5 Commanders players who could be replaced in the 2023 NFL Draft

Logan Thomas – Commanders TE

This is the biggest unknown surrounding the Washington Commanders ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft. Are they legitimately happy with their tight-end options or will a prospect be sought to give Eric Bieniemy a Travis Kelce-like contributor following his switch from the Kansas City Chiefs?

While the likes of Cole Turner, Armani Rogers, and perhaps even John Bates could develop further under Bieniemy’s expert guidance, ignoring one of the deepest tight-end draft classes in a long time would be foolish. Something that casts further uncertainty on Logan Thomas‘ short and long-term future with the franchise.

Thomas has regressed considerably following his impressive 2020 campaign where he gained 670 receiving yards and six touchdowns. The former Virginia Tech quarterback could return to this form with Bieniemy calling plays, but there’s no telling for sure and if one of the top-end prospects becomes available, the Commanders should pull the trigger.

This would make things difficult to justify keeping Thomas around given the team’s current financial state. Releasing him with a post-June 1 designation comes with $6.92 million in cap savings, which could prove too tempting to ignore if a gifted college recruit is attained.

The option is an intriguing one. Especially considering how reliant Bieniemy was on tight-end production with the Chiefs.