Washington Commanders

2021: 7-10, 3rd in NFCE

Offense	Amount per game	Rank
Total Yards	341.6	21
Passing Yards	202.4	21
Interceptions	15	21
Rushing Yards	121.2	12
Fumbles Lost	9	17
Total Points	19.7	24
DVOA	-5.3%	21

Defense	Amount per game	Rank
Total Yards	370.3	22
Passing Yards	254.9	29
Rushing Yards	104.4	8
Takeaways	19	21
Sacks	43	10
Total Points	25.5	25
DVOA	5.8%	27

Coaching Changes

Ron Rivera enters a crucial third year of his rebuild. After an impressive and outright courageous first year with the team, a massive sophomore slump accentuated the team's seemingly endless off-the-field turmoil. He was given the keys to right the ship and this will a massive prove-it season.

Scott Turner and Jack Del Rio enter their third years under Rivera as offensive and defensive coordinators. Both sides struggled last year and they both need to show up if they want to retain their positions.

There were a myriad of reasons why the team failed to live up to some of the loftier expectations going into 2021, but wins are wins and losses are losses. They have to do better.

Players lost/cut

Player	2021 PFF Rank	New Team
Ryan Fitzpatrick	N/A	Retired
Kyle Allen	N/A	Texans
Brandon Scherff	13th G	Jaguars
Erick Flowers	17th G	Free Agent
Adam Humphries	98th WR	Free Agent
Deandre Carter	83rd WR	Chargers
Ricky Seals-Jones	44th TE	Giants
Landon Collins	81st S	Free Agent
Tim Settle	N/A	Bills
Matt Ioannidis	35th DE	Panthers
Jon Bostic	N/A	Free Agent
Deshazor Everett	N/A	Free Agent

Ryan Fitzpatrick

Fitzpatrick signed a one year, $10 million contract to come in and bring a little sizzle andallow for some development in a young, rebuilding team. He won the QB 'battle' in training camp and had the fans pretty hopeful that we had a guy who could at least unlock Turner's playbook a bit. Alas, our yearly QB sacrifices started early in 2021. Fitzy attempted 6 passes for 13 yards in the opening game against the Chargers before dislocating his old man hip, which brought an end to his long career. Enjoy retirement you beautiful man.

Kyle Allen

Allen was originally brought in to be a backup who knew Ron's system. He played briefly in 2020 before breaking his ankle. I'm not sure he was fully healthy going into 2021, but he did play a couple dozen snaps in a pair of losses to the cowboys late in the season. With the additions of Wentz in Howell (along with Heinicke still under contract), Allen is no longer needed.

Brandon Scherff

Losing Scherff is the biggest loss this off-season. Our former first-round pick had been tagged twice before we let him hit the market and get a fat contract with the Jaguars. There was allegedly an offer to make him the highest paid guard, but we don't know the details. Even though he's struggled to stay on the field over the last four years, he was a 5x pro bowler and our first first-team all-pro player since 1996, so losing him is a loss. He returns to play against us week 1.

Erick Flowers

Releasing Flowers was very surprising. He's been on the team twice, and both times has produced very solid seasons at left guard. The former first-round tackle is now playing the waiting game for a team that will give him the bag.

Adam Humphries

Humphries was a reliable receiver when he was involved, posting less than 400 yards, but converting a first down on 56% of his catches, many of which were crucial third downs. However, he was Fitzpatrick's guy and our WR room has gotten pretty full.

Deandre Carter

I'm going to miss this guy. At WR he was good for maybe a couple catches a game, but he was a great kick returner, posting the second most kick return yards in the league (4th in yards/return). I'm not surprised the Chargers swooped in and got him off the market early.

Ricky Seals-Jones

He filled in for Logan Thomas alright, so he will be missed depth, especially with some questions with our TE room, but Ricky is fairly replaceable.

Landon Collins

Landon started in 13 games after only 7 in 2020. He was given an enormous contract by our previous regime and that has proven to be a massive overpay every year. Despite playing markedly better after switching to being a linebacker hybrid midway through the season, a role he did not want to play, there was no way to justify his salary. However, given how thin we are at linebacker, I would not be upset if we could get him back on a much cheaper contract if he wanted to play in that LB/S role again.

Tim Settle

I will miss this former hokie. He was great defensive tackle depth, but I'm sure he wants a shot at a starting job. There's no getting around Jon Allen and Daron Payne on the depth chart, and Settle's snap count went down by a third in 2021.

Matt Ioannidis

This was another surprise cut at our DT depth. Ioannidis was a pretty great pass rusher on the interior, though he went out with injury in 2020 and didn't play up to his previous ceiling in 2021. There was apparently a bit of drama on his exit from the team. According to his agent, the team described his position as "rock solid" two weeks before releasing him. Rumor has it that the sudden last second trade for Wentz shifted the team's plans and couldn't retain him. Matt's agent was not happy about the team cutting him without warning a few days already into free agency. Without him or Settle returning this season, it will be up 2nd round rookie Phidarian Mathis to spell Allen and Payne.

Players signed/re-signed/traded for

Player	2021 PFF Rank	Old Team
Carson Wentz	23rd QB	Colts
Terry McLaurin	18th WR	Extended
Cam Sims	N/A	Re-signed
J.D. McKissic	31st HB	Re-signed
Charles Leno	12th T	Extended
Cornelius Lucas	29th T	Re-signed
Andrew Norwell	42nd G	Jaguars
Trai Turner	31st G	Steelers
Joey Slye	N/A	Re-signed
Bobby McCain	26th S	Re-signed

Carson Wentz, 3 years $81,705,883

After floundering in the final weeks of the 2021 season, the Colts traded Wentz to the Commanders:

Washington Received:	Indianapolis Received:
Carson Wentz	2022 pick 42
2022 pick 47	2022 pick 73
2022 pick 240	2023 2nd (if Wentz plays >=70% snaps)
	2023 3rd (if Wentz plays <70% snaps)

If you ask any Colts or Eagles fan, Washington is in for a bad time. Common criticisms include questionable leadership, refusal to throw check-downs, and playing too much reckless hero ball. I won't try to excuse his lowlights, but I can say that Wentz does offer Washington something it hasn't had in a while, a potential franchise starter with a big body and a big arm with an acceptable QB IQ that's capable of running Scott Turner's vertical offense better than any QB we've had since Rivera took over. Even an average starter is lightyears better than what Rivera and Turner have had to work with in the last two seasons:

Washington Starting QBs (2020-2021)
Dwayne Haskins ^RIP
Kyle Allen
Alex Smith on one leg
Back to Haskins
Back to Smith
Taylor Heinicke for the playoffs
Ryan Fitzpatrick for 1 quarter
Back to Heinicke
Garrett Gilbert
Back to Heinicke

The QB situations haven't inspired much confidence in the young team. Wentz should easily be an upgrade and will hopefully unlock the offense in a way that Heinicke struggled to last year. The rest of the offense seems poised for a big jump and it will come down to Wentz to make it happen.

Terry McLaurin, 3 year extension $71 million

Terry signed his extension last week after a long off-season of increasingly bloated WR contracts getting signed left and right. Many fans were getting nervous that we had waited too long and wouldn't be able to retain our beautiful offensive captain. But thankfully Scary Terry is here to stay, and should be in the best situation of his career to go off. He finally has a decent QB throwing to him and the weapons around him should theoretically take some of the pressure off. With key injuries to half the offense in 2021, including several of the next best receiving options, Terry had the receiving offense on his back. He is also a franchise face of the team, an eloquent and purposeful speaker, a fan favorite, and all around good guy to build a team around.

Cam Sims, 1 year $2,563,536

Sims is a soild WR4 with a big body. Since our top three WRs are all about 5'11"-6' and our TE room has question marks, his larger frame will be needed.

J.D. McKissic, 2 years $7,000,000

After initially agreeing to a 2 year, $7 million deal with the Bills during the legal tampering period, J.D. was offered the same deal from the Commanders and decided to return, citing "unfinished business in Washington." The Bills voiced their frustration with the 180, but it's fortunate for Washington because McKissic has been a core playmaker for them over the last two seasons. He's great in pass protection and has provided a much needed safety valve for the struggling slew of QBs. There is a noticeable stagnation in the offense when he's been out.

Charles Leno, 3 years extension $37,500,000

After a surprise release from the Bears in May of 2020, Leno came into Washington to help solidify the left tackle position, which was still reeling from the loss of Trent Williams. Leno was able to do everything that was asked, proved his durability, and was a beacon of positivity off the field, often engaging and embracing the community.

Cornelius Lucas, 2 years $6,500,000

A reliable swing tackle that anchors the offensive line depth.

Andrew Norwell, 2 years $10,000,000

A former Panther and first-team all-pro guard, Norwell has been hampered by injures the last few years. Rivera originally signed him as an undrafted free agent, and coached him up into becoming the highest paid guard. Ron is betting that the injuries won't deter him from replacing Erick Flowers at LG.

Trai Turner, 1 year $3,000,000

Another former guard drafted by Rivera's 2014 Panthers, Turner has also bounced around a bit after going to five straight pro bowls under Rivera. Turner seems to be less of a sure-fire starter than Norwell, and will compete for RG.

Joey Slye, 1 year $2,433,000

The kicker situation was a train wreck last year for Washington, but they were able to find yet-another former panther in Joey Slye who went 12-12 on field goal attempts and 9-for-10 on extra points.

Bobby McCain, 2 years $10,000,000

McCain stepped in last year after a surprise cut from Miami and set career highs in tackles (63), passes defended (9), and interceptions (4) with Washington. The secondary as a whole was a wreck the first half of the season, but they settled in and got better. Hopefully retaining McCain and having that cohesion will help the defense tap into their true potential.

Draft

Round 1, #16 overall

Jahan Dotson - WR, Penn State

Washington initially held the 11th pick, but traded down with the Saints to 16 and took Jahan Dotson. The trade itself was something Washington knew they were going to want to do after giving up a third round pick for Wentz, and it was able to secure 3rd and 4th round picks to drop five spots in the first. It was also not a surprise that Washington took a receiver, though few had Dotson mocked to us, or to anyone quite as high as 16, but Dotson seems every bit a first-round receiver, with some analysts comparing his style to former team standout Santana Moss and current-cornerstone Terry McLaurin. Time will tell Dotson and the extra picks are worth the cost of not getting one of the more highly touted receivers like Chris Olave or Jameson Williams.

Round 2, #47 overall

Phidarian Mathis - DT, Alabama

Washington shocked everyone by drafting its third Alabama defensive tackle. Many thought Mathis would have been more of a round 3 pick, but Washington liked what they saw in "Phil" and considered him a perfect fit to slide into the DT rotation, which is now without Tim Settle and Matt Ioannidis. There's also a real possibility they let Daron Payne walk next year as a cap casualty, so securing a quality DT in a draft light on them was probably worth taking Phil a round or so ahead of draft expectations. Build from the trenches.

Round 3, #98 overall

Brian Robinson Jr. - RB, Alabama

Washington used its newly acquired third round pick to take yet another day two Alabama player. A power runner, Robinson will back up Antonio Gibson on first and second downs, and could theoretically take over in short yardage situations. Last year, Washington released Peyton Barber and expected to be able to pick him up for the practice squad, but Barber was claimed in waivers and Washington was left without a big ball of muscle to throw in between the tackles. Assuming everyone stays healthy, a Gibson/Robinson/McKissic trio could be a force.

Round 4, #113 overall

Percy Butler - FS, Louisiana

A very fast former Ragin Cajun, Butler looks to be a special teams ace that has high potential as a deep safety if he can develop a bit behind Kam Curl and Bobby McCain, and could fit in if they run more three-safety sets.

Round 5, #144 overall

Sam Howell - QB, North Carolina

Another pick acquired from their trade-down in the first (and another trade down after that), Sam Howell gives Washington the developmental quarterback it wanted, and also a quarterback that virtually every analyst expected to go much higher in the draft. Going into the 2021 season, after just completing a great season at UNC, there was a time where Howell was projected to even go #1 overall. However, after losing several key pieces on offense, Howell struggled and his draft stock tanked. Regardless, Washington getting one of the top QBs in the draft in the fifth round is simply unheard of and this is unquestionably their best pick of the draft. Howell won't need to play right away since they have Wentz and Heinicke, so he has time to learn and compete for a job in a year or two.

Round 5, #149 overall

Cole Turner- TE, Nevada

Turner is a big, pass-catching tight end that will fill in as depth behind Logan Thomas, whose status to begin the season is up in the air, and John Bates, who is more of a blocking tight end. Wentz is known to like his big targets, so there's an opportunity there if Logan misses time.

Round 7, #230 overall

Chris Paul - G, Tulsa

Washington could use some competition at the bottom of their offensive line's depth chart. Chris Paul has good size, but will need to be coached up a bit. Luckily, that's probably the best thing Washington's been able to do the last couple years under John Matsko, who has consistently had the line ready to play well despite the depth being tested constantly due to injuries.

Round 7, #240 overall

Christian Holmes - CB, Oklahoma

The bottom of the cornerback depth chart is less than ideal. Holmes has an opportunity here.

Other Offseason News that Affected the Team

Ya know, I can't really think of anything. Team's been pretty quiet.. yup nothing to see here...

We went from Braves to Redskins to Team to Commanders
- After retiring the Redskins moniker in 2020, the team began an exhausting 18 month rebrand where they eventually landed on "Washington Commanders"
- Many felt like they didn't truly take fan preference (40,000 fan submissions) into consideration, but they chose a name that was 'safe' and had some room to hopefully grow organically in time
- The team will reveal the new fight song week 1 of the preseason and the new mascot in week 17
- The team added black as an alternate color for their jerseys, for reasons
Snyder is still very much an asshole
- The House Oversight committee in Congress has been investigating the team's toxic culture which came to light in 2020. More recent reports also name Snyder in several instances of sexual harassment. The committee brought in NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for a lengthy grilling about why the league won't release the findings of the Wilkinson report, which several women who worked there want released. Goodell was also asked about football PSI, which was..something
- The congressional investigation has begun looking into an allegation that the team has allegedly used "multiple books" in its accounting to manipulate its finances. Snyder made his money scamming poor people, immigrants, diabetics, and cancer patients, so this checks out as far as I'm concerned.
- Congress also recently said Snyder used a "shadow investigation" against those who might have spoken out during the Wilkinson's probe into the team's fuckery. He not only used his own private investigators in his own probe, but also "abused the subpoena power of federal courts to obtain private emails, call logs, and communications in an effort to uncover the sources of the Washington Post's exposes, undermine their credibility, and impugn their motives." Congress's 29-page memo detailed how Snyder allegedly worked to discredit individuals accusing him but also how the league failed to act independently as well during its investigation.
- Snyder didn't show up to the congressional hearing with Goodell due to 'being out of the country' even though he could have joined via video conference, like Goodell did. They issued a subpoena for Snyder, who continues to play cat and mouse and is currently galivanting around Europe on his yacht
Jack Del Rio made news headlines after tweeting some ignorant shit, and then doubling down to reporters and calling the January 6 riot a 'dust up.' After the backlash, Rivera fined him $100,000 and Del Rio voluntarily deleted his twitter account.
Speaking of $100,000 fines, the team got one due to excessive contact during practice
The team has been going through the preliminary planning for building a new stadium, preferably by 2027 when the lease at FedEx is through. However, due to Snyder being an asshole and running the team into the dirt for so long, he's having a hard time securing public funding from anywhere in the DMV to build what looks to be a sprawling, ambitious "mini city." Initially, Virginia's governor supported stadium bills would have provided upwards of $1 billion to build it in VA, but they were shot down by Virginia's legislature. One senator, who said he will not vote for a stadium bill, said he lost "confidence in the Washington Commanders as a viable NFL franchise."

Projected 53 Starting Lineup

(bold = projected starting base package)

QB - Carson Wentz, Taylor Heinicke, Sam Howell

Wentz's reputation has been spiraling the last couple years, now assuming command of his third team in as many years. He will enter the 2022 season as the definite starter, and should have a fairly well equipped offense at his disposal. However, if he fails, the team can move on after this season with no dead cap.

Heinicke kicked ass last year given the circumstances. He did everything he could, but his arm just isn't good enough to cut it. Scott Turner's offense likes to go vertical, so it was a struggle. He's a good backup though since he knows the system well and his contract is cheap. Hopefully Wentz can last longer than Fitzpatrick did.

Howell is an exciting developmental prospect. Hopefully we won't need to see him for a couple years, but then again, Washington has gone through at least three starting QBs every year since Kirk left in 2017.

RB - Antonio Gibson, Brian Robinson Jr., J.D. McKissic, Jaret Patterson

Gibson is entering his third year as a running back. The team was forced to run him into the ground, partially due to the release of Peyton Barber and the injury to McKissic. Gibson also had 52 targets, though he hasn't been used as a receiver as much as some imagined, given that he was a receiver in college. He also had a bad problem with fumbles, potentially costing the team one or two games last season. Hopefully he's worked on it, and hopefully he won't need to run quite as much now that the team drafted Robinson and with a healthy McKissic back. Patterson is a shifty little back who the fans liked in particular, and could make the roster if they keep four backs.

WR - Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, Jahan Dotson, Dyami Brown, Cam Sims, Dax Milne

This group could be night and day better than last season ^{if they stay healthy}. Scary Terry was the only legitimate threat in the passing game for much of 2021 because Curtis Samuel, Logan Thomas, J.D. McKissic all missed significant time. Samuel in particular was gone virtually the entire season after getting a big deal, and will hopefully be back, though he already sat out in some OTAs this offseason due to 'soreness.'

Dyami Brown struggled to make any kind of impact his rookie year, though if you put his skillset compared to Heinicke's strengths on a vein diagram, they'd be two circles on two different pieces of paper. This could be a much better situation for Brown going into his second year and having a big arm in Wentz throwing those deep balls better than what we had last year.

However, assuming injuries don't linger, Brown will be fighting for WR4 this year instead of 3, with the introduction of Jahan Dotson, who should immediately take over the slot and allow Terry and Curtis to work the outside. Sims will get a good share of targets, being the only tall receiver in this group. And Dax Milne (whose roster spot is not a sure thing) could be the backup in the slot. They may also keep a seventh receiver here if they want a dedicated kick returner; Dotson can return punts.

This group should also be elevated due to Wentz being able to get the ball to them quicker and further than Heinicke was able to. There's a ton of speed on this team (at least 5 guys that run 4.3 to 4.4 40s) so opening up the deep ball could be special.

TE - Logan Thomas, John Bates, Cole Turner

This group has some question marks, mainly due to Logan Thomas still recovering from a knee injury. His goal is to be back for week 1, but his injury ended up being an ACL and MCL, so we'll see how that goes. Behind him are John Bates, who as a rookie last year, had PFF's highest run blocking grade for a TE. He's also a functional receiver, but is no Logan Thomas. 5th round rookie Cole Turner, however, could fit as that big pass catching tight end that Wentz loves if he can acclimate to the NFL quickly; he has impressive size, speed, and IQ, and if that all translates, he could take over for Thomas if he leaves.

LT - Charles Leno

LG - Andrew Norwell, Sadiiq Charles

C - Chase Roullier, Tyler Larsen, Keith Ismael

RG - Trai Turner, Wes Schweitzer, Chris Paul

RT - Samuel Cosmi, Cornelius Lucas

I imagine Leno, Norwell, Roullier, and Cosmi are all locks at those positions. Turner may have some competition from Schweitzer or even Charles if he steps up.

This group has been a strength the last couple years, particularly with pass protection. Their depth has been tested, but the next man up always seems prepared. This has been our most consistent position group.

Losing Scherff and Flowers could be tough. Both were solid to great guards. However, I don't doubt offensive line coach John Matsko's ability to get the best out the guys we have, including our two new signings, former star panther guards Norwell and Turner.

Roullier also returns from injury as a deeply underrated center. He, Schweitzer, and Cosmi earned the three best PFF run-blocking grades, but each missed significant time, and their replacements were better at pass protection.

DT - Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, Phidarian Mathis, David Bada

These two former first round picks out of Alabama should be one of the best in the league. However, they did struggle a bit last year, particularly with run defense. PFF had Allen ranked as the #3 DT and Payne #41.

Early in the season, the entire line seemed to have some issues with assignment discipline, and it devolved what should have been a great defense into a garbage fire. They seemed to pull it together a bit more halfway through the season, but then injury derailed what progress they made. This year, there are no more excuses. Jon Allen is the leader of the defense and must push the guys to their potential.

Behind him are Phidarian Mathis and Daniel Wise. Mathis is a 2nd round rookie who should look to replace Daron Payne next year.

DE - Chase Young, Montez Sweat, James Smith-Williams, William Bradley-King, Efe Obada, Shaka Toney

What a mess this group was last year. What should have been a cornerstone of the team was a weakness. Chase Young and Montez Sweat both have all the talent in the world, but they got nowhere close to their goal, which Sweat declared was to "break the sack record" as a push rushing tandem. Chase ended with 1.5 sacks in 9 games before an ACL tear, and Sweat posted 5 before breaking his jaw week 9. The defense actually seemed to do better after their injuries.

There seem to be a few reasons for this slump. The pass rush as a whole, Rivera said, was uncoordinated, probably the result of players pressing and failing to stick to the game plan. They did not play the schemes the way they're designed. That is an issue for both coaching and the players. Chase Young, coming off a Defensive Rookie of the Year season, also seemed to be trying out some kind of stutter step move in his pass rush, which did not work. And on top of those issues, the secondary was also a disaster in the first half of the season, so they could not get off the field on third downs.

Hopefully last season was a massive wake-up call, and I imagine a lot of these issues will be ironed out and they return to closer to what they were in 2020, but the pressure is greater than ever, expectations are high, and Chase Young in particular has the odds stacked again him due to his current rehab for the ACL injury he sustained in week 10.

LB - Cole Holcomb, Jamin Davis, David Mayo, Khaleke Hudson

This group was a liability in 2021 and will need to really step up in 2022. When the team took Jamin Davis in the first round of the 2021 draft, many were surprised and thought he was more of a day two prospect, but fans trusted former linebackers Rivera and Del Rio to make the most of the athletically gifted, raw player. That did not happen in 2021 and Davis looked completely lost for most of the season. If he doesn't drastically improve, it will go down as one of the bigger failures of Rivera's time in Washington.

Cole Holcomb is the exact opposite of Davis, and has quietly developed into a solid linebacker. He will probably step in as the official mike this season, and hopefully coordinate the defense which lacked a leader in the middle. Holcomb's athleticism limits his ceiling a little, but he is the only good player we have in this group.

The team didn't sign anyone of note or draft anyone at this position, so they must feel somewhat confident that Davis can take a big step up. Look for them signing another vet before training camp to fill out depth.

CB - William Jackson III, Kendall Fuller, Benjamin St-Juste, Danny Johnson, Corn Elder, Troy Apke

Washington's secondary was ranked 6th overall in 2020, but dropped to 19th in 2021. This was partially due to issues up front and in the linebacking corps, but miscommunication also plagued the secondary early on. However, if they stay healthy, this is a pretty solid unit. Kendall Fuller was one of the three most valuable cornerbacks of the 2021 season. William Jackson had an up and down year acclimating to the new scheme, finishing top ten in yards per coverage snap on the outside, but allowed five touchdowns and had eight penalties. St-Juste has the potential to be an amazing slot corner, having an unnatural blend of size and quickness, but his rookie year was capped due to lingering effects from a concussion. Johnson and Elder are both replaceable depth, and Apke is just here for special teams.

S - Kamren Curl, Bobby McCain, Jeremy Reaves, Percy Butler, Darrick Forrest

The safety group was fairly solid in 2021. Landon Collins started out rough, but switched to being a hybrid linebacker and did well before exiting with injury. He was released by the team, leaving fan-favorite Kam Curl and newly re-signed Bobby McCain to take over, both of which had good years.

K - Joey Slye

LS - Camaron Cheeseman

P - Tress Way

After the surprise release of struggling Dustin Hopkins, the team struggled to keep a good, healthy kicker on the field for the rest of the season. Slye came in and was perfect on field goals (12-12), but battled a hamstring issue for part of the season. They brought him back however, so hopefully it's something they don't have to worry about again for a while.

Tress Way is still the undisputed best player in the league, and many would say is the most handsome as well.

Position Groups

Quarterback	2021 PFF Ranking (Wentz): 23

Carson Wentz started 2021 off well, posting only one turnover worthy play the first six weeks, but ended the season with 18. His performance in the final weeks of the season is well-documented, and Washington trading for him is a risk. However, given what was available, Wentz was probably their best option. The team was very committed to finding a QB who could open up the playbook and play at least at an average NFL starter level, something they've severely lacked in the last several years. The options at the start of free agency were Russell Wilson, who chose Denver, Trubisky, Keenum, Bridgewater, Tyrod, Mariota, Winston, drafting a rookie in a weak QB class, waiting to see what would happen with Watson, or Wentz. At least with Wentz, you get a starter level QB with the potential to have a high ceiling. He's got a good pass-blocking offensive line, and several playmakers to throw to, so for better or worse, the offense will go as far as Wentz does.

Backfield	2021 PFF Ranking (Gibson) 50, (McKissic) 31

Gibson is entering just his third year at running back. He was utilized heavily in 2021 and played the bell-cow adequately outside of his fumbling problem. He will hopefully be relied on less now that the team has drafted Brian Robinson Jr. out of Alabama, and with J.D. McKissic returning from injury.

Offensive Line	2021 PFF Ranking: 6

The line continues to be a strength of the team. PFF actually had them graded at the 6th best line in 2020 as well, which speaks to the line coach John Matsko's focus on preparation and attention to detail. The starting guards will be different this year, but this unit has earned some credit when it comes to getting the best out of the guys available.

Pass Catchers	PFF Projected 2022 Ranking: 17

Just like in 2020, this unit was a bit of a weakness that was further hampered by QB play. That has a chance to change in 2022 with a healthy Samuel and the first-rounder Dotson in the fold. Dotson is a sudden route-runner who plays bigger than his size with the way he attacks the football in the air. The hope is that Dotson and Samuel free things up even more for McLaurin, who has already averaged 1.9 receiving yards per route run for his career, despite bottom-of-the-league quarterback play.

If Logan Thomas is healthy, he can also provide a great target for Wentz, who has historically had good chemistry with bigger targets.

J.D. McKissic is one of the better 3rd-down backs in the league and should give Wentz a safety net if he learns how to "make the layup."

Defensive Line	PFF Projected 2022 Ranking: 2

This should be the anchor of the team, having invested 4 first-round picks in it over as many years. Jon Allen really broke out as an elite DT in 2021, posting an 18.5% pass rush win rate, but Chase and Sweat struggled before both getting injured. In 2020, Young and Sweat ranked 7th and 8th in the WAR metric so the potential should still be there if they can stay healthy and follow their assignments. This is likely Daron Payne's final year with Washington, so he will want to ball out to get a big contract somewhere.

Linebackers	PFF Projected 2022 Ranking: 27

A chronic weakness on the defense, Holcomb is the only decent player in the group. 2021 first-round pick Jamin Davis needs to big a huge leap. If he doesn't, this will be the biggest weakness on the team for at least the third year in a row. It's hard to play 4-3 when you only have one capable linebacker. The defense was forced to use a huge amount of 3 safety sets with only 2 linebackers because Davis simply did not know what he was doing. It is disgusting to realize Micah Parsons was chosen only 7 picks before Davis.

Secondary	PFF Projected 2022 Ranking: 24

This unit started exceedingly slow in 2021, but looked way better down the stretch. A big part of that was William Jackson finally acclimating to the defense and performing like the player he was in Cincinnati. From week 10 on, Jackson only allowed 105 yards on 217 coverage snaps. With the entire secondary rolling over into this year, they have the potential to be much better, especially if St. Juste continues to develop in the slot.

Special Teams	DVOA 2021 Ranking: 12

If Joey Slye continues to do well for Washington, the team should be a top ten special teams unit. Our dedicated kick returner left for LAC, but our punt returning could be better with first-rounder Jahan Dotson taking over. Tress Way continues to do well with punts, and our long snapper had a solid rookie campaign.

Schedule Predictions

Team	Outcome
vs Jacksonville Jaguars	W
@ Detroit Lions	W
vs Philadelphia Eagles	W
@ Dallas Cowboys	L
vs Tennessee Titans	L
@ Chicago Bears	W
vs Green Bay Packers	L
@ Indianapolis	W
vs Minnesota Vikings	W
@ Philadelphia Eagles	L
@ Houston Texans	W
vs Atlanta Falcons	W
@ New York Giants	L
BYE
vs New York Giants	W
@ San Francisco 49ers	L
vs Cleveland Browns	W
vs Dallas Cowboys	W

This could be pretty close to what their ceiling looks like. Every year is some bullshit so who knows, but on paper, the roster looks pretty sound.

Think about last season. WFT had one of the harshest strength of schedules, they immediately lost their starting QB, and when they started going on a run, covid and injuries hit them very hard through the end of the season. And they still won 7 games and were in the playoff hunt.

Now, they've got an upgraded offense including a quarterback who is much better suited to the playbook, albeit is a polarizing figure who will need to prove himself this year.

Their strength of schedule looks to be way, way easier this season as well- they play against a lot of the teams that look to be towards the bottom of the league. But again, who knows.

Barring more major injuries, if this team doesn't at least reach 9 wins, it's going to be a massive disappointment. The goal is absolutely to have a winning season and get to the playoffs. If they don't at least get close to that, Rivera and his staff are going to be in the hot seat.

Training Camp Battles to watch

Right Guard- With Brandon Scherff leaving for Jacksonville, the team brought in Trai Turner to compete for RG, along with Wes Schweitzer and Saahdiq Charles. If they can get Turner back to the perennial pro bowler caliber he used to be, he should be a shoe in, but otherwise, Schweitzer will probably start.

Dan Snyder vs Humanity- Dan is still evading responsibility for cultivating a toxic workplace. If you're bored, you can track his yacht while he dodges, ducks, dips, dives, and dodges congressional subpoenas.

Discuss Offensive and Defensive Schemes

Scott Turner and Jack Del Rio both return in third years under Ron Rivera's Washington rebuild.

Turner in particular I feel a bit bad for, given the embarrassing quarterback carousel he's had to work with. However, I did feel like Turner wasn't particularly great at adapting his playcalling to the players he had available. Hopefully Wentz can stay healthy and finally give Turner a big arm to implement that Air Coryell offense he learned from his dad.

If the defense doesn't take a big step up back to being closer to what they were in 2020, Del Rio should be looking for another job. There was a huge gap between their 2021 performance and amount of talent available on the defense and, while that's not all on Jack, it's ultimately his responsibility to have them performing up to their potential. The lack of discipline and communication in the first third of the season was particularly inexcusable.

HTTC, I think

Link to hub

My Live Stream Info

Linggo, Hulyo 10, 2022

2022 Offseason Review Series: The Washington Commanders