5 Commanders players fighting for their future after the 2023 bye week

Curtis Samuel leads a group of five Washington Commanders players fighting for their futures after the 2023 bye week.

Every player on the Washington Commanders' roster is fair game to be replaced after this dismal season. Yet, five in particular are moving closer to the exit than most, including wide receiver Curtis Samuel.

Ron Rivera and his coaching staff have consistently failed to make full use of the versatility and talent at their disposal. It's both baffling and infuriating, especially when the depth chart is loaded with flexible playmakers, notably on offense.

Without further ado, here are five players running out of time to extend their time with the Commanders.

Curtis Samuel - Commanders WR

It says a lot that Curtis Samuel is on pace for his most productive season with the Washington Commanders, despite making just 51 catches. Quite why offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy has failed to make greater use of his dual-threat skills is a mystery on two levels.

First, because Samuel has delivered on the rare occasions he's been featured. Like when he snagged nine catches for 100 receiving yards against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 12. It's the only time the Ohio State product has had double-digit targets this season.

The modest usage is a surprise considering offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is well-versed in a system suited to maximizing multi-faceted wideouts. It's what he did with players like Mecole Hardman and Kadarius Toney for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Fortunately, Bieniemy appears to be designing concepts more suited to Samuel. Film analyst Mark Bullock broke down one such design against the Miami Dolphins.

Samuel is a free agent the Commanders should bring back cheap. He can help a quarterback in so many ways, provided he's given more chances after the bye.

Antonio Gibson - Commanders RB

Curtis Samuel isn't the only two-phase playmaker the Washington Commanders have let go to waste. Quite why Antonio Gibson's rushing and receiving threat hasn't been exploited more is anybody's guess.

Once again, offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy need only consult his recent history for the best template on how to use Gibson. Consider Kansas City Chiefs running back Jerick McKinnon the best example.

McKinnon scored 10 touchdowns during Bieniemy's final season running the offense for Kansas City in 2022. Many of those scores came from the creative ways he got the dynamic presence open in the flat.

Where are these plays for Gibson? He's a wide receiver playing running back who has just seven touchdown catches in four seasons.

Gibson can beat defenses in multiple ways, but he's been hampered by the unfair expectation to be a workhorse. That expectation is likely to continue with Commanders' RB1 Brian Robinson Jr. dealing with a hamstring injury.

He might only play his way onto a new team during the season's final few weeks, but Gibson could convince the Commanders to offer him a new deal with enough production.

Jonathan Allen - Commanders DT

He was once the steady Eddie of Ron Rivera's team. But Jonathan Allen has become more of a distraction during this trying season for the Washington Commanders, who sit at 4-9 with another losing season confirmed for the head coach - his fourth in succession.

The hulking defensive tackle has had a lot to say while losses have mounted. A lot. Even hinting at his potential departure as frustrations around constant losing come to the fore.

Allen is talking his way out of Washington, it seems. But he needs to stop the chatter and get back to dominating on the field.

No. 93 should be a building block for the next coaching staff. Not somebody more content to describe his anger, his disappointment, his frustration.

Allen's focused inward too often, but teams win and lose together.

When he's at his best, Allen helps the Commanders win. If he's no longer motivated to do that, the games after the bye will be his last in a Commanders' uniform.

Benjamin St-Juste - Commanders CB

He has the numbers, but cornerback Benjamin St-Juste sums up everything wrong with the Washington Commanders' boom-or-bust secondary. The third-year cornerback leads the NFL in "forced incompletions," according to Pro Football Focus, which came as a surprise to many who've watched the team closely this season.

This many broken-up passes should be the hallmark of a true shutdown corner. Instead, St-Juste is just as likely to get beat deep as he is to get his hands on the ball. Maybe more likely.

He should be a physical mismatch able to play press on an island, but the 6-foot-3, 200-pounder gets burned on the outside too often. Like when rookie Jalin Hyatt beat him for the New York Giants in Week 7.

The Commanders need St-Juste to put it all together after the bye. Consistency can make him the matchup cover man the next defensive coordinator can use against an opponent's WR1 each week.

Andrew Wylie - Commanders OT

His three-year contract has an out in 2025, but Andrew Wylie still has time to be the stabilizing force the Washington Commanders hoped he would be after following Eric Bieniemy from the Kansas City Chiefs.

He's smart and mobile, two qualities perfect for this offense. Yet it's just not come together for the offensive lineman this season.

It's not as if Wylie hasn't proved himself in the past. Even though his dominant display against Haason Reddick and the Philadelphia Eagles in last season's Super Bowl feels like a lifetime ago.

Pinpointing the cause of Wylie's malaise with the Commanders isn't easy. Issues across the rest of the offensive line haven't helped, nor has Bieniemy's tendency to go without tight end help up front.

No matter the reason, the Commanders paid enough to give Wylie another chance to prove himself, barring a disastrous post-bye performance. However, expect the new regime to prioritize bringing in offensive line reinforcements via free agency and the 2024 NFL Draft.