Did the Commanders fix their horrible ‘25 defense with the best ‘26 offseason in the NFC East? - Daily Slop

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The Daily Slop – 5 July 2026

Editor’s note: Each day, Hogs Haven compiles a collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East, the NFL and sports in general, with a sprinkling of other stuff. Enjoy!

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Brandon Aiyuk to Jayden Daniels on Instagram: ‘Gonna have to start running behind your momma’

Speculation over whether Brandon Aiyuk will join the Washington Commanders if and when he’s released by the San Francisco 49ers might have unofficially ended Saturday.

The wide receiver, who has taken jabs at the 49ers and repeatedly claimed that he plans to sign with the Commanders in recent social media posts, appeared to take a swipe at Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, his friend and former Arizona State teammate, in another post Saturday night.

Daniels, seemingly in response to Aiyuk’s message, shared a screenshot on his Instagram story of Houston Rockets forward and ardent Commanders fan Kevin Durant giving a thumbs-down to a fan earlier this year.

Minutes later, Aiyuk followed with yet another Instagram post, sharing a GIF of him holding up a pair of shoes with the message: “Let’s Run it 5! Let’s see ! Need you available all son and I’ll do the same !”

It’s plausible that Aiyuk’s social media posts on Saturday were in response to a now-viral video of a fan addressing Daniels at a World Cup match.

Multiple people with knowledge of the Commanders’ thinking before Aiyuk’s series of social media videos and photos said the team thought Aiyuk could be a potential boost to its roster, but couldn’t bank on that given the circumstances.

It’s not known where the Commanders stand on Aiyuk since his latest series of social media posts.

From Pro Football Talk:

[T]he Commanders would indeed pursue the 49ers receiver, if quarterback Jayden Daniels wants Aiyuk on the team. And it was believed that Daniels did indeed want Aiyuk.

Then, all hell broke loose on social media.

Aiyuk, as many have noticed, unfollowed Daniels on Instagram. Then, Aiyuk posted on his Instagram story a couple of videos directed at Daniels.

The issue possibly traces to the recent video of a 49ers fan repeatedly yelling at Daniels, “Fuck Brandon Aiyuk!” Daniels responds by smiling and laughing. Aiyuk apparently didn’t appreciate that.

Regardless, Daniels is the key to Aiyuk landing with the Commanders. If Daniels wants Aiyuk, the front office will be inclined to go along. If Daniels doesn’t, it won’t happen.

As of now, it looks like it won’t happen.

From Riggo’s Rag:

It’s really hard to gauge this situation right now. Aiyuk could have stayed quiet and let things play out. Instead, he went on a verbal tirade against the Niners while also putting his close friend in the crosshairs. And in all honesty, that might be his final mistake.

Daniels has rightfully distanced himself. The Commanders’ reported interest hasn’t been confirmed by anyone in the building, which is the correct call. Watching him self-destruct through nothing more than social media posts is a damning indictment of his overall approach to the saga. And blaming everyone but himself will have a ripple effect that goes way beyond his current predicament.

Perhaps this was all just an act. Or perhaps it’s the final nail in Aiyuk’s quest to be in a Commanders uniform this season.

And if their latest social media exchange has any substance, the Commanders won’t take the risk.

Heavy.com

Dyami Brown: Worst Hands in the NFL or is 2026 time for “the new” Dyami?

[T]he Washington Commanders — and their fans — saw enough of wide receiver Dyami Brown in his 1st 4 seasons that, when he signed a 1-year, $10 million free-agent contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars before the 2025 season, it certainly registered some surprise that he would score such a payday.

Were it not for that bravura stretch of games for the Commanders in the magic playoff run following the 2024 season, Brown surely wouldn’t have landed his $10 million payday with the Jaguars.

What’s been lost in all of this is that Brown might have the worst hands of any wide receiver in the NFL. In 2025, Brown was second in the NFL in drop rate at 13.5 percent, behind Atlanta Falcons wide receiver David Sills at 13.9 percent.

Elite NFL wide receivers typically have drop rates below 5 percent — the very best of the best are usually around 2 to 3 percent. In 2023 with the Commanders, Brown had a drop rate of 8.7 percent.

After 1 disappointing season in Jacksonville, Brown is back in Washington for the 2026 season on a 1-year, $1.75 million contract, and promising things will be different this time around.

It’s hard not to see the Commanders signing Brown as a desperate move, even if it was at a cut-rate deal. Which makes sense, because the Commanders are in a desperate situation at wide receiver.

Brown released an 11-minute offseason recap/workout video on his YouTube channel that showed him going through his offseason paces — lifting weights and running routes — then symbolically pouring out some water at the end.

Riggo’s Rag

8 Commanders who may be entering their last dance in Washington

Marcus Mariota – Commanders QB

Marcus Mariota is widely regarded as one of the league’s best backup quarterbacks. The Commanders won’t get very far if Jayden Daniels cannot stay healthy, but they have an experienced presence behind him who could fill the void.

Mariota’s powers are declining, as evidenced by last season’s efforts. He also missed time late in the season through injury, but the Commanders saw enough to give him another one-year commitment. But with Washington also drafting Athan Kaliakmanis in the seventh round, head coach Dan Quinn now has a viable development project who could become a potential understudy.

Daniels no longer needs a veteran guide. This is Year 3 for the signal-caller, and he’s already a franchise cornerstone. Mariota will serve a purpose this season, but if Kaliakmanis makes encouraging progress toward making the team and increases confidence in his capabilities, he could go through as the QB2 from 2027 onward.

That, unfortunately for Mariota, would come at his expense.

Commanders.com

Commanders 2026 opponent breakdown | 49ers

Key questions

  • Can they get more production out of the pass rush? There was a stretch where the 49ers could be relied upon for having one of the better pass-rushing defenses in the NFL with four top 11 finishes from 2019-23. Over the last two seasons, however, they have been in the bottom half of the league in producing sacks and had a league-low 20 in 2025. Some of that is because of the injuries to defensive end Nick Bosa, who missed most of the season with a torn ACL in Week 3. When healthy, Bosa can produce double-digit sacks and be in contention for the Defensive Player of the Year award, which he won in 2022, but the 49ers need more around him, particularly if Bosa needs more time to return to full speed. They’re banking on free agent Greenlaw and draft pick Height to help elevate their pass rush, but they also need to get more out of players like Osa Odighizuwa, C.J. West and Keion White. The potential is certainly there, and if Bosa can get up to speed quickly, it could be a formidable group.
  • Will the investments in the receiver position pay off? McCaffrey led the 49ers in rushing and receiving yards last season, which is impressive for a running back who just turned 30. However, regardless of how well the 49ers did without a bevy of weapons, it’s not a formula that normally leads to success. So, the 49ers set out to change that this offseason and gave Purdy receivers to work with. They signed Evans, who has 11 1,000-yard seasons in his career, away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as Kirk in free agency. In the draft, they added Stribling, who had back-to-back 800-yard seasons to wrap up his college career. What’s more, the team is expecting more out of Pearsall — a first-round pick in 2024 who has only played in 20 games over the last two seasons but had 528 yards in 2025. Like the pass rush, there is potential for the offense to have a better arsenal of weapons in 2026.

Commanders Wire

Did Commanders have the best offseason in the NFC East?

Washington should be much better on defense in 2026. So, when people ask if GM Adam Peters did enough to help Daniels this offseason, the answer is yes. The Commanders were atrocious defensively last season, and an improved unit is the best way to help your franchise quarterback.

And let’s not forget about the offensive additions. Not only does Washington also have a new offensive coordinator (David Blough) it’s excited about, but players like Okonkwo, White and rookie receiver Antonio Williams all figure to be in prominent roles.

The NFC East did see two impact players depart this offseason, when the Eagles traded away disgruntled wide receiver A.J. Brown and the Giants traded All-Pro DT Dexter Lawrence. So, how will those losses impact the Eagles and Giants?

Commanders Wire

Revealing some brutal statistics from Commanders’ 2025 defense

  • “They were 32nd in most every statistic that matters, or at least bottom five in every defensive statistic that matters. Yards per play, yards per pass, EPA (Explosive Plays Allowed), etc.”
  • “Dead last in yards per drive allowed, dead last in 3 & outs forced, 31st in turnovers per drive forced”
  • “When teams reached the Red Zone, the Commanders defense allowed a touchdown 68 percent of those drives, which was second worst.”
  • “They were the only defense in the NFL to allow over 35 percent of drives to reach the red zone and over 67 percent of those to score touchdowns. They were the only defense in the last five years to allow that combination.”
  • “The defense allowed 101 points scored in the first quarter last year, which was the fifth most in the NFL.”
  • “Therefore, they trailed by a combined 64 points after the first quarter last season, which was second worst in the NFL.”
  • “The defense allowed opponents’ opening drives of games to average 49 yards, worst in the NFL last year. Even more, it was the worst of any Washington defense this century (26 seasons). It was the 13th worst of any defense this century.”
  • “Of the 17 opening drives last season, the Commanders defense forced only three punts. It was the worst of any Washington defense this century, and the worst of any NFL defense this century.”

Podcasts & videos

NFC East links

Bleeding Green Nation

5 unanswered mid-summer Eagles questions

How much will Nakobe Dean be missed?

Dean was perhaps the heart and soul of the defense, and his departure to the Las Vegas Raiders will be felt. But how much?

That all comes down to two things: Zach Baun’s ability to remain elite, and the progression of second year linebacker Jihaad Campbel.

Campbell was selected in the first round of the ‘25 Draft with the idea in mind he would replace Dean when Dean left in free agency. Despite another great season from Dean, the Eagles stuck to that plan. Thankfully, Campbell showed enough as a rookie to earn the trust of Fangio and the rest of the Eagles staff, but it’s hard to quantify the value Dean brought to the defense. Jeremiah Trotter, Jr.‘s role on the team will also increase in Dean’s absence.

There’s more to like at this position than at safety, but it’s still a major question mark for Fangio to figure out.

Blogging the Boys

Dak Prescott vs. quality opponents: What the numbers tell us

One of the most persistent hot takes about Dak Prescott is that he pads his stats against weak teams and underperforms against quality teams, because he can’t win the big games.

This storyline lives on in social media, message board, and messenger apps like a ghoul from the Walking Dead stuck in a swamp somewhere in Georgia, and is largely based on a particularly twisted piece of post-rationalization that seems to be very particular to Cowboys Nation:

Prescott can’t win big games, because it’s only a big game if the Cowboys lose. If the Cowboys win, it can’t have been a big game because “they should have won that one anyway.”

Irrefutable fact or vicious slander? Today, we set the stat hounds loose to sniff out what’s what as we slice and dice Prescott’s performance against better and lesser opponents.

Big Blue View

NFC East Grades: Where do the Giants stack up at wide receiver?

Washington Commanders

Roster: Terry McLaurin, Treylon Burks, Antonio Williams, Dyami Brown, Luke McCaffrey, Jaylin Lane, Van Jefferson, Chris Hilton Jr., Jacoby Jones, Jayden Bradley, Nick Nash

Terry McLaurin will be 31 in September, and he’s coming off an injury-plagued season where he caught 38 of 59 passes for 582 yards with three touchdowns. Despite the down season, McLaurin is still the clear-cut number one receiver, and one who is a respectable starter in the NFL. 2024 was McLaurin’s best season by far, so he’s not far removed from elite production.

Deebo Samuel was Washington’s leading receiver last year, and Zach Ertz was second – neither is on with the Commanders in 2025. Treylon Burks showed some promise down the stretch of the season, securing 10 of 22 passes for 130 yards with a score. Jaylin Lane also had 16 catches for 225 yards last season.

Washington did draft Antonio Williams in the third round and has some depth veteran players like Dyami Brown, Luke McCaffrey, and Van Jefferson. Overall, though, Washington receives one point for this exercise.

Points: 1

New York Giants

Roster: Malik Nabers, Darnell Mooney, Darius Slayton, Calvin Austin III, Malachi Fields, Odell Beckham Jr., JuJu Smith-Schuster, Braxton Berrios, Isaiah Hodgins, Jalin Hyatt, Beaux Collins, Dalen Cambre, Xavier Gipson, Ryan Miller

Malik Nabers is returning from a bad knee injury, which is concerning when ranking the Giants over the Eagles, but I believe Slayton is better than perception as a depth option with solid competition that includes Darnell Mooney, Malachi Fields, Calvin Austin III in the slot, and the two veteran receivers, Odell Beckham Jr., and JuJu Smith-Schuster.

This wide receiver group isn’t incredible by any means, but I do believe it is slightly better than the national consensus seems to think. It’s not saying much, but this wide receiver room is better than most wide receiver rooms we’ve seen from the Giants.

Roster spots that used to be occupied by players like Beaux Collins and Jalin Hyatt now have some hungry competition with players like Mooney and Austin III, both of whom are playing on one-year prove-it deals. I wouldn’t rule out Beckham Jr., or Smith-Schuster from having a role with the Giants, and Malachi Fields offers a completely different body type and playstyle to the wide receiver room. I thought about going to Philadelphia here, but, in the end, science says it’s the Giants.

Points: 3

NFL league links

Articles

Pro Football Focus

Young NFL quarterbacks are getting better: the data tells the story

In each of the last three years, Maye, Daniels and Stroud — among several others — have swiftly risen to prominence, knocking down the door to enter the NFL’s most esteemed group of passers. The feat itself is fascinating, but it begs a more meta question: Are younger quarterbacks getting better? To find out, let’s leverage PFF data over 20 years of charting.

In order to establish a relative standard for a “good” quarterback, it’s important to consider both volume of playing time as well as overall efficiency. As such, we’ll implement a 500-snap threshold for any season as well as attaining a 75.0 overall PFF grade or better, which trends toward above-average in recent years.

From there, experience is also critical to define. A player’s first three seasons are often the most raw and formative, when a lower percentage of names tend to become outright stars. Hence, Years 1-3 of a quarterback’s career present a sound baseline over a factor like age, which can fluctuate greatly between prospects in even the same draft class.

although teams have become more inclined to see what they possess in a younger quarterback — thus yielding more starting opportunities, especially earlier — simple snap volume doesn’t really explain this trend. Consider that quarterbacks in Years 1-3 combined for just over 12,000 snaps in 2025 compared to more than 13,000 in 2012. In other words, greener gunslingers have regularly seen the field throughout the last decade.

The graph below reinforces that a greater proportion of inexperienced quarterbacks are producing better PFF grades amid fairly steady denominators.

A…logical explanation for this pattern over the last six seasons is that coaching has improved. Offensive staffs have a better understanding of how to insulate their young passers, from implementing RPOs and play action to enabling them to proliferate existing strengths of their game

Before the likes of Maye and Daniels, players such Russell Wilson, Andrew Luck and Carr ranked in the top seven of qualifying overall grade before the end of their third season. Even in the immediate years before 2020, Patrick Mahomes and Jackson compiled at least a 90.9 mark during their award-winning campaigns in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

A burgeoning passer entering rare air no later than their third season isn’t revolutionary. But as PFF data illustrates, what continues to take the NFL by storm is a much more rapid development of blooming quarterbacks — who now show regular playmaking by even their second year. The trend of the last six seasons should only fuel organizations to keep throwing darts at the wall via the NFL Draft as they seek legitimate franchise options under center, which are ever-elusive in today’s game.

Holiday weekend reading

aBit o’Twitter

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