4 Commanders players entering precarious situations in 2024
By Dean Jones
Benjamin St-Juste - Commanders CB
If there is one criticism of Adam Peters' roster construction this offseason, it's that another productive outside cornerback presence wasn't sought at some stage. Mike Sainristil came into the fold as a second-round selection, but he's seen more as a nickel option capable of impacting proceedings considerably on blitz packages. It was relatively underwhelming aside from that.
Michael Davis was signed in free agency but needs to recover from a down year with the Los Angeles Chargers. The rest were classed as journeymen and special teamers rather than dependable starters. However, there's still time for Peters to get another corner depending on what opportunities present themselves before Week 1 at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
This seems like a vote of confidence in Benjamin St-Juste. Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. like their cornerbacks to be big and physical in press coverage. The former third-round selection has the tools in that sense, but his wildly inconsistent production last season makes this a gamble of epic proportions.
St-Juste flashed moments of promise last season. He also gave up 63.2 percent of targets thrown in his direction. This led to 769 receiving yards from the opposition at 11.5 yards per completion. If the defensive back wants to prove his worth as a legitimate starting option, improvements are required.
There is plenty of motivation for St-Juste in 2024. He goes into the campaign as Washington's top outside coverage option as it stands. It's also a contract year for the player, so a good campaign with improved consistency could see the Minnesota product rewarded with a longer-term commitment.
Quinn and Whitt come with glowing credentials regarding cornerback development. They could get a better tune out of St-Juste if they improve his technical flaws. Should he fail to meet specific targets, a situation might emerge where the Commanders cut their losses entirely.
It's a high-stakes situation for St-Juste. Hopefully, it's a challenge he'll relish en route to better fortunes next season.