What Washington Commanders’ news stories made the headlines during what turned out to be a monumental day in franchise history?
Well, what a dramatic few hours it’s been for everyone associated with the Washington Commanders. A day that will hopefully begin a prosperous future for this once-proud organization after decades of languishing in mediocrity or worse.
Among the stories making significant waves include the final straw for Dan Snyder, Josh Harris’ group could get confirmation soon, another bidder not yet out of the running, and a stud offensive lineman gets picked by the Commanders in The Bleacher Report’s latest mock draft.
Let’s delve into each topic in more detail.
Dan Snyder’s forced hand with Commanders sale
As Dan Snyder waited patiently for a better offer, it was evident where he thought it might arrive. And when Jeff Bezos officially declared himself out of the running according to multiple reports, it forced the billionaire’s hand into accepting an offer already on the table.
Revelations from A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports included the notion Bezos thought he was being used as bait to drive the price up. Something that contributed to his eventual decision and giving Snyder this satisfaction was never on the cards given their history.
This changes absolutely nothing for the Washington Commanders as they embark on an exciting new era. But it would have been nice to have seen Snyder’s face when he found out about one last blow from Bezos.
Commanders sale could be confirmed within days
After months of waiting and wondering, an ownership group led by Josh Harris finally got the green light. An initial report from Sportico confirmed that an agreement had been reached in principle to buy the Washington Commanders from Dan and Tanya Snyder for $6.05 billion, which is an NFL record.
To say this was met with widespread approval would be understating things slightly. Harris, Mitchell Rales, and Magic Johnson represent a formidable ownership trio that can hopefully start picking up the pieces of Snyders’s disastrous tenure, which has come with more national scandals than playoff wins over his more than two decades at the helm.
Although nothing has been sent to the league for approval as yet, an official announcement could arrive in the coming days. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network explained what might be coming next:
"“Any sale of an NFL franchise would need to be approved by the NFL’s finance committee and at least three-fourths (24) of the league’s 32 owners. Owners are scheduled to meet in Minneapolis in May for the Spring League Meeting.”"
This is in keeping with a report suggesting owners had given Snyder a deadline of May 22 to get something confirmed. Harris’ group has been around successful sports franchises in the past and despite the recent turmoil in Washington, it remains one of the jewels in the NFL’s crown.
It’s the news every Commanders fan has been waiting for. And something that’s been a long time coming.
Another Commanders bidder hasn’t given up yet
Although there is a widespread consensus that the ownership group led by Josh Harris will take over from Dan Snyder, another bidder hasn’t given up hope of acquiring the Washington Commanders just yet.
According to John Keim and Adam Schefter of ESPN, the acceptance of Harris’ bid is nonexclusive. In addition, Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos and his family remain in contention if they can put the necessary financial package together.
"“A group led by Josh Harris, co-owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Devils, continues to be optimistic that it will get the team. But Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos and his family are still in the mix, with a source telling ESPN that it’s “a head-to-head race. … It’s anyone’s game.”"
While it would be surprising to see anything other than Harris’ ownership group seal the deal, Apostolopoulos’ lingering interest cannot be dismissed entirely. Especially considering Snyder was waiting around for Jeff Bezos to put in a bid that blew other candidates out of the water.
The previous sporting ownership knowledge between Harris and Magic Johnson is likely to be preferred by NFL owners. But Snyder is notoriously unpredictable and all that probably matters to him at this late stage is how much money he can extract.
Commanders select OT in The Bleacher Report mock
It’s easy to forget that the Washington Commanders have the small matter of the 2023 NFL Draft to navigate amid all the ownership news. Something that represents the last chance to strengthen their ranks before the upcoming campaign given how tight things are from a salary-cap standpoint.
The Commanders are in a tricky spot at No. 16 overall. They’ll have their targets, but much will also depend on how things unfold in front of them unless those in power feel like trading up for a prospect of interest.
Washington managed to land one of the blue-chip offensive linemen in the latest mock draft published by The Bleacher Report’s scouting department. Former Ohio State star Paris Johnson Jr. was the pick, which led to speculation that Andrew Wylie could be switched to the offensive line interior in this scenario.
"“Adding (Paris) Johnson would allow the Commanders to slide Andrew Wylie to guard. The Commanders could instead want their new $24 million investment and a veteran on the strong side. Johnson could once again start his career along the interior for a few years before taking over for (Charles) Leno. Whatever the case, a solid five-front to protect Sam Howell or Jacoby Brissett would help Washington’s offense immensely.”"
Johnson is inexperienced as a tackle, but the upside is enormous. His size, aggressiveness, and athleticism could be exactly what the Commanders need, even if most projections have him long gone by the time Washington goes on the clock.