3 veteran free agents Commanders should bring in for training camp tryouts

1. Xavier Rhodes

The Commanders’ secondary was a disaster in 2021, but context matters. While there’s no excuse for the number of communication breakdowns they experienced, it’s noteworthy most of the unit was learning to play together last year.

With a full season and now two offseason’s worth of time sharing the field, the secondary should improve significantly in 2022. Having said that, continuity can only take you so far in today’s NFL, where most teams have three or four capable receivers. Does Washington currently have enough weaponry to combat that?

While Kendall Fuller and William Jackson III form a solid starting tandem, the group could benefit from an injection of veteran experience.

That’s where Xavier Rhodes, one of the best CBs of the last decade, comes into play. Despite being on the decline and just turning 32, Rhodes didn’t allow a passer rating above 100.0 over two seasons with the Colts and recorded an impressive 19 pass breakups and three interceptions during that span.

Rhodes’ best seasons with the Vikings came playing in a zone scheme, so he shouldn’t have any trouble picking up Washington’s system. With so much uncertainty behind Fuller and Jackson, it wouldn’t hurt inviting the three-time Pro Bowler for a workout during training camp.