This forgotten free agent could bolster Commanders’ defensive line depth

The Washington Commanders‘ defense has plenty of room to improve after a lackluster 2021.

While the group made strides in the second half of the season, its propensity for communication breakdowns and giving up big plays puts a ton of pressure on coordinator Jack Del Rio to have the unit firing on all cylinders in 2022.

It’s fair to say the secondary shouldered the brunt of the blame for the D’s struggles, and understandably so. Between passer rating, touchdowns, yards per game and explosive plays, it offered little to zero resistance against the pass.

With that said, Washington’s pass rush was no great shakes, either. Even when Montez Sweat and Chase Young were healthy, it was largely Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne who wreaked the most havoc in opponent’s backfields.

Given their inconsistency, the front office should look to add more pass-rushing weapons behind Young and Sweat.

Though the free agent market is loaded with big names, FanSided NFL insider Matt Lombardo dropped an interesting scoop on one Olivier Vernon, who expects to be at “full-strength” by the start of next season.

The Commanders should consider signing free agent Olivier Vernon.

At 31 years old and coming off a torn Achilles that cost him the entirety of this past season, Vernon shouldn’t be viewed as a weekly starter. As a potential depth signing, though, we’d take him on Washington in a heartbeat.

Think about it for a second. With Allen, Payne, Young and Sweat, the Commanders already have their cornerstones on the defensive front. How long they’re together remains to be seen, but we’re talking about 2022, not the future.

While Vernon sat out 2021, he was incredibly productive as a pass rusher for the Cleveland Browns two seasons ago. In 14 games, he compiled 12 tackles for loss, nine sacks, 16 QB hits, 51 pressures and 34 hurries.

The nine-year pro played 87% of the snaps that year, proving he’s still capable of shouldering a sizable workload as an elder statesman.

In addition, Vernon’s been a force against the run throughout his career, earning a 71.8 run-defense grade from PFF from 2016-2020.

It’s unclear when Vernon will be healthy enough to start taking free agent visits, but Lombardo’s report indicates he’s not far off in that regard. Luckily for Washington and Vernon, the offseason is just getting started, so there’s no need for either party to rush to a decision.

With the Commanders’ starting defensive line locked and loaded, they can afford to wait until the third and fourth waves of free agency to sign an edge rusher. However, with Young likely to be eased in following his recovery from ACL surgery, it would behoove them to create a shortlist of potential targets.

While James Smith-Williams, Shaka Toney and William Bradley-King showed flashes as replacements last season, the injuries to Young and Sweat proved Washington needs to add some experience behind its young studs.

With most of the Commanders’ cap space expected to be used on a quarterback, linebacker, safety and wide receiver, Vernon makes a ton of sense as a cost-effective, low-risk signing late in the offseason.