Bills Sign Tim Settle; What Should Commanders Do Next For D-Line?

With Settle out of the picture, what happens now?

Author:
Jeremy Brener
Publish date:
Mar 14, 2022 6:32 PM EDT

The Washington Commanders spent the first day of the legal tampering period subtracting from their roster, first on the offense with All-Pro Brandon Scherff, then on the defense with lineman Tim Settle.

Tim Settle

Jeremy Reaves (39), Cornelius Lucas (78) and Tim Settle (97)

Ron Rivera

Settle agreed to a two-year contract with the Buffalo Bills Monday afternoon.

Settle joined Washington in 2018 as a fifth-round selection out of Virginia Tech. During his four-year tenure in Washington, Settle missed just two games but also started in just two games.

He was seen primarily as a depth piece in the interior defensive line behind Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne.

But despite being a backup, Settle played an integral role for the Washington front seven for the past four seasons, opening up a hole in Jack Del Rio's defense.

Jack Del Rio

Martin Mayhew

Jonathan Allen

Washington will likely first look at some cost-effective depth pieces in free agency before looking at the draft. Some players that fit this archetype include Indianapolis Colts lineman Isaac Rochell, Los Angeles Chargers lineman Christian Covington or Cleveland Browns lineman Malik McDowell. All of those guys are young, but can be a key third down player that forces the opposing offense to punt.

However, chances are, the team will draft a defensive lineman in the later rounds, similar to what the team did with Settle. As a fifth round pick, Settle has already defeated the average lifespan of an NFL player and is signed on to play two more seasons with the Bills, showing a sign that there is a lot to work with in Day 3 prospects.

Now, it's up to general manager Martin Mayhew to find his next Settle.