Cornelius Lucas - Commanders OT
As mentioned previously, the Washington Commanders need to find solutions in the trenches. Adam Peters needs to bolster the offensive line and ensure quarterback Jayden Daniels has the protection needed to excel. Nothing else will do.
The offensive tackle spots could be addressed in some capacity. Speculation remains about whether Brandon Coleman would be better suited to the interior and right tackle Andrew Wylie is a potential salary-cap casualty. It's a fine line for Peters, but one he must get right.
Cornelius Lucas enters free agency this spring. The dependable veteran performed extremely well when called upon in 2024. He split blindside reps with Coleman over the early stages of the campaign. An unfortunate injury thrust the rookie into the limelight, leaving him as Washington's key swing tackle.
Lucas gave up one sack and three penalties from 464 offensive snaps. His 79.8 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus ranked 25th among 141 qualifying offensive tackles. He manned the right or left tackle positions positively. Every team needs a player like that.
Regardless of whether the Commanders acquire additional reinforcements or not, they need to extend Lucas on another short-term deal. He's a dependable professional who never lets the team down. This should be rewarded accordingly by the front office.
Marcus Mariota - Commanders QB
Jayden Daniels took center stage during a rookie campaign for the ages. The quarterback propelled himself to superstardom quicker than anyone envisaged en route to one of the greatest rookie seasons in league history. Washington is in safe hands, but this doesn't happen without a strong support system in place.
The Commanders worked hard to put the right structure around Daniels. Kliff Kingsbury, David Blough, Tavita Pritchard, and Brian Johnson formed the core coaches. Washington also added a productive veteran to mentor the Heisman Trophy winner in the form of Marcus Mariota.
Nobody expected Mariota to feature much in the starting lineup. The former Oregon standout accepted his role and embraced it, becoming a pillar for Daniels to lean on through the good times and bad. This was the biggest positive imaginable during his sensational transition.
Mariota also played well when opportunities arose. He led the Commanders to a resounding victory over the Carolina Panthers when Daniels got hurt on the first drive. Looking at the free-agent class and the quarterback group emerging from the college ranks, this might be enough for an opportunity to compete for a starting job elsewhere.
That would be a hard proposition to turn down at this stage of his career. The Commanders cannot offer Mariota that, but they must try to re-sign the signal-caller.