The Washington Commanders took some big swings and daring gambles last offseason to build on their NFC Championship game appearance. Unfortunately for general manager Adam Peters, very few met expectations.
And for one such example, he is hanging by a thread as he heads into a critical offseason.
Most fans expected the Commanders to keep Jeremy Chinn. The physically gifted safety became a huge part of the defense, galvanizing his career after things fizzled out with the Carolina Panthers. It seemed like a foregone conclusion, but Peters had other ideas.
Will Harris must repay the Commanders' faith or risk being cast aside for good
The Commanders let Chinn sign for the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency without much of a fight. Washington had something else in mind, signing Will Harris to a two-year, $8 million contract that included a $2 million signing bonus and $3.39 million in guaranteed money. There was some intrigue, but it became a cheaper alternative that backfired horribly.
In fairness to Harris, getting hurt early in the year did him no favors. He missed a lot of time. When he did return, the performance levels were nowhere near the required standard, eventually ranking 73rd out of 98 qualifying safeties with Pro Football Focus.
Harris' future was murky as a result. The Commanders fired defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. and replaced him with Daronte Jones. His new ideas were expected to come with a safety revamp, but Peters instead gave almost everyone the benefit of the doubt.
Only Nick Cross was signed to bolster the ranks. That was somewhat surprising, though the Commanders still have money to spend if they decide on additional reinforcements. It's also a vote of confidence in players like Harris, but they still have to prove themselves worthy of big-time responsibilities with so much at stake next season.
It's a calculated risk for the Commanders. Harris is getting a pass in large part because the injury dented whatever momentum he had. But if the same inconsistencies persist, it won't be long before Washington's hierarchy ends this experiment.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. The Commanders would probably like to have their decision on Chinn back, but there is nothing they can do about it now. This is about maximizing the options available, and Harris must also do his part by raising consistency and embracing the new schematic concepts in pursuit of better fortunes.
And considering this is also a contract year for Harris, the increased pressure couldn't be more glaring.
Let's see if he's up to the challenge.
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