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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Articles
Commanders.com
Chig Okonkwo looking to become ‘the player that I know I can be’ with Commanders
Chig Okonkwo is not new to the DMV. He spent four years in the area while playing for the University of Maryland, and he was an important piece of the Terps’ offense with 52 catches for 447 yards and five touchdowns during his senior year.
So, Okonkwo is excited about starting a new chapter of his career in what he calls his second home. It also helps that he’s going to be in an offense that wants to highlight what he does best: getting in space and making plays.
“That’s the plan for me is to take that next step of my career and becoming the player that I know I can be,” Okonkwo said after Tuesday’s OTA practice. “I feel like this is definitely the place to do it.”
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[O]ver the last two OTA practices that have been open to the media, he’s shown off much of what enticed the Commanders to sign him this offseason. Like the Tennessee Titans, the Commanders intend to use Okonkwo as an all-around tight end, but where Okonkwo shines the most is through his ability as a pass-catcher, where he can be put in motion before the snap, make catches in the middle of the field and break tackles for yards after the catch.
A to Z Sports
Okonkwo is already turning heads at OTAs and it bodes well for Jayden Daniels and the offense
“[For the] two and a half months or three months we’ve had Chig, it’s been really exciting to kind of see him grow,” new Commanders offensive coordinator David Blough told reporters ahead of Commanders OTAs. “… We’re excited about the explosiveness that he adds to the offense. So as we go, I think we’ll definitely find what his role is in the units.”
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Believe it or not, over the span of his rookie contract he led the Titans in receiving yards once, was their second most productive receiver twice, and was WR3 in his “lowest” role.
Chig is athletic, fast, and a yards after catch demon. He’s been quoted early on saying “every time I get the ball, I’m trying to do the most” and for the entirely of his rookie contract those words consistently came to life. He’s a violent runner who becomes a man possessed in space. It’s a ton of fun to watch, and it’s usually pretty effective.
JP Finlay
Commanders offense slowly revealing real opportunities
Motion will…allow McLaurin to operate from different parts of the field and could free up the remaining group of wide receivers from being strict X/Z receivers.
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Perhaps most telling from McLaurin’s insightful comments: the stem vs the tree. Wide receivers can run a tremendous amounts of different routes, even more than the old 1 through 9 route tree suggests. But they all start from the same stem.
The problem in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense was there wasn’t a ton of variation in the routes. The fact that McLaurin ran a hitch on nearly 40 percent of his routes rate last season is preposterous.
Another interesting comment I heard came from Josh Conerly. As much as new Commanders offensive coordinator David Blough is going to bring in new concepts to the offense (obviously) he also mentioned that some of the previous concepts will remain in the playbook.
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“I think we were really good running outside zone,” Conerly said, before adding, “we just didn’t do it enough.”
Commanders Wire
For Dyami Brown, it feels good to be back, but he understands things are different in 2026
[I]n 2024, Jayden Daniels became the quarterback, Kliff Kingsbury the offensive coordinator and Brown’s receptions noticeably increased to 30. Yet, he did only average 10.3 yards per reception, which was his low for his four NFL seasons. But in the playoffs Brown had a touchdown vs the Bucs and in his three playoff games he did catch 14 passes for 229 receiving yards, including 9 receiving first downs.
Brown truly knows his spot is not guaranteed; he must show what he can do and earn a roster spot this time. It’s good to see he is being realistic and that his attitude is in a good place as he competes to wear those Super Bowl-era uniforms in September.
Riggo’s Rag
Will Harris must repay the Commanders’ faith or risk being cast aside for good
The Commanders let Chinn sign for the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency without much of a fight. Washington had something else in mind, signing Will Harris to a two-year, $8 million contract that included a $2 million signing bonus and $3.39 million in guaranteed money. There was some intrigue, but it became a cheaper alternative that backfired horribly.
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In fairness to Harris, getting hurt early in the year did him no favors. He missed a lot of time. When he did return, the performance levels were nowhere near the required standard, eventually ranking 73rd out of 98 qualifying safeties with Pro Football Focus.
The Commanders would probably like to have their decision on Chinn back, but there is nothing they can do about it now. This is about maximizing the options available, and Harris must also do his part by raising consistency and embracing the new schematic concepts in pursuit of better fortunes.
And considering this is also a contract year for Harris, the increased pressure couldn’t be more glaring.
Commanders Roundtable
No Washington position group was upgraded more than the Commanders linebacker room
While Quinn and general manager Adam Peters have remained consistent that the door will never close for Wagner in DC, the comparison is indirect evidence of the Commanders actually going that different direction that fans questioned would materialize during the 2025 season.
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The reigning Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year could be among the veterans who opt to ink with a new team closer to training camp or preseason with a chance to scout the best fit, but the Commanders will likely be in a much different place defensively by then. Add in the fact that the conversation will likely turn to how ready Styles is to inherit ‘green dot’ responsibilities ahead of the official start of his rookie season, the Commanders’ defense has turned a new page, fueling reason for steady optimism surrounding the Commanders’ front seven.
Riggo’s Rag
Commanders’ hype train masks dangerous reality Dan Quinn must confront
Those attending OTAs are sensing something different. The vibes were off last summer. That’s not the case anymore, with established veterans setting the correct example and younger roster hopefuls willingly following their lead. There is a fierce desire to right a wrong, but Washington’s situation remains precarious.
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Are they better on paper? Sure.
Could the new coordinators provide the innovative ideas needed to excel? Most definitely.
Could it all go horribly wrong? Absolutely.
Let’s just take things one step at a time. Harsh lessons have been learned, and things are looking up. At the same time, this is a gradual process aimed at hitting the ground running in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles. It’s also worth remembering that Quinn’s squad has a gauntlet of tests to get through before their bye.
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OTA Standouts, Exclusive Field Pass Breakdown & Delicious Deals! | Command Center | Commanders | NFL
NFC East links
Blogging the Boys
George Pickens not present for Cowboys OTAs
It would certainly be ideal for Pickens to be there for OTAs, but this is clearly not, assuming he shows next week, a situation where he is just going to sit out and be away from the team until he can’t.
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The Cowboys placed the franchise tag on Pickens this offseason and it is also important (imperative, really) to remind everyone that he already signed it. It is understandable for us all to be sensitive to Cowboys contract drama given the situations of the past few years, but this is nothing like those.
NFL league links
Articles
ESPN
Jared Verse, Dillon Gabriel each don No. 8 jersey in Browns practice
Verse, who was acquired by the Browns in Monday’s blockbuster trade that sent Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams, was on the field Wednesday for his first practice wearing the No. 8 jersey he has donned for the first two years of his NFL career.
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But not too far away was Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel … who was also wearing his usual No. 8 jersey.
NFL rules permit two players to wear duplicate jersey numbers during the offseason workout program and training camp, when rosters consist of 90 players. Needless to say, though, this number predicament will have to get sorted out at some point.
Gabriel, a 2025 third-round pick, started six games as a rookie but has been taking practice reps behind Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson as the latter two compete to be the Browns’ starting quarterback. Sixth-round pick Taylen Green is also on the roster.
The Athletic (paywall)
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Roger Goodell declines to testify before Congress about NFL’s broadcast deals
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell declined an invitation to appear at a House Judiciary Committee hearing on June 10 about the league’s broadcast and streaming deals.
According to a letter sent from NFL general counsel Ted Ullyot to the committee’s chairman, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), on Wednesday, Goodell will not be able to participate “due to ongoing litigation related to the topic of the hearing.”
The federal statute allows pro sports leagues the ability to pool their teams’ television rights and sell them collectively as one package without violating antitrust laws.
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The original statute was designed for “sponsored telecasting,” or free over-the-air TV broadcasts. But as leagues have shifted to using paywalls and subscription streaming services for some games, federal regulators have examined whether their antitrust exemption should still apply.
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