3. Washington Commanders
Additions: QB Carson Wentz, G Andrew Norwell, DE Efe Obada
Subtractions: G Brandon Scherff, DL Matthew Ioannidis, TE Ricky Seals-Jones
FA: S Landon Collins, G Ereck Flowers, ILB Jon Bostic
The Commanders’ 2021 season was derailed quickly after a Week 1 injury to newly-signed quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, thrusting QB Taylor Heinicke back into the fire after showcasing his abilities late in 2020. To make matters worse, the defense got off to a horrendous start despite lofty expectations coming into the year.
Through eight weeks, head coach Ron Rivera’s team sat at just 2-6. They came out hot following the bye week, rattling off four straight wins to climb back into playoff contention before a crucial stretch of five games against divisional opponents to end the season. Those hopes wound up being short-lived, as they dropped four straight games against the Cowboys and Eagles before beating the Giants, fishing the year at 7-10, winning the same amount of games in 2020.
Enter Carson Wentz, who’s coming off a disastrous end to his short-lived Colts tenure following a late-season collapse, forcing Indianapolis to miss the playoffs at 9-8. With that being said, Wentz had a quality year on paper, amassing 27 TD to only 7 INT, although it felt like most of those picks came at an extremely costly time. Nevertheless, Wentz is a clear upgrade over Heinicke however you slice it.
As far as the rest of this roster, the defense is what needs to be consistent for this team to have any shot at making the playoffs. Hardly any moves were made on that side of the ball that possesses any significance. Chase Young has to anchor that defensive line after a disappointing sophomore season and the secondary must improve to keep this team afloat.
A change at quarterback will help this team, but without any improvements to the rest of the roster, it’s doubtful Wentz elevates this team to the level of the Eagles and Cowboys. With a young roster, there’s room to improve, but it’s more of a wait-and-see situation in regards to how this team’s ceiling has changed heading into 2022.