The Washington Commanders are leaving no stone unturned in pursuit of improvements. Adam Peters is working to mold the roster into a leading Super Bowl contender once again. But a notable addition to the staff team also raised a few eyebrows around the league.
According to Mike Reiss from ESPN, the Commanders are hiring Wes Wekler to be a personnel analyst. The former wide receiver is a decade removed from his All-Pro playing career and is coming off a successful stint as Miami Dolphins wide receivers coach from 2022-2024.
This is an intriguing development. Welker has some familiar faces in Washington to smooth the transition, with offensive Kliff Kingsbury being an old college teammate. He also crossed paths with Peters at three previous stops — the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos as a player, coupled with the San Francisco 49ers as a coach.
And therein lies the clue to why the Commanders brought Welker into the fold.
He'll have other responsibilities, of course. But some notable insight from Ben Standig from The Athletic made the biggest reason behind the hiring abundantly clear.
Wes Welker hire can help Commanders get the most out of Deebo Samuel
This all centers around versatile weapon Deebo Samuel Sr., who was acquired from the Niners earlier this offseason for a fifth-round pick. Welker was the South Carolina graduate's wide receivers coach for the first three seasons of his professional career. Standig also revealed that he was the one who stayed on top of the wideout's training regimen when his weight began to fluctuate.
It's the glue that holds this equation together.
Welker knows how to bring the best out of Samuel. He knows what makes him tick and how to keep him focused at all times. If this relationship rekindles positivey in Washington, the better their chances will be.
Samuel shouldn't be lacking in motivation. He was cast aside by the Niners, who took on more than $34 million in dead cap money to get this trade over the line. The fact that they ate so much cash to remove him from the equation suggests San Francisco's general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan don't believe there is much left in the tank.
Peters thinks differently. He's well-versed in Samuel's mindset and skills. He knows what a fresh and motivated player could do for Washington's offense in 2024. An extension didn't arrive immediately, but guaranteeing his contract and adding some extra incentives was the vote of confidence he desperately needed.
Having Welker around to keep him on the straight and narrow with high standards attached is only going to help the Commanders. Samuel is highly determined to silence his doubters. If his old coach can add more fuel to the fire and ignite the spark that was lacking at times last season, both the trade and the hire will be worth their weight in gold.
Welker was the model professional who'd rub off positively on everyone. But there promises to be no bigger beneficiary than Samuel when it's all said and done.
And if this holds the key to Samuel getting back to his old form, that's a win-win for everybody associated with the Commanders.
More Commanders news and analysis
feed