Washington
NFC East news: Washington wideout feels he’s on a new team; Giants’ top pick may not be enough
Commanders WR Jahan Dotson feels like he was traded to a new team – Bryan Manning, USA Today
Washington’s franchise facelift is clearly evident to Jahan Dotson.
The 2023 NFL season was one to forget for Washington Commanders wide receiver Jahan Dotson. After catching 35 passes and leading the team with seven touchdowns as a rookie in 2022 despite missing five games, Dotson was expected to be one of the NFL’s breakout players in 2023.
It didn’t happen. Dotson played in every game for the Commanders yet finished with only 49 receptions for 518 yards and four touchdowns. It was a difficult season for every Washington player. While some would be concerned about Dotson’s regression, the Commanders are not.
Gone are Ron Rivera and Eric Bieniemy. Enter Adam Peters, Dan Quinn and Kliff Kingsbury. Bieniemy’s offense was a mess for much of last season. Dotson wasn’t perfect, as he dropped several passes, but the lack of separation, rhythm and a running game was brutal.
Several players were frustrated at the end of the season.
Kingsbury brings a new offense to Washington, one that has always been good for wide receivers. Dotson also has a new quarterback. The Commanders selected LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels second overall in last week’s NFL draft.
Finally, Dotson spoke on the frustrations from last season’s 4-13 team and how Quinn has rejuvenated everyone.
“I’ve only been a short two years, but I do feel it is completely different,” Dotson said. “This is funny to say, but I was talking to some of the guys in the locker room, and I said it almost feels like I got traded. It feels like I came into a better opportunity. I feel like the confidence is at an all-time high, not only for the team but myself included.”
How much will Eagles draft picks play in 2024? – Dave Zangaro, NBC Sports Philadelphia
Here’s how much Philly’s draft class may play, particularly their first-round pick.
Eagles rookies haven’t played very much in recent seasons and there are a few reasons for that.
One is that they have a pretty strong group of veterans on this roster. The other is that Nick Sirianni has clearly shown deference to those veterans. Perhaps that’s just his nature or perhaps that’s because of the high expectations for these Eagles teams.
But the Eagles did get some contributions from their rookie class in 2023 and now it’s time to figure out roles for their nine rookies in the 2024 draft class:
Round 1-22: Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
General manager Howie Roseman showed patience in Round 1 and let Mitchell fall to him at 22 overall. The Eagles had their pick of cornerbacks and ended up with Mitchell, who seemingly checks every box.
The Eagles know that one of their starting outside cornerbacks will be Darius Slay. Even though Slay is 33 now, he still played at a high level in 2023 and is under contract.
Mitchell should be the starter on the other side. The Eagles, of course, have some options. Incumbent starter James Bradberry is still on the roster but after a really down season in 2023, it’s hard to imagine him starting again. The Eagles also have some young players in Kelee Ringo, Eli Ricks and Isaiah Rodgers on the team. But Mitchell was a first-round pick for a reason and he should be given every opportunity to earn a starting job. I think we’ll see him working with the second team early in training camp but he should mix in with the starting group and I expect him to eventually wrestle away that job.
Malik Nabers Propels, Sinks Giants’ 2024 Draft Class Ranking – Geoff Magliocchetti, Sports Illustrated
The first-round pick will provide a boost, but might not be enough to improve QB play.
Malik Nabers’ draft neighbors are being used to the New York Giants’ benefit and detriment.
SI.com’s ranking of the 2024 NFC draft classes placed the Giants’ group in 12th out of 16, offering praise and criticism for using the sixth overall pick on Nabers, a highly touted aerial playmaker out of LSU.
“Perhaps the Giants should be ranked lower than 12th on this list, but they landed standout wideout Malik Nabers with their No. 6 pick,” list curator Gilberto Manzano said.
“Nabers has the makings of the next Odell Beckham Jr. or Ja’Marr Chase. Nabers’s explosiveness will expand the playbook for coach Brian Daboll, making him a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses.”
Nabers, a big-play receiver in Baton Rouge, should undoubtedly inject some life into the Giants’ offense, but some critics have chided the team’s decision to pass (no pun intended) on the quarterback prospects from the touted draft class of 2024.
The Giants reportedly made an attempt to move up on the draft board (said to be targeting eventual New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye) but after that didn’t come to fruition, they stayed put in the sixth slot, where Nabers awaited.
“Nabers has the makings of the next Odell Beckham Jr. or Ja’Marr Chase. Nabers’s explosiveness will expand the playbook for coach Brian Daboll, making him a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses.”
Nabers, a big-play receiver in Baton Rouge, should undoubtedly inject some life into the Giants’ offense, but some critics have chided the team’s decision to pass (no pun intended) on the quarterback prospects from the touted draft class of 2024.
The Giants reportedly made an attempt to move up on the draft board (said to be targeting eventual New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye) but after that didn’t come to fruition, they stayed put in the sixth slot, where Nabers awaited.
Washington
Brothers shot Park Police officer who arrested one of them the day before, documents say
Charging documents reveal the U.S. Park Police officer who was shot Monday in Southeast D.C. had arrested one of the suspects the day before and was following that suspect at the time.
The suspects are brothers, 22-year-old Asheile Foster and 21-year-old Darren Foster, of Southeast. They appeared in federal court Wednesday afternoon.
Court documents state the Park Police officer who was shot had arrested Asheile Foster on Sunday on suspicion of dealing drugs. The officer said he followed Foster after he was released from jail on Monday and came to Park Police headquarters to get his personal belongings.
According to prosecutors, Foster told police he knew he was being followed by a white Tesla, and he confronted the officer on Queens Stroll Place SE, jumping out in front of the Tesla before the officer swerved around him.
Then, dozens of gunshots went off, the officer told police. He said in charging documents he was shot in the shoulder as he kept driving several blocks to the intersection of Benning Road and Southern Avenue SE, where police found him. A helicopter then took him to a hospital. According to charging documents, the officer was treated and released the same night as the shooting.
A U.S. Park Police officer who was shot in Southeast D.C. on Monday is recovering from what authorities say was likely a targeted attack. Multiple law enforcement sources tell News4’s Mark Segraves that when the officer was shot, he was investigating a shooting that occurred in Anacostia Park on Friday.
Photos in the charging documents show the brothers firing at the officer’s Tesla, according to prosecutors.
The shooting drew a massive police presence to the Southeast neighborhood near the D.C-Maryland border Monday night.
Shell casings littered the middle of the street. Police said they recovered two weapons: a Glock 9 with an extended magazine and an AR-15.
Prosecutors said that when the officer was shot, he was investigating a shooting that occurred in Anacostia Park on Friday. No one was injured in that shooting.
Darren Foster was located and stopped shortly after the shooting, D.C. police said. Asheile Foster was found on Tuesday.
The brothers were charged with assault on a federal officer, assault with intent to kill and weapons charges. They could face up to 60 years in prison if they’re convicted.
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Washington
Washington passes new AI laws to crack down on misinformation, protect minors
Washington just became the latest state to regulate artificial intelligence.
Under a pair of bills signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson Tuesday, companies like OpenAI and Anthropic will have to include new disclosures in their popular chatbots for Washington users.
Ferguson asked legislators to craft House Bill 1170 to crack down on AI-generated misinformation. When content is substantially modified using generative AI, that information will now have to be traceable using watermarks or metadata. The new law applies to large AI companies more than 1 million monthly subscribers.
“ I’m confident I’m not the only Washingtonian who often sees something on my phone and wondering to myself, ‘Is that AI or is it real?’ And I feel like I’m a reasonably discerning person,” Ferguson said during the bill signing. “It is virtually impossible these days.”
RELATED: WA Gov. Bob Ferguson calls for regulations on AI chatbot companions
House Bill 2225 establishes new guard rails for AI chatbots that act like friends or companions. It applies to services like ChatGPT and Claude, but excludes more narrowly tailored chatbots, like the customer service windows that pop up when visiting a corporate website.
Chatbots that fit the bill will have to disclose to users that they are not human at the start of every conversation, and every three hours in an ongoing chat. The tools will also be barred from pretending to be human in conversation with users.
The rules go further if the user is a minor. Companies that operate chatbots will have to disclose that the tools are not human every hour, rather than every three hours, if the user is under 18. The bill forbids AI companions from having sexually explicit conversations with underage users. It also bans “manipulative engagement techniques.” For example, a chatbot is not allowed to guilt or pressure a minor into staying in a conversation or keeping information from parents.
“AI has incredible potential to transform society,” Ferguson said. “At the same time, of course, there are risks that we must mitigate as a state, especially to young people. So I speak partly as a governor, but also as the father of teenage twins who grapple with this as a lot of parents do every single day.”
Under the law, AI chatbots will not be allowed to encourage or provide information on suicide or self-harm, including eating disorders. The companies behind these tools will be required to come up with a protocol for flagging conversations that reference self-harm and connecting users with mental health services.
The regulations come in the wake of several high-profile instances of teenage suicide following prolonged interactions with AI companions that showed warning signs. Many more AI users of all ages have reported mental health issues and psychosis after heavy use of the technology.
Washington
Washington faces Utah, aims to stop 16-game skid
Washington Wizards (16-55, 14th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Utah Jazz (21-51, 14th in the Western Conference)
Salt Lake City; Wednesday, 9 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: Washington heads into the matchup with Utah after losing 16 in a row.
The Jazz have gone 13-24 in home games. Utah ranks second in the Western Conference with 16.6 fast break points per game led by Lauri Markkanen averaging 3.3.
The Wizards are 5-29 in road games. Washington is 9-10 when it has fewer turnovers than its opponents and averages 15.3 turnovers per game.
The Jazz score 117.4 points per game, 6.7 fewer points than the 124.1 the Wizards give up. The Wizards’ 46.1% shooting percentage from the field this season is 2.9 percentage points lower than the Jazz have allowed to their opponents (49.0%).
The teams square off for the second time this season. The Jazz won the last meeting 122-112 on March 6, with Ace Bailey scoring 32 points in the victory.
TOP PERFORMERS: Kyle Filipowski is averaging 10.5 points and 6.9 rebounds for the Jazz. Brice Sensabaugh is averaging 19.9 points over the last 10 games.
Alex Sarr is averaging 16.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and two blocks for the Wizards. Will Riley is averaging 14.4 points over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Jazz: 3-7, averaging 116.4 points, 43.3 rebounds, 27.7 assists, 9.9 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 45.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 122.7 points per game.
Wizards: 0-10, averaging 114.3 points, 37.4 rebounds, 24.5 assists, 6.9 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 47.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 130.6 points.
INJURIES: Jazz: Lauri Markkanen: out (hip), Isaiah Collier: out (hamstring), Keyonte George: out (leg), Cody Williams: out (shoulder), Walker Kessler: out for season (shoulder), Jusuf Nurkic: out for season (nose), Jaren Jackson Jr.: out for season (knee).
Wizards: Anthony Davis: out (finger), Tristan Vukcevic: day to day (back), Cam Whitmore: out for season (shoulder), Alex Sarr: day to day (toe), Tre Johnson: day to day (foot), Kyshawn George: out (elbow), D’Angelo Russell: out (not injury related), Trae Young: out (quad).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
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