Sunday Pint & a Blog II

With the pending sale of the team still dominating the headlines for obvious reasons, here at UKHTTC we took a welcome detour from the ownership talk to wax lyrical on the more solid discussion points of the new additions in free agency.

UKHTTC founder, Christian Burt, and regular contributor Joshua Edwards, pondered three questions:

• Did the Commanders get better via FA?

• Who wins the QB competition?

• Which addition makes the biggest impact?

First up is Joshua.

Did the Commanders get better via FA?

Last season it would be hard to argue we had got better after losing one of the best guards in football in Brandon Scherff and failing to replace him adequately.

This year the losses have been less disastrous.

Retaining Daron Payne isn’t ‘getting better’ as such, but had we lost him, it’d be harder to argue that case. I particularly like the signing of Super Bowl winning tackle Andrew Wylie from Kansas City.

Who wins the QB competition?

There is a valid case to be made that on paper Jacoby Brissett is the best free agent quarterback signing the team has made since Alex Smith.

If Rivera holds a genuine QB competition and is true to his word, it’s hard to see Sam Howell beating out Brissett for the starting job. That’s why I advocated for a worse backup; it feels counterintuitive, but I was primed to give Howell 17 games.

After some more thought I’ve come around to the idea that we probably don’t need to give the second year QB that much of an investment to find out if he’s the guy.

Minus Daron Payne, which FA makes the biggest impact and are we done in FA now?

It’s a cop out, but Jacoby Brissett, given he is a potential starting QB.

Are we done? Never say never.

It looked like the team had made all its first and second wave free agency signings and then came Trent Scott, and a (failed) visit of Browns line-backer Anthony Walker.

That said, I wouldn’t expect many more signings before the draft, and if they do, they’ll be guys we’re frantically googling to understand their profile and league history, as opposed to immediately recognisable names.

I do think the team might be active in the pre-draft trade market however – especially with regards to the 16th overall pick. I’ll save my thoughts on that for another blog down the line.

Next up, UKHTTC founder, Christian.

Did the Commanders get better via FA?

Time will tell, but I am immediately convinced we picked up a QB in Jacoby Brissett who the league will find a tougher conundrum to solve than the outgoing Taylor Heinicke.

With regard to the other notable FAs, whilst not super exciting, there is an upside to Nick Gates and Cody Barton in that both seem to offer intelligence and a desire to want to lead their respective units on game day.

If the salary cap dictates a cutting of ties with Chase Roullier, rather than a restructure, then it will be Gates who is the starting Centre for the burgundy & gold in 2023. By all accounts, Nick is better at Centre than Guard.

Barton is, right now, a likely starter, and at 26 years old, the 88th pick of the 2019 draft should offer no real cause for concern that he cannot at least near replicate the level of play of the outgoing Cole Holcomb.

Roster building was the midweek theme of HC Ron Rivera, and my initial reaction was one of rolling eyes.

However, it can be argued that the Commanders FA acquisitions will seem better, and fit the roster build theme, if in tandem with a solid draft.

An OL of Charles Leno Jnr, Andrew Wylie, a healthy Chase Roullier/Nick Gates, and Sam Cosmi as a starting point leading into the 2023 draft is OK if supplemented by a future star tackle & guard early doors (I think Washington drafts at least 2 OL guys Rounds 1-3, with the focus on LT/LG).

Who wins the QB competition?

Sam Howell performed admirably against a below-par Dallas Cowboys to take the win in the last game of the 2022 season.

However, as Josh states, Brissett, whether through design or necessity, might well be the best FA QB that Rivera has landed in his tenure as the HC in Washington. I have a feeling that Ron, and perhaps more importantly Eric Bieniemy, are going to love the character and toughness displayed by Brissett.

Brissett will start the season for the burgundy & gold, with Howell working a little bit more on some fundamentals required as an NFL QB1.

Neither have character concerns and whoever starts under centre will get the backing of their teammate.

Minus Payne, which FA makes the biggest impact and are we done in FA now?

If I am picking Brissett as the starter, then it is hard pressed to say anyone but Jacoby.

There is also the potential for a much-improved right side of the Commanders OL, with Cosmi perhaps more comfortable at RG than RT. Andrew Wylie has the potential to be a major factor in solidifying that unit and keeping the QB on his feet (and both Cosmi and Wylie can open up those lanes for the likes of Robinson Jnr and Antonio Gibson).

The Commanders are not done yet in FA, but, unless a ridiculous opportunity is presented, I expect any new additions to be post-draft and small-scale.

Unless we take an RB in the mid-rounds, I would expect that Bieniemy would like a veteran third down guy out the backfield, especially with the departure of JD McKissic.

With some salary restructures/cuts (Roullier is the key here and arguably Logan Thomas) I would suggest that a depth veteran LB and the aforementioned third down RB would be welcomed in D.C.