3 personnel decisions Commanders should regret at the 2023 midseason point

Commanders OL additions

As previously mentioned, the Washington Commanders didn't have much financial wiggle room last offseason. The ownership was in flux and those in power allocated a vast amount to stud defensive tackle Daron Payne after his breakout in 2022, so the margin for error was incredibly slim regarding personnel acquisitions.

The Commanders made a couple of big splashes in free agency. Arguably the biggest - certainly from a financial standpoint - was bringing right tackle Andrew Wylie into the fold following his Super Bowl-winning campaign with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Wylie's performance on the grandest stage of all coupled with his close relationship with Eric Bieniemy left reasons for encouragement. However, the veteran has given up a ton of quarterback pressures and just hasn't lived up to the hype.

While there have been improvements over Washington's last two games, Wylie's long-term future beyond the current campaign looks especially murky. Something that could see him become a cut candidate after just one season if things don't start trending upward.

For Nick Gates, it's even worse. The experienced figure arrived from the New York Giants and immediately took over center duties, which resulted in the Commanders releasing Chase Rullier once he passed the medical requirements.

Gates couldn't match Roullier's consistency before the former sixth-round pick's injury complications began. He quickly became a weak link in the protection and was subsequently benched for Tyler Larsen, who's been far more productive and is a trusted Ron Rivera player from their time together on the Carolina Panthers.

There's a very real chance neither Wylie nor Gates will be around in 2024. That is a damning indictment of the current recruitment ethos within the Commanders - a problem Josh Harris is already looking to change in pursuit of implementing more analytical methods to the decision-making process.