Daily Slop: 31 Mar 26 – Si’s David Harrison Says Carnell Tate Is “honestly The Best Guy For This Team In This Position Right Now”

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NFL Draft Profile: WR Carnell Tate

After the Washington Commanders missed out on both Alec Pierce and Romeo Doubs in free agency, there’s a growing belief among the fanbase that the team could pursue a wide receiver in the draft. Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate is widely regarded as the top receiver in the draft and could be available to the Commanders with the seventh overall pick. At 6-foot-2, 192 pounds, Tate is the latest in a long line of receivers to be highly rated coming out of Ohio State, having been coached up by legendary receivers coach Brian Hartline.

At Ohio State, Hartline has helped develop a number of quality NFL receivers. The Commanders own Terry McLaurin played under Hartline, but he’s also coached the likes of Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jameson Williams, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Emeka Egbuka, who were all first round picks within the last few draft classes. That’s clearly a quality list of receivers and Tate figures to be the next one off that factory line.

So what would a team get when drafting Tate? The clear standout trait is his route running ability. Like the other receivers on the list above, Tate has clearly been extremely well coached by Hartline and has developed a strong understanding of how to run routes to attack leverage and create separation.

Some see Tate as primarily a deep threat and were disappointed that he only ran a 4.53 40-yard dash at the combine. When you think of elite deep threats in the NFL, you typically think of 4.3 or low 4.4 speed. 4.5 is by no means slow, but it’s not the type of speed that will enable a receiver to just run by most NFL cornerbacks purely on speed alone. So how is Tate such an effective deep threat without having elite speed? Route running.

Tate’s route running skills translate to those deeper routes. He understands how to set up defenders to create favorable situations for himself. You see it in a lot of his deep touchdowns how he uses subtle moves to cause defenders problems, rather than just purely running by them.

Tate can be a strong threat down the field despite not having elite speed. He makes up for it with his route running by using things like tempo, angles, jab steps and more to manipulate defenders and beat them. As such, he’s a threat on double moves too.

CAN’T MISS: Why Washington Commanders Should DRAFT Carnell Tate Over Jeremiyah Love

The Athletic (paywall)

Commanders new uniforms will embrace and update the past, team owner says

“I was there for the ’70s, ’80s and early ’90s, so I lived through how amazing those (Washington) teams were and what an impact it had on me,” Harris said. “And I know that thousands of our fans, for millions, maybe, feel the same way. So I think it’s important to go back to that as much as you can, but at the same time, we have a bright future ahead.”

The Super Bowl Era uniforms are near replicas of the ones the team wore in the 1980s and early ‘90s, when it won three Super Bowls (XVII, XXII and XXVI). The few tweaks to the design were to modernize them, such as with the sleeves; players don’t wear loose sleeves anymore, so these were fitted.

“I don’t want to ruin the surprise, but we’re gonna continue to go back and try to embrace our past, but then update it,” Harris said. “So stay tuned.”

Stadium update

Harris said the stadium is “totally on track,” with utility construction set to begin soon and vertical construction slated to begin around this time next year.

“We’re doing some of the detailed design features and there are so many cool opportunities with the innovation in stadiums, whether it’s the shape of the scoreboard — which we may have some things up our sleeve on — whether it’s the size of the scoreboard, the sound, the nature of the roof, how close many of the seats are relative to other stadiums,” he said. “There are so many great opportunities, but we’re definitely on track.”

Speaking of … Harris and his limited partners are spending another $25 million on upgrades to the practice facility in Ashburn and current stadium in Landover. That’s on top of the previously reported $100 million-plus investment the group has made for capital repairs and improvements to the fan experience over the last couple of years.

“Obviously, we didn’t inherit a great situation there, but look, ultimately, you have to keep your fans happy,” Harris said. “You have to keep the city happy, and the DMV happy, and you gotta just lean in, unfortunately. So those are going to be some lower ROI investments, but we want to make sure that everyone has a first-class experience and (we) do what we can do there.”

Commanders Roundtable

Profile & outlook: Commanders linebacker Jordan Magee

Magee finished 2025 with 54 total tackles — sixth on Washington’s defense — despite playing in fewer than half the defensive snaps available across the first six games. Once he saw consistent playing time, he was producing. He made seven starts by season’s end. In a full season of 60-plus percent snap share, those tackle numbers climb significantly.

The concern isn’t talent. Nobody questions the athleticism or the football IQ — former defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. [complimented] out Magee’s call command specifically, which isn’t something coaches say casually about a second-year linebacker. The concern is whether coverage limitations and a history of injuries mean Washington needs a proven veteran next to Leo Chenal and Frankie Luvu rather than a bet on Magee’s development.

The answer is probably both. Magee should start — his speed and his run defense are already NFL-starter caliber, and he’s 25. But pairing him with a coverage-capable linebacker who masks his zone gaps in the short-to-intermediate areas is how you get the best version of him. Ask him to be the fast, physical, sideline-to-sideline linebacker Washington has needed for three years. That player already exists. He needs the snaps to prove it.

The apprenticeship is over. Year three is when we find out who Jordan Magee actually is.

Commanders.com

5 things to know about Tim Settle

He can be an efficient pass rusher.

Settle has a firm grasp of his skill set and what he can bring to a defense by now. He knows the Commanders are most interested in his ability to stop the run, and at 6-foot-3 and 313-pounds, he’s expected to play a role in the middle of Washington’s new defensive scheme under coordinator Daronte Jones.

But Settle does have some pass-rush juice in his bag. His 15 sacks over eight years don’t sound like much, but he has nearly doubled that number in quarterback hits, including 10 in 2024, and 41 total pressures, according to Pro Football Reference.

In fact, he was actually the most efficient pass rushers on Washington’s roster back in 2020. Despite playing in only 21.9 defensive snaps per game through the first 12 weeks of the season, he had a league-best sack rate of 4.5%, according to Sports Info Solutions. There was a five-game stretch where he averaged a sack every 29 snaps.

So, while players like Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson will take on most of the responsibility of revamping the Commanders’ pass rush, Settle has a role to play in that as well.

Riggo’s Rag

Trey Amos gives encouraging update to Commanders fans after serious leg injury

During a recent Instagram live, Amos was asked about his recovery. The former Ole Miss star revealed he is back working out and that everything seems to be going according to plan. At a time when there are several uncertainties around Washington’s cornerback unit, this represented an encouraging development.

“Leg going good man, for real, for real. I just left a workout five minutes ago.”

Obviously, the Commanders will take things cautiously with Amos when on-field preparations for the new campaign begin. Putting too much on his plate early is not the goal. Washington’s objective is to build him up gradually to ensure he is ready to hit the ground running in Week 1. That would be the biggest boost imaginable for all involved.

The Athletic (paywall)

Jayden Daniels’ flag football experiment had Commanders leaders nervous but supportive

“I’m not gonna say I wasn’t nervous, but, uh, glad that we got through that one,” Harris, the team owner, said Monday as part of a wide-ranging interview with reporters at the NFL’s annual meetings. “He’s our guy. We have a lot of faith in him.”

“That was really Jayden’s call,” Harris said. “The league doesn’t really get involved in that, and everyone took their own point of view on that. My point of view was that Jayden’s someone I trust, he’s an individual. He’s a grown man, a grown person, and I left that decision up to him.”

Peters said he was in communication with Daniels about participating since the event was announced.

Despite the league’s promotional interest in the Fanatics event — Commissioner Roger Goodell attended — active NFL players still had to receive written consent from their teams to participate.

“Obviously, you’re concerned,” Peters admitted. “I think all of us were probably concerned about that, not just me. Probably me the most. But understanding that it was something that was important to him and just talking about the risk and the risk versus reward and all of that, and then he’s got to make the decision on his own.”

“But we supported whatever he wanted to do, and the thing about Jayden is he loves football,” Peters added. “He loves playing, he loves competing, and so I think that was something that was important to him. So I’m glad he did it and I’m glad he came out healthy.”

Podcasts & videos

Commanders’ Dan Quinn 1on1 on Tom Brady’s comments on Jayden Daniels, changes w/ Bobby Wagner & more

Doug Williams 1-on-1 from the NFL’s HBCU Combine + IPP Pro Day | Washington Commanders | NFL

Josh Harris Addresses Jayden Daniels Flag Football | New Stadium and Uniforms

NFL league links

Articles

ESPN

49ers coach, owner deliver mixed messages on Aiyuk’s future

Speaking to media at the annual league meeting in the morning, coach Kyle Shanahan reiterated he and general manager John Lynch’s previous stance that Aiyuk has played his last snap for the team, even if they’re not in a hurry to make the move that leads to that end.

“I don’t have a date for it, but I know eventually it’ll resolve itself,” Shanahan said. “Hopefully, we could get something for [him].”

Roughly two hours later, 49ers owner Jed York offered a different perspective, even going as far as alluding to the potential for Aiyuk to remain in San Francisco in 2026.

“I think anything’s possible, right?” York said. “We want to make sure that we have as talented of a roster as possible. First and foremost, he needs to get healthy and be able to perform. I think once that happens, he’s a really, really good football player.”

Keeping Aiyuk seems far-fetched for multiple reasons, not the least of which is financial. Aiyuk’s base salary of $1.215 million in 2026 is a relative bargain, but he’s still due a $24.935 million option bonus Sept. 1 that if exercised will be prorated through 2030 if he remains on the roster. That bonus is no longer guaranteed because the Niners voided his remaining guarantees last July after Aiyuk failed to participate in mandatory rehab sessions for his injured right knee.

Still, if that option bonus isn’t exercised, the Niners will be on the hook for it all at once, which would drive his salary for 2026 to more than $26 million, a figure the Niners almost certainly wouldn’t pay.

Those same financials would also seem to make a trade for Aiyuk unlikely without the receiver first agreeing to a reworked contract with the acquiring team.

“BA is a very talented guy, would love to be able to bring him back into the fold,” York said. “And if not, I think he’s a valuable asset that other people would want, and we’re going to make sure that we get value and we bring talent into our building.”

Any of that would also depend on Aiyuk being fully recovered from the torn ACL, MCL and meniscus in his knee suffered Oct. 20, 2024. Asked Monday if Aiyuk is healthy, York said, “I haven’t seen him, I have no idea.”

It is, of course, also worth noting that a sudden shift in Aiyuk’s status would not be new in San Francisco. Though the situations are vastly different, in 2022 the Niners publicly said goodbye to quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in anticipation of a trade only for him to stick around on a revamped contract and start 10 games that season.

NFL.com

Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan on trade rumors surrounding RB De’Von Achane: ‘There is zero effort on my end to move’ him

Achane’s arrival in Miami has been an impactful one. Whether Sullivan can keep Achane in a Dolphins uniform will remain to be seen in the coming weeks with the 2026 NFL Draft starting on April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.

Nonetheless, new Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley is aware of Achane’s importance to Miami’s offense. When the Dolphins played the Packers during the 2024 season, Hafley was Packers defensive coordinator. The Packers went on to win, 30-17, on Thursday Night Football. Despite being contained in the running game (seven carries for 14 yards), Achane caught eight passes for 56 yards and a score against Hafley’s defense.

Hafley believes Achane paired with quarterback Malik Willis could be a dynamic duo for the foreseeable future.

ESPN

Haslam: Deshaun Watson has ‘great chance’ to be Browns’ starter

One year after calling the trade for Deshaun Watson a “big swing-and-miss,” Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam on Monday told a group of local reporters at the NFL’s league meetings that Watson has a “great chance” and a “fresh start” with first-year coach Todd Monken.

Haslam’s comments last year came in the aftermath of Watson’s season-ending Achilles tear in October 2024, which marked the second consecutive season that he suffered a season-ending injury (he had season-ending shoulder surgery in November 2023). Watson missed the entirety of the 2025 season after he re-tore his Achilles and underwent a second surgery in January 2025. But the 30-year-old is now healthy and expected to compete with Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel to be the Browns’ starting quarterback.

“Deshaun has a great chance, fresh start, offensive-minded coach, who has in his past been able to work with all kinds of different quarterbacks and make them successful,” Haslam said. “So, Deshaun has a great chance to do that now. We talked to him the other day, he said he weighs the [least] he has in several years. He’s in great shape, he’ll be [in Cleveland] on April 7 when we start [the offseason workout program]. Let’s see what Deshaun can do. We’re all excited.”

Suspension and injures have limited Watson, a three-time Pro Bowler with the Houston Texans, to just 19 games since the Browns traded three first-round picks and gave him a fully guaranteed $230 million in March 2022.

Pro Football Talk

Bo Nix ahead of schedule in his rehab, should be ready for OTAs

Broncos quarterback Bo Nix is ahead of schedule in his rehab from ankle surgery that ended his season, team owner Greg Penner said Monday at the NFL owners meetings.

The Broncos are confident Nix will participate in organized team activities this offseason.

“He’s attacked his recovery like he attacks preparing for games,” Penner said, via Nick Kosmider of TheAthletic.com. “He’s done a terrific job. He’s ahead of schedule. No concerns at all for OTAs and [he will] go forward from there. Really, really pleased with his progress and the support from [vice president of player health] Beau Lowery and everyone.”

Nix fractured his right ankle near the end of the Broncos’ divisional round playoff victory over the Bills. He missed the AFC Championship Game, the first game Nix has missed in his career.

ESPN

Seahawks to be featured on ‘Hard Knocks’ summer 2026, Pats 2027

The defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks will be featured on this summer’s “Hard Knocks,” it was announced to clubs at the NFL’s annual meeting, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Monday.

Then in the summer of 2027, the New England Patriots will be featured on the long-running series produced by NFL Films for HBO. It will be the first appearance for both franchises, which most recently met in Super Bowl LX — with the Seahawks posting a 29-13 victory in Santa Clara, California.

This will be the first time since “Hard Knocks” launched in 2001 with the Baltimore Ravens that the series has documented a defending Super Bowl champion.

NFL.com

Las Vegas to host Super Bowl LXIII in 2029

“We’re excited to bring the Super Bowl back to Las Vegas and provide our fans another incredible experience in one of America’s greatest sport and entertainment destinations,” said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. “Super Bowl LVIII demonstrated the scale, energy and hospitality the city brings to global events, and we look forward to working alongside the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the Raiders and the community to deliver an even greater experience this time around.”

Super Bowl LXIII will mark the second time the Super Bowl will be held in Las Vegas. The city debuted as a first-time Super Bowl host city in 2024, welcoming more than 330,000 visitors to the region and generating more than $1 billion in economic impact, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA).

NFL business

Front Office Sports

PFF Lays Off Several Employees Amid Company Sale

Cris Collinsworth will retain control of PFF’s “consumer business” while serving as an advisor to Teamworks after the sale

A source told Front Office Sports that PFF called employees to an all-hands meeting on Monday, during which it was announced that about half of them would be moving to the new company. PFF possessed both a content side and a data team—all 32 NFL teams subscribe to the company’s enterprise data set—and most of those who survived the layoffs were on the data side, a source said.

In the announcement of the sale, it was revealed that Collinsworth—NBC’s lead NFL color commentator—would retain control of the “consumer business,” meaning the content side of the company. It is currently unclear how many people were laid off in total and how many still remain with PFF. Among those to announce their departures on Monday were fantasy football analyst Jon Macri, social media specialists Mike Kennedy and Beckett Mesko, NFL editor John Owning, writer Thomas Valentine, and designers Andrew Russell and Seth Reese. 

Arif Hasan, who writes the Wide Left Substack site, reported in February that Teamworks was believed to have paid between $130 million and $140 million to purchase PFF.  Hasan confirmed on Monday that the sale was worth more than $100 million.

Teamworks’s release announcing the acquisition said that the company “combines enterprise SaaS with proprietary data and advanced analytics to deliver intelligent products that power player evaluation, game strategy, performance development, and daily operations.”

Front Office Sports

Brady, Mannings Among Investors in NFL Flag Football League

TMRW was chosen to stand the league up after a “competitive” process that included multiple interested operators, the NFL said.

In December, NFL teams voted to invest up to $32 million in total—$1 million per team—to support the league’s development and launch. That vote was unanimous, a source familiar with the matter told Front Office Sports at the time. Total investment by the other investment partners was not disclosed. 

“Flag is fundamental to our international strategy, and our overall league strategy,” NFL EVP Peter O’Reilly said at the league’s annual meeting here. “It’s about growing the game, giving access to the sport, to girls and boys, men and women. … It’s been critical to find the right partner, to lock arms with and bring this league to life. We have identified that partner. In their DNA is innovation and technology and building sport.”

The forthcoming league, happening as flag football is slated to be part of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, is contemplated as a spring and summer venture. Several NFL teams, including the Chiefs, have said they would like to be involved, including as potential franchise owners.

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