3 most important players on the Commanders roster who are not starters
By Jerry Trotta
What the Washington Commanders have lacked in star power over the last several seasons, they’ve more than made up for with ample above-average talents and players who are otherwise unknown on a national scale, like Cole Holcomb, Wes Schweitzer, Kam Curl and Bobby McCain.
The Commanders lost several key players this offseason, but positions like wide receiver, running back and tight end are deeper than they’ve been in years. The quarterback room is as talented as we can remember and the offensive line rotation could be eight or nine players deep by the end of training camp.
Like any team, Washington has bonafide starters and reserves. Some of the latter players are hugely important and could be more pivotal to the team’s success than some starters when all is said and done. With that in mind mind, let’s highlight some players who fall under that category.
3 most important bench players for the Commanders
3. Phidarian Mathis
It’s no secret the Commanders lost nearly all of their depth on the interior of the defensive line this offseason. Between releasing Matt Ioannidis to clear room for Carson Wentz’s contract and Tim Settle joining the Bills in free agency, you’re talking about losing a combined 818 snaps from last season alone.
While you can argue John Bates and Efe Obada/James Smith-Williams are important non-starters, Mathis could play a bigger role than all of them as the top backup behind starters Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. Though stars in their own right, Allen and Payne played 70% and 76% of the snaps in 2021, respectively
In other words, Ron Rivera and Jack Del Rio like to keep fresh legs in the trenches so Mathis, the Commanders’ second-round pick (No. 54 overall) this year, will be depended on more heavily than we’re accustomed to seeing from rookie DL.
Like most Alabama players, Mathis had to wait his turn to become a starter on Nick Saban’s defense. In his final season last year, the young lineman erupted for 53 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks for the Crimson Tide.
The Commanders’ defensive ceiling isn’t riding on Mathis, but it will skyrocket if he proves reliable as a backup behind Allen and Payne as a rookie because that role has serious questions with Ioannidis and Settle no longer in the fold.