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Continuing to move on from veteran contracts, the Commanders will be without Logan Thomas in 2024. Washington is releasing the experienced tight end, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports. The move is now official, per a team announcement.
Already entering Friday positioned in the top three in cap space, the Commanders are freeing up more room. Absent any post-June 1 maneuvers, the team will pick up nearly $14M between the Thomas and Charles Leno cuts. Thomas was due to make $5.34M in his contract year.
Thomas, 32, completed a unique comeback in Washington. Ron Rivera gave the former quarterback a chance to vie for the starting tight end job. Thomas completed that task, producing a career-best season in 2020. That eventually produced a significant raise. Thomas signed a three-year, $24M extension during the 2021 offseason. Injuries intervened on this contract, which had one season remaining. Tight end can be added to the Commanders’ need areas going into Adam Peters‘ first free agency in charge.
In 2020, Thomas caught 72 passes for 670 yards and six touchdowns. Each mark remains a career high, with a major injury — an ACL tear sustained in December of that year — impacting him going forward. While Chase Young was unable to begin the 2022 season on time, Thomas did. But he struggled to show the same form. The former QB was better last season, totaling 55 receptions for 496 yards. As a new regime comes in, however, more Rivera-era parts will be stripped.
Set to turn 33 in July, Thomas was due a $500K roster bonus on March 17, ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Caplan tweets. That is not a significant amount, but with Dan Quinn and Kliff Kingsbury coming in, keeping an aging tight end on an $8.29M cap number seemed like a tough ask.
Among Washington tight ends, John Bates caught the second-most passes (19) last season. But it is safe to expect Peters to target a new starter. After all, the team will have upwards of $80M in cap space to find one. Dalton Schultz represents a name to watch here, considering his Cowboys tenure overlapped with Quinn’s. Hunter Henry, Noah Fant, Mike Gesicki, Zach Ertz and the recently released Jonnu Smith are other notable names available.
More must-reads:
- Commanders to release veteran offensive lineman
- Caleb Williams to the Commanders: Reading Between the Lines
- The 'No. 2 overall NFL Draft picks' quiz
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Green Bay Packers 3rd Year Receiver Turning Heads At Training Camp
The Green Bay Packers have one of the youngest rosters in the NFL. A big reason for this is their wide receiver room. For the past three seasons, they have relied on rookies and second-year players to carry the load on offense from a pass-catching perspective. However, that has led to some inconsistent play. Last year, drops were a huge issue, especially for former fifth-round pick Dontayvion Wicks. He was able to get open but would drop the ball in key moments. Wicks is determined to change the narrative and is already turning heads in training camp. Green Bay Packers WR Dontayvion Wicks Looking Good Wicks was the star of the 2-minute drill during Friday’s training camp practice. He found a hole in the zone and ran the post route. Quarterback Jordan Love saw him immediately and unloaded a long ball. The former Virginia receiver was all alone and caught a 49-yard touchdown pass to end the drill. This was one of the many great plays Wicks made throughout the practice. He was asked about the play after the practice. “I knew I had the post,” Wicks said. “I had a man on me. I released, ran full speed. I knew X was over the top. So I stemmed out a little bit and broke flat across. It was a runaway, and J-Love gave me the ball and I ran under it, and that was all from there.” This is great news for the Green Bay Packers. Drops can often be attributed to a lack of confidence. They can snowball. Once a player drops one pass, it can snowball into more drops. The same can be said about catches. Once a player gets confidence, it can be hard to stop. If Dontayvion Wicks has gotten his confidence, the league should watch out. No Problems Getting Open Wicks had no problems getting open last year. According to ESPN Analytics, he was open on 84% of his routes, thanks to a quick burst off the snap and his ability to find gaps in the zone. However, getting open doesn’t matter if a player can’t bring in the ball. The Green Bay Packers hope this is the start of a new player in 2025. Matthew Golden has also looked good in training camp, and Jayden Reed has vowed to drop fewer passes as well in 2025. If that trio can haul in passes, this offense could be one of the best in the league. Final Thoughts We always have to be cautious about training camp news. It can sometimes point to what will happen in the season, but not always. However, this seems like a step in the right direction for the Green Bay Packers. If Wicks gains confidence now, that should carry over into the season.
Important trade stalls as Maple Leafs dangle bottom-six forward
The Toronto Maple Leafs are still looking for a solution to their bottom-six surplus, and veteran forward Calle Jarnkrok remains at the center of trade discussions. However, according to The Fourth Period, trade talks surrounding the 33-year-old winger have failed to gain momentum. They write: “He has a $2.1M cap hit and owns a 10-team no-trade list. The market hasn’t been vibrant, to this point, but the Leafs will continue to dangle him.” Why can’t the Maple Leafs find a taker for Jarnkrok? Jarnkrok has quietly been on the trade block for much of the offseason, but general manager Brad Treliving has yet to find a taker. After adding several depth forwards this summer, the Leafs now face a crowded bottom six — and Jarnkrok’s age, injury history and $2.1M cap hit through 2025–26 aren’t helping his value. Since joining Toronto, Jarnkrok has appeared in only 71 games over two seasons, scoring a modest 28 points. While his defensive versatility and penalty-killing ability are assets, his declining offensive production and durability concerns have made teams wary. With training camp approaching, the Maple Leafs may be forced to keep Jarnkrok on the roster — or retain salary in a deal — if they want to create space and flexibility. Dropping his cap hit down to just over $1M would open up the market a little. Until then, the Swedish forward remains a trade candidate in limbo. This isn’t great news as moving Jarnkrok from the roster is an important item on the team’s to-do list. Treliving would like more cap space, and with Jarnkrok and David Kampf both still on the roster, it hampers the GM’s ability to do other things.
Red Sox Dream Target Reportedly Just Hit Trade Block
The Boston Red Sox could use more firepower in the middle of the lineup and as the trade deadline has gotten closer, rumors specifically about first base have popped up. One guy who has been floated as a fit has been Tampa Bay Rays star Yandy Díaz, but a deal has seemed like nothing more than a pipe dream. While this is the case, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported that Tampa Bay may be more willing to move him than initially expected and that Boston will be at the top of the list for him if he does actually become available. "The Rays entered Saturday 3-4 since the All-Star break and 6-15 since June 28," Rosenthal said. "Any thought of owner Stuart Sternberg going out on a high note before selling the club appears to be fading. A rapid turnaround might force the Rays to shift course. But Rays officials began signaling to teams late Friday that they will be open to moving Díaz, second baseman Brandon Lowe and others if they do not reverse their tailspin. A final decision might not come before Wednesday, on the eve of the deadline. "The Rays have been reluctant to trade Díaz, who sacrificed perhaps greater money elsewhere by signing two club-friendly extensions. If they indeed become willing to move him, the Boston Red Sox will almost certainly be at the top of the list of the teams interested. Another Rays player who could be on the move: Catcher Danny Jansen, whom the team signed last offseason to a two-year, $8.5 million free-agent contract with a club option for 2027. If Jansen goes, the Rays could backfill with another catcher." If Boston is going to make a big addition, this absolutely should be it.
Jalen Williams fires back at critics who call him 'corny'
Jalen Williams does not appreciate the suggestion that he is a cornball. The Oklahoma City star Williams fired back at his critics in an Instagram comment this week. Williams was asked by a user about what he would say to those labeling him as “corny.” “tbh the same people calling me corny couldn’t hold my water in real life,” said Williams. “prolly would ask for a selfie if we was face to face.” For context, the 24-year-old Williams made headlines this week by recreating an iconic photograph of Kobe Bryant. Williams recently underwent surgery on his right wrist and posed in the style of the famous 1999 photo of Bryant at the free throw line wearing pajama bottoms and a large cast on his wrist. The “corny” label is usually given to NBA players who are seen as acting in an inauthentic way, especially to gain respect on social media. That becomes particularly so whenever they involve the late Bryant (with Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum also drawing “corny” criticisms in the past for invoking Bryant in his antics). Williams can probably do without the clout-chasing at this point since he has already very much arrived as an NBA player in his own regard. The ex-lottery pick was an All-Star, an All-NBA selection and an All-Defensive selection this past season. He then went on to win the NBA championship with the Thunder and was among several core OKC players who got rewarded with rich extensions as a result. That said, Williams is sometimes seen as a third fiddle with the Thunder behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren. As a result, he tends to gravitate toward attention-grabbing stunts, and he does not care if he is labeled “corny” because of them.
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