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The Washington Commanders haven’t been shy about adding pieces to both sides of the ball. What began with a trade for receiver Deebo Samuel quickly evolved into a large-scale effort to support quarterback Jayden Daniels with a Super Bowl-caliber supporting cast.
The Commanders traded for Laremy Tunsil, and signed safety Will Harris, defensive tackles Eddie Goldman and Javon Kinlaw, and receiver K.J. Osborn, among others.
However, Washington just made it to the NFC Championship Game with several free agents, many of which filled out the bottom and middle of a once-desolate roster. Bringing many of those contributors back has also been a priority.
In the opening days of free agency, the team brought back a handful of contributors, including tight end Zach Ertz, linebacker Bobby Wagner, punter Tress Way, quarterback Marcus Mariota, and receiver Noah Brown.
The Commanders also re-signed inconsistent cornerback Noah Igbinoghene to a one-year deal, per John Keim.
It is not immediately clear how much his contract will be worth, although it is not expected to have significant cap ramifications.
Igbinoghene struggled in 2024, but the corner has several things going for him that make him a strong fit in Washington. For one, he has continuity not just with the Commanders, but head coach Dan Quinn. The Dallas Cowboys traded for him in 2023 while Quinn was the defensive coordinator. That continuity could be the glue that keeps the unit together when adversity strikes.
Likewise, adversity is inevitable in the NFL, and Igbinoghene proved that he can provide adequate depth, with the versatility to play both on the boundary and in the slot (although the vast majority of his time was spent inside in 2024. He also provides minor special teams value.
Washington hopes he won’t have to play as much as he did en route to the playoffs a season ago. With a healthy Marshon Lattimore, Mike Sainristil, and the newly-signed Jonathan Jones, it is more likely that Igbinoghene’s second stint with the Commanders comes with far fewer snaps.
The Commanders saw what it took to make a deep playoff run and have made it a priority to keep much of that roster together. Expect that strategy to pay dividends in 2025.
More must-reads:
- Tyrann Mathieu retirement highlights compelling Hall of Fame case
- Colts GM addresses if Anthony Richardson is entering make-or-break season
- The 'Single-season sack leaders by NFL team' quiz
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Hall of Famer believes this AFC QB will win Super Bowl first
Pro Football Hall of Famer Warren Moon just made headlines during a recent appearance on "Up Adams," where he gave his take on one of the NFL’s most debated questions. When asked which star quarterback will win a Super Bowl first, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen or Joe Burrow, Moon without any hesitation went with Jackson. “We have Josh Allen, MVP, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, they wrecked the league last year… Which one of those three do you think has the best shot to get one this year?” Kay Adams asked. Moon responded, “I think Lamar.” Moon’s reasoning for this take was not due to stats or accolades, because both have great numbers and awards, rather Moon was focused on the surrounding cast around Jackson. While he was complimentary of Allen and the team around him, he emphasized that the Ravens had a strong secondary, incredible running back and solid wideouts that could allow them to be a serious threat to win it all. It is easy to see why Moon made his opinion clear and without hesitation. Jackson is one of the top quarterbacks in the league, with four Pro Bowl nods, three All-Pro selections and two MVP awards. He is the best dual-threat quarterback in the world, and now with an incredible roster around him, Jackson has become much scarier. However, pressure is mounting on the superstar QB, and Moon did make the case for Allen to also potentially win first. “Josh Allen, they’ll be right there too. I think it depends on who plays who in the playoffs … You have to go through playing both Kansas City and Baltimore if you’re Buffalo, and same thing if you’re the Ravens, you gotta play both of those to get to the Super Bowl … But if you only have to play one of them, that would be great.” Allen is also regarded as one of the league’s best QBs too, and Moon's argument has a lot of merit to it. Both Buffalo and Baltimore are flooded with talented pieces that are hungry to make that Super Bowl run. It could come down to matchups come playoff time. If one squad has an easier route to the AFC Championship game, then it might be the one who ultimately comes out on top. As for Burrow, Moon did not mention him in the conversation, but clearly it was not meant to be a slight on him as a player. Rather, for obvious reasons, it seems that Moon might have Baltimore and Buffalo as overall rosters in a higher tier from Cincinnati. Ultimately however, time will tell who breaks first. But if Moon is correct, Jackson might finally be able to silence his critics, and make his mark on NFL history.
Caitlin Clark drops mic on Kelsey Plum's Instagram post
Caitlin Clark might be the most popular figure in women's basketball right now, but she continues to draw shots left and right, both on and off the court. The Iowa product has stayed even keeled and mostly unrattled, but that doesn't mean she won't fight back. That's why, in the light of Kelsey Plum's recent comments, she decided to take matters into her own hands and clapped back at her with a simple, six-word message. Plum shared a picture of her during the WNBA's All-Star Weekend, which showed half of a Nike logo in the background. Clark was quick to spot it and just wrote "Thank u for the Nike ad." This happened just hours after Plum seemingly took a shot at Clark and her Team Clark teammates for reportedly not getting involved in their pre-game protest. “The T-shirt was determined this morning. Not to tattletale, but zero members of Team Clark were very present for that,” Plum revealed. “That really needed to be mentioned,” Sabrina Ionescu added while both laughed. WNBA All-Stars warmed up with a T-Shirt that read 'Pay us what you owe us,' ahead of their new CBA agreement, which is expected to be signed in the offseason. WNBA players get around 9 percent of the league's revenue, and they're asking for a bigger share since most of them also have to play overseas during the offseason because of the salary disparity. Plum is the vice president of the WNBPA, so it's not surprising to see her so involved in the protest and the demands. Then again, it's hard to understand the reasoning behind the tattle telling, as not only does it show that there might not be a united front ahead of these negotiations, but it also drives attention away from where it should be.
Red Sox pitcher sounds off on disgruntled sports bettors
Lucas Giolito is tired of hearing from angry sports bettors, and the Boston Red Sox pitcher says he recently spoke with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred about his concerns. During an episode of Rob Bradford's "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast that was released on Monday, Giolito spoke about what he described as a growing problem with angry gamblers issuing threats to players. The right-hander said he has received countless messages from fans who placed wagers on him and lost, even when he pitches well. "I'm getting messages after every game," Giolito said, via Jon Paul Hoornstra of Newsweek. "Even games where I pitched well, where they're mad at me because I hit the strikeout over instead of being under; prop bets, all these crazy things. People put hundreds of dollars on it. They don't have a lot of money but they're gambling it anyway because it's a disease. They freak out." Giolito added that there is only so much players can do in terms of blocking and reporting people on social media. He said his girlfriend has even received "nasty" messages from fans and that he asked Manfred what would need to happen for MLB to take serious action. "You can go private on social media. You can block accounts. It only goes so far. One thing I said to Rob was, 'Is it gonna take a player getting assaulted in front of their apartment building by some disgruntled that lost a bet for real action to be taken?'" Giolito said. As sports betting has been legalized across more states, the number of fans wagering has rapidly grown. Giolito alluded to prop bets such as over/unders on strikeouts, which are popular among casual gamblers. Giolito certainly is not the first professional athlete to raise concerns about disgruntled bettors. Scottie Scheffler recently revealed a change he had to make because of the actions of those who placed bets on him. As for what Manfred, MLB or any other sports organization can do about it, that remains to be seen.
Chicago Blackhawks reportedly set to trade 25-year-old goaltender to Stars rival, Edmonton Oilers
Georgia commit arrested on troubling charges
Report: Two MLB All-Star trade candidates are off the market
The number of available MLB stars on the trade market appears to be dwindling. Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy will not be available for trade ahead of the July 31 deadline, Buster Olney of ESPN reported on Tuesday. Additionally, Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan is unlikely to be moved as well, Olney added. The 30-year-old Murphy, an All-Star in 2023, is batting .240 with 16 home runs and 38 RBI this season for the Braves. Meanwhile, the 27-year-old Kwan is batting .288 with six home runs, 32 RBI and 11 stolen bases for the Guardians — numbers that were good enough for Kwan to make his second career All-Star appearance this year. A common thread for both players is that their respective teams have underperformed in 2025. The Braves are a miserable 44-55, and the Guardians are only slightly better at 49-50. Those underachieving records have given rise to trade speculation surrounding both teams. However, both Murphy and Kwan are under contract for multiple more years at very reasonable salaries. Murphy is set to make $15 million in each of the next three seasons (with the Braves holding a $15 million team option on him in 2029 as well). As for Kwan, he still has two more years left of arbitration eligibility before potentially becoming a free agent after the 2027 season. There could still be a lot of movement ahead of this year’s trade deadline, particularly with some marquee teams looking to buy. But those teams will probably be out of luck if they are eyeing a potential move for Murphy or Kwan before July 31.
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