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The cost-cutting season continues around the NFL. Left tackle Charles Leno has been told by the Commanders that he is being released, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
As Rapoport notes, Leno is set to undergo hip surgery next week. That procedure will no doubt be a factor in determining his free-agent value, just as it played a role in Friday’s move.
The 32-year-old was limited to 13 games this season (his fewest since his rookie season), and he ended the year on injured reserve due to a calf injury.
Leno began his career with a seven-year Bears stint. He initially came to the nation’s capital on a one-year pact, but he had been attached to a three-year, $37.5M extension inked in 2022.
One year remained on that contract, and he was due $12M in 2024. With none of his base salary guaranteed, however, Leno profiled as a release candidate for this offseason.
Releasing the former Pro Bowler now will generate $7.28M in cap space while incurring a dead cap charge of $8.25M. Designating Leno a post-June 1 cut, by contrast, would yield $11.78M in savings and a much smaller dead money figure.
Washington would not see that added flexibility until June, though, well after the initial waves of free agency. Already armed with considerable cap space, the team will be able to handle an immediate release and remain in a position to spend big on the open market.
Leno remained a consistent performer along the blindside during his Commanders tenure. He earned a PFF grade of at least 71.6 in each campaign with the team, drawing strong marks for pass protection in particular.
That remained the case in 2023 when he ranked 28th overall out of 81 qualifying tackles. With the former seventh-rounder now out of the picture, though, the LT spot could see notable turnover in Washington this offseason.
Fellow veteran Cornelius Lucas — who filled in as a starter to close out the season after Leno was shut down — is a pending free agent.
Both he and Leno could thus be playing elsewhere next season, leaving the Commanders in search of replacements along the blindside.
Improvement up front will be a major priority for the offseason after quarterback Sam Howell was sacked a league-leading 65 times in 2023.
The Commanders have former UDFAs Julian Good-Jones and Alex Akingbulu under contract for next season. The same is also true of Braeden Daniels, who was drafted in the fourth round last April but spent his entire rookie campaign on injured reserve.
Washington will have the cap space to pursue a veteran O-lineman or two to supplement the team’s in-house options, as well as draft capital to make a long-term investment up front.
Meanwhile, Leno will turn his attention to his operation and his free-agent market following that.
More must-reads:
- Caleb Williams to the Commanders: Reading Between the Lines
- Next man up: The greatest backup QBs in NFL history
- The 'No. 2 overall NFL Draft picks' quiz
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Cowboys Announce Major Roster News Before Cardinals Game
All eyes are on the Dallas Cowboys, set to play the Arizona Cardinals in Week 9 of the NFL season. As the Cowboys prepare for a matchup against the Cardinals on "Monday Night Football," Dallas announced some big news regarding the roster. On Monday, the Cowboys announced that they have activated center Cooper Beebe. Beebe entered the season as the starting center, serving as an anchor for the Cowboy's offense and quarterback Dak Prescott's right-hand man. He returned from injured reserve as is designated to return to the Dallas Cowboys after suffering an ankle and foot injury early in the season. Cooper BeeBe has been with then Dallas Cowboys since 2024. He was selected in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft and has since emerged as one of the Cowboy's top players. Beebe played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats from 2019 to 2023. He was a First-Team All-American in 2022 and a unanimous All-American in 2023 for the Wildcats. The Cowboys' center was also a Three-Time First-Team All-Big 12 player during his college days at Kansas State. Dak Prescott will now have his starting center back, who should give the Dallas Cowboys more security on the offensive line. The Cowboys have already proven to have one of the best offenses in the NFL and it just got better. Several other stars who have flourished this season include George Pickens, CeeDee Lamb and Javonte Williams. Pickens and Williams are playing in their first season with the Cowboys. Athlon Sports may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over our coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside. It is your sole responsibility to act in accordance with your local laws. The material contained on this site is intended to inform, entertain and educate the reader and in no way represents an inducement to gamble legally or illegally or any sort of professional advice. Gambling involves risk. Please only gamble with funds that you can comfortably afford to lose. While we do our utmost to offer good advice and information we cannot be held responsible for any loss that may be incurred as a result of gambling.
Commanders are reportedly ready to trade 2 Super Bowl veterans
The NFL trade deadline is 24 hours away, and the Washington Commanders have been thrust firmly into a seller position after falling to the Seattle Seahawks 38-14 to fall to 3-6 on the year. There was hope that a solid defensive performance against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8 would transfer to an even better showing against the Seahawks. Still, ultimately, the Commanders fell further than ever before, and with the loss of quarterback Jayden Daniels, there isn’t much outside hope left for the season, despite eight games remaining on the schedule. According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Washington may not be punting on the season, but may be looking to move players as the deadline nears. The First Names to Surface “Sources: The Commanders have been open to trading several players, including OL Andrew Wylie and OL Nick Allegretti, both of whom bring extensive starting and playoff experience,” Schultz reported. “Wylie has valuable position flexibility, having played both guard spots and right tackle during his career.” Why These Players Make Sense Both Wylie and Allegretti arrived at the Commanders with Super Bowl experience, having been part of championship Kansas City Chiefs rosters in the past. Although both have played important roles on this team at times, they were eventually replaced by younger options. For Wylie, his replacement in the starting lineup came in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft when the team drafted right tackle Josh Conerly Jr. out of Oregon. Allegretti started all of last year at left guard for Washington but was moved to the right side to start the season while the team tried second-year lineman Brandon Coleman at his position after trading for left tackle Laremy Tunsil in the offseason. With Sam Cosmi returning from his knee injury, both Wylie and Allegretti now serve backup roles with versatility. Wylie has the ability to play as a tackle and guard. At the same time, Allegretti can also serve as a team’s center and was counted on at times last year to help set protections when center Tyler Biadasz was battling injury. The Potential Return Each player would likely return a future Day 3 draft pick to the Commanders, who currently have six picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, including two in the sixth round after trading away second and fourth round picks to the Houston Texans for Tunsil. Of course, there’s also a possibility Washington could look to trade player for player in this scenario, as Schultz’s report doesn’t state exclusively that the team is looking for draft capital. With eight games remaining, and a ‘never say die’ approach to the game, we wouldn’t be totally floored if the Commanders tried to bring in players at other positions to try and save their sinking season before it takes on too much water. The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, November 4, at 4:00 p.m. ET.
Saints-Cowboys Trade Speculation Makes Perfect Sense
The New Orleans Saints have a handful of players that should be able to bring a pretty penny back through a trade ahead of the Nov. 4th trade deadline if they see fit. The guy that fans should keep a close eye on, specifically on the defensive side of the ball is cornerback Alontae Taylor. He's been in rumors over the last few weeks. He'll be a free agent after the season and Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported that the Saints are looking for at least a "Day 2" pick. For the Saints, they have a few young corners and there's no guarantee that Taylor will be back next year. Because of that, the Saints should continue to survey the market and see if a cornerback-needy team will be willing to bite. With the trade deadline approaching, there's plenty of speculation out there about potential fits for guys and other things of that nature. One example of this is The Sporting News' Daniel Mader ranked the top eight options for the Dallas Cowboys and Taylor was on his list and the idea makes sense. "Trevon Diggs and Daron Bland have proven to be capable NFL starters in the past, especially when it comes to forcing turnovers. But Diggs was recently placed on IR with a concussion and right knee injury," Mader said. "That could prompt the Cowboys to add a corner, with a few potential names on the market. The New Orleans Saints' Alontae Taylor is one of those names, a 26-year-old former second-round pick who has four passed defended and 44 tackles this season on a struggling team. The Saints should call the Cowboys to see if they can get a deal done "The Saints should be considered sellers, even if they don't part with their most talented veteran players. Taylor would be a nice balance — he could net some decent draft capital, but his absence wouldn't hurt the future of the defense terribly, with Kool-Aid McKinstry and others still in the mix." The Saints' front office should absolutely get the Cowboys on the phone as fast as possible. Dallas' secondary has been brutal this season. The Cowboys have allowed the sixth-most passing yards in the league with 2,185. The Cowboys also have allowed the second-most passing touchdowns in the league with 20. The kicker here is that these metrics are before they even play their Week 9 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football. The Cowboys' secondary has been bad and Dallas needs something as it has a 3-4-1 record on the season after the surprising deal to send Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. The Cowboys have some extra draft capital lying around and a clear need in the secondary. The Saints should be on the phone with Jerry Jones as fast as possible, especially if they win on Monday night. More NFL: Saints Can't Ignore Alontae Taylor Trade Calls
Kevin O'Connell provided multiple positive injury updates in his Monday press conference with one significant
The Minnesota Vikings have multiple injuries stemming from before and during the upset win on Sunday against the Detroit Lions by a score of 27-24. It was a masterful game from defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who found a way to attack Jared Goff and the Lions' offense with masterful blitzes and they were able to hold their rushing game at bay to just 65 yards. On the offensive side of the ball, head coach Kevin O'Connell proved that he has the utmost confidence in starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy by trusting him at every turn. They scored 27 points on the day and attacked all three levels of the defense. On the day, there were a few injuries that made an impact on Sunday, and others that could be impactful moving forward. Kevin O'Connell provides multiple injury updates RB Aaron Jones Aaron Jones was fantastic on the day for the Vikings rushing for 78 yards on nine carries, and catching two passes for 20 yards. He looked explosive and decisive in his movements. Unfortunately, he suffered a shoulder injury. O'Connell is optimistic about Jones moving forward. "Aaron Jones, he's sore, obviously, coming out of the game," said O'Connell. "But the evaluations have been pretty positive today. We'll see how he does throughout the week, but expecting him to be able to hopefully ramp up his workload, and I'll give you guys an update as the week goes on. The addition of Jones back into the lineup is such a huge factor for the Vikings' offense, and it's much-needed to help McCarthy. S Theo Jackson After playing just 16 snaps on Sunday afternoon, O'Connell said that Jackson came in on Monday with some mild concussion symptoms, and was placed in concussion protocol. "Just an update on Theo Jackson, he came in this morning with just some very mild symptoms. And we want to be we want to be safe there. So he'll go into the cushion concussion protocol, and, you know, we'll see how he can progress throughout the week," said O'Connell. Jackson taking a step back in usage was paired with Harrison Smith taking a step forward. Being in the concussion protocol doesn't mean he won't play next Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, but it makes it much less likely. Other injuries FB C.J. Ham: "C.J. Ham should return to practice in a limited capacity and see how he does throughout the week." In regard to the run game, Ham will make a serious impact. TE Josh Oliver: "And Josh Oliver will begin working his way back on the side field with the trainers on the rehab field." Oliver injured his foot early on against the Los Angeles Chargers. C Ryan Kelly: "And Ryan Kelly will also begin some of that side field work. Don't really have an update at this time of, [in terms of] opening his window or anything like that, but want to get him started. He seems to be in a good place. And want to kind of see the next part of that process begin." Having continuity at center will be huge for the Vikings. window.addEventListener('message', function (event) {if (event.data.totalpoll event.data.totalpoll.action === 'resizeHeight') {document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-383').height = event.data.totalpoll.value;}}, false);document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-383').contentWindow.postMessage({totalpoll: {action: 'requestHeight'}}, '*');
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