Commanders defensive breakdown: Which players are essential to keep as foundational pieces?
After a lopsided loss to the Miami Dolphins, a postgame question about whether extraterrestrials exist, US diplomatic policy in South America, and Joe Jacoby’s exclusion from the Pro Football Hall of Fame went unanswered by Jonathan Allen. The two-time Pro Bowl lineman and the coaching staff were well-versed in the subject of improving the startlingly subpar defense of the Washington Commanders.
This group was incredible last season. It’s rolling now, week after week, and it doesn’t seem to be getting any answers.
First, two coaches were fired, with defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio being the most prominent of them. The next step is to evaluate the players for the team’s 2024 plans.
The decline from a statistically top-10 team in 2022 started prior to the defensive ends Montgomery Sweat and Chase Young’s midseason trades. The defense now has holes at all three levels as a result of those in-season trades, but Washington’s 2024 Draft capital was increased. Due to their involvement in the defensive struggles, a few of the remaining players, such as Allen and Daron Payne, lost their luster.
There are enough first-round and Day 2 investments to imagine a new staff’s tweaks could turn around the defense sooner than the Commanders’ ranking last in points allowed per game (30.4) suggests. Future analysis likely puts a significant onus on the coaching staff. This isn’t to say everyone held up their end or the front office made the best choices. Whoever calls the personnel shots next offseason must determine the fault lines and responses.
With that sunny intro, here is part two of our Commanders 2024 roster preview.
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Defensive end
Evaluation: The amount of teams that have the ability to field a one-two defensive end punch like Sweat and Young can be counted on one hand. The available options likely represent the weakest position room in the league going into the offseason, making Washington the most uncertain team.
Although Washington left a huge gap, don’t think the Commanders made mistakes when they made those trades. Sweat, Young, Allen, and Payne, the starting lineup, was strong prior to the trade deadline, but as a unit, they seldom lived up to their status as first-round selections with projected or actual large contract extensions. Payne and Allen had previously received substantial compensation.
Those trades created play-time opportunities for the remaining parts. Only Henry has popped occasionally. Of course, the fifth-round pick was inactive seven games before that default depth chart elevation. Jones, a fellow rookie, is a raw but springy prospect. Picturing either starting or becoming a high-rotation player next season is ambitious.
Toohill’s five sacks pace the remaining defensive ends, but he has tallied only one sack and two quarterback hits in five games as a starter. Smith-Williams, a spot starter last season with Young sidelined, missed the past three games with a hamstring injury. Obada suffered significant leg fractures that required surgery last month. Retaining any of those three would be fair, but only as depth or grunt-work starters.
Using a portion of its approximately $90 million salary cap space, Washington could target big-name players like Brian Burns, Dannelle Hunter, or Brett Huff. There are many opportunities to improve the pass rush through the draft with five picks in the top 100. Laiatu Latu of UCLA and Dallas Turner of Alabama are predicted to be among the top 10 to 15 draft picks. Find guys who can at least make plays when defenses double-team the interior mainstays.
Tackle
Evaluation: To start, the good news. Despite not being Pro Bowl caliber players through 13 games, Allen and Payne are two of the best tackles in the league. Breaking up this couple has to be taken into consideration if future assessments raise doubts about one or both of them reaching those heights.
Even with just two sacks after 11 1/2 last season, Payne isn’t going anywhere with $72.2 million in dead cap charges for the next two seasons. The seven-year veteran and native of the Washington area, Allen, revealed last week that he has thought about playing somewhere else. “One hundred and ninety-nine percent. “If I claimed otherwise, I would be lying,” he stated on 106.7 The Fan.
There were inquiries from other teams about Allen’s availability at the trade deadline, partly because of his rumored frustration. His base salaries of $14 million and $15.5 million over the remaining two years of the original four-year, $72 million extension are easily tradeable should Allen bull rush toward the exit or Washington seek younger, cheaper options within a rebuild.
According to Over the Cap, those final two years do not include any guaranteed money. It shouldn’t shock anyone if Allen’s camp, at a minimum, seeks an extension. After Payne and other tackles garnered raises since Allen’s extension, his $18 million annual average salary ranks 10th among his positional peers.
Jonathan Allen, a two-time Pro Bowler, is the NFL’s tenth-highest paid defensive tackle. (Getty Images/Rob Carr))
It’s unlikely that Allen will move on, and it might not be a good idea for everyone involved. This is partially due to Mathis’s lack of impact in his seven career games as a 2022 second-round selection. Resurfacing from a knee injury sustained in Week 1 that ended his rookie campaign and a calf problem that put him on injured reserve at the beginning of his sophomore campaign, Mathis has made three tackles, recovered a fumble, and recorded zero sacks or tackles for loss in six games. Ignore the starter. As the main backup, Ridgeway may appeal more to new coaches due to his wrestler vibes.
In a perfect world, Allen and Payne ravage opposing guards and centers, with Mathis and Ridgeway causing havoc when called upon. We’ll see, as with most aspects of the projected roster.
Linebacker
Assessment: The specter of Davis’ 2021 first-round selection taints evaluations of him. Separate the pick from the player and we’re talking about an athletic freak who made incremental improvements over his three seasons. That’s not a building-block resume.
Davis will make the occasional jarring tackle around the line of scrimmage. It’s too bad the staff hasn’t put him in more pass-rush concepts, especially after the trades. Opponents won’t hesitate to take advantage of him in coverage. Per Pro Football Focus (PFF), Davis has allowed an average of 12.1 yards on 35 receptions. That’s the fourth-worst yards per catch allowed among 62 qualified linebackers.
He’s also tied for fourth with the most touchdown receptions allowed (three) and the 11th-worst quarterback rating against (111.6). The ninth-highest average depth of target (5.5) is a reflection of all those wheel routes offensive coordinators call for running backs against Davis. He’ll likely remain in the starting lineup since the needs are significant elsewhere. Declining his fifth-year option would show how the team’s decision-makers view him.
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The Mike linebacker position is still problematic. Davis is not the solution. In all likelihood, neither is Barton. With regard to the former Seahawks player, Washington took a flyer contract for a year. Despite being a competent tackler and fair communicator, Barton struggles in coverage. Against him, opponents have completed 86.2 percent (25 of 29) of the passes. Although the league doesn’t always agree with PFF’s player grades, Barton’s ranking of 60 out of 62 seems reasonable.
It makes sense to keep the forceful Hudson for depth, but this unit needs multiple new players.
Defensive back
Cornerback
Evaluation: At the end of the season, nothing more embodies the need for an autopsy. All of the permitted “explosive” receptions were largely the result of scheme and communication problems, but players cannot be totally excused.
Forbes set an NCAA record with six interceptions returned for touchdowns, largely due to his excellent zone coverage instincts. While the 16th player chosen in the April draft occasionally showed that ability to create plays, he was frequently burned when used in man-to-man situations, particularly against physically strong receivers. The slender Forbes allows opponents to gain 18.1 yards per catch on average. He also doesn’t help against the run. If he can bounce back from an elbow injury suffered in Week 11 quickly, the final four games will be crucial to his development.
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St-Juste wavered between the outside and the slot. Everywhere he lined up, quarterbacks found him. St-Juste has given up a league-high 762 yards among corners while facing the most targets (84). With 11 pass breakups, the adaptable 6-foot-3 defender is third in the league.
Following extensive public debate about securing the 2020 seventh-round pick last offseason, Curl—the best draft choice overall in the pound-for-pound category during the Ron Rivera era—looks certain to enter free agency. The reliable tackler supplied Fuller and any stability that might have existed in the secondary. Curl hasn’t improved as a playmaker, though; since his rookie year, he has not intercepted a pass, and this year was his only forced fumble.
Maybe Curl re-signs. In theory, Washington has replacement options. Forrest, a 2022 breakout performer, wasn’t playing at that level before a Week 6 shoulder injury landed him on IR. Butler’s league-worst missed tackles percentage (23.0) among safeties with at least 350 snaps, per PFF, offsets any positive flashes. Martin, Washington’s second-round pick and potential Curl replacement, barely played on defense until injuries elsewhere occurred. He stood out more in special teams coverage.
The CB3/nickel role is vacant, and those are the only backups available right now. Washington targeted the nickel spot when drafting Martin. With new personnel, there’s a good chance Forbes and St-Juste will bounce back and the safeties should develop more quickly. Is that really good enough in a division where Jaleen Hurts passes to A.J. Brown and CeeDee Lamb catches passes from Dak Prescott?
Analysis: Way is tied for sixth with punts inside the 20 (24), despite not having the best season (19th in net rating). Furthermore, a revolt by supporters and teammates would result from even the slightest change at punter. Everything else appears to be attainable.
Slye smashes kickoffs and drilled a 61-yarder this season but ranks 30th in field goal percentage (77.3) and missed two extra points. He faced competition in training camp this year. It seems logical to expect another battle if retained. Cheeseman’s off-target snaps on kick attempts put Way on constant alert in the holder role. Everything went relatively smoothly in his first two seasons, but Cheeseman seemed good for an “oh, no” moment in most games. Whatever Washington decides, there’s no way it trades up again for a long snapper, the author says with trepidation.
Crowder was a reliable punter, and his 61-yard touchdown reception against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6 was crucial. However, his 7.5 yards per return rank is a generic 19th, and it is lower than the much-maligned Milne’s 7.8 average on a league-high 40 attempts in 2022. Gibson finished Week 13 third in kickoff yards (340), averaging 24.3 yards per return.
Reaves, a 2022 Pro Bowl special teams player, has missed most of the year following a season-ending knee injury. The pending ownership curtailed spending months ago, but it’s still bizarre the team didn’t find a way to reward Reaves with a two-year, $5.3 million extension, effectively his 2023 salary times two. Any new hires would get a high-five from folks if they re-sign the fan favorite.
