Five Essential Leaders Adam Peters and Dan Quinn Can Assemble.
The 2024 Washington Commanders have undergone significant roster changes from the underwhelming lineup assembled by Ron Rivera over his four-year tenure. Describing the state he left the team in as bare is an understatement.
New general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn brought in over 20 new free agents this spring, along with nine draft picks and 11 undrafted free agents. That’s over 40 players who were not with the team last season!
Washington is likely to have at least 12 new starters when the season kicks off in Tampa on September 8th.
With so many new faces, many on one-year deals, and 20 current rookies, it’s challenging to identify core players to build around for the future.
It’s also tough to include rookies as we haven’t seen them play in the NFL yet, but one rookie, quarterback Jayden Daniels, is certainly a candidate for this group.
With that in mind, I’ve put the quarterback in a separate category and then listed five non-rookie players I believe the new staff can build around.
**Quarterback:**
– **Jayden Daniels:** Though I typically avoid listing rookies here, Jayden has the potential to be special. We will build around him unless proven otherwise. For now, let’s assume we have found our quarterback and Daniels ascends to a top 10 player in his position.
**5 Core Players Quinn and Peters Can Build Around:**
– **Jahan Dotson:** The former first-round pick had a rough sophomore season, likely due to inconsistent quarterback play, a poor offensive line, and bad play-calling. Dotson enters year three with high expectations. If he meets them, he can be a key part of this offense for years.
– **Sam Cosmi:** Although Cosmi doesn’t play one of the big three positions on the O-line (LT, RT, C), he’s an emerging talent at right guard. If he continues to perform well this season, he’s in line for a big contract extension.
– **Daron Payne:** Entering his seventh NFL season and soon turning 27, Payne has a lot left to offer and All-Pro potential, needing only the right situation and coaching. Dan Quinn could be that coach.
– **Emmanuel Forbes:** Drafted mid-first round, Forbes struggled as a rookie, partly due to poor schemes and coaching. If he bounces back this year and demonstrates his play-making abilities, he could become a defensive mainstay. If not, he might transition to a ball-hawking free safety.
– **Quan Martin:** Martin’s leadership and intelligence are highly valued by Peters and Quinn. After a slow rookie start, he improved as the season progressed. Martin can play multiple defensive positions, including safety, slot corner, and dime linebacker.
This list may not seem very promising, especially offensively, but assuming we have resolved the quarterback issue and with promising rookies like Luke McCaffrey, Brandon Coleman, and Ben Sinnott, the future could be bright.
Defensively, things look a bit better on paper, but many new faces are on one-year deals. Frankie Luvu and Dorance Armstrong, both on three-year deals, could become impact players, but Luvu will turn 28 this fall and Armstrong 27 this summer, which might make the staff hesitant to build around them. The rookies Newton, Sainristil, and Magee have great potential and will be exciting to watch as they develop.
Overall, the team is in much better shape than at the end of the 2023 season. Adam Peters has done a great job filling gaps and, fingers crossed, making the team competitive in 2024. The key will be the performance of the young players and who steps up to stardom.
Discuss in the comments who you think are the core players (non-rookies, except QB) the team can build around. Which rookies do you think will eventually join this list?
Did Forbes and Martin show enough last year to earn a spot on this list? If not, who would you replace them with and why? Does Jahan Dotson deserve a spot over someone like Brian Robinson?
