No team made more changes this offseason than the Washington Commanders.
The first domino to fall was owner Josh Harris’ firing of head coach Ron Rivera. From there, he hired Adam Peters as general manager and Dan Quinn as head coach. Quinn put together an all-star coaching staff, while Peters worked on improving a 4-13 roster.
Washington was busy early in free agency, signing over a dozen players in the first week. Overall, the Commanders have signed over 20 outside free agents this offseason and added nine players through the NFL draft and 11 more undrafted free agents.
The most crucial part of Washington’s future is rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. If Daniels becomes the NFL quarterback Washington believes he can be, this offseason will be remembered fondly for years to come.
The early returns are favorable for the Commanders, but they have yet to play a game. Perspective is important. Grading a draft, free agency or complete offseason is difficult without seeing the team on the field, but Pro Football Focus gave it a shot, grading the offseason for all 32 NFL teams.
PFF liked Washington’s offseason, giving the Commanders an “A.”
With new ownership, a new front office and a new coaching staff, the Commanders have done everything right this offseason.
They made a multitude of new additions, including but not limited to Zach Ertz, Dorance Armstrong, Dante Fowler Jr, Tyler Biadasz, Frankie Luvu, Austin Ekeler, Clelin Ferrell, Marcus Mariota and Jeremy Chinn. They then had a huge draft class, led by quarterback Jayden Daniels at No. 2 overall and followed by second-round steals in Johnny Newton and Mike Sainristil.
This was a home-run offseason for the Commanders to turn the page.
A home-run offseason? That’s high praise. We shall see. There’s already the news that Newton had to undergo a second foot surgery. The Commanders believe he’ll be ready for Week 1.
So much of Washington’s future hinges on Daniels. If he succeeds, everything else will fall into place.