The Washington War Room

One of my favorite Redskins of all time. #51 Monte Coleman. I can still hear Madden and Summerall calling out his name and number on those 4pm CBS games against the Giants and the Cowboys. He was always around the ball. Three sacks of Phil Simms in one game on a Sunday afternoon, Madden and Summerall calling every one of them. 16 seasons in burgundy and gold. Three Super Bowl rings. 215 games. Madden himself put him on the All-Madden Team in 1993. The kind of player Madden built his identity around. tough, durable, smart, never off the field. Ring of Fame. A great player. A great man. RIP Monte. Thank you for everything you gave this franchise. A little after (5:30 mark): youtu.be/A--vYhyhlvI?t=… #HTTR

@GrantPaulsen This is hilarious! Looks like a suicide squeeze. But not sure. Have the rest of the clip. Would love to see everyone’s reaction!!!

When skip tells you to "get the bunt down or I'm benching you." x.com/SoxTranslator/…

@Gcarmi21 Beautifully said, George. From the Super Bowl Era: Madden and Summerall calling three Coleman sacks of Phil Simms in one game (5:50 mark): youtu.be/A--vYhyhlvI?t=…

May he rest in peace. One of the staples of the Super Bowl Era, and a household name in the DMV.

One of my favorite Redskins of all time. #51 Monte Coleman. I can still hear Madden and Summerall calling out his name and number on those 4pm CBS games against the Giants and the Cowboys. He was always around the ball. Three sacks of Phil Simms in one game on a Sunday afternoon, Madden and Summerall calling every one of them. 16 seasons in burgundy and gold. Three Super Bowl rings. 215 games. Madden himself put him on the All-Madden Team in 1993. The kind of player Madden built his identity around. tough, durable, smart, never off the field. Ring of Fame. A great player. A great man. RIP Monte. Thank you for everything you gave this franchise. A little after (5:30 mark): youtu.be/A--vYhyhlvI?t=… #HTTR

We mourn the loss of one of the greatest to ever suit up in the Burgundy & Gold, Monte Coleman Our heartfelt condolences are with his loved ones

Antonio Williams. One of the best picks of the entire draft. Great fit for Blough/Ben Johnson scheme. Will be a slot machine and middle of the field chain mover. He also has upside on the outside. His profile fits the Blough and Ben Johnson slot-Z blueprint. 4.41 speed. 8.58 RAS. PFF Big Board No. 69. 80.3 PFF grade. 55 catches for 611 yards and 4 TDs in injury limited 2025. 75 catches for 904 yards and 11 TDs in 2024. He is an inside outside separator with YAC value and the route running chops to support a full route tree. Will fit in nicely with all the potential motion we plan to use this year. Williams’s route running and full route tree matter because the Amon-Ra comp here is not generic. Blough was in Detroit with Ben Johnson and Amon-Ra. He saw firsthand how Johnson took a slot primary separator and schemed him to the boundary through motion, condensed splits, and stack/bunch releases. Blough watched that offense get built. He watched Amon-Ra develop from slot primary into a player who could win anywhere on the field within Johnson’s structure. Now Blough is the OC, and his first draft as a play-caller’s lead voice produces a 5’11”, 190-pound separator with 4.41 speed, an advanced route tree, and a 93% slot rate in his final college season. not a coincidence. Blough drafting an archetype. The comp is about role and deployment, not 1,200 yard rookie expectations. The floor is a Shakir style chain mover. The ceiling is what Detroit’s system did with this same body type and skill set. The difference between this pick and a generic slot guy in round 3 is that we have the OC who lived inside the system that built the ceiling version. That tells you what Blough is trying to build here, and Williams is the first concrete draft piece of that vision on the field.

This EXACT logic is why Washington DIDN’T draft a CB this year. This staff VERY MUCH still believes in Mike Sainristil despite a down year and loves what they have in Amos. Mik was hand-picked by DJ

Their vision for Antonio Williams is not just another slot guy. Track the intent. Antonio Williams. One of the best picks of the entire draft. Great fit for Blough/Ben Johnson scheme. Will be a slot machine and middle of the field chain mover. He also has upside on the outside. His profile fits the Blough and Ben Johnson slot-Z blueprint. 4.41 speed. 8.58 RAS. PFF Big Board No. 69. 80.3 PFF grade. 55 catches for 611 yards and 4 TDs in injury limited 2025. 75 catches for 904 yards and 11 TDs in 2024. He is an inside outside separator with YAC value and the route running chops to support a full route tree. Will fit in nicely with all the potential motion we plan to use this year. Williams’s route running and full route tree matter because the Amon-Ra comp here is not generic. Blough was in Detroit with Ben Johnson and Amon-Ra. He saw firsthand how Johnson took a slot primary separator and schemed him to the boundary through motion, condensed splits, and stack/bunch releases. Blough watched that offense get built. He watched Amon-Ra develop from slot primary into a player who could win anywhere on the field within Johnson’s structure. Now Blough is the OC, and his first draft as a play-caller’s lead voice produces a 5’11”, 190-pound separator with 4.41 speed, an advanced route tree, and a 93% slot rate in his final college season. not a coincidence. Blough drafting an archetype. The comp is about role and deployment, not 1,200 yard rookie expectations. The floor is a Shakir style chain mover. The ceiling is what Detroit’s system did with this same body type and skill set. The difference between this pick and a generic slot guy in round 3 is that we have the OC who lived inside the system that built the ceiling version. That tells you what Blough is trying to build here, and Williams is the first concrete draft piece of that vision on the field.

I get the “keep drafting until you get it right” logic, but that only works when previous swings have clearly failed or those players are no longer part of the plan. If the earlier slot receivers are still on the roster and still being used as slot-only players, then you’re not solving a weakness you’re stacking the same archetype. At some point it becomes poor asset management. You only get so many draft picks, roster spots, practice reps, and developmental snaps. If you keep investing mid-round capital into players with overlapping roles, you create redundancy instead of balance. The bigger issue is opportunity cost. While you’re taking another slot, you may be passing on an X or Z receiver, edge depth, OL help, or another position with a clearer path to snaps and impact. A slot can be useful, but if the room already has multiple guys for that niche, the marginal value drops. So the question shouldn’t be “why not keep drafting slot receivers?” It should be “why keep drafting the same profile when other needs remain unaddressed?”

With the "every year" slot receiver thing, I thought it was, "keep doing it until you get it right"? #Raisehail #Commander

Antonio Williams. One of the best picks of the entire draft. Great fit for Blough/Ben Johnson scheme. Will be a slot machine and middle of the field chain mover. He also has upside on the outside. His profile fits the Blough and Ben Johnson slot-Z blueprint. 4.41 speed. 8.58 RAS. PFF Big Board No. 69. 80.3 PFF grade. 55 catches for 611 yards and 4 TDs in injury limited 2025. 75 catches for 904 yards and 11 TDs in 2024. He is an inside outside separator with YAC value and the route running chops to support a full route tree. Will fit in nicely with all the potential motion we plan to use this year. Williams’s route running and full route tree matter because the Amon-Ra comp here is not generic. Blough was in Detroit with Ben Johnson and Amon-Ra. He saw firsthand how Johnson took a slot primary separator and schemed him to the boundary through motion, condensed splits, and stack/bunch releases. Blough watched that offense get built. He watched Amon-Ra develop from slot primary into a player who could win anywhere on the field within Johnson’s structure. Now Blough is the OC, and his first draft as a play-caller’s lead voice produces a 5’11”, 190-pound separator with 4.41 speed, an advanced route tree, and a 93% slot rate in his final college season. not a coincidence. Blough drafting an archetype. The comp is about role and deployment, not 1,200 yard rookie expectations. The floor is a Shakir style chain mover. The ceiling is what Detroit’s system did with this same body type and skill set. The difference between this pick and a generic slot guy in round 3 is that we have the OC who lived inside the system that built the ceiling version. That tells you what Blough is trying to build here, and Williams is the first concrete draft piece of that vision on the field. #RaiseHail

The Commanders got the steal of the draft

Thanks John. Antonio Williams. One of the best picks of the entire draft. Great fit for Blough/Ben Johnson scheme. Will be a slot machine and middle of the field chain mover. He also has upside on the outside. His profile fits the Blough and Ben Johnson slot-Z blueprint. 4.41 speed. 8.58 RAS. PFF Big Board No. 69. 80.3 PFF grade. 55 catches for 611 yards and 4 TDs in injury limited 2025. 75 catches for 904 yards and 11 TDs in 2024. He is an inside outside separator with YAC value and the route running chops to support a full route tree. Will fit in nicely with all the potential motion we plan to use this year. Williams’s route running and full route tree matter because the Amon-Ra comp here is not generic. Blough was in Detroit with Ben Johnson and Amon-Ra. He saw firsthand how Johnson took a slot primary separator and schemed him to the boundary through motion, condensed splits, and stack/bunch releases. Blough watched that offense get built. He watched Amon-Ra develop from slot primary into a player who could win anywhere on the field within Johnson’s structure. Now Blough is the OC, and his first draft as a play-caller’s lead voice produces a 5’11”, 190-pound separator with 4.41 speed, an advanced route tree, and a 93% slot rate in his final college season. not a coincidence. Blough drafting an archetype. The comp is about role and deployment, not 1,200 yard rookie expectations. The floor is a Shakir style chain mover. The ceiling is what Detroit’s system did with this same body type and skill set. The difference between this pick and a generic slot guy in round 3 is that we have the OC who lived inside the system that built the ceiling version. That tells you what Blough is trying to build here, and Williams is the first concrete draft piece of that vision on the field.

On video talking about Antonio Williams and a few impressions after Sonny Styles presser. @espnrichmond youtu.be/wBeRU4koGfg

Antonio Williams. One of the best picks of the entire draft. Great fit for Blough/Ben Johnson scheme. Will be a slot machine and middle of the field chain mover. He also has upside on the outside. His profile fits the Blough and Ben Johnson slot-Z blueprint. 4.41 speed. 8.58 RAS. PFF Big Board No. 69. 80.3 PFF grade. 55 catches for 611 yards and 4 TDs in injury limited 2025. 75 catches for 904 yards and 11 TDs in 2024. He is an inside outside separator with YAC value and the route running chops to support a full route tree. Will fit in nicely with all the potential motion we plan to use this year. Williams’s route running and full route tree matter because the Amon-Ra comp here is not generic. Blough was in Detroit with Ben Johnson and Amon-Ra. He saw firsthand how Johnson took a slot primary separator and schemed him to the boundary through motion, condensed splits, and stack/bunch releases. Blough watched that offense get built. He watched Amon-Ra develop from slot primary into a player who could win anywhere on the field within Johnson’s structure. Now Blough is the OC, and his first draft as a play-caller’s lead voice produces a 5’11”, 190-pound separator with 4.41 speed, an advanced route tree, and a 93% slot rate in his final college season. not a coincidence. Blough drafting an archetype. The comp is about role and deployment, not 1,200 yard rookie expectations. The floor is a Shakir style chain mover. The ceiling is what Detroit’s system did with this same body type and skill set. The difference between this pick and a generic slot guy in round 3 is that we have the OC who lived inside the system that built the ceiling version. That tells you what Blough is trying to build here, and Williams is the first concrete draft piece of that vision on the field.

Time to bring it back to old DC

Love this UDFA pick up. Jay Gruden’s guy. @Coach_JayGruden. Whatever all you skins fans think of Jay as our HC you gotta give him props for his offensive knowledge and good our offense was under his guidance , until they pulled his power at the end and made him take players he did not want and ultimately did not make it. Jay was a master play caller. A master QB whisperer, he created Captain Kirk. Master scout at recognizing WR talent and rskebt in general. Shame we constrained him so much with Scott, Bruce and Dan. They ran Jay into the ground and limited his impact on our team. Sorry J. You were the man and we could have done better by you. EC. Hilton is a beast and what a UDFA pick up. Kid can play z or x. LSU. He is the highest upside Commanders UDFA signing. Vertical speed profile (4.43 Pro Day forty, 38.5-inch vertical, 4.31 shuttle, 6.97 three-cone). 8 of his 41 career receptions went for 40 yards or more. Track athlete background (Louisiana 5A state champion high jumper, sub-48 400m). Was Jayden Daniels’s LSU teammate in 2022-2023, JD5 familiarity is real. first player in history to attend all four major all-star games (Hula, American, Shrine, Senior Bowl) plus the Combine. Met with all 32 teams. Jay Gruden posted workout and practice clips of Hilton on his X account, including a March 23 post noting Hilton was “showing off the athleticism” by running DB drills, and Hilton also reposted Hula Bowl content where Gruden praised him as a standout WR. college production was light m ‘cause he was injured most of his last two seasons. His traits are better than the stat sheet. the kind of low cost WR swing we should be taking. Hilton is a strong situational X/Z rotational piece with real upside. Thank jay for the head ups. #raisehail

Love this UDFA pick up. Jay Gruden’s guy. @Coach_JayGruden. Whatever all you skins fans think of Jay as our HC you gotta give him props for his offensive knowledge and good our offense was under his guidance , until they pulled his power at the end and made him take players he did not want and ultimately did not make it. Jay was a master play caller. A master QB whisperer, he created Captain Kirk. Master scout at recognizing WR talent and rskebt in general. Shame we constrained him so much with Scott, Bruce and Dan. They ran Jay into the ground and limited his impact on our team. Sorry J. You were the man and we could have done better by you. EC. Hilton is a beast and what a UDFA pick up. Kid can play z or x. LSU. He is the highest upside Commanders UDFA signing. Vertical speed profile (4.43 Pro Day forty, 38.5-inch vertical, 4.31 shuttle, 6.97 three-cone). 8 of his 41 career receptions went for 40 yards or more. Track athlete background (Louisiana 5A state champion high jumper, sub-48 400m). Was Jayden Daniels’s LSU teammate in 2022-2023, JD5 familiarity is real. first player in history to attend all four major all-star games (Hula, American, Shrine, Senior Bowl) plus the Combine. Met with all 32 teams. Jay Gruden posted workout and practice clips of Hilton on his X account, including a March 23 post noting Hilton was “showing off the athleticism” by running DB drills, and Hilton also reposted Hula Bowl content where Gruden praised him as a standout WR. college production was light m ‘cause he was injured most of his last two seasons. His traits are better than the stat sheet. the kind of low cost WR swing we should be taking. Hilton is a strong situational X/Z rotational piece with real upside. Thank jay for the head ups. #raisehail

#Commanders are signing UDFA WR Chris Hilton Jr, per @JustinM_NFL.

Then pick 209. Matt Gulbin from Michigan State. Listen carefully to how Newmark described the pick on Saturday at the post-Day 3 presser: “He played center this year for Michigan State after transferring from Wake Forest where he had played guard. So, he’s got some utility on the inside that he’s demonstrated in college… a guy that just like the way he plays the game. Kind of a physical, you know, find a way to get it done. Nasty. Guy that’s just got like grit and toughness to everything he does… Got commander traits.” Read that again. Versatility. C/G utility. Physical. Nasty. Gritty. Commander traits. Newmark never said “starter.” He never said “competition for the job.” He never positioned Gulbin as the answer at center. He described a versatile interior backup with toughness — which is exactly what Gulbin is. The front office’s own framing of the pick tells you what they think they have. Even Peters and Newmark know what Gulbin is at 209.

Love all 3 sentences.

Ben. Love you man. We need some critical reporting. AP is brilliant no doubt, actually every move all thru FA and the draft have been smart, value based, roster lifting moves. He gets an A+. Until you factor in his gross negligence and incompetent decision making at center. This is the same thing he did last year at edge. The league view of positional value at center is low. Our scheme and our roster context push it much higher. The center is the second QB of this offense. He makes the pass protection calls. He sets the line. He runs the pre-snap adjustments. He has to protect our MVP, our most valuable asset, JD5. He has to be a scheme fit as we move to more under-center looks and outside zone run under Blough. Gulbin and Allegretti to protect our generational QB. Is Peters serious? This is an abject failure of his responsibility. He had been brilliant and he is allowing this gap to define our limit for 26

🎙 Putting a bow on the Commanders' 2026 NFL Draft. Day 3 picks, include a pass rusher and QB. What Washington accomplished and what work remains. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the…

Great fit for Blough/Ben Johnson scheme. Will be a slot machine and middle of the field chain mover. He also has upside on the outside. His profile fits the Blough and Ben Johnson slot-Z blueprint. 4.41 speed. 8.58 RAS. PFF Big Board No. 69. 80.3 PFF grade. 55 catches for 611 yards and 4 TDs in injury-limited 2025. 75 catches for 904 yards and 11 TDs in 2024. He is an inside and outside separator with YAC value and the route running chops to support a full route tree. Will fit in nicely with all the potential motion we plan to use this year. Williams’s route running and full route tree matter because the Amon-Ra comp here is not generic. Blough was in Detroit with Ben Johnson and Amon-Ra. He saw firsthand how Johnson took a slot-primary separator and schemed him to the boundary through motion, condensed splits, and stack/bunch releases. Blough watched that offense get built. He watched Amon-Ra develop from slot-primary into a player who could win anywhere on the field within Johnson’s structure. Now Blough is the OC, and his first draft as a play-caller’s lead voice produces a 5’11”, 190-pound separator with 4.41 speed, an advanced route tree, and a 93% slot rate in his final college season. That is not a coincidence. That is Blough drafting his archetype. So the comp is about role and deployment, not 1,200-yard rookie expectations. The floor is a Shakir-style chain mover. The ceiling is what Detroit’s system did with this same body type and skill set. The difference between this pick and a generic “slot guy in round 3” is that we have the OC who lived inside the system that built the ceiling version. That tells you what Blough is trying to build here, and Williams is the first concrete piece of that vision on the field.

Consumed a lot of Antonio Williams content the last 24 hrs. Really excited for what he can bring to the offense. Elite route runner. Excellent speed. Super twitchy. Can play all over the field. Also really like the Joshua Josephs pick. Could be pretty interesting in a year or two.

@GrantPaulsen Yes. He could and how about JCM? More importantly who is Gibbs? When we have no Love.

If David Blough's going to run Ben Johnson's offense, I could see Kaytron Allen executing the David Montgomery role. 🏈 4 yr starter at Penn State 🏈 1st in Yds, 3rd in TDs at PSU all-time 🏈 Led FBS in 4th quarter average (8.2/ att) His nickname is "Fatman." Love that.

Yes completely agree. He has done great work as our GM. But what he has done at Center just continues to go against a positive outcome for 2026. It baffles me. We are going to end up with a below average option in the spine of our offense that is supposed to be the QB2 of the offense, Mae the adjusts, make the protection calls, support the new outside zone run scheme and protect out MVP in JD5. It is unacceptable to have this large of a gap at Center.

@FootballGods22 @JPFinlayNBCS He missed horribly on C this off-season. It will be a problem this season.

By the 5th round I dont think positional need should be at all a consideration. BPA all the way on Draft Saturday. Just try to get good players

That why he gets paid the big bucks. It is not need. It is context. He could have and should have gotten a real player with potential that fits our scheme now. Not a development player. There were players on the board on the start of the 5th round that had starter potential and where solid scheme fit, high character, and good athletes

@FootballGods22 @JPFinlayNBCS You don't NEED any player past the 4th. They all have about 10% chance of even sticking in the league