The Washington Commanders splashed the cash to sign edge rusher Odafe Oweh in free agency. We're now midseason, and this big investment hasn't come close to delivering the desired results.
General manager Adam Peters identified Oweh as a high-priority target when the legal tampering window opened. He wasn't alone, which drove up the price. The Commanders eventually gave him a four-year, $96 million deal with a $26 million signing bonus and $68 million guaranteed, shaking the NFL to its foundations.
It was a big risk, of course.
Commanders need more from Odafe Oweh after big-money deal
So far, it hasn't quite paid off.
Oweh has been among the biggest letdowns through the first half of the campaign. The Commanders expected him to evolve from a situational rusher into a legitimate three-down force. That hasn't happened, aside from a few flashes of promise.
The 2021 first-round pick out of Penn State has four sacks through eight games. Not terrible, but Oweh isn't having the impact on games to justify such a lofty financial commitment.
Stats | Number & League Rank |
|---|---|
Sacks | 4 (21st) |
Run Stops | 7 (71st) |
Pressures | 19 (48th) |
Quarterback Hits | 3 (55th) |
Hurries | 12 (48th) |
And the fact that Washington only had him on the field for 59 percent of the snaps against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 9 speaks to that.
All hope is not lost with Oweh; far from it. It's taking him longer to adjust than expected, but the physical gifts are there to make him a real factor when everything clicks.
But time is what the Commanders don't have right now.
They are teetering at 2-5-1. The Commanders are one loss to the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football away from being written off completely. They need their big players to step up, and considering the money allocated to Oweh, he falls into that bracket.
Odafe Oweh has talent, but the Commanders need well-rounded performance
The Commanders need Oweh to become more than a pure pass rusher. There are run-game weaknesses that cannot be ignored. He's got the size, length, and pursuit speed to be a difference-maker, but the discipline in his run fits lacks consistency.
Nobody should be pressing the alarm on Oweh yet. Fans were probably expecting a little more bang for Washington's buck during his early transition to the franchise, but hefty price tags add pressure that requires adjustment.
That is what Oweh is going through right now. He's still making plays, and some of them have come in critical moments. But until his consistency improves, it's unlikely that his 64 percent of snaps will increase.
Oweh's cap numbers over the final years of his deal each stand at $27.2 million. Not top-tier money for edge rushers, but it's not far off.
The money is what it is. What's done is done, and performance is all that matters now.
Washington fans were expecting Oweh to blaze a trail. Things don't always work like that, but unless he becomes a more well-rounded asset over the Commanders' remaining nine games, they will have a right to ask questions.
For now, the jury is still out.
K'Lavon Chaisson is flashing a lot more, which is both positive and concerning. Oweh has talent, and the effort is where it needs to be, even if the numbers aren't quite there yet.
And with big money comes big pressure. Oweh has to handle it and remind the world why the Commanders were willing to throw him the bag.
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