NFL
By: Ryan Cooley
*All stats/grades are via PFF
The 2022 season was a roller coaster for the Washington Commanders. They started 1-4 before winning 6 of their next 7 games. They then finished 1-3-1, missing the playoffs. With free agency next month, offseason discussions have begun.
I don’t expect the Commanders to be big spenders in free agency. They will likely sign quality players to fill the big holes/needs and look to the draft to find high-end talent and round out the roster.
Here are Washington’s biggest offseason needs in 2023.
Quarterback
I am a big Sam Howell fan. However, the success rate of 5th-round quarterbacks is not very high. According to The Draft Network, there is a 4.1% hit rate of quarterbacks taken in rounds 5-7. Even if they commit to Howell as the starter, he is the only quarterback under contract for 2023.
There is a strong chance they bring in a veteran to either compete with Howell or simply be the backup. There is also the possibility of taking a quarterback in the middle of this year’s draft. I think it’s highly unlikely they trade for a quarterback such as Carr or Rodgers.
Potential targets: Teddy Bridgewater (FA), Jimmy Garoppolo (FA), Jacoby Brissett (FA), Dorian Thompson-Robinson (Draft), Jaren Hall (Draft)
Offensive Line
After two seasons with great offensive line play, this unit struggled in 2022. The biggest issues were with the interior offensive line. For the 2nd straight year, Washington had four different starting centers. Here are all four center’s pass blocking grades this season:
Roullier: 60.4
Larsen: 35.9
Schweitzer: 42.9
Martin: 30.7
When healthy, Roullier was a top-10 center. However, he has only played in ten games in the past two seasons. Finding a reliable center in 2023 is a must this offseason.
On top of the centers struggling, the guards were not much better. Norwell and Turner replaced Flowers and Scherff in 2022. While both had fairly high pass-blocking grades in 2021, both saw their grades in 2022 drop by about 13 points.
Potential targets: Mike McGlinchey (RT) (FA), Garrett Bradbury (C) (FA), Matt Pryor (OT/OG) (FA), Jarrett Patterson (C) (Draft), Alex Forsyth (C) (Draft), Cody Mauch (OG) (Draft), Paris Johnson (OT) (Draft), Jaelyn Duncan (OT) (Draft), Dawand Jones (OT) (Draft)
Tight End
After Logan Thomas’ breakout season in 2020, it looked like Washington would have a dependable TE for a few years. However, injuries have plagued him and this position for two consecutive seasons. It is time to find a young/reliable tight end in 2023.
While Bates has been impressive as a blocker, he hasn’t added much as a receiver. I believe taking a TE early in the draft would be their best option.
Potential targets: Michael Mayer (draft), Dalton Kincaid (draft), Darnell Washington (draft), Dalton Schultz (FA), Evan Engram (FA)
Linebacker
Linebacker has been the weak point of this defense since Rivera came to Washington. They drafted Jamin Davis 19th overall in 2021. While he struggled during his rookie season, he took the necessary steps to improve in 2022. With Davis hopefully continuing to improve, they still need to find a serviceable MLB.
Holcomb didn’t play poorly at MLB this season and he might be a cheap option to resign. However, the injuries are starting to add up. He has now missed 4+ games in 2 of the last 3 seasons.
Potential targets: Tremaine Edmunds (FA), Denzel Perryman (FA), Devin Bush (FA), Noah Sewell (Draft), Ivan Pace Jr. (Draft)
Cornerback
Almost every mock draft has Washington taking a CB at 16. While Fuller and St-Juste impressed in 2022, there is a serious need at nickel and depth in general. I highly doubt they sign a big named CB in free agency. Instead, I believe they take one in the first two rounds of the draft.
Most assume the offensive struggles would lead to an offensive player being taken at 16. However, even with the dominant defense, there is still room for improvement.
Potential targets: Devon Witherspoon (Draft), Christian Gonzalez (Draft), Joey Porter Jr (Draft), Kelee Ringo (Draft)
