Adam Peters moves in silence. The Washington Commanders general manager runs a tight ship with no leaks emanating from the building. That was evident once again with the team's out-of-the-blue swoop for veteran cornerback Rasul Douglas.
And it left one Dallas Cowboys expert wondering why Washington's bitter NFC East rival didn't make a move beforehand.
Peters saw enough over Washington's offseason program to determine that more was needed. He struck with conviction to sign Douglas, and the one-year deal worth up to $3.8 million could be a shrewd move if the West Virginia product has the desired impact.
Commanders quiet Rasul Douglas swoop didn't go unnoticed by Cowboys expert
Douglas played well last season with the Miami Dolphins. While he's on the wrong side of 30 now, he's dependable and experienced. For a Commanders secondary in desperate need of both, Peters deserves credit for bringing him on board well ahead of training camp.
Jerry Trotta of The Landry Hat thought this was a missed opportunity for the Cowboys, and the Commanders have now made it harder to solve their own questions in the cornerback room.
"Now 30 years old, Douglas has shown signs of decline in recent years, and the Commanders' cornerback room is still nothing to write home about even after adding him. Even so, they got better, making this feel like a missed opportunity for the Cowboys. There's still plenty of time for Dallas to address the position, but Washington signing Douglas only reinforces how shaky the group looks on paper."
This is just the icing on the cake.
Trotta added that he expects the Cowboys to let things play out over the early stages of camp before deciding on more drastic action. Peters made up his mind quickly, which might not bode well for the rest but gives the Commanders a chance to integrate Douglas into defensive coordinator Daronte Jones' scheme over the summer.
Douglas is long and physical. He can operate on the boundary or in the slot. He communicates effectively and is an opportunistic defensive back with a strong reputation for securing turnovers. The 2017 third-round pick may be nothing more than a depth piece, but the Commanders now have four genuine options capable of logging reps in the rotation.
As for the Cowboys? DaRon Bland and Cobie Durant could be the starting outside corners, with first-round pick Caleb Downs in the nickel. Injury-plagued defensive back Shavon Revel Jr. is the wild card, but it's not hard to see why Trotta has his doubts.
The Commanders don't care about that. Peters is worried only about improving his own team. Taking away one potential cornerback upgrade from Dallas is merely a bonus.
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