5 defensive players that didn’t live up to the hype during Commanders tenure

Which former Washington Commanders players never quite lived up to the hype throughout the franchise's illustrious history spanning more than 90 years?

It certainly hasn't been dull for anyone that's followed the Washington Commanders franchise throughout its illustrious history. While it's easy to forget this is one of the NFL's most storied organizations over the 24 years of Dan Snyder's ownership, fans are hoping it won't take much longer before the good times return under Josh Harris and his ambitious team of investors.

One of the biggest errors of Snyder's reign was being trigger-happy and allocating whopping contracts to players that just couldn't - or didn't want to - meet expectations. Everyone saw the billionaire as easy money and if they weren't capable of putting in the performances needed, the guaranteed money was always there no matter what.

With this in mind, here are five Commanders' defensive players that never quite lived up to their hype throughout franchise history.

Dana Stubblefield - Former Commanders DT

Players always find an extra level or two in terms of effort during contract years. This could be fool's gold sometimes, which the Washington Commanders hope isn't the case with Daron Payne given they handed their rising defensive tackle four years and $59 million guaranteed after his 11.5 sack season that also came with a first Pro Bowl selection.

The franchise has been fooled plenty of times throughout history. One of the biggest hoodwinks centered on Dana Stubblefield, who somehow managed to notch 16 sacks for the San Francisco 49ers in 1997 and Washington rewarded him accordingly with a six-year, $36 million deal in free agency.

Unsurprisingly, Stubblefield was unable to reach these heights again. He played 39 times for Washington and notched just seven sacks before he went back to the Niners, which was a major disappointment considering the substantial investment.