Former player has high hopes for Commanders' ambitious project

There is a lot to like about the Washington Commanders these days. Adam Peters went through a dramatic roster overhaul during free agency and the draft. Dan Quinn and his accomplished staff brought fresh ideas and renewed energy, which is having a positive impact on early workouts.

Nobody is getting too ahead of themselves. Rebuilding projects this substantial normally takes time. If the Commanders can be more competitive and pick up some positive results in 2024, that will provide the fanbase with enough belief that things are finally trending in the right direction.

Rick Walker eager to see Commanders' flourish in 2024

These positive alterations haven't gone unnoticed by those who donned the famous burgundy and gold previously. When speaking about the Commanders' new regime, former tight end Rick "Doc" Walker expects his old team to make more of an impression next season based on comments via USA Today Sports. He also gave their decision to give Quinn another head coaching opportunity his seal of approval.

"I am positive about everything I have seen and heard to this point…I was high on Dan Quinn before they hired him. His failure was in the Super Bowl. If that is your form of failure, I’ll take it. I like this group, I really do. I would be surprised if this group fails…I don’t think they are going to fail miserably like that last group. This is a group that has really good intentions. If they stay healthy I do think they will be pretty hard to beat."

- Rick Walker via USA Today Sports

There aren't many who haven't liked what the Commanders have done throughout the offseason. More importantly, there is a genuine long-term strategy in place with the infrastructure needed behind the scenes to get this storied franchise back into contention.

Washington will suffer some bumps in the road. But if they can keep togetherness, collaboration, and the bigger picture in mind, the Commanders might become one of the league's surprise packages much sooner than anticipated.

Even if things don't go according to plan initially, the correct foundations are being laid for sustainable success. There's no more rash gambling on overpriced veterans or trades. The Commanders adopted a business-first model under Peters and won't be deviating from this strategy anytime soon.

Not every problem was going to be solved in one offseason. Peters had a big mess to clean up both on and off the field. He's maximized the resources available, struck with conviction when opportunities arose, and got the Commanders a potential franchise quarterback along the way.

Jayden Daniels has everything one looks for in a modern-day quarterback. If he meets expectations and other problem position groups also raise their respective contributions, it's all systems go.

It's been a long time since Washington's long-suffering fanbase had legitimate hope. Dan Snyder's lack of interest and wayward methods demoralized them beyond measure. Under the guidance of Josh Harris' ownership group, Peters, and Quinn, things feel different this time around.

We'll get a better indication of what the Commanders might be capable of next season when preparations become more intense. But looking at how things have unfolded throughout the offseason, it would be a major disappointment if this ambitious project fell flat.