Washington
Trade of Former Offensive Tackle Continues to Haunt Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders drafted offensive tackle Brandon Coleman out of TCU in this year’s NFL Draft in hopes he’ll become the team’s starting left tackle sooner or later.
In the meantime, Commanders general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn have both spoken words of confidence about veteran Cornelius Lucas holding down the position if needed.
READ MORE: Who is the Commanders’ X-Factor in 2024
And while Washington continues hunting down a longterm starter at left tackle, the one it had in-house for nine seasons continues to be among the best – if not the best – in the business, five seasons after he was traded away.
“The future Hall of Famer remains the gold standard at the position, as he put together another elite season in 2023 despite struggling with an ankle injury,” Zoltán Buday of Pro Football Focus wrote in his preseason offensive tackle rankings where Williams came in No. 1. “His 92.5 PFF grade ranked second among offensive tackles last year, and he was the only player at the position to earn run-blocking and pass-blocking grades above 84.0.”
“The future Hall of Famer remains the gold standard at the position,”
– Zoltán Buday, Pro Football Focus
Williams was named to the Pro Bowl seven times in his nine seasons with the team after being the No. 4 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft after a successful college career with the Oklahoma Sooners.
He was coming off his seventh-straight Pro Bowl season when the wheel fell off between Williams and the franchise. According to the player’s side at the time the relationship disintegrated due to lack of appropriate medical treatment – which seems to fit the franchise’s reputation at this point – while the team tied the dispute to contract desires.
Regardless, Washington got a 2020 5th Round pick (OC Keith Ismael) and 2021 3rd Round pick (CB Benjamin St-Juste) while the team also drafted OL Saahdiq Charles the same year it traded Williams.
READ MORE: Jayden Daniels Started Strong and Continues to Impress in Early Practices
Only St-Juste remains with the Commanders to date as he enters a contract year crucial to the future of his status with the team.
Meanwhile, Williams’ Pro Bowl season streak stands at 11 (not counting the 2019 season he did not play while holding out for a trade) and he’s added three-straight First-Team All-Pro selections as well.
Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.
Washington
HIGHLIGHT | Lawrence Dots a Pass to Washington for a 6-Yard TD
DE Dawuane Smoot, LB Foyesade Oluokun, TE Brenton Strange, S Eric Murray, and S Antonio Johnson speak with the media after practice on Thursday ahead of the Wild Card Matchup vs. Bills.
0:00 – 2:28 – DE Dawuane Smoot
2:29 – 6:24 – LB Foyesade Oluokun
6:25 – 9:25 – TE Brenton Strange
9:26 – 11:32 – S Eric Murray
11:33 – 13:46 – S Antonio Johnson
Washington
Iran warns Washington it will retaliate against any attack
DUBAI, Jan 11 (Reuters) – Iran warned President Donald Trump on Sunday that any U.S. attack would lead to Tehran striking back against Israel and regional U.S. military bases as “legitimate targets”, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf told parliament.
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Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by William Mallard
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Washington
Washington National Opera cuts ties with the Kennedy Center after longstanding partnership | CNN Politics
The Washington National Opera on Friday announced it is parting ways with the Kennedy Center after more than a decade with the arts institution.
“Today, the Washington National Opera announced its decision to seek an amicable early termination of its affiliation agreement with the Kennedy Center and resume operations as a fully independent nonprofit entity,” the opera said in a statement.
The decoupling marks another high-profile withdrawal since President Donald Trump and his newly installed board of trustees instituted broad thematic and cosmetic changes to the building, including renaming the facility “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”
The opera said it plans to “reduce its spring season and relocate performances to new venues.”
A source familiar with the dynamic told CNN the decision to part ways was made by the opera’s board and its leadership, and that the decision was not mutual.
A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center said in a statement, “After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to part ways with the WNO due to a financially challenging relationship. We believe this represents the best path forward for both organizations and enables us to make responsible choices that support the financial stability and long-term future of the Trump Kennedy Center.”
Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell, who was appointed by Trump’s hand-picked board, said on X, “Having an exclusive relationship has been extremely expensive and limiting in choice and variety.”
Grenell added, “Having an exclusive Opera was just not financially smart. And our patrons clearly wanted a refresh.”
Since taking the reins at the center, Grenell has cut existing staff, hired political allies and mandated a “break-even policy” for every performance.
The opera said the new policy was a factor in its decision to leave the center.
“The Center’s new business model requires productions to be fully funded in advance—a requirement incompatible with opera operations,” the opera said.
Francesca Zambello, the opera’s artistic director, said she is “deeply saddened to leave The Kennedy Center.”
“In the coming years, as we explore new venues and new ways of performing, WNO remains committed to its mission and artistic vision,” she said.
The New York Times first reported the opera’s departure.
Founded in 1956 as the “Opera Society of Washington,” the group has performed across the district, taking permanent residency in the Kennedy Center in 2011.
The performing arts center has been hit with a string of abrupt cancellations from artists in recent weeks including the jazz group The Cookers and New York City-based dance company Doug Varone and Dancers who canceled their performances after Trump’s name was added to the center – a living memorial for assassinated President John F. Kennedy.
The American College Theater Festival voted to suspend its relationship with the Kennedy Center, calling the affiliation “no longer viable” and citing concerns over a misalignment of the group’s values.
American banjo player Béla Fleck withdrew his upcoming performance with the National Symphony Orchestra, saying that performing at the center has become “charged and political.”
The Brentano String Quartet, who canceled their February 1 performance at the Kennedy Center, said they will “regretfully forego performing there.”
CNN has reached out to the Kennedy Center on the additional cancellations.
The opera said, “The Board and management of the company wish the Center well in its own future endeavors.”
CNN’s Betsy Klein and Nicky Robertson contributed to this report.
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