Eddie Goldman is here reconnect with mumbo sauce and stop the run

Washington Post

6 days ago

This wasn't necessarily Eddie Goldman's goal, but his mother calls it full circle: It would be impossible for either of them to forget about the pictures of Goldman as a boy wearing Washington's football jersey.
'I don't look at the baby pictures too much, but I could tell you I was a die-hard fan,' Goldman said. 'When we played the Cowboys, my heart would be racing.'
The goal, really, was just to get to the NFL. It didn't matter where. Goldman completed that in 2015, when he was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round. Now, the 31-year-old defensive tackle is living out his childhood dream wearing a Washington helmet as he takes the field at training camp. Goldman signed with the Commanders this offseason to add an experienced presence to the defensive line.
Goldman grew up in Washington's Trinidad neighborhood, attended Friendship Collegiate Academy, a charter school in Southeast, and received more than 50 scholarship offers. He was a first-team All-Met pick (as an offensive lineman) and was rated as a five-star recruit. He picked Florida State and later played six seasons with the Bears.
But Goldman's career has been jagged this decade.
Goldman opted out of the 2020 season because of the coronavirus pandemic and played 14 games in 2021. He signed with the Falcons ahead of the 2022 season but retired 13 days later; he did not say why. He came back to the Falcons and practiced during the offseason before leaving the team again in July 2023. Last year he relaunched his career with the Falcons and played in all 17 games.
Why did Goldman come back? He couldn't stand watching NFL games from afar. He realized he still wanted to play.
While in his short-lived retirement, Goldman said he played with his two Rottweilers, Kane and Nala, on Sundays. It was something to avoid seeing games. But when he peeked over at his TV, he missed football.
'I found myself at home watching the season go by, and I'm thinking about what I would be doing at this moment,' Goldman said. ' … I just couldn't stay away from it too long.'
One strong season was enough to convince Washington that Goldman could contribute. So here he is, trying to do so for his hometown team.
Goldman is frequently asked what it's like to be home, and he says it's 'surreal.'
Goldman hasn't lived in the area since he was in high school. When he returned this spring, his mother, Sharon Davis, said he noticed many changes around the city from what he remembered as a kid.
'I know he missed some of the food that he couldn't get wherever he plays,' Davis said. Goldman was particularly excited about a reunion with mumbo sauce, she said.
Quinn expects him to be a relied-upon part of the rotation, especially for his ability to stop the run. The Commanders allowed the third-most rushing yards in the NFL last year, not including the 229 they gave up in the NFC championship game loss against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Commanders released defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and saw Dante Fowler Jr., who led the team in sacks last season, go to the Dallas Cowboys in free agency. In addition to Goldman, Washington brought in Javon Kinlaw and Deatrich Wise Jr. to sure up its line.
Goldman, Kinlaw, Daron Payne and Carl Davis, who the team resigned, each weigh more than 300 pounds. The Commanders list Goldman at 332 pounds and hope more mass can help them compete against rugged teams such as the Eagles.
Payne will play inside along with Goldman and second-year defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton, who led all Commanders defensive linemen in tackles as a rookie.
In training camp, Goldman has played mostly with the first- and second-team defensive lines. Quinn believes the team has several options on the line, which allows flexibility with Goldman's role.
'In the first six practices here: Square, strong, really committed that way in the run game,' Quinn said. 'That was our vision, him coming here to add things to the defense on the early downs. As we're getting started, we've only had one padded practice, but I've been impressed by what I've seen.'