The Washington Commanders are limping their way to the finishing line during a season that promised dreams of Super Bowl contention but ended up falling by the wayside. It's been extremely disappointing, but there are some positives to take from the campaign.
Admittedly, those are hard to find. The Commanders are 4-11 through 15 games and might not win another contest. Massive changes are coming to the playing personnel this offseason, which is a tenure-defining one for general manager Adam Peters. Head coach Dan Quinn might also make some tweaks to the coaching staff, with defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. among those who could be made surplus to requirements.
Some players are earning the right to stick around. That won't stop Peters from making the significant changes needed to get this organization back into the playoff picture, but he won't dismiss everyone. That's almost impossible when one considers the number of pending free agents he's dealing with, more than any other team in the league.
It'll be interesting to see how Peters conducts his business this spring. Here are seven deals the front office leader must complete before it's too late.
Commanders deals the front office must finish before it’s too late
Eddie Goldman - Commanders DL
There are some uncertainties around the Washington Commanders' defensive line interior heading into the offseason. Daron Payne could be an early extension candidate, but he could just as easily be made available for trade or released outright to free up more cap space.
Javon Kinlaw's been completely underwhelming, which was the fear of fans who thought Adam Peters massively overpaid to secure his services. Johnny Newton remains an unknown quantity two years into his career, so unless the necessary progress arrives this offseason, he could stay as a rotational piece and nothing more.
These are complex conundrums for Peters to solve. However, retaining veteran run-stopper Eddie Goldman seems like a simple decision that wouldn't cost the earth.
Goldman imposed himself as a rotational presence. The Commanders have used him frequently on early downs, leveraging his strength to clog running lanes. Considering the amount of football he's missed through sitting out the COVID year and a brief retirement, the 2015 second-round pick out of Florida State should be fresh enough to make another contribution next time around.
Even though Goldman missed Washington's defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles due to injury, his overall body of work this season should be rewarded with another short-term deal.