4 players the Commanders could have drafted over Camaron Cheeseman
By Dean Jones
Which players could the Washington Commanders have selected over recently cut long-snapper Camaron Cheeseman in the 2021 NFL Draft?
After a severely disappointing season, the Washington Commanders made an expected and necessary transaction on Monday. Those in power finally gave up on Camaron Cheeseman - the long-snapper who endured a torrid run of form before eventually being put out of his misery.
Cheeseman's snapping has been nothing short of abysmal this season. It's highly unlikely he'll get another opportunity in the NFL. The decision to trade up and land the prospect in the 2021 NFL Draft is the latest in a long line of gambles that didn't pay off for head coach Ron Rivera.
The post-mortem on Rivera's roster building is going to be damning. Wasting draft picks on long snappers is rare. Giving away additional capital to move up for the privilege is borderline incompetence.
With this in mind, here are four players the Commanders could have drafted over Cheeseman in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Commanders could have drafted Tommy Kraemer
One of the biggest shortfalls from the Ron Rivera era - something that will inevitably come to an end once the next three games have been navigated - was a failure to prioritize the offensive line. Looking at the unit he inherited upon taking the job compared to now is night and day. And make no mistake, the Washington Commanders are suffering as a result.
Tommy Kraemer was a productive college prospect coming out of Notre Dame who went undrafted. He managed to fight his way onto the Detroit Lions roster, playing 238 snaps as a rookie and not conceding a single sack.
Kraemer endured some rough luck thereafter. He went to season-ending injured reserve and was subsequently released. The lineman is currently on the New Orleans Saints as he looks to bounce back from his recent long-term complication.
Considering the Commanders have almost no development projects to speak of, this could have been a better option to pick up over Camaron Cheeseman. Although hindsight is a wonderful thing to have.