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The Washington Commanders have quietly built a solid roster ahead of the 2023 NFL season. Sure, it’s not perfect, but Washington is particularly strong at specific positions, such as the defensive line, the secondary and wide receiver.
Pro Football Focus recently ranked all 32 NFL rosters ahead of training camp and gave the Commanders higher marks than others. PFF ranks Washington’s roster at No. 17 in the NFL, which sounds fair considering some of the question marks on the offensive line and at quarterback.
Speaking of quarterback, that’s PFF’s biggest issue with Washington’s roster. The Commanders are expected to start Sam Howell at quarterback, with experienced veteran Jacoby Brissett behind him.
PFF named the quarterback position as the biggest roster flaw:
The combination of Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke simply didn’t cut it in 2022. Sam Howell played a decent Week 18 game against the Cowboys, but the uncertainty at quarterback in Washington feels perpetual at this point. They finished with the third-worst passing grade in the NFL last year and come into 2023 on similarly shaky ground. The incumbent Howell will be joined by journeyman Jacoby Brissett. Despite a solid set of weaponry, the quarterback spot may be the Commanders’ undoing again.
While I’ve found some criticism of Howell unfair, this feels on point. The QB position could be Washington’s undoing. No one knows how Howell will perform. While there are reasons for optimism, there are equally reasons to be pessimistic.
Howell shouldn’t be discounted due to where he was drafted. The talent is there. The Commanders don’t need Howell to transform into Patrick Mahomes or Joe Burrow, but, instead, give them more under center than they’ve gotten in recent years, which isn’t much.
If Washington gets above-average quarterback play, things will look much different.