Commanders at the Combine: Focus on 3 Roster Repairs
The NFL Scouting Combine is an event like none other for people like Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera and general manager Martin Mayhew.
Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It's the only time all 32 teams have their braintrusts in the same area, and a lot more than evaluating amateur athletes happens in Indianapolis this week.
In fact, a lot of season-shaping moves can be traced to the hallways, hotels, and even bars, that are visited during the combine, and here are the top three position groups the Washington Commanders could help themselves by addressing while in attendance.
QUARTERBACK
No sense burying the lead here. Quarterback is easily the singular most important position for this team to address this offseason.
Even if Taylor Heinicke reclaims his spot as the starting quarterback of the Washington Commanders in 2022, it needs to be taken by force.
While the team will be scouting potential rookies to bring in like Liberty's Malik Willis, Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett, and Ole Miss' Matt Corral, it's more likely the team turns to a veteran.
The trade market for experienced quarterbacks has cooled recently. But it doesn't mean there aren't available players.
At the same time, knowing how limited the trade market is may help Washington set up their strategy for attacking free agency.
A lot of questions are being answered this week, mostly behind the scenes, and all of them will give Rivera and Mayhew a better view of the quarterback landscape moving forward.
CORNERBACKS
There's reason to address any spot in the Commanders secondary, whether it be from a depth perspective, or looking for a long-term starting-caliber player.
But cornerback should be the first priority when addressing the group as a whole.
Last year, many fans were excited about Minnesota cornerback Benjamin St-Juste, and for good reason. On the field, you could see the potential and some signs of growth. Problem is, he wasn't there much.
You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone totally impressed with William Jackson III's first season in burgundy and gold, something you didn't find him doing with much success in 2021.
Jackson missed the final few games of the year battling a calf injury and COVID-19, but before that, had a solid stretch of games.
The improvement there is encouraging, but between his first-year struggles and St-Juste's injury concerns, Washington should have their eyes trained on this year's cornerback class.
Leading the way are Cincinnati's Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner and Clemson's Andrew Booth Jr.
But there's still intriguing talent after the first round with guys like Washington's Kyler Gordon and UTSA's Tariq Woolen who have the potential to be a workout warrior at this year's combine.
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Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
WIDE RECEIVER
As it looks like the Commanders more likely than not turn to a mid-level quarterback instead of nabbing a top target like Russell Wilson, the team will need to put weapons around him to compete in the NFC East.
News that Martin Mayhew is meeting with star receiver Terry McLaurin's agent in Indianapolis is encouraging, but he needs a running mate.
As the NFL becomes an even bigger passing league than it already is, the need for teams to have more than one threatening option is becoming more evident every season.
With the exception of 2018, each draft class for the past five years has produced a Top-25 wide receiver in yards with Ja'Marr Chase (LSU, Cincinnati Bengals), Justin Jefferson (LSU, Minnesota Vikings), A.J. Brown (Ole Miss, Tennessee Titans), and Cooper Kupp (Eastern Michigan, Los Angeles Rams) all making immediate and worthwhile impacts on their teams.
The outlier in that group, Calvin Ridley (Alabama, Atlanta Falcons), still finished 30th overall in his own rookie season, but his long absence for mental health in 2021 has a lot of questions raised that need to be answered.
If the Falcons decide it's best to trade their young receiver, the Commanders could certainly come calling.
Or they could target the plethora of talented names waiting to launch their NFL careers this April.
Guys to watch this week include Drake London (USC), Garrett Wilson (Ohio State), Christian Watson (NDSU), and Calvin Austin III (Memphis).
