How the Washington Commanders could build around a 'Plan B' quarterback
Constructing a free agency plan specific to each potential free agent quarterback option.
Ron Rivera has made it clear that the Washington Commanders are looking to add a veteran quarterback to their roster this offseason. The team has stressed they’re ready to take big swings at any potential big name quarterbacks available, If the Commanders landed one of the big names like Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers, they’d be in a position to compete in the playoffs straight away, because those elite quarterbacks can make up for so much by elevating the play of everyone around them. However, it looks increasingly unlikely they’ll be able to pull off a trade for one of those elite quarterbacks as both Rodgers and Wilson seem increasingly likely to stay put.
That would mean moving on to back up plans, which could involve trading for a lower tier quarterback like Jimmy Garoppolo or more preferably signing one of the veteran free agent quarterbacks. Over the past few weeks, I’ve broken down the likes of Jimmy Garoppolo and free agents Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota and Mitchell Trubisky in detail to see what skill set they’d bring to Washington.
But acquiring one of those quarterbacks won’t be enough on its own for Washington to compete in the playoffs as they aren’t on the same level as the elite guys mentioned earlier. So when considering which of those veteran quarterbacks Washington wants to bring in, the team should also consider what other parts they would need to add in order to help tailor the offense to best fit the quarterback’s skill set. The Commanders would need to construct a free agency plan not only to land the quarterback, but add more talent around him to help max out his skill set.
So what styles of offense would suit each quarterback and which pieces could the Commanders look to add to suit those systems and quarterbacks? Let’s take a closer look.
Jameis Winston
In my breakdown of Winston’s skill set, I intentionally highlighted his ability to anticipate throws, drive the ball outside the numbers and hit deep shots down the field. Those are all big strengths of his game in Tampa Bay that were neutered a bit in New Orleans in order to cut down on some of the turnovers. If I’m bringing in Winston, I’m taking a slight risk by lifting those restrictions.
Yes, it’s fair to point to the 30 interceptions he threw in his last year with the Buccaneers, but most quarterbacks in that Bruce Arians' offense do have a high interception rate because they are pushing the ball down the field more. They’re also throwing with anticipation, trusting that receivers will make their breaks at the correct time and place. A fair few of those 30 interceptions with the Bucs in 2019 were down to receivers not breaking at the right time or being in the right spot, but Winston had already delivered the pass trusting them to do so, which leaves the receivers at fault rather than Winston.
So I’d be looking to take the shackles off, trusting that with the right group of receivers along with some maturity from developing under Sean Payton for two years, Winston will cut down on the turnovers. That would free him up to get back to what he did best in Tampa Bay, anticipating throws and pushing the ball down the field.
To make use of that skill set, the Commanders would have to adjust their offense slightly. Scott Turner’s offense in recent years has been about keeping things as simple as possible for the quarterback by relying on just a handful of concepts and disguising them with multiple formations, shifts and motions. Winston could still run that style of offense, but it’s something I’d imagine Turner has done because of the type of quarterbacks he’s been working with in recent years. With Winston, he can use a lot more of the traditional concepts in the Air Coryell system that his father, Norv Turner, ran so effectively in the NFL.
Norv’s system was all about pushing the ball down the field. The receivers on the perimeter would run curls and comebacks all day until cornerbacks got sick of being beat underneath. A quarterback like Winston that can anticipate breaks and drive the ball outside the numbers with accuracy, placement and timing works well with those curls and comebacks. They allow the offense to pick up eight to 15-yard chunks consistently and test the patience of the defenders in coverage. Once the cornerbacks get sick of getting beat underneath, they’ll start to bite up and play a bit tighter coverage, which is when they become more vulnerable to getting beat deep, either by double moves or just normal go or post routes.
That would suit Winston’s skill set well, but do Washington have the receivers to run that style of offense right now? Terry McLaurin is good enough to fit in any scheme and would obviously be effective on those timing routes that require precision route running and timing with the quarterback to be successful. On top of that, he of course has the speed to win deep too. Curtis Samuel has the speed too, but while he’s a sharp route runner, he’s not always the most precise in terms of timing, which is crucial for an outside receiver in this system. He might be more suited to the slot in that style of offense. Dyami Brown didn’t have the rookie season many anticipated, but this kind of system is very similar to what he was asked to do in college, running a mostly vertical route tree of go routes, posts, curls and comebacks, which could help accelerate his development.
The Commanders would probably be wise to look to add some size to the receiver room if they look to play in this fashion. Having a bigger receiver that can shield the ball from defenders playing tight coverage or extend his catch radius to create vertical separation is something Washington lacks on the roster right now. The Commanders could re-sign Cam Sims to potentially fit that role and add much needed depth. His size, physicality and ball skills would be a good match for this style of offense, but he can be a little bit sloppy with routes and poor routes or bad timing can cause interceptions. If the Commanders dipped into free agency, D.J. Chark could be an intriguing option, offering 6-foot-4 size that he uses well to extend his catching radius along with 4.3 speed to stretch the field vertically. Another could be Mike Williams of the Chargers, another 6-foot-4 receiver who works best on a vertical route tree on the outside.
This type of offense would also require plenty of protection from the offensive line. Now, Washington’s offensive line performed well last year, far above most expectations, but the team is likely losing its best offensive lineman in Brandon Scherff to free agency. Scherff is an excellent pass protector at right guard and his experience also helped the development of rookie Sam Cosmi at right tackle, who has some technical issues to iron out still in pass protection. Wes Schweitzer is expected to replace Scherff at guard, but he’s a smaller, more athletic lineman that suits the zone running scheme and play-action passes as opposed to straight drop back pass protection.
Perhaps Saahdiq Charles steps up after some promising signs at the end of last season, but the Commanders might prefer to add a veteran like Andrew Norwell or Trai Turner to work next to Cosmi as he develops. Norwell and Turner both started their careers under this staff in Carolina with the Panthers before earning big contracts in free agency a few years later. They’ve both struggled a bit since leaving the coaching of Rivera and Offensive Line Coach John Matsko in Carolina, but both can still offer solid pass protection at guard as well as valued experience that could help negate a bit of the loss from Scherff.
Adding another tight end could be a shrewd move too, given Logan Thomas’s injury came late in the year and Washington is unsure of exactly when he’ll be ready to return. O.J. Howard has had his own injury troubles in the past and hasn’t lived up to the pre-draft expectations coming out of college, but does have a history with Winston in Tampa Bay and was seen as a well-rounded option that had the athleticism to stretch the field from the tight end position along with the size to be a moderately effective blocker in the run game. Perhaps the Commanders could find another diamond in the rough at the tight end spot, as they have done multiple times already since Rivera took over, though Tight Ends Coach Pete Hoener has recently retired.
Potential additions to fit Winston:
WR - D.J. Chark/Mike Williams
TE - O.J. Howard
OL - Andrew Norwell/Trai Turner
Marcus Mariota
Mariota is a very different quarterback to Winston. While Winston has the big arm to drive the ball outside the numbers and down the field, Mariota is more of a dink-and-dunk precision passer that can identify matchups, get the ball out quickly with accurate passes into tight windows. That skill set is much more suited to the style of offense Turner has been running in Washington these past two years, which makes Mariota an intriguing fit with the Commanders. But while he would fit what Washington does currently, he’s not proven he can carry a team on his own and the Commanders would certainly need to look to add some more pieces.
The pieces Washington would need to add for a Mariota-led offense are significantly different from the pieces the team would need to fit an offense built around Winston. Mariota is an athletic quarterback that can add an element to the run game with read-option schemes. Turner already enjoys moving his weapons around and creating as much misdirection as possible to keep defenses from keying on where the ball is going. With Mariota added to the backfield as a potential run threat, that only enhances that style.
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