Tag: Khaleke Hudson

Studs and duds from Commanders’ 28-20 loss to Rams

The good and mostly bad from another Commanders’ loss.

The Washington Commanders lost their fifth consecutive Sunday, falling 28-20 to the Los Angeles Rams. It’s also Washington’s seventh loss in its last eight games and 10 of its last 12.

Everyone knows head coach Ron Rivera will be fired at the end of the season. Rivera himself is reportedly at peace with his future. Sunday’s loss dropped his record as Washington’s coach to 26-37-1.

New owner Josh Harris has made it clear Rivera will remain Washington’s coach until the season of the season. But when you are performing as poorly as Washington is, continued losses with a coaching staff that will be gone make it difficult to evaluate the current roster. The current staff wants to win games, while management wants to evaluate young players.

That’s the case again after Sunday’s loss to the Rams. Some players stood out, others struggled. Which ones?

We do our best to find some positives from Sunday’s loss to the Rams. Here are the studs and duds from Week 15. We could do a longer list of duds, but we’ll keep it shorter.

Commanders Week 13 snap counts vs. Dolphins

The results didn’t change with Rivera calling the defense, but some of the personnel did.

The Miami Dolphins sent the Washington Commanders into their bye week with a 45-15 defeat that dropped them to 4-9 on the season. It was Washington’s second consecutive game of allowing 45 points.

Sunday was also the Commanders’ first game without fired defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio. And as you can tell from the score, not much changed. Head coach Ron Rivera took over as Washington’s defensive play-caller, and while Rivera promised some changes, the results remained the same.

Did anything change regarding the personnel with Rivera calling the defense? We did notice one change. Let’s review the snap counts from Sunday’s loss to the Dolphins.

Commanders DC Jack Del Rio defends LB Cody Barton

Let’s discuss Del Rio’s comments on Cody Barton. Let us know what you think.

Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio sat in front of the media for his weekly press conference on Thursday. Del Rio has come under heat with his unit allowing 30 points or more in four consecutive games.

Slow starts are a theme for Washington under head coach Ron Rivera and Del Rio. And considering the Commanders’ investments on the defensive side of the ball, it’s inexcusable.

One consistent problem for Washington is its ability to find consistent linebacker play. The Commanders spent a first-round pick on Jamin Davis in 2021. Davis continues to improve, but in retrospect, it’s clear Washington should have gone with an offensive lineman in that draft.

This past offseason, the Commanders allowed Cole Holcomb to walk, choosing to replace him with former Seattle Seahawk Cody Barton. It was clear in the offseason that Barton was still learning the defense, which was expected.

However, through five games this season, Barton continues to look lost on defense. He’s often slow to react, gets blocked completely out of the play and looks lost in coverage. To Washington fans, through the team’s defensive struggles, Barton has almost become a constant GIF.

On Thursday, Del Rio was asked about Barton, and he wasn’t happy with the question.

“What people, who am I answering to?” Del Rio said in reference to a question about Barton’s disappointing play. “Which people and what are they looking at?”

Let me answer that one for you, Coach.

This is what these “people,” you know, anyone with eyes, are seeing when watching Barton each week.

Roll the tape, as they’d say.

Is that not enough for you, Coach? Here’s more.

The last version from X user, “CALQ,” is only from the Chicago game. We could go back through each of Washington’s five games and find these examples all over the place. But, we’ll spare you.

More from Del Rio:

“I like the way he prepares and competes,” Del Rio said of Barton. “So, I think he’ll continue to get better and impact us in a positive way.”

OK.

Never mind if he’s actually playing well. Of course, Del Rio, who was dismissive of the question, would tell you he knows more than you, me, or the average fan watching each time Barton is either late, slow, or ran over on a play. After all, that’s why Barton has played 100% of the defensive snaps because Del Rio has all the answers.

Remember all offseason how Del Rio praised reserve linebacker Khaleke Hudson? Where’s Hudson been? He’s only played on special teams.

Let’s look at a time when Del Rio used the media to criticize Davis. Perhaps it was motivation, but you chose the opposite approach with Barton. Why? Because you like the way he prepares and competes? OK, every NFL player, whether he’s a star or an undrafted rookie, competes every week. Some are better than others. Usually, the ones who struggle don’t play 100% of the snaps.

We aren’t picking on Barton. He hasn’t played well, and we’ll leave it at that. If Hudson was so outstanding in the offseason, why not give him a chance now?

If we’ve learned anything through the Rivera/Del Rio regime, it’s that the former NFL linebackers, with a combined 20 years of playing experience, can’t seem to pick linebackers to fit their defense.

Fans are tired of hearing how they’ve de-emphasized the position, and the “Buffalo nickel” spot is more important. Ask the San Francisco 49ers, with Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw, if they don’t think linebackers are important.

Del Rio is often dismissive of questions, but this time, he took it to another level. It isn’t as if he’s earned the right not to be questioned about a defense that’s on a pace to be historically inept.

Imagine how much better Washington’s defensive line would be with consistent linebacker player behind them?

Just a reminder, we understand that Pro Football Focus isn’t the only determining factor on whether a player is playing well or not. Are you curious about PFF’s grade for Barton? It’s 37.8 — for the season.

Rivera has mentioned Washington’s PFF offensive line rankings in the past; wonder what he thinks of PFF’s grade on Barton?

 

 

5 defensive players to watch for the Commanders in preseason opener vs. Browns

We identified five defensive players to watch for the Commanders Friday.

It’s been a great summer to buy stock in the Washington Commanders defense. Yes, it’s only training camp, but one of the NFL’s top defenses last season has been impressive and should be even better in 2023.

Defensive end Chase Young is back and healthy. The Commanders also added a pair of premium picks by drafting defensive backs Emmanuel Forbes and Quan Martin.

There aren’t a lot of questions surrounding Washington’s defense as it opens the preseason Friday against the Cleveland Browns. It’s doubtful that head coach Ron Rivera will play his defensive starters too much, although it wouldn’t be surprising to see Forbes and Martin get some additional time in their debuts.

We’ve picked five defensive players to watch in Washington’s preseason opener.

Commanders linebacker Khaleke Hudson’s stock continues to rise

Khaleke Hudson continues to stand out.

There has been a lot of hype around Washington Commanders linebacker Khaleke Hudson since his Week 18 performance against the Dallas Cowboys.

The 25-year-old fourth-year linebacker earned praise for his effort in the win over the Cowboys. Hudson had primarily played special teams in his first three NFL seasons, but for the first time in his career, he played 100% of the defensive snaps.

Coaches and teammates praised Hudson’s effort in the win.

Throughout the offseason, we kept hearing Hudson’s name. In OTAs, defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio couldn’t say enough good things about Hudson.

“Guys like Khaleke Hudson have been really been playing outstanding,” Del Rio said in June. “I think gained a little bit of confidence from that last outing against Dallas. He went out there and played really well, and so he’s coming to the offseason full of energy and getting a lot of reps because Jamin is not going.”

With starting linebacker Jamin Davis sidelined during OTAs as he recovered from a knee procedure, Hudson stood out. Hudson continued that early into training camp, and head coach Ron Rivera noticed.

“Oh, I thought Khaleke has done some really good things,” Rivera said. “He’s flying around. Very positive attitude. Very good approach to everything, and he’s learning more than just the one position now. You know, and in light of some of the things he did last year, especially in the last game of the season. We’ve noticed. We’ve noticed an improvement, and we’ve noticed a guy also just playing with confidence as well.”

So much has been made of Washington’s refusal to add more linebackers in the draft or free agency. We know Washington views the linebacker position differently than most. The Commanders often employ just two traditional linebackers, sometimes one, and Davis has one of those spots. There is also Cody Barton, who signed in the offseason and has continued to impress this summer.

Then you have Hudson. Hudson has proven he can play both spots — and well. That means the Commanders have good depth there, whether Hudson moves into the starting lineup or spells Davis and/or Barton.

Whether he begins the season as a starter or not, Hudson will be a valuable piece to Washington’s potentially outstanding defense in 2023.

Linebacker Cody Barton among the early standouts for the Commanders in training camp

One Washington legend is high on the new linebacker.

The Washington Commanders agreed to terms with linebacker Cody Barton on the first day of the legal tampering period this spring. Washington signed Barton to a modest one-year deal worth $3.5 million.

The Commanders had signed Barton to play Mike linebacker, with last year’s starter, Cole Holcomb, still in play to return. However, once Barton landed with Washington, Holcomb agreed to a three-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Mike linebacker position was Barton’s to lose in 2023.

While Barton learned the offense in the spring, he now looks completely comfortable through the first week of training camp.

Barton has been active in training camp thus far, particularly when the pads came on this week. Barton stood out, stuffing running lanes behind Washington’s vaunted defensive line. Barton has looked confident and fast thus far.

Barton has also looked comfortable in coverage.

In a recent appearance on “The Kevin Sheehan Show” podcast, former Washington tight end and longtime analyst Rick “Doc” Walker joined to offer his observations on training camp after one week.

Sheehan asked about specific players, including Barton.

“Love him,” Walker said.

“Cody is the kind of guy that’s on all really good teams. He’s not a combine guy, but as soon as you put the pads on today, he stands out like a sore thumb. He’s a contact freak. He’s athletic enough and got size. He’s going to be a terror. He’s a terror.”

Jamin Davis entered the 2023 season as the only “sure thing” at linebacker. And the third-year former first-round pick is far from a sure thing. Sure, he improved last season, but the coaching staff wants more from Davis. Davis had a procedure this offseason, leading him to miss OTAs, which left him a bit behind entering training camp.

Davis is also dealing with a legal issue involving a reckless driving concision, opening the door for Barton and Khaleke Hudson to impress.

Ultimately, Washington would love for Barton and Davis to start, with Hudson serving as the third linebacker in 2023.

Head coach Ron Rivera and defensive linebacker Jack Del Rio, former NFL starting linebackers, have often been criticized for what fans felt like ignoring the linebacker position.

Have they finally found their guy in Barton? We won’t know until the games begin, but the early signs are encouraging.

 

Ranking Commanders 25 most important players for 2023: No. 11

The Commanders need Jamin Davis to take another step forward in 2023.

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As we look toward the 2023 regular season, we count down the most important players for the Washington Commanders ahead of training camp. On Saturday, No. 12 was center Nick Gates.

We continue our countdown today with No. 11, linebacker Jamin Davis.

The Commanders haven’t made a big commitment to the linebacker position since Ron Rivera took over as head coach in 2020. That’s interesting, considering Rivera and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio were both successful longtime NFL linebackers.

They did make one significant addition, though, selecting Jamin Davis in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft. Washington envisioned Davis being its Mike linebacker of the future. However, Davis struggled early, looking more comfortable on the outside.

In 2022, Davis started on the outside with Cole Holcomb inside. He appeared in 16 games, starting 15, recording 104 tackles, including nine for loss and three sacks. Davis’ numbers improved, and so did his play. While he didn’t make what many consider game-changing plays, Davis was often in the right place, tackled well and his anticipation looked much better than in 2021.

Before the draft, Davis was praised for his speed and athleticism. But sometimes, as a rookie, he didn’t always look fast because he wasn’t trusting his eyes. Del Rio seemed to use the press to motivate Davis at times. And it appeared to work.

The following shows Davis quickly recognizing the play and running toward the line of scrimmage to make the stop for a short gain on third down.

The next play shows a little bit of everything with Davis.

The expectation is Cody Barton will start alongside Davis. However, Barton needs to hold off Khaleke Hudson, and that’s easier said than done. If Davis can take the step in his development, Washington’s defense could be on the verge of being elite. The combo of Davis and Hudson could give the Commanders one of the more athletic linebacking duos in the NFL.

Ranking Commanders 25 most important players for 2023: No. 25

We start with No. 25: Khaleke Hudson.

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Who is the Washington Commanders’ most important player for the 2023 NFL season? Beginning today, we will count down Washington’s 25 most important players for the upcoming season.

No. 25? Fourth-year linebacker Khaleke Hudson.

You might ask, why is a linebacker with 146 career defensive snaps who has primarily played on special teams one of the team’s most important players?

In case you haven’t been following along, Hudson has quietly been the talk of the offseason. Sure, Sam Howell and Eric Bieniemy get most of the attention, but Hudson has run with the first-team defense throughout the offseason while newcomer Cody Barton learned the defense and Jamin Davis recovered from offseason surgery.

Hudson started Washington’s Week 18 game against the Cowboys and was outstanding. That momentum carried him through the offseason as coaches praised him at every turn. Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio recently praised Hudson.

“Guys like Khaleke Hudson have been really been playing outstanding,” Del Rio said. “I think gained a little bit of confidence from that last outing against Dallas. He went out there and played really well, and so he’s coming to the offseason full of energy and getting a lot of reps because Jamin is not going.”

Washington often employs two traditional linebackers. It’s one reason the Commanders haven’t spent more assets on the position. Barton replaced longtime starter Cole Holcomb, while Davis is entering his third NFL season. While Barton is a presumed starter alongside Davis, Hudson could very well be the guy come Week 1.

If Hudson plays like he did in Week 18 this summer, Hudson is one of Washington’s starting linebackers with Davis. Hudson knows the defense. He’s an asset in coverage and has the trust of his teammates. If he can remain healthy, he could take Washington’s defense to another level with improved linebacker play.

The coaches realize Hudson’s importance and are confident he can be an integral part of the defense in 2023. That’s why he makes the list.

 

Commanders linebacker Khaleke Hudson is the offseason standouts to watch in 2023

Could Khaleke Hudson be one of Washington’s starting linebackers in 2023?

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If you ask Washington fans which position they are most concerned about in 2023, you’d likely get two answers: Offensive line and linebacker.

Washington did sign two offensive line starters in free agency — center Nick Gates and right tackle Andrew Wylie — and added two more offensive linemen in the mid-rounds of the 2023 NFL draft.

The only move the Commanders made at linebacker was signing former Seattle Seahawk Cody Barton. And Barton wasn’t signed to add depth but to replace former four-year starter Cole Holcomb.

Former first-round pick Jamin Davis enters his third NFL season. After struggling as a rookie, Davis improved last season but still has a ways to go.

Washington doesn’t often keep three linebackers on the field simultaneously, which is likely why it doesn’t spend big at the position. Another reason the Commanders didn’t prioritize a second linebacker this offseason was fourth-year linebacker Khaleke Hudson.

The 2020 fifth-round pick played mostly special teams throughout his NFL career and started the Week 18 win over the Cowboys and was outstanding. Hudson’s carried that momentum throughout the offseason, earning praise from defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio.

ESPN recently named one offseason standout for all 32 NFL teams. John Keim chose Hudson for Washington:

Hudson, a backup/special-teamer in his first three seasons, worked with the starters during the spring in part because Jamin Davis was recovering from offseason knee surgery and free agent signee Cody Barton was working with the backups as he learned the defense. Hudson impressed the coaches, however, building on a successful start in the regular-season finale. He played fast this spring — as he did in the finale against Dallas. While Washington entered the offseason wanting to improve its linebacker depth, Hudson’s one-game performance, as well as this spring, put that quest on hold.

Hudson taking over one of the starting spots at linebacker, preferably beside Davis, is a best-case scenario for Washington. Hudson’s athleticism and knowledge of the defense make him a candidate for a big leap in 2023.

One last offseason move the Commanders should make ahead of training camp

The Commanders could use another solid veteran linebacker.

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The NFL offseason is almost over. NFL teams completed their offseason programs over the last couple of weeks, and now the countdown is on until training camp.

The Washington Commanders open training camp on July 27, and there are still moves that Washington could make to strengthen the roster. Two positions that come to mind are offensive line and linebacker.

The Commanders signed free agents Nick Gates, Andrew Wylie and Trenton Scott on the offensive line. Additionally, they selected Ricky Stromberg and Braeden Daniels in the third and fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft, respectively. It’s doubtful Washington will add another offensive lineman unless it’s a camp body at this point.

That leaves us at linebacker. Washington made no significant moves in the draft and, in free agency, signed Cody Barton to replace Cole Holcomb in a straight-up swap.

Have the Commanders done enough? We seemingly ask this question every offseason, and the linebacker position is usually a weakness when the team is hit with one injury.

Jamin Davis and Barton are the projected starters but don’t count out Khaleke Hudson pushing Barton. Hudson has had a terrific offseason. Washington often employs only two traditional linebackers, often going with five defensive backs or the Buffalo nickel, a hybrid position.

The Commanders should look to free agency to sign a veteran linebacker capable of starting if needed.

ESPN recently named one last roster move for all 32 NFL teams ahead of training camp. Linebacker was the suggested move for the Commanders.

The Washington front is so good that any linebacker looking for work should have the Commanders on the radar. This team could also use depth beyond projected starters Jamin Davis and Cody Barton, the latter of whom was signed as a free agent this offseason. There are a handful of notable unsigned inside backers, including Jon Bostic (who started five games for Washington last season), Kwon Alexander, Deion Jones and Zach Cunningham.

The Commanders can’t bring Bostic back. Bostic is a smart player and excellent teammate, but far too often is a liability against the pass. Alexander, Jones and Cunningham would all be excellent signings for Washington. All three are longtime starters who can fill in due to injury and would be cheap.