3 personnel decisions Commanders should regret at the 2023 midseason point
By Dean Jones
Commanders draft ignorance
One of the biggest priorities fans wanted the Washington Commanders to address this offseason centered on the offensive line. The rag-tag group failed to meet even modest expectations in 2022, so a huge revamp was essential heading into a critical campaign for head coach Ron Rivera and his staff.
Rivera isn't known for making the biggest splashes when it comes to protecting the quarterback. That was the case more often than not with the Carolina Panthers and has reared its head once again in a different environment.
It's also worth remembering that there wasn't a lot of money to throw around. That's why going down the draft route seemed like the most likely outcome.
Instead, Rivera completely ignored the offensive line over the opening two rounds, using those picks on defensive backs. This seemed like complete incompetence at the time and even more so now with one-half of 2023 in the books.
Taking Emmanuel Forbes looked like a done deal from a long way out at No. 16 overall, which was a need. Many thought it was a reach, but the player did have those X-factor qualities needed to thrive once the cornerback finds his football legs.
In the second round, the Commanders went with Quan Martin over blue-chip interior linemen such as O'Cyrus Torrence and John Michael Schmitz. This was borderline malpractice and although the protection's improved over the last fortnight, it's been hugely disappointing overall.
Martin looks like he could be a good player, but the Commanders simply cannot afford to make the same mistake again next spring if they move forward with Sam Howell as their long-term quarterback.
And overall, this draft doesn't look great with very few notable contributions so far.