Where The Washington Commanders stand entering the second week of free agency
Evaluating Washington's current roster to see where the team needs to fill holes in the second and third waves of free agency.
The Washington Commanders have been largely quiet during the first week of free agency, at least in terms of signing players from outside the organization. The Carson Wentz trade took up much of the team’s cap space and so the team has had to make some tough decisions like cutting Matt Ioannidis and Ereck Flowers to create some cap room. Washington signed Andrew Norwell to replace Flowers at left guard, but the team still has plenty of needs that have to be addressed in the second and third waves of free agency before the draft.
Fortunately, the Commanders have done a lot of their best business in free agency after the first wave of big names cleared off the market. J.D. McKissic, Logan Thomas, Wes Schweitzer, Cornelius Lucas and Ronald Darby all signed cheaper deals after the first wave in Ron Rivera’s first year in charge and all became key contributors. Similarly, Washington found contributors like Charles Leno, Adam Humphries and DeAndre Carter after the first wave of free agency last year. So now is a good time to take stock of the Commanders roster and see what positions need to be looked at in this second week of free agency.
This is a mock up of what Washington’s current depth chart might look like. I may have missed a few players from the bottom of the roster, guys that will just be camp bodies, but I’ve included the majority of the roster. So where do the Commanders need help most? Let’s break it down.
Starter
Mike Linebacker - It’s no secret Washington’s biggest need on defense, and perhaps the teams biggest need of the offseason outside of quarterback, was a true Mike (middle) linebacker. Jamin Davis was tried there at the start of last season but struggled to handle the responsibility of making all the calls while also trying to fill his assignment. Cole Holcomb took over and did a solid job, but there was a clear uptick in his performances when he wasn’t the one calling the plays. At the end of the year, journeyman David Mayo took over the responsibilities and showed some nice flashes, but isn’t likely to be the long-term solution at the position. He just highlighted how much better the defense is with Davis and Holcomb flanking a true Mike that can make all the calls.
Possible free agent candidates - Bobby Wagner is certainly the biggest name available after a potential hall of fame career in Seattle. He’s not quite the player he used to be, but he still packs a punch and his experience in the middle next to two young linebackers like Davis and Holcomb could prove to be invaluable. He’s been linked with a move to the Broncos to reunite with Russell Wilson, but they appear to have other priorities. His other link was to the Cowboys to play under former Seahawks Defensive Coordinator Dan Quinn, but they re-signed Leighton Vander Esch to fill their hole at the Mike spot. It seems unlikely Wagner lands in Washington, but the longer he’s available, the more tempting he could prove to be.
Joe Schobert and Danny Trevathan have both recently been released and could be appealing to Washington as cheaper options. Schobert has always been productive wherever he’s been while Trevathan has experience playing under Jack Del Rio previously. Both could provide the experienced veteran option Washington would likely desire to mentor Davis and Holcomb. Similarly, A.J. Klein is available and played under Rivera in Carolina.
If Washington wants a younger option, perhaps someone like Jarrad Davis could be an alternative option. Davis was a strong run-stuffing Mike in college that could get everyone aligned and fit his gaps quickly. He’s had some issues in coverage since he was drafted in the first-round by the Lions back in 2017, but Washington’s coverage schemes could hide that a little bit, especially with the athletic Cole Holcomb and Jamin Davis either side of him.
Key Sub--Package Role Player
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