NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that TE Zach Ertz has agreed to a one-year deal with the Commanders worth "up to" $5 million. We'll be curious to see more specific terms on the contract -- such as whether it even guarantees he'll even break training camp with the team. Ertz managed just 27 catches over six games for the Cardinals last year, coming off a 2022 ACL tear. He failed to reach another active roster after Arizona waived him Nov. 30. (He finished the year on Detroit's practice squad.) Ertz will turn 34 in November and has set career lows in yards per catch each of the past two seasons (8.6, then 6.9). He spent his pre-2023 Arizona time playing under then-HC Kliff Kingsbury, who joined Washington as OC this offseason. We'll see how much that factored into Ertz's signing and what Kingsbury might have planned. The Commanders have room on the TE depth chart after dumping Logan Thomas, with only Cole Turner and John Bates under contract. But the Ertz signing shouldn't exclude them from making any other moves at the position. You can consider Ertz as a third TE late in your best ball drafts, but we wouldn't chase him any earlier than that.
The Commanders released TE Logan Thomas, saving $6.5 million against the 2024 salary cap. Thomas caught 55 balls last year -- 14th among TEs -- but averaged just 9.0 yards per reception on a 6.1-yard average depth of target. We'll see where he lands and how much playing time he claims, but Thomas is a low-upside fantasy asset at this point of his career. The Commanders, meanwhile, are left with TEs Cole Turner, John Bates, and Armani Rogers, who have combined for just 71 NFL catches. The team figures to add to that group in free agency and/or the draft.
The Commanders are hiring Kliff Kingsbury as their OC under HC Dan Quinn, according to multiple reports. Kingsbury had an underwhelming tenure as Cardinals HC from 2019 to 2022, going 28-37-1 over those four seasons. He landed two of those teams inside the top 8 in total yards, but none cracked the top 10 in points. Kingsbury at least deployed fast-paced attacks, with three of his four offenses finishing top 3 in pace and offensive plays. He joins a Washington squad with plenty of skill-position talent and the No. 2 overall pick in this spring's draft, which will presumably be used to take a QB.
Commanders WR Curtis Samuel (toe) is out for Sunday’s game vs. the Patriots. He was replaced last week by WR Jamison Crowder, who caught all seven of his targets for 95 yards and a score. We wouldn’t go chasing that production. Samuel’s absence should mean a few extra targets to divvy between WR Terry McLaurin, WR Jahan Dotson, and TE Logan Thomas.
Commanders TE Logan Thomas (concussion) isn't listed on the final Week 4 injury report. He'll be back for Sunday's game vs. the Eagles. Thomas racked up 11 targets in about six quarters of action before suffering that head injury, making him worth a look for the many fantasy teams who don't have a reliable starter at the position.
Commanders TE Logan Thomas (concussion) graduated to a full practice on Thursday. He's on track to be cleared for this weekend's game vs. the Eagles. We'll see how he's listed on the final injury report tomorrow.
Commanders TE Logan Thomas (concussion) was limited in Wednesday's practice. We'll see if he can get cleared in time for this weekend's game vs. the Eagles. Thomas racked up 11 targets in about six quarters of action before suffering that head injury.
Commanders TE Logan Thomas (concussion) has been ruled out for Sunday's game vs. the Bills. TEs Cole Turner and John Bates split snaps in Thomas' absence in the second half of last week's game, so neither guy can be trusted in Week 3 fantasy lineups.
Commanders TE Logan Thomas (concussion) did not practice on Wednesday. Fantasy owners shouldn't count on him playing vs. the Bills this weekend, but we'll keep you updated on Thomas' progress through the protocol.
Commanders TE Logan Thomas sustained a concussion on a 4-yard TD in the second quarter of Sunday’s game vs. the Broncos. It’s his first documented concussion. We’ll track his progress through the protocol this coming week. Thomas’ absence leaves Washington with TEs Cole Turner and John Bates.
Commanders WR Terry McLaurin (turf toe) landed just 2 catches on 6 targets for 31 receiving yards in Sunday’s win vs. the Cardinals. Teammate Curtis Samuel led the team in receiving with 54 yards and a perfect 5-for-5 on his targets. McLaurin has dealt with this toe injury dating back to the preseason and practiced in a limited fashion for much of this week. It’s no surprise he got out-targeted by WR Jahan Dotson (5 for 40 yards on 7 targets) in Week 1, though we expect McLaurin’s impact to increase as he becomes further removed from the ailment. An underrated takeaway to consider before their Week 2 matchup vs. the Broncos is that TE Logan Thomas led the Commanders with 8 targets in this game—something to remember for those in deeper leagues.
Commanders TE Logan Thomas (calf) said Wednesday that he has "no more restrictions" and "feels really good." Thomas missed most of August with a calf injury but is on track to be ready for Week 1. TE Cole Turner had a nice training camp and preseason in Thomas' absence, but Thomas still figures to open the season as Washington's lead TE.
Commanders HC Ron Rivera said Thursday that TE Logan Thomas is "progressing" in his recovery from a calf injury. He went down in early August but took part in individual drills on Thursday. Thomas remains the favorite to open the season as Washington's lead TE, but TE Cole Turner has made a push for playing time over the past few weeks.
Commanders TE Logan Thomas has missed two straight practices with a calf injury. The veteran missed three games with a calf strain in October. We’ll let you know when he’s back at practice.
"It looks like Washington's tight ends are going to be heavily involved in the passing game this season," Zach Selby of the Commanders' official site wrote after attending minicamp. The Commanders are installing a new offense under OC Eric Bieniemy, who just spent the past five seasons helping Chiefs TE Travis Kelce to huge numbers. No one will come close to that level of production in Washington, of course. But Selby notes that TE Logan Thomas has been busy in the passing game. "Thomas, who looks fully healthy for the first time in years, has been the top target for the position and looks like the threat he was back in 2020," Selby writes. "He made contested catches over defenders, looked fluid in his route running and found soft spots in coverage to be a reliable target for Howell." Thomas has struggled with injuries the past couple of seasons but finished fourth among TEs in PPR points back in 2020. We'll continue to keep a close eye on this new-look Commanders offense, but Thomas looks like a value late in best-ball drafts.
The Commanders fired OC Scott Turner. Washington never ranked better than 20th in total yards or 23rd in points across Turner's 3 seasons, although QB play was seemingly a bigger problem than Turner's play calling. We'll see who the Commanders tab as their next OC -- and what they do at QB. Carson Wentz is set to count $26 million against the 2023 cap but can be cut with no dead-cap penalty.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that the Commanders are expected to start QB Taylor Heinicke against Dallas in the season finale. But he adds that rookie QB Sam Howell "is also slated to play." Take this news as an admission from HC Ron Rivera that he was wrong to start Carson Wentz in the Week 17 loss to Cleveland. With Washington now eliminated from playoff contention, though, it would seem to make more sense to just play the rookie the whole way. The reported plan, of course, makes both QBs unusable in fantasy football lineups. And the whole situation adds risk to Washington pass-catchers. We're not changing our outlook for RB Brian Robinson Jr., though. Check out the adjusted Week 18 fantasy football rankings.
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