NFC East news: Washington bringing back Bobby Wagner, New York signs a quarterback
The Commanders appear to want more than the way last season went for them.
Commanders’ LB Bobby Wagner one of two players re-signed on Thursday - David Harrison, WUSA9.com
Washington is bringing back a key defender for at least one more season.
ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Commanders took two pending free agents off the market on Thursday by re-signing linebacker Bobby Wagner and kicker Zane Gonzalez.
Gonzalez’s re-signing was announced first and directly by the Commanders while the Wagner re-signing came later in the evening and was confirmed by a source to WUSA9’s Chick Hernandez.
Wagner, who turns 35 years old in June, spent his first year with Washington in 2024 and racked up 132 tackles including 10 for losses while also helping to establish the new culture for the organization following the hiring of head coach Dan Quinn.
The veteran credited his relationship with Quinn and others, including linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr., for inspiring him to play for the Commanders after spending his entire football-playing career no further East than Utah.
Wagner and fellow linebacker Frankie Luvu shared a personal and professional bond prior to both joining Washington as free agents last year, and that bond only grew deeper during the season as both helped lead the defense in various ways through their play and professionalism as leaders on the roster. Now, both will also be back in 2025 to try and help the group take an all-important next step toward being a top-10 defense in the NFL.
After a relatively quiet offseason up to Thursday in the re-signings department, Washington has locked in two important returning players, with more moves promised to likely come before the new league year begins next Wednesday afternoon.
Giants QB rumors: Tommy DeVito re-signing with team, making him the only QB on the roster at the moment - Jeff Kerr, CBS Sports
A fan-favorite quarterback is on New York’s roster for 2025.
The New York Giants made their first move to replenish the quarterback room this offseason, bringing back a familiar face from the last two years. Per NFL Network, the Giants re-signed Tommy DeVito as he entered the offseason as an exclusive rights free agent.
DeVito is the only quarterback on the active roster at this present time, as Drew Lock and Tim Boyle are also free agents. The Giants are looking at outside options at quarterback, which include Aaron Rodgers and potentially trading up in the draft to select Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders. Sam Darnold could also be an option in free agency.
Right now, the Giants have DeVito to compete for a backup spot. DeVito was one of the biggest surprises of the NFL season in his rookie campaign in 2023, as he went 3-3 as the starter while completing 64.0% of his passes for 1,101 yards and eight touchdowns to three interceptions (89.2 rating).
DeVito struggled during the 2024 season, as he completed 31 of 44 passes for 257 yards in three games (two starts) for an 85.1 passer rating. He averaged just 5.8 yards per attempt and didn’t throw a touchdown nor an interception. The Giants were 0-2 in his starts.
The Giants need depth in the quarterback room, and now they have DeVito at the very least. New York will likely be adding at least two more quarterbacks in the coming months.
Eagles Pro Bowler Linked To AFC Contender After Release - Patrick McAvoy, Sports Illustrated
The fan-favorite former Eagle may be heading to a good fit for another bird team.
The Philadelphia Eagles already have made a few moves this offseason.
Philadelphia handed Saquon Barkley and Zack Baun new contracts and decided to release both Darius Slay and James Bradberry.
There are likely plenty more moves on the way as the offseason is just starting to heat up. The new league year begins on March 12th and so we will see a lot of movement over the next few days as teams attempt to improve their cap situations.
Over the last few days we’ve seen cuts, trades, and contract extensions. Move moves are coming and we’ll see the offseason go into an even higher gear next week when free agency begins.
Where will Slay play for what he said will be his final season? Pro Football Focus’ Bradley Locker called the Baltimore Ravens the “perfect” free agent match for him.
“Baltimore Ravens: CB Darius Slay,” Locker said. “With Brandon Stephens set to hit free agency, Baltimore will presumably seek an upgrade at perimeter cornerback next to Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins. While he likely won’t be on the market until after June 1, Slay is a strong match for Baltimore’s defensive structure. In defensive coordinator Zach Orr’s first year calling the shots, the Ravens played Cover 1 on 23.8 percent of coverage snaps, the ninth-highest rate in the league.
“As part of a broader bounce-back 2024 campaign, Slay was strong in Cover 1: His 67.9 PFF coverage grade in the single-high man look ranked 10th among qualified cornerbacks. Likewise, Slay was effective in zone, as reflected by his 76.8 PFF coverage grade in that scheme. Given that he’s 34 and a bit more inconsistent on a yearly basis, Slay figures to be a relatively cheap but savvy addition for a contender after the draft. The veteran would fit Orr’s bunch well and wouldn’t stop the Ravens from still targeting a cornerback in the first few rounds of the draft.”
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