’ve seen in the NFL, due to him sharing a depth chart with Andrews and Likely. Kolar was a solid blocker in 2025, and he offered flexibility to the Ravens’ 13 personnel package. Kolar is a cheaper option, who could prove to be at a discount.
Big Blue View
Giant issues with 2026 free agency & salary cap?
M2-0 Buscemi asks: I know Harbaugh has interest in some of his Raven players that he would bring to the Giants two are center Lindenbaum and safety Gilman.
I don’t think the Giants have this kind of cap money to sign these players. So what magic is he going to use? He might have to go to a plan. B.
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Ed says: Let’s not obsess over the salary cap situation right now. It is true that the Giants have only $1.8 million in space on an estimated $295.5 million cap for 2026, per Over the Cap. That, though, is highly misleading.
There are 12 teams — yes, 12 — in worse shape than the Giants. Those 12 teams are all in the red right now and will have to make moves to simply get under the cap.
Between now and the start of free agency in March, John Harbaugh and GM Joe Schoen will be assessing the roster and a number of moves that will free up cap space will be made.
An easy one is cutting placekicker Graham Gano ($4.5 million in savings). James Hudson ($5.38 in savings) is another easy one. Bobby Okereke ($9 million in savings), Jon Runyan ($9.25 million in savings), and Devin Singletary ($5.25 million in savings) are obvious cut candidates. That’s more than $30 million in savings, and there are other moves that could be made.
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A big one? What if the Giants decide to trade Kayvon Thibodeaux? That’s $14.75 million in cap savings if they do it before June 1.
Just let the offseason play out. The Giants will make the moves they need to make to chase the players they want to try and bring in.
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ESPN
Steelers to hire coach Mike McCarthy: Answering 6 questions
Why did the Steelers choose Mike McCarthy as their next coach, and how much did his Pittsburgh background play into the decision?
Days after Tomlin walked away on Jan. 13 as the Steelers’ head coach, team president Art Rooney II said he wanted to compete from “day one.” He also said he didn’t like the word “rebuild.” In hiring McCarthy over younger, less proven candidates, Rooney emphasized his desire to win now with the league’s third-oldest active head coach (behind Kansas City’s Andy Reid and New York Giants’ John Harbaugh).
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None of the Steelers’ previous three head coaches had any NFL head coaching experience, while McCarthy has 310 games of prior NFL head coaching experience. He also has the sixth-most wins (185) among all NFL coaches of the past 20 seasons. Tomlin finished his Steelers’ career with 201 wins, including playoffs.
Rooney’s urgency comes on the heels of another Steelers season ending with a one-and-done playoff appearance, this time a 30-6 blowout loss to the Houston Texans in the team’s first home playoff game since the 2020 season. The Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since the 2016 season.
McCarthy is 11-11 in playoff games, last winning the wild-card game with the Cowboys against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after the 2022 season. But he has also had 11 10-win seasons since he first became a head coach in 2006, tied for fourth most by a head coach in that span.
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A native of the Greenfield neighborhood of Pittsburgh, McCarthy understands the Steelers’ blue-collar culture better than most. Hiring McCarthy, a veteran coach who has intimate knowledge of the city and of the tradition of the teams, allows the Steelers to remain true to their old-school roots in a way that could’ve been challenged by a young up-and-coming candidate.
Not only does McCarthy have a familiarity with the city, but general manager Omar Khan knows McCarthy from New Orleans. McCarthy served as the New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator from 2000-04, and Khan, who joined the Saints first as an intern in 1997, worked closely with McCarthy when he came on board.
What’s the buzz around the league on the Steelers’ decision?
“I thought the team would chart a new course with an assertive young coach they could build something with,” an industry source said Saturday. “McCarthy’s a good coach, but this isn’t an inspired hire.” — Fowler
How would you grade the hire?
C. It’s hard to get excited about McCarthy’s third stint as an NFL head coach, especially when we consider just where he failed at the previous two stops. McCarthy made three straight playoff appearances in Dallas over five seasons, but he never made it beyond the divisional round — and that was with an excellent quarterback in Dak Prescott. In Green Bay, where McCarthy was the coach for 13 seasons, he won one Super Bowl (2010) and didn’t make it back over the next eight years. He was fired in large part because of the offense growing stale and a lack of postseason success despite elite QB play — the prime of Rodgers.
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So why should Pittsburgh fans reasonably expect McCarthy to cure their playoffs one-and-done woes of the Tomlin era, especially when he is facing a quarterback problem he has never before had to endure? — Solak
The Athletic (paywall)
Steelers’ McCarthy hire has everything to do with a QB, but not the one you’re thinking of
Inevitably, many will connect the head coach to his former quarterback and wonder: When will the other shoe drop? League sources emphasized to The Athletic — on two separate occasions over the last week — that the Steelers were not considering McCarthy as a way to entice Rodgers to return for a second season. At the same time, countless players and several others inside the organization would welcome the quarterback’s return. Rodgers, who was non-committal on his future after the playoffs, at least left the door open for 2026 a few weeks earlier.
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“Obviously, I’m 42 years old, and I’m on a one-year deal, so you know what the situation is,” Rodgers said ahead of the regular-season finale. “Whenever the season ends, I’ll be a free agent, so that will give me a lot of options, if I still want to play … I mean, not a lot of options, but there’ll be options, I would think maybe one or two if I decide I still want to play.”
If it’s possible, let’s forget about Rodgers for a second. Yes, this is a hire that has everything to do with a quarterback. But, no, it’s not the one everyone is thinking about.
By hiring McCarthy, the Steelers are taking a calculated risk that an experienced offensive mind who has worked closely with some of the game’s great QBs can identify and develop the next franchise quarterback to get them out of their current cycle of veteran Band-Aids. That’s really what this is about; ultimately, McCarthy’s tenure in Pittsburgh will and should be judged based on that one point alone.
It’s a gamble, and the Steelers parted with tradition to make it happen. When you ask, Why do the Steelers do something a certain way? The answer is typically: Because they always have. No place is that more true than at head coach. Traditionally, the Steelers have favored young, defensive-minded head coaches who have provided stability and continuity for decades. Noll was 37 when he was hired. Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin were 34.
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You could argue the Steelers could have — or should have — gone down the same path with a young offensive coach. Maybe Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak or his brother, 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak, would have been the right mix of youth and offensive acumen. Or maybe you feel they should have taken a bigger chance on youth and upside by bringing in Rams passing game coordinator Nathan Scheelhaase, who is just 35.
But this is the barstool the Steelers chose. It’s up to the NFL’s third-oldest head coach to find and develop the quarterback to stabilize the franchise — and fast; closing time can’t be far off.
NFL.com
Remaining coaching searches likely to heat up following Championship Sunday’s results
Following Championship Sunday’s games, several teams currently without a head coach will know if they can proceed down the back stretch of their coaching searches and decide who to hire.
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The Las Vegas Raiders, Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers are currently permitted to speak with assistant coaches from the teams playing on Sunday – New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks.
The Buffalo Bills, who fired Sean McDermott on Monday, are only permitted to talk with candidates whose seasons have already ended because of when they began their coaching search. Next week, the Bills will be able to talk with candidates from teams whose seasons end on Sunday, but Buffalo will have to wait until after Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 to interview a candidate on a team who advances.
NFL Draft
Blogging the Boys
Our scouting report on Ohio State safety, Caleb Downs
THE FIT
Downs pretty much fits anywhere, but he’s best in a defense that lets him move around as a deep safety on one snap, slot or box the next. This way he can use his instincts, range, and tackling to erase mistakes. Put him in a split-safety or quarters-heavy scheme and he becomes the fixer who keeps big plays from happening while also creating turnovers.
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SUMMARY
Downs is the kind of safety an NFL team can build around because he does a little bit of everything at a high level. He can play deep in the middle of the field and keep big plays from happening, but he can also move down closer to the line of scrimmage to help stop the run, cover tight ends, or blitz. What makes him special is how quickly he reads plays. He sees what the offense is trying to do, takes good angles to the ball, and usually arrives under control to finish tackles. He also communicates well, which matters because safeties often help line up the defense before the snap.
He’s not perfect. Because he’s aggressive and always around the ball, he can occasionally take a slightly risky angle or try to make the highlight play instead of the simple one. And while he’s physical, he isn’t a massive, old-school strong safety who lives in the box and just hits people all day. His best value is being moved around so he can use his speed and instincts. Overall, he looks like a day-one starter who can play in any system and make the whole defense more organized, faster, and harder to throw on.
COMPARISON
Eric Berry
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BTB OVERALL GRADE
1st
CONSENSUS OVERALL RANKING
3rd
(Consensus ranking based on the average ranking from 90 major scoring services, including BTB)
Riggo’s Rag
Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love Scouting Report
Jeremiyah Love NFL Player Comparison: Breece Hall
Love has the top end speed of a guy like Jahmyr Gibbs, but he’s also 20 pounds heavier, which leads us to Breece Hall. Both players can win with burst, vision, and receiving ability, and can then attack downhill in short-yardage spots.
Jeremiyah Love NFL Draft Grade: Top-15 Selection
You have to be a special back to hear your name called in the top 10, and Love fits comfortably in the Bijan Robinson, Saqtop-threeuon Barkley conversation for me. Personally, he’s a top three player in the class on my board.
Teams looking for an offensive multiplier rather than just a volume runner will view Love as a premium asset, and you should expect to hear his name called early on night one in April. He has the size and athletic traits to become one of football’s most explosive playmakers.
