3 reasons to be bullish about the Commanders in 2022

2. A robust supporting cast for Wentz

After trading for Wentz in March, the Commanders made it a priority to double down and build around the former number two overall pick. After losing Brandon Scherff to the Jaguars and releasing Ereck Flowers, the Commanders added veterans Andrew Norwell and Trai Turner to presumably be the two starting guards.

Norwell is consistently one of the NFL’s better pass-protecting guards in the NFL, ranking in the top 20 over the last three years in that category. Trai Turner showed he still had some juice in the tank as a solid starter at guard, according to Brandon Thorn of Establish the Run.

Turner and Norwell combine for a cap hit of just above $5M. Ereck Flowers was set to count $10M against the cap. Brandon Scherff’s is around $7M in 2022 for the Jaguars but quickly jumps up to $20M in 2023. While Scherff is one of the game’s most physically imposing guards, there shouldn’t be much dropoff in the duo of Norwell and Turner relative to Flowers and Scherff.

Those two get added to a room that features recently activated off the PUP list, Chase Roullier, who is one of the best all-around centers in the NFL. Wes Schweitzer has been an effective depth piece, who can play all three interior positions. At tackle, Charles Leno played his way into a lucrative new contract extension in January, while Sam Cosmi has the ability to be one of the best RTs in football. Cornelius Lucas will be the swing tackle for the Commanders, who has filled in effectively in his first two years with the team

The Commanders ranked sixth in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency in 2021 while adding Norwell and getting back a fully-healthy Roullier. Where did the Colts rank in pass blocking efficiency in 2021? 30th. Carson Wentz should definitely have cleaner pockets in Washington than he did in Indy.

Moving to the skill players, it may be Wentz’s deepest supporting cast he has had in his career. Terry McLaurin is a true number one X-receiver who can run practically every route, against nearly every corner. A talent like the newly extended McLaurin is something Wentz has never had in his career.

For as much as it is pointed out Wentz is the best QB McLaurin has ever had, McLaurin is the best receiver Wentz has ever had.

The ancillary pieces surrounding McLaurin are no slouch either. Jahan Dotson has shown to be a player that conducts himself with the utmost professionalism while having velcro hands and an advanced ability to track the ball. The way the coaching staff speaks of him is uncanny in its comparison to how Jay Gruden spoke of McLaurin in 2019.

While there are concerns with Dotson’s size and ability to get off press coverage at the line, he seems to be well positioned to have an effective rookie season. Adding him to the fold will take extra attention away from McLaurin, which will only help the offense.

The X-factor on offense is Curtis Samuel. If healthy, his ability to be a do-it-all Swiss-Army knife for the Commanders can add a unique element to Scott Turner’s offense. With the bulk of the attention going to McLaurin, combined with the addition of Dotson, Samuel can fit right in as a high-end secondary piece. Health will always be the biggest concern with him, though, as he continues to work back from his mysterious groin injury.

Behind the starting three, Cam Sims has performed admirably as a depth player whenever his number is called. The coaching staff is still bullish on what second-year player Dyami Brown can be as a deep threat. Those are five receivers the coaching staff believes can make an impact in 2022.

The tight end room, while filled with mostly youth behind starter Logan Thomas, has two known quantities to start. Thomas, whenever he returns to full health, should fit right in as an important piece to the Commanders’ offense in 2022 over the middle and in the redzone.

John Bates brings a physicality in the run game that the rest of the room does not, while also being enough of a threat as a pass-catcher to not make himself a total tendency buster when he runs onto the field. Behind those two are multiple young projects including rookies Cole Turner, Curtis Hodges, and Armani Rodgers. Don Warren, Washington’s recently retired scout, who won three Super Bowls in Washington as a tight end, calls it the best 1 through 5 he has seen at tight end in his 17 years as a scout on the John Keim Podcast.

Lastly, while the running back room for the Commanders won’t provide the elite presence Jonathan Taylor brought, they are no slouch in their own right. J.D. McKissic has carved out a role as the team’s third-down back, while the addition of Brian Robinson should make third-year back Antonio Gibson more explosive with a lighter workload. Robinson himself is someone who can contribute right away running downhill and in between the tackles.

On paper, the Commanders have a deep supporting cast surrounding Carson Wentz. It has capable starters across the board, with potent depth at nearly every position. Without debate, it is a much deeper, more talented supporting cast for Wentz than his support system was in Indy.

Whatever the best version the current iteration of Carson Wentz is able to produce, the Commanders have done everything they can to bring that out of Wentz from a roster construction perspective.