NFC East

Washington Commanders wide receiver Jahan Dotson could be in for a big rookie season after impressing during the team's mandatory minicamp.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler provided the latest intel on Monday's SportsCenter:

Jahan Dotson, very impressive first-round rookie. While [Terry McLaurin] was out, Dotson took center stage in minicamp. I was there last week, and I was told they are very impressed with what they saw. I spoke with head coach Ron Rivera. He said this guy is a precise route-runner, very fast, very smart. He has been as advertised. They took him in the first round, 16th overall. Some execs and some scouts I talked to thought that was a little rich for him. Good player, but they thought maybe he was more late first round. Washington doesn't care. They love the guy that they got so far.

No. 1 receiver Terry McLaurin skipped minicamp as he seeks a new contract, leaving a major hole in the passing attack. Dotson is apparently ready to help fill it.

The former Penn State star finished his last collegiate season with 91 catches for 1,182 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns as the team's primary offensive weapon. With 13 total touchdowns, he had more than three times the amount of anyone else on the roster in 2021.

He could have a similar impact for Washington, which finished last season just 23rd in points scored (19.7 per game) and 21st in total yards (5,502). McLaurin was the only player on the team with more than 400 receiving yards. Running backs J.D. McKissic and Antonio Gibson ranked second and third, respectively, in catches behind McLaurin.

Other contributing receivers such as Adam Humphries and DeAndre Carter were not retained in free agency.

That means even if McLaurin settles his contract dispute and returns to the Commanders, Dotson has a huge opportunity to thrive as the No. 2 option. With the rookie taking advantage of his extra snaps in practices, McLaurin's holdout could end up being a blessing in disguise for Washington.

Philadelphia Eagles receiver Devon Allen continues to showcase his speed, winning his third 110-meter hurdles race in a span of a week.

The 27-year-old finished first in the Diamond League event in Paris on Saturday, posting a time of 13.16 seconds, per Bobby Kownack of NFL.com. He also won races Thursday and last Sunday, with the latter's 12.84 representing the third-fastest time ever.

Allen is a three-time United States champion in the 110-meter hurdles and finished fourth at the Tokyo Summer Olympics.

In addition to his track success, Allen is attempting a return to the football field after stepping away in 2016 following his junior season at Oregon. He signed with the Eagles this April and has been adamant he can continue with two disciplines.

"During the football season, I’m going to play football," Allen said this week, per WorldAthletics.org. "And once February comes along and we’ve won the Super Bowl, hopefully I’m going to come back and start training for track and get ready for the major championships."

He plans to attend the Eagles training camp, which starts July 26.

The NFL in 2022 is more pass-heavy than ever before. Last year, 10 teams averaged over 250 passing yards per game. Only half that many teams averaged 140 yards per game on the ground. But running the ball hasn't fallen completely to the wayside, nor has an effective run game lost its importance. Of the NFL's top-10 rushing teams in 2021, seven made the playoffs.

What has changed is the route that teams are taking to build that solid run game. The days of the 350-carry workhorse back aren't completely dead, but they are falling by the wayside. Nowadays, it's about committee attacks. Passing-down specialists. And the importance of depth.

Old-school football hasn't disappeared from the NFL. But more and more each year, it has a new-look feel to it.

---

Bye-Bye Bellcows

One decade ago, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson became the most recent running back to win the NFL's Most Valuable Player award. That year, Peterson gained 2,097 yards on the ground—just eight yards shy of Eric Dickerson's single-season record. Peterson did so in true workhorse fashion, carrying the ball 348 times, or 21.75 carries per game. He was one of five backs to eclipse 300 carries, and 10 backs to amass at least 275.

Fast forward 10 years, and there were just two running backs who topped 300 carries—Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts and Najee Harris of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Joe Mixon of the Cincinnati Bengals joined them as the only other back to hit 275 carries. Taylor led the NFL in carries per game, at 19.5 carries per game.

Admittedly, part of the drop in carries can be explained by backs catching more short passes. If you add receptions to the mix, there were eight running backs that averaged 20 touches a game in 2021. It's the same number as in 2017. But per StatMuse, back in 2012 there were 10, and two more backs (Knowshon Moreno and Ray Rice) had 19.9.

By any objective measure, running back workloads are being scaled back. And it's not hard to see why.

NFL teams are tired of their running backs getting hurt.

Last year's leader in touches per game was Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans, at a gaudy 29.6 per contest. The year before, Henry carried the ball 378 times on the way to over 2,000 rushing yards. But that put Henry on a collision course with "The Curse of 370." It's a term coined by Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders for the drop-off in production for backs the year following a 370-carry campaign. The historical data isn't pretty.\

Sure enough, Henry made it eight games into the 2022 season before breaking a bone in his foot.

Dalvin Cook is one of the most talented runners in the NFL, with three straight 1,000-yard carries on his NFL resume. But he has also missed time in all five professional seasons, and as he told Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press, the reality is that running back may well be the most fragile position in the game.

“We’re in the NFL. Things happen. Guys go down,’’ Cook said.

---

Sharing the Wealth

As more and more teams get hip to the notion of scaling back the workload of their lead back, we're seeing a lot more two and even three-headed backfields.

Last season, there were a whopping 53 running backs that totaled more than 100 carries. Fifty-five backs had more than 100 total touches). There were 10 NFL teams that had two running backs who ended the season with over 150 total touches. A whopping 21 teams had two backs with 100 touches. And two teams (the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns) had three 100-touch running backs.

Granted, the splits in Philly and Cleveland were created in part by injuries. So were some others. But both the Eagles and Browns have a history of spreading the wealth in the backfield, and they aren't alone. Fantasy football managers may hate the idea of "running back by committee," but more and more NFL teams are embracing the idea.

Last year, the Washington Commanders were not one of those teams—Antonio Gibson dominated the backfield work and ranked fourth in the league with 300 touches. But per Nick Shook of NFL.com, head coach Ron Rivera told reporters at OTAs that the team plans to involve more players in the run game in 2022.

"Well, I think for the most part, it's going to be by committee. Some of the things that we did in Carolina we're trying to emulate, you know, we had a good two-back system. We had, (former Carolina Panther running backs DeAngelo) Williams and Jonathan Stewart, and we had Fozzy Whittaker as a change of pace, third-down type of guy. Well, you look at what we have right now, you can say we have the same thing."

"So just feel that, you know, it's one of those things that you're going to go with, who's hot, who's rolling, you know, who's doing the good things. And then you're going to have to spell that guy. I mean in this league today, you know, you just can't have one primary back. You've got to have a plethora of them. And we just feel it's a very good room right now."

It's not just a matter of spreading the wealth during games, either. NFL teams are prioritizing depth almost as much as talent. The Browns gave D'Ernest Johnson up to $2.4 million this year to be the team's third-string back. The Eagles handed Boston Scott $1.75 million to do that same thing.

Teams don't want two good running backs. They want three. Four. As many as they can get their hands on.

---

The NFL's Best Backfields

Having a backfield where one back handles most of the rushing work while another takes care of the third-down pass-catching role is fine. Dandy even. Ben Linsley of Pro Football Focus ranked an Indianapolis Colts backfield where Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines have those roles as the second-best unit in the league.

But another reason why the Colts rank as high as they do is the presence of a reserve back in Philip Lindsay who has topped 1,000 rushing yards twice in his career. The perfect NFL backfield doesn't just have talent. Or even depth. It has both—sometimes in the form of a No. 2 back who can step into a featured role without the team missing a beat.

With that in mind, here's a look at the five best backfields in the NFL in 2022.

5. Minnesota Vikings (Dalvin Cook, Alexander Mattison, Kene Nwangwu

When he's healthy, Cook is one of the game's best—a do-it-all back who is as dangerous catching passes as he is running between the tackles. He's the clear lead runner in the Twin Cities. But Mattison has shown to be invaluable reserve who can step into Cook's role without the run game falling apart. Cook also told Tomasson that the Vikings plan to involve Nwangwu more in the offense this season.

4. Dallas Cowboys (Ezekiel Elliott, Tony Pollard, Rico Dawdle)

Elliott's numbers took a dip in 2021—his 58.9 rushing yards per game was a career low. But the 26-year-old still topped 1,000 rushing yards and scored 10 times on the ground, and Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy has raved about how Elliott has looked in OTAs. Pollard is one of the league's more underrated running backs. He averaged a career-best 5.5 yards per carry a year ago, and per Linsley only Nick Chubb and Derrick Henry have averaged more yards after contact per attempt than Pollard since 2019.

3. Indianapolis Colts (Jonathan Taylor, Nyheim Hines, Phillip Lindsay)

Dating back to his time at the University of Wisconsin, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more productive running back than Taylor, who led the NFL last year with 1,811 rushing yards in 2021. He also amassed over 2,100 total yards and scored a whopping 20 total touchdowns. Hines is an excellent receiver and pass-protector who has topped 60 catches in two of four pro seasons, while Lindsay eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards in each of his first two years in Denver.

2. Green Bay Packers (Aaron Jones, A.J. Dillon, Kylin Hill)

Given all the issues the Packers have at wide receiver, Green Bay may well wind up fielding the most productive one-two running back group in the league in terms of total yards this season. The team doesn't have a true "lead" back, with Jones and Dillon garnering an almost identical number of touches a year ago. Both backs topped 1,100 yards last season, and the pair combine for 17 touchdowns. This is a two-headed attack in the truest sense.

1. Cleveland Browns (Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, D'Ernest Johnson)

Saying that the Cleveland backfield is stacked doesn’t do the team justice. Chubb may be the most talented pure runner in the entire NFL—he averaged a gaudy 5.5 yards per carry in 2021 and has never averaged less than five yards a pop in a season. Hunt is a former NFL rushing king and excellent receiver who topped 1,100 total yards with 11 scores two years ago. Johnson averaged 5.3 yards on his 100 carries in 2021 and averaged over 120 yards per game in his two starts.

---

A perfect backfield is much like a perfect quarterback—every team strives to have one, but none do. However, the teams listed above lay the blueprint for coming close.

Stockpile talent. Add players who can serve in multiple roles. And have a viable Plan B available in case your lead back goes down.

Do that, and teams can make some hay on the ground.

And while that may seem old-fashioned, it also remains a path to success on Sundays.

The House Committee on Oversight and Reform is urging Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder to reconsider his decision to not testify or appear at its hearing June 22.

"Mr. Snyder’s refusal to testify at the June 22 hearing would be inconsistent with his repeated commitments to cooperate with the Committee and cast doubt on your assertion that the Commanders are now 'a model of how to make extraordinary improvements in workplace culture,'" Oversight Committee Chairwoman Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney said in a letter to Snyder's attorney, according to Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post.

Both Snyder and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell were asked to appear at the hearing to answer questions about the Commanders' toxic workplace environment and the league's investigation of the matter.

Snyder has until Monday at 9 a.m. ET to inform the committee if he intends to attend the hearing, according to Jhabvala. The committee intends to move forward with the hearing on its scheduled date with or without him.

Snyder's attorney, Karen Patton Seymour, wrote to the committee earlier this month stating the Washington owner would be traveling out of the country because he had "a longstanding Commanders-related business conflict" to attend to and wouldn't be available to appear June 22 but that he "remains willing to cooperate with the committee" during its investigation of the franchise.

However, the letter from the committee states that it "has offered to accommodate Mr. Snyder’s plans to attend an awards ceremony in France by permitting him to appear remotely":

Mr. Snyder has not identified any scheduling challenges that would prevent him from testifying before the Committee while out of the country. Nor has Mr. Snyder asserted that he is unable to return to the United States prior to the hearing, should he prefer to testify in person.

Mr. Snyder is no different than any other witness whose testimony the Committee seeks as part of an important investigation. Any suggestion that the Committee has treated Mr. Snyder unfairly is unfounded, especially given that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has agreed to testify voluntarily at the same hearing.

The committee's latest letter to Snyder comes after the attorneys for more than 40 former Commanders employees alleging harassment and sexual misconduct called for the committee to "issue a subpoena to compel Mr. Snyder to appear" because "he is not above the law."

The Oversight Committee has been investigating Snyder, the Commanders toxic workplace culture, and the league's handling of the matter, since October. It is also investigating allegations of sexual misconduct against Snyder.

The NFL fined the Commanders $10 million after conducting its own investigation into the team's workplace environment. Snyder's wife, Tanya Snyder, then took over the franchise's day-to-day operations.

In addition to the toxic workplace and sexual misconduct allegations, the Commanders are being investigated by the Virginia attorney general's office for financial improprieties. The franchise allegedly withheld security deposits from season-ticket holders and had two accounting books to avoid sending money to the NFL's revenue-sharing pool.

Amid all of this, the team reportedly purchased around 200 acres of land in Virginia for more than $100 million to be used as a potential site for a new stadium. They plan to build a 60,000-seat stadium on the land in addition to retail shops, restaurants, bars and the team's practice facility.

The Commanders are slated to begin the 2022 season against the Jacksonville Jaguars on September 11 at FedEx Field.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones once again denied any connection to Sean Payton when asked about the former New Orleans Saints coach on Thursday.

"Sean Payton shouldn't be out there (discussed)," Jones told reporters. "For him, the Cowboys, that's just sheer out of the air. It's well known we're good friends and we think a lot of him as a head coach. But in this case, asking the way you're asking, he shouldn't be a conversation piece."

There has been speculation about Payton joining the Cowboys since he stepped down as coach of the Saints earlier this offseason, but Jones reassured Mike McCarthy this is his job for now.

"Mike has got an opportunity here to win a Super Bowl," Jones added. "That's really the measurement that I look at. But it's also an eternity between right now and next year."

McCarthy has also been asked about the Payton situation this offseason and clearly hasn't enjoyed it.

"It's a narrative I don't want to be a part of," McCarthy said in March. "I don't think anyone wants to be a part of it – on either side of the fence. In fairness to Sean, he's being asked the questions. Nothing good comes out of that."

Payton, meanwhile, moved out of coaching altogether and joined Fox for a studio role in 2022.

The 58-year-old coach could obviously return to the sidelines in 2023, and the Cowboys would be an interesting fit. Payton spent three seasons in Dallas from 2003-05 as an assistant head coach under Bill Parcells, while Jones has noted his close connection.

The Cowboys are also well-built for success with a franchise quarterback in Dak Prescott, something Payton didn't have in New Orleans once Drew Brees retired. Dallas had the No. 1 offense in the NFL in 2021 both in points scored and total yards.

If McCarthy falls short of expectations in 2022, Payton could be available to turn things around a year later.

The job still belongs to McCarthy for now, and there are high hopes heading into next season after last year's 12-5 finish.

The NFL continues to crack down on physical offseason practices, handing out fines to the Houston Texans and Washington Commanders, ESPN's Dan Graziano.

Texans coach Lovie Smith was reportedly fined $50,000 because of prohibited 1-on-1 OL vs. DL drills.

Commanders coach Ron Rivera was fined $100,000 because of excessive contact in practice drills. The team also loses two OTA practices in 2023 as a result of the infraction.

The news comes after Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy was docked $100,000 for physical practices, per Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News. The Cowboys will also lose a practice next year.

Earlier this month, the Chicago Bears were forced to cancel a practice after having live contact during their May organized team activities.

The collective bargaining agreement ratified in 2020 featured strict language on practice procedure, notably limiting the amount of padded practices during training camp while removing all padded practices during the regular season.

While coaches want to prepare their players for the season, the changes could help reduce practice-field injuries.

Smith is heading into his first season as the Texans' head coach after serving as the team's defensive coordinator last year. He last led an NFL team in 2015, spending five years at the college level coaching Illinois before joining the Texans.

Rivera is heading into his 12th straight year as a head coach, including his third in Washington. The former Carolina Panthers coach is 14-19 in two years at his current stop.

The Dallas Cowboys have once again been penalized for hosting physical OTA practices, with head coach Mike McCarthy being fined $100,000, according to Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News.

This marks the second straight year the Cowboys have been fined for having physical OTAs, and now, they'll lose an OTA practice next year as a result, according to Watkins.

Teams are allowed to hold 10 days of OTAs in the third phase of their offseason programs. No live contact is allowed during these sessions, though players may participate in 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills.

It's unclear how physical the Cowboys' OTAs had become this offseason, though things got pretty intense during 2021 offseason practices and the team was fined $100,000, with McCarthy also receiving a $50,000 fine, according to a letter the NFL sent to the team that was obtained by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

At the time, McCarthy told reporters the Cowboys were just trying to do things "the right way":

“I actually had a very good conversation with the league office. I thought it was informative. I think they’re in a very tough spot. Not as tough as my spot because it came out of my pocket. But I think first and foremost, we’re doing it the right way. There’s no question about that. Our players are trying to do it the right way.

“I think there were seven to nine plays that we looked at as a group, and frankly, the majority of them involved younger players, so to me it’s a learning experience. I think like anything in life, if you’re punished for trying to do too much the right way as opposed to not doing enough the right way, I think that’s a healthy experience to learn from.”

This latest infraction will serve as just another learning experience for McCarthy.

The Washington Commanders are reportedly amplifying their efforts to sign wide receiver Terry McLaurin to a long-term contract extension before training camp next month.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported the update on McLaurin—who skipped the team's mandatory minicamp this week—Thursday on Get Up, saying the Commanders "value this guy in a big way."

"I'm told that Washington has intensified their efforts to try to get a long-term deal done with him," Fowler said. "He sat out minicamp. That sort of sparked more talks. They've sort of been upping their proposals. ... Nothing imminent yet, but this could get done even this week. Definitely before training camp is Washington's plan."

Washington selected McLaurin out of Ohio State in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft, and he's far exceeded that draft position with three years of strong production.

The 26-year-old Indianapolis native has recorded 222 catches for 3,090 yards and 16 touchdowns in 46 regular-season appearances. He received a solid 78.3 overall grade from Pro Football Focus for the 2021 campaign.

He's scheduled to enter the final season of his four-year rookie contract and will earn $2.79 million, which ranks tied for 61st among wideouts, per Spotrac.

In January, McLaurin told Ben Standig of The Athletic he expected to remain in Washington for the 2022 season but offered no assurances beyond that.

"We just have to see what the future holds," McLaurin said. "I'm proud of the way I conducted myself, and looking forward to seeing what's next."

Boardroom's Jordan Schultz reported in March the Commanders star was seeking "bona fide No. 1 receiver money" in talks with the organization.

That likely equates to a contract with an average value of around $20 million, which would allow him to crack the top 10 at the position.

Getting McLaurin back with the team before training camp is crucial for Washington as new quarterback Carson Wentz tries to get up to full speed with his receiving group, which also includes Curtis Samuel and 2022 first-round pick Jahan Dotson.

Add in running backs Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic and tight end Logan Thomas, who's working to recover from a torn ACL in time for Week 1, and the Commanders have some potential on offense heading into the new season.

That outlook would take a significant hit if McLaurin's holdout continues into the regular season.

In the eyes of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, there's only enough room for one NFL franchise in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.

On June 10, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson posited a move to the region might benefit the Los Angeles Chargers:

Southern Dallas is the fresh start the @Chargers need! Several sites, including @cottonbowlstad and Hensley Field, would be ideal locations for a state of the art practice facility and world headquarters or stadium. We’re ready for the @NFL in @CityOfDallas! @nflcommish https://t.co/9ed398cOqp

— Mayor Eric L. Johnson (@Johnson4Dallas) June 10, 2022

Jones pushed back on the idea in an interview with the Dallas Morning News' Calvin Watkins:

Well, I like the mayor. I like him personally, but he doesn't have the depth. He doesn't have the knowledge that others have regarding how unique Dallas is and how we enjoy the interest in the Cowboys. He wouldn't want to water that down as it relates to Dallas if he knew as much, and has spent as much time in sports as I have.

Forbes ranked the Cowboys as the most valuable franchise in the world ($5.7 billion) in May 2021. It's not hard to see why Jones would be perfectly happy with the status quo.

The No. 2 team on that list, the New York Yankees, share a market with another MLB team, but the dynamic between the Yankees and New York Mets wouldn't be analogous to putting a second NFL team in Dallas to rival the Cowboys. New York City has an estimated population of 8.4 million, dwarfing that of Dallas (1.3 million).

New York is one of the biggest media markets in the world and can easily sustain not only multiple sports teams but also multiple teams that play the same sport.

Beyond whether Dallas could fully support two NFL teams, there really isn't any need for a current franchise to relocate there.

While the Cowboys don't play in Dallas—AT&T Stadium is in Arlington and the team's practice facility is in Frisco—they're synonymous with the city. They also have some of the most recognizable branding in sports and a reach that extends far beyond Texas.

Imagine trying to build a fanbase for your NFL team when you play in the same area as the literal Dallas Cowboys.

The Chargers moving to North Texas would be especially ironic because they're already viewed as the little brother in L.A. to the Los Angeles Rams. They might fare better leaving the NFL altogether and joining the USFL or XFL.

Johnson might be waiting a long time for somebody to take him up on his offer.