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Commanders working to hire LSU assistant to 2026 defensive staff
Pete Nakos of On3 reported on Friday evening that the Commanders are working to hire LSU safeties coach Jake Olsen to the staff. What role he would join with the Commanders is unclear with Tommy Donatell the current safeties coach and William Gay serving as cornerbacks coach, but he’d be another piece to a defensive staff looking to turn the page from an abysmal season under Joe Whitt Jr.
Olsen [would become] the second college coach to join the Commanders staff this offseason after naming former USC co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Eric Henderson as Washington’s new defensive line coach in 2026.
Riggo’s Rag
What role will Johnny Newton have under Daronte Jones?
There has been some well-founded speculation that Jones may want to play more 3-4 fronts. At 6-foot-2 and 295 pounds, Newton is a B-gap interior lineman. There will be room for him in a 3-4, but it is far from ideal.
[Johnny] Newton does not have the length to play outside, nor does he seem to have the bulk to play over center. Even in college, some scouts questioned whether his undersized frame would hold up against NFL guards. Some argued that he needed to line up next to a much bigger player in order to be most effective.
That’s one of the reasons the Los Angeles Rams signed Poona Ford to play next to Kobie Turner this year. He is the same size as Newton and has been very good playing next to stouter tackles.
That may be why Peters overpaid for the physically imposing Javon Kinlaw last year. On paper, Kinlaw and Newton make some sense. On the field, it has not worked out.
Kinlaw can play either over center or at end in a base 3-4, but Newton does not have an obvious home. In that very promising Dallas game, he lined up in the B-gap on two-thirds of his snaps. That tracks with his entire career in Washington.
Under a new defensive alignment, that spot might no longer be available. That means Newton will have to find a new role to continue his slow climb toward becoming the player Washington thought it was getting in 2024.
Commanders Wire
Pressure is on Commanders to fix the defense
[T]he Commanders’ defense wasn’t good in 2024. In 2025, it was abysmal. They couldn’t tackle, rush the passer, stop the run, or limit big plays. It was a mess, and head coach Dan Quinn took over defensive play-calling from defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. ahead of Week 11.
The Commanders promoted David Blough to replace Kingsbury and hired Daronte Jones to replace Whitt. The offense has some excellent building blocks, led by quarterback Jayden Daniels, wide receiver Terry McLaurin and an ascending offensive line led by left tackle Laremy Tunsil.
There are fewer building blocks for the defense, which puts the onus on GM Adam Peters to significantly improve the talent on that side of the ball to aid Jones.
[I]f Washington expects to return to contention, it needs a defense that can finish in at least the top 15 of most statistical categories, force some turnovers and get off the field on third downs. Far too often in recent years, Washington’s defense was the “get-right game” for struggling quarterbacks.
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Talking HBCU Experience With Bill Croskey-Merritt & Rob McDaniel | Next Man Up
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D Magazine
The NFL Offseason Has Begun. Expect Jerry Jones and the Cowboys to Finally Meet the Moment
Go ahead and roll your eyes at Jones’ proclamation that he wants to pass Kraft [as the owner with the most Lombardi trophies]. Dismiss it as hyperbole from an owner who’s constantly selling but has failed to deliver for 30 years and counting. This isn’t about setting a realistic goal. It’s about motivation for the 83-year-old patriarch.
Jones leads Kraft on several significant fronts. His franchise is worth more, a fixture atop the Forbes list as the NFL’s most valuable property for 19 consecutive years. Jones has a bust in the Hall of Fame, an honor that eluded Kraft 72 hours before the Seahawks manhandled his team in Super Bowl LX.
But Kraft, more than any other owner, has risen to prominence during the Cowboys’ long fallow period. He has doubled Jones’ Lombardi Trophy haul. The Patriots didn’t win Sunday. But the fact New England got back to the Super Bowl as quickly as it did after moving on from Tom Brady and Bill Belichick caught his attention.
[L]et’s focus on one tangible example that impacted the just-concluded season: free-agent spending. New England led the way in that category in 2025, sinking $192.9 million in guaranteed money into free agency. Seattle’s $101.5 million was good for fifth. Dallas ranked near the bottom of the league, doling out just $23.4 million in guaranteed money to free agents.
Jones has signaled he will dive into free agency with a financial fervor he hasn’t exhibited since he paid $50 million to add corner Brandon Carr 14 years ago. Will he increase his investment more than seven-fold to fall in line with what Kraft just spent? No. But he did tell reporters in San Francisco for the Super Bowl that he was prepared to “bust the budget.’’
The Cowboys will tag Pickens to prevent him from hitting the free agent market while it concentrates on outbidding suitors for free agents who will markedly upgrade the defense. Then Jones will come back and try to get something done with Pickens, the same way I intend to give my wife more than a cheesy card for Valentine’s Day if I know what’s good for me.
Doubts it will unfold this way are understandable. Jones has brought those on himself. But the first sign this offseason will be different came with the hiring of defensive coordinator Christian Parker from Philadelphia. The next will be what happens when free agency opens on March 11.
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