The fourth summer that Ron Rivera has spent with Washington may be his most difficult one yet. The Commanders’ head coach is still managing chaos, including the possible tectonic shift of an organization sale this year, and he is still without a clear quarterback solution. Additionally, after firing offensive coordinator Scott Turner, Rivera was forced to make arguably the biggest coaching hire of his career in Eric Bieniemy.
For NFL betting fans picking their best bets of the day, the Commanders certainly provided some memorable performances, most notably against Green Bay, Philadelphia, and Dallas, but bettors may not be rushing to wager on Washington for the NFC East Division next season.
According to Rivera, the potential sale won’t have an impact on the front office’s capacity to assemble the team. In theory, the Commanders have enough salary cap room and a solid pick to strengthen the roster. So, what should we look out for?
Salary Cap Challenge
The pay cap for 2023, which will be revealed in March, is anticipated to increase once more. Reports suggest the cap will rise from its current $208.2M to around $225M, leaving Washington with a cap space of about $11.6M. The release of quarterback Carson Wentz is anticipated to free up an extra $26M for the Commanders, and they may be able to make even more room by cutting other veterans or renegotiating contracts. Washington should be among the top ten clubs in terms of cap space at the beginning of March, but will the new ownership approve a spending spree?
Free Agent Decisions
There are many personnel decisions for Washington to make this offseason, but Daron Payne is the most significant. He has just finished a career-best season and will be in high demand in the free-agent market. On his subsequent contract, Payne could earn an average salary of $19.4M.
Alternatively, if Washington decided to franchise tag him, the cost would be around the same. According to some analysts, the defensive tackle franchise tag could be around $18.937M for one season.
Draft Capital
Washington goes into the Draft with the 16th overall pick and still own the remainder of their picks apart from the third-rounder it traded for Carson Wentz. Following the departures of Brandon Scherff and Tim Settle, Washington is likely to receive two compensatory picks. Reports suggest it will receive a third round pick for Scherff and a sixth for Settle, although the details will not be confirmed until March.
Quarterback Search
Washington might aim for youth next season after its recent experienced quarterback acquisitions, both of which failed. Sam Howell is the current starter but must prove himself at training camp. Meanwhile, the franchise will be looking at other options for the future.
The Wentz experiment was about as disastrous as it could have been, but the veteran only had a year’s worth of guaranteed pay when he arrived and will have no dead money left over when he leaves. The Commanders will be able to use the money they save by opting for a young starter to re-sign existing players and upgrade in certain areas.
They will still likely need an experienced player at quarterback as a backup. They may choose to re-sign Taylor Heinicke or take a look at another free agent, such as Teddy Bridgewater. Derek Carr’s hefty contract of $32.9m in 2023 turned guaranteed on February 15th, while Jimmy Garoppolo, who is also soon to be a free agent, is likely to demand a high price, which combined with his injury record makes him unattractive.
Getting a quarterback in the Draft is another option, but although this year’s class is a deep one, the perennial demand for quarterbacks usually means that they go early. At 16th, Washington would have to trade away a significant number of assets to have a chance at getting one of the top quarterbacks in the Draft. Just two years ago, in a similar situation, they were not willing to do that for Justin Fields.
They would ideally want to use the Draft to address other weaknesses. They need secondary depth, reinforcements on the interior offensive line, and significant linebacker additions. With the NFC East likely to be even more competitive next season, Rivera and the Commanders need to get their decisions this offseason right if they are to avoid finishing at the bottom of the division again in a year’s time.
