4 critical observations from the Commanders initial 53-man roster in 2023

Commanders will be dangerous if everyone stays healthy

Aside from the aforementioned issues within certain position groups, the Washington Commanders' initial 53-man roster looks pretty strong. And make no mistake, it needs to be if Ron Rivera wants to make the strides needed to keep his job beyond 2023.

The starting options look tremendous and dangerous in equal measure. This bears more significance on defense, which could be a special unit if everyone gets a clean run on the health front throughout what promises to be another grueling 17-game slate.

Of course, a large part of Washington's hopes rests squarely on the shoulders of inexperienced quarterback Sam Howell. But if the signal-caller doesn't become a weak link, this team might be set to surprise a few who've already written off their chances.

As previously stated, health is the biggest factor here. All it'll take is one or two key men to go down for a lengthy period to completely shift the landscape - something that will likely come with grave consequences attached as Josh Harris' ownership group assesses everything across the franchise in the coming months.

For now, fans should be optimistic about the Commanders - both on and off the field. It's been a long time since they could say that with any great confidence, but only if Rivera's squad can feed off the newfound positive energy and harness it into an improved football product.