4 Commanders players entering the last chance saloon before 2023 bye week

Benjamin St-Juste - Commanders CB

Given Emmanuel Forbes could be out for the rest of 2023 - if the Washington Commanders had any sense - it's unlikely cornerback Benjamin St-Juste's role will diminish over the next five games. This is a numbers game more than anything else, but it doesn't detract from the need to improve his performance levels.

There's a real danger of St-Juste getting exposed further against the Miami Dolphins. The thought of going up versus Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle should fill the former third-round pick with dread, especially considering how much he's regressed in the final few weeks before Jack Del Rio's firing.

St-Juste is giving up 60.8 percent of targets thrown his way and boasts a 92.9 passer rating when targeted this season. These numbers have regressed from 2022 and a sign more might be needed moving forward once a new coaching regime comes into the mix.

The next few games represent an audition for everybody. The Commanders are blessed with multiple high-end draft picks in the first three rounds and could have upwards of $100 million to spend in free agency once one or two veterans are cut loose from their respective contracts - so players like St-Juste could be deemed surplus to requirements by a staff that has no emotional attachment to them whatsoever.

Very few Commanders players are deemed indispensable right now. St-Juste is teetering on the brink and nothing less than a strong end to the campaign will do.