The latest news from around the division.
Insider report on offseason plans is exactly what Commanders fans want to hear – Dean Jones, RiggosRag.com
The expected salary cap increase will only help Washington’s cause.
Excitement couldn’t be higher for the Washington Commanders entering the offseason. They are coming off an incredible campaign where they reached the NFC Championship game against all odds. Adam Peters is well-positioned to build on this newfound positivity in the coming months.
The Commanders have the third-most available salary-cap space currently. This increased after the league confirmed another huge hike, which is only going to help Peters’ cause. Washington has seven selections in the 2025 NFL Draft. They are also an attractive destination after restoring their reputation.
Peters isn’t going to be reckless. There’s a need for aggressiveness and calculated risks if the right opportunities present themselves. However, the general manager has a long-term plan in place and won’t jeopardize this with rash decision-making.
Fans are eagerly anticipating what comes next with free agency on the immediate horizon. One respected insider provided some clues about what the Commanders could prioritize when the recruitment period commences.
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“Adam Peters and Dan Quinn had to kind of piece it together as best they could. Did an admirable job, but I expect reinforcements. Yes, I know Washington fans desperately want that number-two receiver opposite Terry McLaurin. I do think they’ll address that in some form, but they could allocate more resources to their offensive line and their pass rush if they lose Dante Fowler in free agency. Also, they have a ton of good players who just played out one-year deals that they could bring back. Bobby Wagner played great. Zach Ertz was a really good target for Jayden Daniels. Safety Jeremy Chinn, you’ll see some of those pieces back most likely.”
New York Giants free agency primer: 5 defensive linemen to consider – Nick Falato, BigBlueView.com
Sure, New York’s offense needs a ton of work, but their defense needs some help too.
The New York Giants need help on their defensive line. Dexter Lawrence is one of the top players at his position, but the Giants failed to surround him with a solid complement and depth in 2024. New York traded Leonard Williams to the Seahawks, and A’Shawn Robinson signed with the Carolina Panthers, leaving Rakeem Nunez-Roches as the only proven player — other than Lawrence — in Andre Patterson’s defensive line room.
The room is full of late-day three picks and undrafted free agents: Elijah Chatman, Elijah Garcia, Jordon Riley, D.J. Davidson, Cory Durden, and Armon Watts, who suffered a devastating knee injury at the end of the season. Perhaps the lack of proven depth behind Lawrence is a testament to Patterson’s coaching ability for depth in other areas of the roster was necessary; still, it was clear that the defensive line was an issue heading into the 2024 season.
The 2025 defensive line class is deep. GM Joe Schoen and the Giants will likely make investments into the position through the draft, but a veteran free agent also makes sense. Here are five names to consider.
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Milton Williams, PHI
Williams blew up the 2021 NFL Scouting Combine, and Howie Roseman selected him at pick 73 in the third round:
Williams played more than 400 snaps in each of his first four seasons. He wasn’t a starter but a core rotational player with penetration skills and a relentless nature. His pressure numbers through his first three seasons were 19 in 2021, 16 in 2022, and 25 in 2023. He then went OFF for 54 pressures in 2024, with the highest pass-rushing grade in Pro Football Focus. He finished in the top 10 in pressures in 2024 with the fourth-highest PRP (A formula that combines sacks, hits, and hurries relative to how many times they rush the passer) and the sixth-best pass-rush win rate. He struck while the iron was hot and is now a free agent at 25 years old.
Eagles’ Cam Jurgens undergoes back procedure, expected to return in time for camp – Nick Shook, NFL.com
Philadelphia’s starting center undergoes back operation, expected back for training camp.
Cam Jurgens’ journey to a triumph in Super Bowl LIX didn’t come without challenge.
The center played through nerve pain and recently underwent a back procedure to alleviate the issue, NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo reported on Thursday.
Jurgens is expected to fully recover from the operation in time for training camp in July, per Garafolo.
ESPN first reported the news.
Jurgens was unable to play in the first half of the Eagles’ NFC Championship Game victory over the Commanders, but when teammate Landon Dickerson suffered an injury that limited his basic mobility, the center found the strength to fight through his own discomfort and replace Dickerson in the lineup in the second half of Philadelphia’s romp over Washington. Given two weeks to recuperate, Jurgens made the start at center in Super Bowl LIX, playing 91 percent of offensive snaps in the Eagles’ runaway win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
A second-round pick out of Nebraska, Jurgens saw his first significant action at guard in 2023, making 11 starts alongside longtime center Jason Kelce, who advised the Eagles to target Jurgens in the 2022 draft. When Kelce retired after the 2023 season, it was officially time for Jurgens to take over at center, making 16 regular-season starts in 2024 and earning a 16th-place grade among all centers, per Pro Football Focus.
