offensive tackle Charles Leno Jr., and cut center Nick Gates. The plan was to create more space.
These measures were confirmed on Friday, March 1st. Thomas’ departure was reported by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, who confirmed that the veteran is “scheduled to receive $6.5 million next season, including a $500,000 bonus later this month.”
#Commanders will release tight end Logan Thomas, sources say. Thomas was owed $6.5 million heading into next season, including a $500,000 bonus later this month. Thomas, 32, had 55 catches for 496 yards and four touchdowns last season, the most in all three categories since 2020.
Thomas has been plagued by injuries the past few seasons, and the Chiefs have not been able to utilize his natural athleticism and versatility. Despite his average performance, the 32-year-old will be missed as there are no other reliable targets in the team for this position.
Garafolo’s colleague Ian Rapoport said Leno would be released ahead of “hip surgery next week.”
Sources said commanders told Lt. Charles Reno they would release him. He is scheduled to undergo hip surgery next week.
Leno’s farewell brought in an additional $7.28 million, according to ESPN’s John Keim. According to Spotrac.com, these additional funds will allow Peters and his managers to spend a whopping $96,088,007 this offseason.
This is more than enough to improve the team’s talent level and accelerate the team’s rebuild from four to 13 players. Strengthening the offensive line should be the first step in rebuilding the team, but without left tackle Leno, the task will only become more difficult.
The latter’s absence raises further questions about an already questionable offense that allowed 65 sacks last season. Keim’s colleague Adam Schefter said the Leno-less line will have to proceed without presenter Gates, who will be fired “at the start of the new championship in mid-March.”
According to sources, the Chiefs have informed center Nick Gates, who signed a three-year contract with the team a year ago, that they plan to release him in mid-March when the new league year begins. Gates is guaranteed to receive $1.99 million next season.
Filling the two starting spots in the trenches shouldn’t be a problem for the league’s richest team. And find a dynamic tight end who can make a bigger impact than Thomas managed in four years.
Thomas played as a defensive end for the Arizona Cardinals before converting to tight end. He played point guard and shooting guard at Virginia Tech, but coaches rarely utilized his abilities for more than one thing.
As KCAL’s Darren M reports, he plays like this gadget, throwing a pass to receiver Terry McLaurin against the Dallas Cowboys in 2020. Haynes was rare.
This was Logan Thomas’ third career pass and first since 2018. Thomas plays tight end in #WashingtonFootball but was a quarterback at Virginia Tech.
The managers didn’t use Thomas as a Wildcat QB or additional threat, but the number of snaps at tight end should have been sufficient. The problem was that as injuries mounted, Thomas received fewer targets.
He was targeted 110 times in 2020, but has since been targeted only 25 times on the season due to hamstring issues and a torn ACL. According to Pro Football Reference, Thomas had 55 catches last season, compared to just 39 in 2022.
His reduced involvement led to the loss of playable pass-catching talent, like this touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021. Washington’s offensive line needs weapons like that if needed, but coordinator Kliff Kingsbury hasn’t found any on the depth chart. Unless John Bates has a lot of blocks and Cole Turner only starts 3 games and has 13 total hits. This year’s veteran class will offer some interesting options to replace Thomas. Includes Dalton Schultz, Noah Fant, and Gerald Everett. None of them cost much, but they provide a more consistent receiving threat than Thomas while leaving Peters with plenty of resources to fill in.
With the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Chiefs can select one of the standout quarterbacks in the class. Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, or Drake Maye.
Investing high draft capital in a franchise player means managers can’t afford to go into next season without an elite left tackle. Leno is a solid professional, but he doesn’t live up to the elite label.
According to Pro Football Reference, the 32-year-old allowed three sacks, five QB hits and 34 pressures. Leno also committed 10 penalties during a difficult season.
There aren’t a lot of convincing tackle options in free agency, but a player like Cincinnati Bengals starter John Williams, who can also play right tackle, fits the bill. And then there’s Donovan Smith, who won Super Bowls with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs.
Things are different at Center, but that’s good news because the commander is rapidly moving away from Gates. He wasn’t able to do that after being traded from the NFC East rival New York Giants last offseason.
Replacing Gates with someone like Miami Dolphins’ Connor Williams or Los Angeles Rams announcer Brian Allen would be a smart move for the manager. However, they have decided to move closer to bringing more talent into key positions. Peters, Kingsbury and new head coach Dan Quinn know there is no one out of their reach on the market.
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