The Washington Commanders turned everything around this offseason. With a new owner, the team now has a new general manager, coaching staff and even a fresh roster.
Now, a full roster can't go from a four-win team to a Super Bowl contender in an offseason (even though the Houston Texans got very close with their seven-win jump last season). The Commanders have a long ways to go in terms of roster-building, but they're on the right track.
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"The team lost safety Kamren Curl and cornerback Kendall Fuller and hopes that new head coach Dan Quinn can coach up a secondary that does not look great on paper." Pro Football Focus
No. 2 overall pick and Heisman-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels seems to be a franchise player under center, and the team used the draft to bring surrounding talents to the DMV.
Evidently, the team did what it should've after posting a 4-13 record -- returning the least amount of production from a season ago. Still, as mentioned, building a roster takes time, and there are sure to be holes in the current iteration of the roster.
Pro Football Focus recently ranked every secondary in the NFL, which saw the Commanders rank quite low across the league. Washington's secondary ranked No. 30 of the 32 teams, ranking just in front of the Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants.
"The Commanders’ highest-graded returning coverage player from 2023 is cornerback Jartavius Martin, who produced a 58.8 grade. The team lost safety Kamren Curl and cornerback Kendall Fuller and hopes that new head coach Dan Quinn can coach up a secondary that does not look great on paper. They selected cornerback Mike Sainristil out of Michigan, and Michael Davis arrives from Los Angeles, but it’ll take great coaching to elevate this group," Pro Football Focus wrote.
Last season, the Commanders allowed 4,627 passing yards and 39 touchdowns -- both of which ranked worst in the league. While there were no obvious improvements to the cornerback room, rookie nickel Mike Sainristil is the only positive to the position in the upcoming season.
Evidently, the Commanders can only address so many issues within the organization at a time, so keep an eye on the team improving the roster in that area moving forward.
