Commanders News: OTAs, investigations, Jeremy Reaves, sale and Chase Young

Which Washington Commanders news stories are making headlines as the offseason workout program officially got underway this week?

With the NFL Draft taking everyone’s attention, it won’t be much longer before the next batch of Washington Commanders players from the college ranks emerge. As for those already around, this week marked an important milestone as preparations formally begin for the upcoming campaign.

Among the news stories generating discussion include players returning to Ashburn for offseason workouts, the ongoing investigations surrounding Dan Snyder, Jeremy Reaves’ future, and Chase Young’s fifth-year option.

Let’s delve into each topic in more detail.

Commanders players return to start their offseason workout program

There was an enormous sense of excitement as Washington Commanders players descended on the training facility for their opening offseason workouts of the preparation period. This is the first step of what will hopefully be a smooth summer before the 2023 season finally arrives.

These workouts are voluntary, so nobody was obliged to be in the building at this stage of the process. However, it was nice to see such a healthy turnout from established stars and those further down the depth chart looking for more involvement.

Hopefully, this is the start of great things to come with the added expectancy of new ownership being confirmed sooner rather than later.

Commanders’ sale won’t impact investigations

While there remains jubilation among Washington Commanders following the news of an accepted bid from the ownership group led by Josh Harris, nothing has been confirmed as yet. Everything should be a formality from here on out, but the lingering investigations surrounding Dan Snyder add another fascinating dynamic to this ongoing saga.

There are no fewer than four current investigations taking place, which is still astonishing when said out loud. Perhaps the more significant centers on Mary Jo White, who is delving deeper into sexual misconduct allegations that Snyder has reportedly refused interviews for according to The Washington Post.

While NFL commissioner Roger Goodell stated the revelations would be made public, we are still waiting for the Beth Wilkinson report about sexual harassment within the workplace under Snyder – so it remains to be seen whether the league figurehead comes through on his promises.

There’s also the ticket sale dispute, allegations of bank fraud, and a $55 million bank loan that didn’t get formal approval from three minority owners to consider. No timeline has been officially revealed for these investigations per Ben Standig of The Athletic, which might threaten to drag out the sale unless some common ground is reached.

What’s important here is obviously the sale. But those affected by Snyder’s tumultuous reign with the Commanders must also get justice before the billionaire walks off with more than $6 billion.

Jeremy Reaves signs Commanders tender

With the Washington Commanders beginning their offseason workout program on Monday, attention quickly turned to those looking for new deals. Would they show up, or would they hold out to make their situation more known across the media?

As it turned out, it was a good turnout on Day 1. This also included Jeremy Reaves, who reportedly signed his tender worth $2.62 million to officially stick around in 2023 according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post.

This is tremendous news for the Commanders. Reaves emerged as one of the league’s best special teams performers last season, earning All-Pro ad Pro Bowl honors as a result of his exceptional efforts.

Reaves has the chance to make a bigger impression on the defensive rotation next time around depending on which college prospects come into the fold. Special teams production is where the player looks set to thrive further and another strong campaign should be enough for the Commanders to offer him a longer-term commitment.

Hopefully, some common ground can be reached in pursuit of an extended stay. The promise of new ownership being confirmed soon should also loosen the purse strings to ensure negotiations go smoothly.

For now, this is a big statement of the player’s commitment. Something that was never in question.

Chase Young shows up as Commanders decision looms

Another notable attendee with potential contract complications upcoming is Chase Young. The defensive end is looking for a bounce-back campaign in 2023 after an indifferent two years where he’s featured 12 times and gained just 1.5 sacks, so everything must go right this offseason for this mission to become reality.

Of course, the Commanders have a big decision to make surrounding Young way before their Week 1 opener. Those in power have until May 2 to pick up his fifth-year option, which currently stands at more than $17 million and represents a large financial commitment considering his lack of production or availability of late.

Showing up to OTAs was the least Young could do to state his intent to hit the ground running. But this doesn’t change the fact that picking up his fifth-year option represents a major gamble given the player’s current career trajectory.

Washington opted not to activate Daron Payne’s contract clause and paid a hefty price after his breakout campaign. Therefore, adopting the same approach could result in a similar leap in production from Young in 2023.

However, this would come with its own risk attached. Montez Sweat is also heading into a contract year, so it’s highly unlikely the Commanders have enough spare cash to pay both given the money tied up in Payne and Jonathan Allen on the defensive line interior.

Commanders sale sent to the NFL

Just when it looked like there might be a few twists and turns to come, news surfaced about the accepted sale agreement for the Washington Commanders moving one step closer. Something that came as a significant relief to fans who remained skeptical about Dan Snyder doing the right thing at long last.

According to a report from Sportico, the papers regarding the non-exclusive agreement between Snyder and the group led by Josh Harris were sent to the NFL for preliminary approval. Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports laid out perfectly what comes next before a formal vote takes place between other NFL owners.

"“The details received by the league are the initial agreement between (Dan) Snyder and (Josh) Harris revolving around controlling interest in the Commanders. Following the NFL’s review, it will be sent back to Snyder and Harris for final changes and signatures. The final step will be a resubmission to the league for approval from the other owners.”"

Three-quarters of NFL ownership need to approve the deal to get it over the line. Considering how most want Snyder removed from the equation quickly, that part of the process seems like a foregone conclusion.

Harris, Mitchell Rales, and Magic Johnson have vast experience in business and successfully running sports franchises. This is exactly the sort of infrastructure the Commanders have been seeking for more than two decades.