The Washington Commanders have addressed nearly every position of need this offseason, with linebacker being the only exception.
During the NFL Draft, they filled holes at wide receiver defensive tackle, running back, special teams, quarterback, tight end, cornerback and offensive guard. It’s clear Ron Rivera and the front office think this roster is playoff-caliber, so they opted to reach for players they feel could help them win right away.
Most teams emphasize value or drafting the best player available so the Commanders are taking a calculated risk by trusting their judgement.
At the very least, Washington’s draft class (or most of it, anyway) should be contributing pretty regularly as rookies. We’re not expecting anyone not named Jahan Dotson to start right away, but some of them could force Rivera and the coaching staff into some tough decisions if they show out.
With that in mind, let’s highlight four Commanders who could find themselves relegated to the bench if they aren’t careful.
4 Commanders who could lose their jobs following the draft
4. Dax Milne
Isn’t it possible Milne outright loses his spot in the receivers rotation and the return game? With Jahan Dotson taking over No. 2 duties, or No. 3 if he’s deployed in the slot, that pushes Milne further down the pecking order behind Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, Dotson, Cam Sims and Dyami Brown.
You also have to consider recent signing Alex Erickson‘s experience as a receiver. Though primarily utilized as a return specialist in his career, Erickson has managed 96 catches for 1,141 yards and a touchdown in his pass-catching career.
Given their eerily similar profiles as WRs, Erickson and Milne could compete for a rotation spot during the offseason.
In the return game, though, Erickson has the clear edge over Milne given he’s returned nearly 300 kicks and punts in his career and once led the league in total kickoff return yards and yards averaged per punt return.
And don’t sleep on Dotson in regard to supplanting Milne in the return game. Though inexperienced as a kick returner, the former Penn State star averaged 17.16 yards per punt return over his final three years in Happy Valley.
3. Wes Schweitzer
No, Schweitzer’s potential replacement wasn’t taken in the NFL Draft, otherwise he’d rank higher on this list. In their first post-draft roster move, the Commanders signed veteran Trai Turner to a one-year deal, putting him in line to compete with Schweitzer for the right guard spot following Brandon Scherff’s departure.
Once thought to be Schweitzer’s job with zero competition is now the former sixth-rounder’s job to lose. While Schweitzer deserves to enter camp as the starter given he’s made 27 appearances (18 starts) for Washington over the last two seasons and brought stability to the offensive line as an injury replacement, Turner’s experience under Ron Rivera and OL coach John Matsko cannot be understated.
Of course, Turner was drafted by Rivera in 2014 and was the Panthers’ starting right guard spanning 2014 to 2018. He even made starts at center in 2019 and was named to five consecutive Pro Bowls under both Rivera and Matsko.
When you couple Turner’s history with Rivera and Matsko, with the fact Schweitzer missed the final seven games of 2021 due to injury, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they’re currently on a level playing field in terms of the RG competition.
2. Antonio Gibson
No, Gibson isn’t in danger of losing his job in Week 1. But any unbiased Commanders fan can admit the addition of Brian Robinson Jr. in the third round puts a ton of pressure on Gibson to be more consistent and take care of the football.
By all accounts, 2021 was a success for Gibson. While he led all running backs with six fumbles and only averaged 4.0 yards per carry, he was an absolute workhorse and warrior. The second-year pro played through a stress fracture in his shin and still finished fourth in the NFL in carries and sixth in rushing yards.
Gibson was also a big presence as a receiver out of the backfield, notching 42 receptions for 294 yards and three touchdowns, giving him 10 for the year as well as over 1,300 scrimmage yards, so the arrow is pointing up for AG.
With that said, Rivera didn’t hesitate benching him whenever he committed a costly fumble. Should that happen again, Washington will have a legitimate between-the-tackles runner in Robinson to take over the lead role. That couldn’t be said last year with Jaret Patterson and JD McKissic as the backups.
We like to think this is Gibson’s backfield, but the Memphis product could lose his stranglehold on the job if his fumbling issues return and Robinson, who made a habit out of bulldozing SEC defenders at Alabama, makes the most of his preseason, training camp and regular season reps.
1. Taylor Heinicke
The selection of Sam Howell in the fifth round is an interesting one, as his career projections are all over the place. Some fans view him as a career backup, while NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks views him as a future starter. Others — we’ll just call them haters — think he belongs as a third-stringer for his entire career.
We like to think Howell can become a starter down the road; perhaps after being groomed for a season or two while he adjusts to the speed of NFL defenses, learns the playbook and works on being more accurate on ordinary throws.
Having said that, there’s no reason to think Howell can’t push, and eventually supplant, Taylor Heinicke as Washington’s backup. If Howell can make even the smallest of strides in those aforementioned areas of weakness during camp and the preseason, his superior arm talent could give him the edge.
Of course, the Commanders aren’t going to just kick Heinicke to the curb. For all his deficiencies as a pocket passer, Heinicke led the team to seven wins, has the respect of the locker room and has an undeniable flair for the dramatic.
But even Heinicke’s biggest supporters can admit that Howell’s arrival brings into question Heinicke’s job security. Luckily for the Old Dominion product, he loves a challenge and isn’t going to relinquish his job without a fight.
Get your popcorn ready.