3 waiver wire targets the Commanders should chase after final cuts

The Washington Commanders 53-man roster is set, for now. There were surprising cuts, as well as some surprising players making the roster. The Commanders have a talented roster, that can be competitive this year. However, there are some key places where the Commanders need help.

As of now, the Commanders only have four corners on roster. And the defense as a whole, especially at linebacker, lacks proven depth across the board. It is needless to say the Commanders will be active on the waiver wire and signing unsigned veterans in free agency.

Here are three released players we believe Washington should chase in the coming days to bolster their initial 53-man roster.

3 players the Commanders should consider signing post cutdown

3. Kevin Pierre-Louis, LB

This one makes too much sense. While Pierre-Louis isn’t a star, his fit with the Commanders makes perfect sense. In the 2020 offseason, Pierre-Louis signed a one year contract with the franchise. Then, in 2020, he was a solid player for the Commanders before he left for the Texans the next offseason.

The Commanders had interest in re-singing the former Boston College Eagle, however, they were not willing to match the two-year, $5 million contract Houston offered. Fast forward a little over a year later and Pierre-Louis is back on the market again.

Washington’s linebackers behind Jamin Davis and Cole Holcomb are: David Mayo, Milo Eifler and De’Jon Harris. Mayo is strictly a run stopper, Eifler was made famous for not having an intro on Sunday Night Football last year and Harris, an undrafted free agent in 2020, is on his third team after bouncing on and off practice squads, with action on defense in only two games throughout his career.

To say the least, the depth within the Commanders linebacker room is measly, at best. Pierre-Louis won’t magically turn the Commanders into a top-shelf linebacker core. However, his athleticism, familiarity with the defense and his upside in pass coverage can bolster Washington’s linebacker core.

Note: Jon Bostic was released by the Saints after the completion of this article. Bostic makes sense for the Commanders to scoop up as well, given his expertise in Jack Del Rio’s system.

2. Javelin Guidry, CB

For as thin as the Commanders are at linebacker, they may be even more thin at cornerack. As previously stated, they have four —yes four— corners on the active roster at this moment. I have said previously that the Commanders corner depth was suspect, and the coaching staff concurred.

So, it has been made clear the Commanders will likely be scouring the market for veteran corners. Guidry, a third-year former undrafted free agent is not exactly a veteran, and he will be more difficult than others for Washington to acquire because he was waived. This means he will go through the waiver wire, where the worst teams from 2021 get priority.

The order is the exact same as the 2022 NFL Draft’s order. Therefore, if Jacksonville wanted to claim Guidry they could at no contest.

The Commanders should absolutely put in a claim for Guidry on tomorrow’s waiver wire.

Guidry provides positional versatility. According to PFF, he has played an equal amount of snaps at slot and outside corner. He also has over 130 snaps in the box.

Guidry is best as a slot defender. In his rookie year, where he played 76% of his snaps in the slot, Guidry allowed zero passing touchdowns on 15 targets.

In his second year, where Guidry was moved all around the field totaling over 100 snaps at outside corner, slot and in the box, he took a slight step back. While he had three pass deflections, his yards allowed nearly tripled, and he allowed two touchdowns on 39 targets.

Guidry possesses elite athletic ability that make up for his lack of size (5-foot-9” 193 pounds), as he ran a 4.29 40-yard dash at the 2020 NFL Combine. His athletic profile combined with the flashes he has shown should make the Commanders strongly consider him.

However, Washington will most likely need to give him a refined role to get the most out of the third-year player.

Given the Commanders startling lack of bodies here, they shouldn’t stop looking with Guidry. Other quality options out there include Joe Haden, A.J. Bouye, Kevin King, and Chris Harris.

1. Jaquiski Tartt, S

Tartt has been a staple in the San Francisco secondary for six years before signing with the Eagles this offseason on a one-year deal. Days before trading for Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, the Eagles cut Tartt and he is now a free agent.

Given Washington’s lack of depth at corner, it would be beneficial for the Commanders to be prepared for a potential injury to one of its starting corners. Most likely, at some point this year, the Commanders will have to rely on, once again, 3-safety sets like they predominately used last year.

While both Darrick Forrest and Percy Butler have the potential to be a reliable third safety in the future, neither are quite ready for that yet. Forrest is farther along, as Butler will be used primarily on special teams. The Commanders could stand to improve their safety room, however.

Tartt has been a very versatile safety in his time with the Niners. While the majority of his snaps came in two-high sets, or as the over-the-top safety, he has over 160 career snaps in the box according to PFF.

The former Niner’s level of play has tailed off slightly in recent years, as he shifted to becoming more of a rational player in San Francisco in 2020 and 2021, while also struggling with injuries in years past. He is not an all-star caliber player; there is a reason he is available after all.

However, his versatility, veteran presence, and physicality could be a welcome addition to the safety. In this case, unfortunately, it might send Jeremy Reaves back to the practice squad, but Washington vastly needs to improve its secondary.

There simply aren’t that many options that are worthwhile on the market at the moment, however. So Washington will need to continue to flesh out its safety room. The addition of Tartt can do that, in a rotational capacity.