3 telling Adam Peters quotes that should have every Commanders fan excited

What telling quotes from new Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters should have every fan excited heading into the offseason?

After much speculation, the Washington Commanders got their guy when Adam Peters agreed to become their next general manager. It's been a whirlwind week for the new front office leader, who spurned down multiple advances from elsewhere and spent considerable time with Josh Harris' brain trust to align their vision for the franchise.

Peters is a tremendous hire. He's a progressive thinker with enough experience working for Super Bowl-winning organizations. This is the exact statement Harris wanted to make as he looks to take the Commanders out of the abyss and back to being an NFL powerhouse.

There was a chance to enter the mind of Peters for the first time on Tuesday. It was standing room only for his introductory presser, which covered a variety of different topics and highlighted how the Commanders might be doing business moving forward.

With this in mind, here are three telling quotes from Peters that should have every fan excited.

Adam Peters wants to restore pride

There was mutual interest right from the outset between the Washington Commanders and Adam Peters. Other candidates were interviewed. The former San Francisco 49ers assistant general manager wasn't short of offers, either. In the end, both parties got what they wanted.

This comes with newfound optimism that hasn't been evident for the best part of two decades. Peters is under no illusions as to the size of this mammoth task to get the Commanders back to relevancy. However, he's going to strive with everything he has to repay the faith shown in him by Harris and his wealthy ownership team based on comments via Nicki Jhabvala from the Washington Post.

"This is where I'm supposed to be — the general manager of the Washington Commanders. … I promise you I'll work tirelessly to build this franchise. This is one of the cornerstone franchises in the NFL. … I could not be more thrilled to be here."

Adam Peters via X/Twitter

There will be no more cutting corners. No more false promises or delusions of grandeur. Peters has set his sights on restoring the Commanders to their rightful place. Not just for a year or two, but for the long term.

Commanders coaching search

Now that the Washington Commanders have the general manager in place, their full focus can be directed toward finding the best head coaching candidate to take the organization forward. Some interviews have already taken place. Some are scheduled virtually over the next few days. Adam Peters will have his hand in everything as the new leader of the team's football operations.

It'll be a collaborative effort between the general manager and ownership to secure their preferred target. Speculation continues to rise about Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson being a frontrunner. However, nothing is set in stone as yet heading into the play-caller's virtual interview on Friday.

When asked about whether the Commanders will be looking for someone with an offensive or defensive background, Peters was more intent on finding the right leader for this franchise based on comments via JP Finlay from NBC Washington.

"We're looking for the best leader for this team. We have set criteria that we're aligned in that vision. It's not going to be in a box, it's not going to be offense, it's not going to be defense, it's going to be the best leader."

Adam Peters via X/Twitter

This should be music to the ears of fans. The Commanders are after a culture builder. A leader of men. Someone who can inspire through the good times and the bad. If that turns out to be the latest hot commodity such as Johnson, so be it, but they must also prove capable of more than just Xs and Os.

Commanders roster building

Adam Peters and the new head coach have a lot of hard work ahead. There are numerous pressing priorities facing the incoming regime. The Washington Commanders have a few foundational pieces to build around, but this blank canvas of sorts could have been a decent selling point when one considers how well the franchise has positioned itself.

The Commanders have the league's most salary-cap space currently. They also boast nine selections in the 2024 NFL Draft. Six of these are in the top 102. Washington's first-round pick is No. 2 overall. This could be used to take a potential franchise quarterback if Peters and his staff like what they see throughout the assessment process.

When discussing the preferred roster-building strategy moving forward, Peters made his intentions clear for all. The Commanders are going to build through the draft under his leadership. Any remaining holes or immediate needs can be solved in free agency.

"I find this a very similar situation to the San Francisco 49ers in 2017. There are a lot of similarities to lean on. Things we did well and things we didn't, but ultimately we're going to build through the draft here and supplement through free agency. We're going to be very process-driven and diligent. We're going to be selective in free agency and build through the draft."

Adam Peters

Again, this is a positive step forward. Ron Rivera preached much of the same throughout his tenure as head coach. However, he failed to meet the required evaluation standards and determine which positions needed priority. This is a mistake Peters doesn't plan to make.

Exciting times ahead, that's for sure.