The culture of this historic franchise has been tarnished and bashed since Dan Snyder was our owner, but no longer. This offseason marked the first where real change was made under the new ownership group of Josh Harris. Offseason additions include a completely revamped coaching staff, a new general manager, and a franchise quarterback, finally. But this was the past, I want to talk about their future and how the Commanders can eventually go on to win a Super Bowl.
Based on observations against our Week 1 game against the Buccaneers, there are a couple of things I would like to see change by the end of the season. One of the obvious ones being Jayden Daniels’ rushing load and his ability to slide. If you watched his game then you would see that he still doesn’t know how to slide despite being a dual-threat QB and instead just takes a tumble forward when he needs to go down. This has a much greater risk of injury especially when he is rushing 16 times per game. This number of rushes has to be reduced. He is a young QB with a very high ceiling who should be our franchise quarterback and we should not be so reckless with him like we were with RG3. Unlike last season, this was not the offensive line’s fault. We addressed the o-line very well this offseason with signings of Biadasz and Allegretti, Coleman’s drafting, and Cosmi’s extension signing. This goes to the fault of the receivers.
In a receiver room led by Terry McLaurin, there is still a lot to desire. In the offseason, we traded Jahan Dotson, drafted receiver Luke McCaffrey, and signed tight-end Zach Ertz. We also signed Austin Ekeler who serves as a good receiving back along with Robinson. Both running backs have been playing great. But with Olamide Zaccheus and Dyami Brown as the other leading receivers behind Terry, much work is needed.
The final area of our team that needs improvement is our cornerbacks. St. Juste is reliable but should not be a team’s best cornerback. Then there is 2023 first-round-pick, Emmanuel Forbes, who has shown no signs of improvement and is still as skinny as a stick. Mike Sainristil is playing fine as a rookie for slot-cornerback but still needs improvement. The team just has a lot of needs right now. This next offseason is how we fix them.
First, looking at the NFL Draft, the Commanders need to target these needs. Here are the prospects I think the Commanders should take a serious look at for their likely top-ten pick in this upcoming draft:
- Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
A defensive back with serious size, he stands at 6’2 200 pounds. With impressive awareness and ball skills, he is the top cornerback in college football and has the potential to be great in the NFL. Johnson could match up well against division rival star wide receivers like Nabers, Brown, and Lamb.
- Will Campbell, OT, LSU
At 6’6 320 lbs, Campbell has the ideal size of an NFL lineman and has started on LSU since being a true freshman. He has the power and strength to be a brick wall against physical defenders of the NFC East like Micah Parsons, Kayvon Thibodeuax, and Brian Burns. He still needs to work on his run-blocking but his pass-blocking is top tier which is what former teammate Jayden Daniels would need in Washington so he doesn’t have to scramble as much.
- Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
McMillan is a huge receiver, standing at 6’5 and weighing in at 210 lbs. He is already lighting it up in college with 450 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns through only three games so far this season. Although his size would lead you on to think he’s a physical redzone threat, his ability after the catch is even more impressive. He first creates separation with defenders through his excellent route-running and then uses his speed after the catch to find the endzone.
- Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado
Easily the most interesting prospect in the draft, Hunter is a hybrid playing on both sides of the ball. It is unclear whether it will stay that way in the NFL, but I don’t see why this should change as he clearly has both the endurance and the skill to play all game. Travis Hunter is an excellent receiver with great speed, hands, elusiveness, and route running, andis easily one of the biggest red zone threats in college football. On the defensive side of the ball, he is a playmaker who is able to read the quarterback and take the ball away and create big returns for yards to make it easier on the offense. However he does need to improve his tackling ability and be more consistent.
- Mykel Williams, DE, Georgia
A speedy defensive end with a freakishly long wingspan. An impressive athlete with great size at 6’5 260 lbs. People compare him to former teammate and 2022 #1 overall pick, Travon Walker. Both are speedy, athletic, and powerful rushers from Georgia. Washington has had great players at edge like Montez Sweat and Chase Young but traded both away and now have not had serious talent at the position since. His large wingspan creates distance between himself and the offensive tackle so that he can use moves to get around and reach the quarterback, and his strength creates instant pressure on the quarterback and can lead to turnovers.
Those were the players coming from next year’s draft, but we can’t forget about free agency. There is a serious amount of talent available in next year’s free agency, especially at the wide receiver position. Stefon Diggs, Tee Higgins, Amari Cooper, Keenan Allen, and Chris Godwin will all be hitting the market. I think that it would be a better deal to target a veteran that still has a couple years to go and whose value won’t be too high. I think Amari Cooper would be the best fit. He has already shown a slight annoyance with the Browns after the Brandon Aiyuk trade rumors and still has some gas in the tank before retiring. He is a veteran receiver who would be a friendly target for Daniels because of his excellent route running ability and hands that barely ever drop the ball. Although he has regressed since his prime 2019 season, he would be a nice two/three year addition since the Commanders receiver room needs some help and Daniels needs better targets.
Then, addressing the cornerback issue, I think the Commanders should target Charvarius Ward from the 49ers. He is a top cornerback and would definitely cost a good portion of our salary cap but he would definitely be worth it. He has been a key playmaker and leader on the defensive side of the ball for the 49ers’ championship runs. He is one of the few true lockdown corners in this league and would be a massive upgrade at cornerback on a struggling defense. I would like to see them give him a three/four year contract since he will be 29 by the time of free agency which is not old enough to put a player as elite as him on a short-term contract.
Finally, these are the players I think they should keep and not let venture into free agency:
- Tress Way, a consistently good punter who has been a captain and leader on this team for a long time. It is not just his dedication to the Commanders, but his skill at the position. He is a pro-bowler and widely considered one of the top at his position across the league.
- Bobby Wagner, a veteran linebacker who is still one of the best tacklers in the league. He is a leader on the defense and reads the offense exceptionally well with 12 years of experience. The only worry with him is if he wants to retire since he is going to be 35 by free agency.
Things are likely to change by the end of the season but this is how I think the Commanders should handle this coming offseason based off of the games I have seen so far. I may be biased, but I do really think that this team has a bright future in this new era of Commanders football. I think Adam Peters, Jayden Daniels, and Dan Quinn are right for this culture and right for the future of the franchise.
