Daily Slop – 8 May 25 – Jeremy Fowler on CB Trey Amos: “Multiple teams discovered a back injury in the predraft process”

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, and a sprinkling of other stuff

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Riggo’s Rag

Commanders weren’t overly concerned by Trey Amos’ pre-draft back issue

Just why Amos, who was seen as a late first-rounder, fell so far was bemusing to most. Jeremy Fowler from ESPN provided some clarity on the situation, which centered on a back issue that came up during his medical assessments.

Although the Commanders and Amos didn’t seem particularly concerned by the prognosis, the insider suggested it was enough for other teams to go in different directions. He also acknowledged that Washington got great value with a prospect many believe will be a plus starter sooner rather than later.

“Washington got a plus starter with second-round defensive back Trey Amos, who has size, speed and instincts. Selecting him at No. 61 was considered great value. One aspect that might have hurt his value slightly: multiple teams discovered a back injury in the predraft process. This wasn’t a major red flag for some teams, but it was at least a mild concern that “probably caused him to slide a bit,” as one AFC exec said. However, people around Amos and the Commanders did not seem overly concerned by it.”

Jeremy Fowler

This explains a lot. At the same time, Peters wouldn’t have gone with Amos if there was even the slightest doubt about his long-term outlook on the health front.

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Commanders.com

Commanders got high value with low volume in 2025 Draft

Washington’s comfort level with its draft class stems partially from the additions they made in free agency. Peters said they liked the group of edge rushers in the draft but also felt comfortable with players like Deatrich Wise and Jacob Martin joining a position that already had Dorance Armstrong and Clelin Ferrell; there was less of a need to get a defensive back because they signed Jonathan Jones and Will Harris; and acquiring Tunsil from the Houston Texans allowed them more flexibility on the offensive line.

So, even though the draft capital was smaller compared to last year, the Commanders felt like they could do whatever they wanted with their picks.

“It’s a great feeling going through three days with that mindset and being able to say, ‘Hey, best player on the board makes sense,’” Newmark said. “Sometimes it was need or perceived need or whatever, but we were able to do what we felt was right every time without really being forced to do something just positionally.”

The Commanders certainly felt like they got the best players available with their first two picks. Peters said both Josh Conerly Jr. and Trey Amos were at the top of their board when they were on the clock, and they were holding their collective breath as they continued to get passed up by other teams.

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Bleacher Report

Ranking Every NFL Defense After the 2025 Draft

23. Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders impressed defensively against the pass last year—only two teams allowed fewer yards through the air.

However, the Commanders were just average in total defense and scoring defense, largely because of a run defense that gave up 137.5 yards per game on the ground—third most in the league.

Unfortunately, there’s little reason to expect that run defense to be markedly better this year. The Commanders [released] Jonathan Allen, and his replacement (Javon Kinlaw) is a downgrade. Bobby Wagner will likely one day find himself enshrined in Canton, but at 35, his best days are behind him.

Edge-rusher Dorance Armstong was essentially a bust in his first season in D.C., logging just five sacks. He’s not getting a ton of help from his batterymate this year, whether it’s Clelin Ferrell or Deatrich Wise Jr.

Throw in legitimate questions in a secondary headlined by cornerback Marshon Lattimore and potential issues at safety after the departure of Jeremy Chinn, and the odds on the Commanders exceeding expectations again in 2025 aren’t especially good.

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George Pickens trade fallout: Cowboys land missing piece?

Pickens as the Cowboys’ missing piece: OVERBLOWN

There’s no doubt that this trade improved Dallas’ passing game, assuming Pickens arrives hungry and focused. He’s a deep-play threat who averaged 16.7 yards per reception the past two seasons — nearly a full yard more than the next man on the list (DK Metcalf, at 16.0).

Pickens is also the only NFL player over each of the past three seasons to post 50-plus receptions, 800-plus receiving yards and average 15-plus yards per reception. From a football standpoint, he’s been pretty consistent, and Pickens has only missed three career games due to injury. He’s also set to make $3.656 million in 2025, the final year of his rookie deal. He’ll want to maximize his value before free agency in 2026.

But to suggest the Cowboys, coming off a 7-10 season, were one receiver away from something special is a bit of a stretch to me.

Yes, they’re better with Pickens. CeeDee Lamb badly needed a running mate, and the Cowboys lacked another big-play threat. The Cowboys had seven 40-yard pass plays last season; Pickens had four by himself. His arrival also helps the mystery run game — which received a boost when Dallas selected talented run blocker Tyler Booker in Round 1 and Texas RB Jaydon Blue in Round 5 — and what Brian Schottenheimer envisions for his offense.

But until Pickens is signed long term, this is a one-year experiment. Can Dallas improve markedly on each side of the ball to become Super Bowl contenders with Pickens’ arrival? Too big a leap for me.

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Bleeding Green Nation

George Pickens trade: How much will this move help the Cowboys?

Dallas actually did something.

To be blunt, Pickens has the reputation of being a knucklehead who wore out his welcome in Pittsburgh, which is pretty hard to do when you’re playing for a highly successful players-coach like Mike Tomlin. There have been reports Pickens’ attitude was wearing thin on his teammates last year.

Pickens has been a non-stop topic of conversation since the Steelers’ Week 5 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

In that game, Pickens wrote an expletive on his eye black, saw a huge drop in snaps, appeared to not give full effort on some of his routes and had an ugly exchange with Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis at the end of the game.

His now former head coach declared Pickens needed to “grow up in a hurry.”

Steelers wide receiver George Pickens caught three passes for 73 yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s win over the Bengals, but his negative plays were a bigger topic of conversation at head coach Mike Tomlin’s postgame press conference.

Pickens committed two personal fouls — one for taunting and one for making finger guns after a catch — that could have cost the Steelers a lot more than 30 yards in a different game. Pickens told reporters that officials misinterpreted his hand gesture, but Tomlin said the onus is on Pickens to mature.

“He’s just got to grow up, man,” Tomlin said. “This is an emotional game, man. These divisional games are big. He’s got a target on his back because he’s George, he understands that. But he’s got to grow up. He’s got to grow up in a hurry.”

And there are reports his teammates had to restrain him on the sidelines during games.

This isn’t to say Pickens is a bad guy. He’s no Antonio Brown, that’s for sure. But he has been a problem in Pittsburgh. And, again, a problem the Steelers couldn’t solve. Most of what Pickens has done revolved around him being immature and selfish. These are traits that, well, can be part of the wide receiver genome likely going back to football’s beginning, and Pickens has demonstrated these qualities in abundance.

Pickens’ Steelers teammates had to restrain him on the sideline during games on multiple occasions. He’s had shouting altercations with fans.

He’s been fined multiple times by the NFL for unsportsmanlike conduct penalties including after the Steelers’ game last year against the Cincinnati Bengals. He allegedly arrived late to the Steelers’ Week 17 game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

All that being said, if I was Jerry Jones and I just went 7-10 and watched their bitter rivals, your Philadelphia Eagles, advance to their second Super Bowl in three years and win it, I’d be rolling the dice on his immense talent, too.

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Bleeding Green Nation

Dallas Goedert, Eagles reportedly expected to agree to reworked contract that keeps the veteran tight end in Philly

It looks like the Philadelphia Eagles will NOT be trading Dallas Goedert this offseason after all.

The Eagles and Goedert “have been in negotiations on a reworked contract that would keep the tight end in Philadelphia,” according to a report from the Inquirer’s Jeff McLane. He adds that talks between the two sides picked up after the 2025 NFL Draft.

This welcomed development comes after no shortage of trade rumors about the Eagles wanting to trade Goedert in part to save cash. Wanting to move on from Goedert at his current pay rate wasn’t totally inexplicable since the 30-year-old has struggled with injuries.

But with no clear replacement plan in place, trading Goedert ultimately seemed inadvisable. The Eagles failed to add a tight end in the 2025 NFL Draft and free agent signings Harrison Bryant and Kylen Granson are ideally backup quality players, not full-time starters.

Goedert is reportedly taking a $4 million pay cut from $14 million to $10 million. Goedert can earn $1 million back through incentives.

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Big Blue View

ESPN still thinks the New York Giants are the worst team in the NFL

Big Blue is last in power rankings from more than 80 ESPN analysts

It’s one thing to rebuild. It’s another to be told you’re still the worst team in football after what many thought was a solid offseason.

That’s exactly the message the New York Giants got this week from ESPN’s latest power rankings, where more than 80 of their writers still placed Big Blue in the 32nd and final spot even after a total quarterback room makeover.

In fairness, the bar was low. The 2024 season ended with Drew Lock, Tommy DeVito, and Tim Boyle passing the football so yes, Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, and first-round pick Jaxson Dart are technically an upgrade. But the ESPN crew isn’t giving the Giants any benefit of the doubt just yet.

“There’s no reason to beat around the bush,” writes ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. “It’s not perfect for the Giants, but it’s an upgrade.”

Maybe so. But it’s also a brutal reminder that even when you add a Super Bowl champion (Wilson), a former No. 1 overall pick (Winston), and a promising rookie (Dart), the national media still thinks you’re dragging behind the pack.

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Pro Football Talk

Tom Brady on Shedeur Sanders’s draft-day slide: I wasn’t part of the evaluation

Brady stammered and struggled before offering up a general denial of involvement and, by implication, knowledge.

“There’s . . . I — I — it’s a good question,” Brady said “I wasn’t a part of any evaluation process or to see that.”

“Skip Bayless says otherwise,” one of the hosts interjected.

“I know, well, everyone’s got every, you know,” Brady said. “That’s the problem with media is everyone can just say whatever the fuck they want.”

The clip then jumps to Brady saying this: “I actually texted Shedeur because I know him very well, and I said, ‘Dude, like, whatever happens, wherever you go, like, that’s your first day. Day two matters more than the draft. I was [pick number] 199. Yeah. So, who could speak on it better than me, like, what that really means? Use it as motivation. You’re gonna get your chances. Go take advantage of it.”

Right, but it becomes easier to take advantage of the chances if the player is drafted higher. Selections made on the first two days get at least a full year to prove themselves. The farther a player slides, the bigger the challenge becomes.

As to Brady’s claim that he wasn’t part of the evaluation process, many will not be buying what the GOAT is selling. In December, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media quoted Raiders owner Mark Davis as saying that Brady “will have a huge voice in the organization when it comes to picking the quarterback.”

While, technically, the quarterback for 2025 (and perhaps beyond) has been selected, why wouldn’t Brady’s “huge voice” include participating in the evaluation of someone like Sanders — especially since Brady (as he said) knows him “very well”?

Meanwhile, Brady was clearly involved in the evaluation and selection of quarterback Cam Miller, in round six.

Common sense suggests that Brady was treading lightly, so as not to undermine his relationship with Sanders. Even if it means taking a position that directly conflicts with things his boss has said, on the record.

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ESPN

George Pickens trade: Grades for Cowboys, Steelers in WR deal

• Grade for the Cowboys: B-
• Grade for the Steelers: B+

He’s an outside vertical receiver who will allow Lamb to maintain his heavy dosage of slot alignments in the Cowboys’ offense. Pickens ran go routes and deep fades 19% of the time last season, the 10th-highest rate among receivers with at least 300 routes run. He managed 900 yards over 14 games in 2024 and hit 1,140 receiving yards in 2023. And he posted a strong 2.2 yards per route run both years.

According to ESPN’s player-tracking-based receiver scores, Pickens has shown growth in his ability to get open since his rookie season. He had a 48 open score in 2022, but that rose to 70 and 68 the past two years. However, his catch score has dropped from a high of 99 in his rookie year to 72 in 2023 and then 40 last season. That looks like the profile of a player who could see positive regression, since a receiver’s ability to get open is more stable from year to year than his ability to make catches over expectation.

So, on paper, this move makes plenty of sense for the Cowboys.

But this move is not made only on paper. A big part of the reason Pickens is available is it seems the Steelers had had enough of him. After Pickens had two unsportsmanlike penalties against the Bengals last season, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said, “He’s got a target on his back because he’s George; he understands that. But he’s got to grow up. He’s got to grow up in a hurry.” Then, after the season, Tomlin said, “There’s certainly obviously more room for growth there.” Earlier in the season, there were questions over Pickens’ effort, too, though Tomlin dismissed those concerns at the time.

The risk here is mitigated by the one-year commitment, and if I were the Cowboys, I would want to keep it that way. They should let him play out the season and probably let him walk next offseason in exchange for the possibility of a compensatory pick. If Dallas signs Pickens to an extension before the 2025 season, I would substantially reduce its grade here.

For the Steelers, this is good compensation. The league widely knew they wanted to move on from Pickens, and they still got a Day 2 pick back.

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The Athletic (paywall)

George Pickens wasn’t going to ‘grow up,’ forcing the Steelers’ hand

Throughout George Pickens’ highlight and headache-filled tenure in Pittsburgh, it would be hard to find a more staunch defender of the wide receiver than Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.

During Pickens’ rookie season, after the receiver threw a tantrum because he wasn’t getting the ball during a win in Atlanta, Tomlin reframed it as an emotional player who wanted to be part of the game plan. When Pickens failed to block for Jaylen Warren near the goal line in 2023, citing his fear of being injured, Tomlin tried to deflect the blame onto the media, calling them “vulture-like.”

Last season, when Pickens wore eye black that read “Open F—ing Always” in a game against the Dallas Cowboys, Tomlin maintained two days later that he didn’t see it. Asked why Pickens played a career-low 34 snaps and ran a career-low 20 routes in that game, Tomlin refused to acknowledge it was a benching and instead called it “snap management.” And when Pickens got into a wrestling match with Cleveland Browns defensive back Greg Newsome at the end of a loss in Cleveland, Tomlin again said he wasn’t aware of the incident.

But after deflecting often — and at other times, perhaps stretching the truth on Pickens’ behalf — even Tomlin’s patience appeared to be running thin by the end of the 2024 season. It reached an inflection point in Week 13 in Cincinnati. Pickens was flagged twice for unsportsmanlike conduct — one for making a gun gesture and another for dropping a ball on a Bengals defender. For one of the first times publicly, Tomlin reprimanded his star receiver.

“He’s got to grow up,” the coach said. “He’s got to grow up in a hurry.”

While the trade unquestionably makes the [Steelers] roster worse in 2025, this was a necessary and perhaps inevitable move.

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All aTwitter

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