New Commanders LB Frankie Luvu 'Possesses Innate Versatility'
The Washington Commanders are set to bring in not one but two former Carolina Panthers in this year's free agency rush.
Unlike in previous years, however, these Panthers should be welcomed by Commanders fans as potential ingredients to a winning formula.
One of the biggest signs Washington is making the right moves is the fact fans in North Carolina are unhappy to see safety Jeremy Chinn and linebacker Frankie Luvu headed out of town.
Former Carolina Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu (49) is set to become a member of the Washington Commanders when the new league year begins on Wednesday.
Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Luvu specifically, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer tells us, is one player Commanders fans should be particularly excited about.
"Luvu possesses innate versatility," Kaye tells Commander Country. "He can get to the quarterback from multiple positions, but he is more of a top-tier blitzer than a natural pass rusher. Luvu is a firework at the line of scrimmage and his ability to speed through traffic makes him dangerous from every angle. He's a legitimate play-wrecker with a great personality that will win over the locker room almost immediately."
A true NFL success story, Luvu went undrafted in 2018 out of Washington State and had to follow the path of proving himself every day and with every rep before landing on the field consistently.
Starting with the New York Jets he got into 14 games as an undrafted rookie spending about 40 percent of the time on the field for both the defensive and special teams units.
His defensive snaps took a dip in 2019 and 2020, and ultimately Luvu landed with the Panthers in 2021 where he started four games in his first season, matching his career total from the previous three years.
Beginning in 2022 Luvu earned an increased role in Carolina starting 31 of his last 32 games played for the organization.
In those 32 games, he racked up 12.5 sacks, an impressive number coming from an off-ball linebacker position.
The duo of former Panthers joining Washington this offseason bring physicality and explosiveness on the field.
Exactly what new Commanders leadership has been in search of since signing on in January.
