Sonny Styles HYPE abounds at Commanders rookie minicamp - Daily Slop

“He is Bobby Wagner, but bigger and faster. He has as good of traits for an inside ‘backer that I have ever seen.”

High praise, indeed. And in Urlacher and Wagner, it’s also an immensely high bar for which to aim.

Styles is his own man. Head coach Dan Quinn didn’t want to compare him to anyone, though he saw a lot of London Fletcher in the Ohio State product. This is all about carving out his path, doing things the right way, and repaying the faith shown in him by Washington’s decision-makers.

NFL history isn’t lost on Styles. He picked No. 52 largely because of greats such as Patrick Willis and Ray Lewis. He recognizes the traditions and wants to add his name to the long list of prolific linebackers who have graced the league. And this mentality was just as important to the Commanders as his on-field gifts.

Sonny Styles’ speed got Dez Bryant’s attention at Commanders’ rookie minicamp

After signing his four-year rookie deal with $37.2 million fully guaranteed, it was time to get to work. Styles, wearing No. 52 and not single digits, caught the eye throughout practice, displaying the athleticism, explosiveness, and controlled aggression that enamored Washington to the prospect during its comprehensive pre-draft assessments.

And some videos released from the session also got others’ attention.

Former NFL wide receiver Dez Bryant, who tormented Washington for years with the Dallas Cowboys, couldn’t quite believe the speed Styles possessed. And the best part? It was only based on a special-teams drill clip posted by Scott Abraham of 7News DC.

It’s just one practice. It’s just one clip. But there’s a growing sense around the Commanders, former NFL players, and the media about what a special talent Styles is and could become in Washington.

Day 1 of Washington’s rookie minicamp was merely a chance for Styles to take the first step into what will hopefully be a profitable NFL career. Things will get tougher and more intense as the summer goes on, and the regular season will be the ultimate litmus test for the rookie. Even so, the highly touted second-level enforcer only got one chance to make a good first impression.

Heavy.com

Commanders have Amon-Ra St. Brown plan for rookie receiver Antonio Williams

[T]he Washington Commanders have a plan to use 2026 NFL draft third-round pick Antonio Williams the same way as the Detroit Lions’ [use] All-Pro Amon-Ra St. Brown.

That’s according to ESPN insider John Keim. He explained on The John Keim Report, “I know that there’s some, the way he could be (Williams) used, there’ll be some similarities in terms of usage to how St. Brown was used in Detroit, where they align him. Whether or not he’s gonna be as effective, I don’t know. St. Brown is really damn good. And they’re different players, they’re different style of players, but it’s where they could line up.”

Any comparison between Williams and St. Brown must begin with how they are used from the slot. It’s where St. Brown does a lot of his damage for the Lions, getting 431 slot snaps last season, per Player Profiler.

There’s also a physical dimension to be considered, since Williams is 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, while St. Brown is 6-foot and 202 pounds. Neither possess elite measurables, but both play bigger than their size. It’s why the Lions are able to move St. Brown around and align him close to the line of scrimmage.

As Keim put it, “He’s still gonna live mostly in the slot. There’s gonna be a lot of condensed splits, so it’s not gonna always be the slot, but a condensed splits, but he’s gonna live. That’s gonna be his primary, but he can play outside.”

This same approach fits what Keim saw from Williams at rookie minicamp on Friday, May 8. When the Commanders were using “him in some, a lot of condensed split situations in some warmup drills and other times too.”

Keim pointed out how Williams is “gonna be very good on the yards after the catch because I think of that suddenness. And you watch how he just takes the ball and quickly gets that snatch and go. Get that, get, snatch that ball there and go. I think he’ll do that very well. Austin Ekeler was really good at that.”

These are bold comparisons for a player yet to play a meaningful snap in the pros, but Williams is being counted on to finally offer the support McLaurin needs.

FOX Sports

The 5 NFL Teams That Improved the Most This Offseason Following NFL Draft

Washington Commanders

Head coach Dan Quinn isn’t using injuries as an excuse for last year’s disappointing 5-12 finish after reaching the NFC Championship Game two years ago. Instead, the Washington Commanders made wholesale changes on offense and defense, moving on from experienced offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury in favor of quarterbacks coach David Blough, who will put Jayden Daniels under center more in the upcoming season. The defensive-minded Quinn also moved on from defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., replacing him with Minnesota Vikings defensive passing game coordinator Daronte Jones.

Expect an emphasis on improved pass rush defensively, led by athletic first-round pick Sonny Styles. The team also made a splash in free agency, adding Odafe Oweh after he recorded 7.5 sacks in 12 games with the Los Angeles Chargers last season. And on offense, general manager Adam Peters hopes the additions of running back Rachaad White, running back Jerome Ford and wide receiver Dyami Brown in free agency will lead to more explosive plays. Peters also drafted enticing Clemson wide receiver Antonio Williams in the third round and Penn State running back Kaytron Allen in the sixth round to help achieve that goal. The Commanders should improve this upcoming season and be back in the race for the NFC East division title.

Notable additions: Linebacker Sonny Styles (selected with the seventh overall pick in 2026 NFL Draft), edge rusher Odafe Oweh (signed a four-year, $100 million deal), linebacker Leo Chenal (signed a three-year, $24.75 million deal), edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson (signed a one-year, $12 million deal), tight end Chig Okonkwo (signed a three-year, $30 million deal), running back Rachaad White (signed a one-year, $2 million deal)

Riggo’s Rag

Jayden Daniels must confront the Commanders question that refuses to go away

[A[s NBC Sports insider JP Finlay points out via 106.7 The Fan, he’s still young enough to grow out of it.

***“***If there’s one thing I’d like to see Jayden learn from Lamar (Jackson), it’s that Lamar rarely gets hit. He doesn’t take a lot of big shots, and I think Jayden, like Steve Young did, he took too many shots. (Young) over time evolved from that, and I’d like to see in Year 3 some of that evolution from Jayden.”

Lamar Jackson has been considered one of the blueprints for Daniels from the start, given their similar dual-threat styles. The 2024 No. 2 overall pick is a far more advanced passer than the Baltimore Ravens star was at the same stage of his career, but he struggles with the same durability issues.

Steve Young is another comparison Finlay brings up, a player who was exceptionally raw early on in his career but slowly learned to avoid endangering himself on the field. Daniels must take notes because he certainly has the talent to be an NFL MVP-caliber player for many years.

There’s nothing more exciting than a quarterback who can extend plays and make magic out of broken situations, as Daniels can. However, that often comes at the risk of injury, something Washington cannot afford to have plague its star signal-caller.

Podcasts & videos

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Rookies Sonny Styles and Antonio Williams Deliver at Commanders Rookie Minicamp

Washington Commanders Rookie Minicamp Recap and Interviews

The Washington Commanders Day 2 Rookie Minicamp Highlights Were DIFFERENT…

NFC East links

Blogging the Boys

Why the ‘Caleb Downs positional value’ argument may be a myth

In the end, there is strong evidence showing that top safeties are not a bigger injury risk than top players at other positions.

The position value issue remains. But positional value is far from being a definitive measurement on value when it comes to position, even if it makes for interesting debates. In 2021, Pro Football Focus put together an intriguing study measuring positional value primarily focusing on the NFL draft.

They combined a handful of metrics, starting with their Wins Above Replacement (WAR) metric, and found that when looking at the top 32 players at each position sorted by 2020 WAR, safety landed third-highest on the list behind QB and CB. This of course runs counter to many of the strongly held beliefs in the NFL community.

But in a day and age where defenses feature increasingly more nickel, dime, and occasionally even dollar packages as opposed to the traditional two-safety looks of past eras, teams now call upon safeties to be more versatile.

“The game is changing where you should have a bunch of Swiss-Army knives at the position,” NFL Media/Jaguars analyst Bucky Brooks said.

The Cowboys will play a lot of nickel this year if the data aggregated by @fball_insights is anything to go by, and good safety play will be key to that.

The value of good safety play has definitely increased over the last few years; maybe their contract value just hasn’t caught up yet.

Bleeding Green Nation

Mailbag: What Eagles players aside from A.J. Brown and Tanner McKee are trade bait?

Previously we had Sydney Brown as a trade candidate, and, well, he got traded. Boom. I’ll name three players who make some level of sense to be dealt. Of course, none of the guys are going to merit a big return:

• CB Kelee Ringo: A couple of former big Eagles corners in Rasul Douglas and Josh Jobe went on to have success with other teams. Perhaps a scheme that better hides Ringo’s limitations would be a better fit? He’s big and fast and he’s at least a good gunner on the punt coverage team. He’ll be on NFL rosters for years, even if he never becomes a good corner.

• QB Andy Dalton: The Eagles have four quarterbacks. If they’re certain that McKee isn’t going anywhere, then trading Dalton would make sense. Taking a quick look at all the quarterback situations around the league Dalton is better than the QB2s for contenders like the Bills, Patriots, Jaguars, Buccaneers, and Bears.

• TE Grant Calcaterra: Remember when the Eagles traded Harrison Bryant last training camp? I could see them dealing Calcaterra from some player who isn’t going to make another team’s roster. He’s certainly expendable with Dallas Goedert, Eli Stowers, Johnny Mundt, and intriguing UDFA Dae’Quan Wright on the roster.

With the off-season mostly complete, I’d be interested in your take on how the Eagles now match up against the NFC East teams on offense and defense.

All three of the Eagles’ divisional rivals sucked defending the run last year.

Unfortunately for the Eagles, their run game fell off a cliff in 2025, and they couldn’t really take advantage of their divisional foes’ run game deficiencies the same way they did in 2024.

The Commanders drafted Sonny Styles in the first round, which might take Frankie Luvu off the field on early downs. That’ll help against the run to some degree, but they also moved on from Bobby Wagner, who had become a liability against the pass, but was still a very good run defender. That’s a net loss against the run, in my opinion.

Sporting News

The DeVonta Smith-related problem with Eagles draft pick Makai Lemon

At this point, it seems a foregone conclusion that Brown is traded eventually, most likely to the New England Patriots. That leaves a receiving group led by Smith but also including Lemon, Dontayvion Wicks, Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore. Those are quality WR talents, yes, but there’s something quite in common there: None of them are that big.

Lemon is a playmaker, but he’s a lot closer to Smith’s size than Brown’s.

The question then becomes: Does this Eagles offense need a big, strong, physical receiver? Can it thrive with mostly littler, shiftier guys? And really, what is Jalen Hurts best equipped to handle?

It does certainly feel like something could be missing from this group, even while acknowledging that it’s a talented bunch.

Hurts surely would like to have a guy he can just loft the ball down the field to and trust to go up and get it. Maybe Wicks becomes that guy. But it certainly would’ve helped the Eagles if the first-round WR they drafted was a like-for-like replacement for Brown. Instead, Lemon has a decent amount in common with Smith.

Big Blue View

NY Giants coach John Harbaugh: Nothing imminent with Odell Beckham Jr.

Harbaugh doesn’t sound certain Beckham can still be an impact player

“I’m pretty sure that he can make a team in the National Football League right now. Can he make a difference? Is it something he wants to do? Is his body going to hold up the way he wants it to?

“All those things are questions that need to get answered for anybody at that age.”

Harbaugh said Beckham believes the answers to those questions are all affirmative.

“You know Odell. He’s confident. He’s working hard. He believes in himself,” Harbaugh said. “I think we’ll just play it out over the next month and into training camp and see where we’re at.”

The takeaway

Harbaugh and the Giants don’t appear convinced that Beckham can be better than the top four or five wide receivers they have, that he can stay healthy, and that he would be willing to handle a small, part-time role.

NFL.com

Giants and Jets are offseason winners: Three reasons each downtrodden New York team is on the rise

The Jets own the longest postseason drought in the NFL — by a comfortable margin — at 15 years. The Giants have posted one winning season over the past nine years. Simply put, NYC-area football has been irrelevant for an extended period. The last time both teams made the playoffs in the same season? Nearly two decades ago, when both lost in the Wild Card Round of the 2006 campaign.

Suddenly, though, things are looking up in the nation’s biggest media market. In fact, I think these two franchises are two of the biggest winners of this offseason.

1) The John Harbaugh factor

After falling behind their division rivals while cycling through coaches over the past decade, the Giants hired a proven winner to spark a revival for the proud franchise. As a highly respected leader with a Super Bowl ring to go along with 11 seasons of double-digit wins, Harbaugh will implement a cultural shift built on championship values. He is a fun-loving disciplinarian who requires commitment and accountability from his charges.

3) Jaxson Dart’s continued growth

Adding free-agent signee Isaiah Likely and third-round pick Malachi Fields to a skill group that already included Malik Nabers, Cam Skattebo, Darius Slayton and Theo Johnson, New York has a balanced but explosive lineup with the potential to morph from a ground-and-pound operation to an aerial circus. Now, the Giants’ ability to overwhelm opponents with their perimeter weapons hinges on the offensive line’s improvement. Fortunately, the unit should be better with No. 10 overall pick Francis Mauigoa stepping in at right guard to complement LT Andrew Thomas, RT Jermaine Eluemunor, LG Jon Runyan Jr. and C John Michael Schmitz Jr. The 6-foot-5, 329-pound Mauigoa fills a massive hole on the line, and he could transform the group into a top-10 unit that imposes its will on opponents, leading to the kind of complementary football that produces wins in this league.

NFL league links

Articles

Pro Football Talk

NFL to announce international games on May 13

The NFL will announce the full 2026 schedule on Thursday, May 14, but the league’s international slate of games will be revealed earlier than the domestic ones.

The matchups for this year’s international games will be announced on NFL Network at 9 a.m. eastern time on Wednesday.

Nine international games are on the docket this year, but the matchups for two of them have already been announced. The 49ers and Rams will meet up in Melbourne in Week 1 and the Cowboys will face the Ravens in Rio in Week 3.

One team in each of the other seven games is already known. The Jaguars will play in London twice and the Commanders will be involved in the city’s third game. The 49ers will be in Mexico City, the Falcons will be in Madrid, the Lions will be in Munich and the Saints will take part in the NFL’s first game in Paris.

2026 NFL Schedule news

Front Office Sports

NFL 2026 schedule is now just days away from its full release

The NFL said late Thursday in an email blast to fans that the “schedule release is almost here.” League sources then confirmed to Front Office Sports on Friday that the full slate will be announced on Thursday, May 14, in a primetime special on ESPN2 and NFL Network. That date is in line with what’s been expected for weeks and matches the league’s timing in recent years to unveil the highly anticipated schedule.

Before that, though, each of the NFL’s key rights holders will hold their upfront presentations with advertisers to detail their programming plans for the 2026–27 television season. NFL games will be front and center in those events, as the league remains by far the most-watched content in all of U.S. television.

NBC is first up in that sequence, and will hold its upfront Monday morning at Radio City Music Hall. Fox and Amazon will follow later on Monday, and most, if not all, of them are expected to reveal at least one key NFL game on their respective broadcast schedules. The other networks will then likely follow during their upfronts with their own “breadcrumb” games that will highlight their slates and precede the full schedule release.

aBit o’Twitter