4 Commanders on their way to being cut barring a late-season turnaround
By Dean Jones
Which Washington Commanders players are in danger of being cut barring a late-season turnaround over the final three games of 2023?
The Washington Commanders will likely be unrecognizable to even the most loyal fan by the time comes to formally begin preparations for the 2024 campaign. Ron Rivera is on his way out as head coach. Martin Mayhew - the team's general manager - will also be deemed surplus to requirements. Hitting the reset button is imperative after another campaign littered with underachievement.
Many players will also be nervously awaiting their fate. The Commanders are blessed with an abundance of draft capital and around $100 million in salary-cap space according to most projections. This puts them in an incredibly strong position to speed up their pending rebuild.
It's always a constant evaluation, more so now than ever. Putting out good tape at this late stage could make all the difference. That should be motivation enough to keep fighting even though Washington's fate is already sealed.
On this topic, here are four Commanders players who are in danger of being cut barring a late-season turnaround in 2023.
Nick Gates - Commanders OL
Nick Gates makes this list because some playing time might be coming his way. The free-agent signing was benched earlier in the campaign following a torrid run of form. With Tyler Larsen and Chris Paul both nursing injuries, the offensive lineman could be involved almost by default.
If Gates does get another opportunity to shine, he must make the most of it. The Washington Commanders will need to eat considerable dead cap to remove him from the equation after just one season. They have more than enough financial flexibility to pull the trigger on an early release if the new regime sees fit.
Gates hasn't met expectations as yet. Another failed Ron Rivera acquisition on the offensive line that doesn't look up to the required standard, one suspects. But a decent end to the campaign might shift the narrative.