It’s hard to find fault with the Washington Commanders these days, but we did. Here are four reasons why last year’s Cinderella team could be in trouble next season.
1. Linebackers
Per ESPN’s Aaron Schatz, the Commanders played base defense only 13% of the time last season, a statistic he attributes to a lack of depth at linebacker. Soon-to-be 35-year-old Bobby Wagner led the team with 132 tackles last season but led the NFL with 183 as a Seahawk in 2023. Frankie Luvu Jr. had 99 tackles after leading the Panthers with 125 the year before.
As Schatz points out, an injury to either could be devastating, as their backups are Dominique Hampton and Jordan Magee, a pair of little-used fifth-round picks in 2024. Aside from Kain Medrano, the team’s sixth-round pick in this year’s draft, Washington added no new linebackers in the offseason. Odd for a team that allowed 137.5 rush yards per game last year, third-most in the NFL.
2. Deebo Samuel
Washington sent a fifth-round pick to San Francisco to get the former All-Pro receiver, absorbing $17M left on his contract. Samuel may be an exciting dual-threat option with 22 touchdowns as a receiver and 20 more as a rusher, but he’s not the same player he was four years ago.
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