Sometimes football comes down to the numbers. So here are a few to keep in mind as we dive into the Washington Commanders’ early-season injury woes…
332 and 321. Those are the exact weights of the two offensive guards for both the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys.
If you want to know why Adam Peters gave Javon Kinlaw such a lucrative deal or why Eddie Goldman was signed in free agency, look no further than the Eagles’ Landon Dickerson and Tyler Steen, and two of the other Tylers – Smith and Booker – who play for Dallas.
Those are enormous, athletic men who can overpower opposing teams’ interior linemen.
Last year, the Commanders used Daron Payne, Johnny Newton, Sheldon Day, and, once healthy, Jonathan Allen to play defensive tackle. Kinlaw and Goldman provide 33 extra pounds of beef up front to stand up against their adversaries in the NFC East.
Washington also got a little bit bigger outside. Deatrich Wise Jr. replaced Clelin Ferrell, providing about 10 extra pounds at defensive end. With the new arrival now out for the season after suffering a torn quad against the Green Bay Packers, defensive line coach Darryl Tapp will need to get some new players ready to step in for the steady veteran presence.
Washington’s first move was to promote Jalyn Holmes from the practice squad. He was on the team last year but took fewer than half as many snaps as Ferrell.
The Commanders also signed Preston Smith following a successful workout. He's almost 33 years old, but has connections to the franchise and 74 sacks to his name. That cannot hurt in difficult circumstances.
Commanders could switch Johnny Newton to the edge after Deatrich Wise Jr.'s injury
But Washington may want to try some in-house solutions in the short-term.
Kinlaw was already lining up over the opposing tackle on about 25 percent of the snaps this season. Even without Wise, the Commanders can run a standard 3-4 with Goldman in the middle, flanked by Kinlaw and Daron Payne.
A stand-up end, who functions more like a rush linebacker, like Jacob Martin or Von Miller, can fill out the front. Or Washington can deploy its most versatile lineman, Dorance Armstrong Jr., virtually anywhere.
I wouldn't be surprised to see Kinlaw continue playing outside at about the same rate he has been. Last season with the New York Jets, he was outside almost as much as he was in the middle. But if Dan Quinn, Joe Whitt Jr., and Tapp want to try something a little bit more radical, they might move Newton outside as well.
Newton was a highly valued draft pick when Peters chose him in the second round last year. Injuries caused his slide, and many analysts thought that once he was healthy enough to play, the former Illinois star would be one of the draft’s biggest steals.
So far, that has not happened. Newton is healthy, and though he has not misplayed, he is clearly the fourth choice at defensive tackle. He is not a particularly large man, not by NFL standards, for an interior force.
Newton is listed at 6-foot-2 and 295 pounds. Plenty of interior linemen of similar size have been very successful. But today’s prototypes are bigger. They are either taller players with long arms like Cameron Hayward or Zach Allen, or heavier players who are challenging to move, like Dexter Lawrence II or Chris Jones.
So far, Newton has not figured out how to utilize his quickness effectively enough. This is where a move outside may help.
Of course, NFL tackles are often even bigger than the guards Newton has been dealing with, but they are far more isolated. His quick get-off and range of athletic rush moves may be more effective than they have been inside, where he is struggling not to get washed out.
This is not a full-time solution. Newton is not simply going to switch positions and take Wise’s place. But he did move around in college, so playing outside isn’t totally alien to him.
So far this season, Newton has played over the tackle almost as much as he has played in the A or B gap across from opposing guards.
It is well worth a try to see if he can set the edge on running plays while using his speed to generate some pass pressure. Washington could call up Day, who was about as productive as Newton in 2024, to provide depth inside. This doesn't mean he can’t also take snaps at tackle.
Let’s end with another number. 30 percent. That’s how many of the Commanders’ defensive snaps Newton has played this season.
That’s not very good for a highly-touted draft pick in his second year. There does not currently seem to be a path forward for him to play a lot more in the middle. Perhaps Wise’s unfortunate injury will provide a way for Newton to make a bigger impact this season.