5 Commanders players lucky to escape Adam Peters' initial roster cull
By Dean Jones
Trent Scott - Commanders OT
It was a season to forget for the Washington Commanders offensive line in 2023. The offseason acquisitions made by Ron Rivera came with a fair share of skepticism attached. Unfortunately, they couldn't even meet modest expectations as Sam Howell became the league's most sacked quarterback within Eric Bieniemy's pass-dependent offensive scheme.
This cannot continue if the Commanders want to maximize their substantial upcoming investment. Adam Peters will be selecting a quarterback at No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. Providing their new rookie signal-caller with clean pockets is the only way this shift in course is going to pay dividends.
Despite releasing Charles Leno Jr., the Commanders didn't do much to fortify their edge options from the veteran pool. Cornelius Lucas was re-signed, but he's more of a swing tackle than a starting-caliber option. There's also the presence of Trent Scott to consider.
Scott came into the fold as part of Rivera's desperate last attempt to improve depth. He was a bit-part player in 2023, featuring in just 138 snaps on offense. This was a damning indictment of how his talent was perceived when one considers how much others were struggling to find form.
Nobody would have batter an eyelid if Peters had released Scott as part of his grand plans for progress. The former undrafted free agent out of Grambling State is counting just $1.47 million against the salary cap and $1.27 million of that would be saved by an early departure. Surprisingly, this hasn't arrived as yet.
Scott survived the first big challenge. But there is another massive obstacle upcoming.
Much like the situation at wide receiver, the Commanders are likely looking toward the 2024 NFL Draft for a long-term blindside presence and perhaps even a right tackle for good measure depending on how things shake out. Multiple reinforcements would place Scott's future firmly under the microscope once again.