The Washington Commanders were a step away from the Super Bowl. Did their offseason moves give them a better chance or bring more questions?
Where does Josh Conerly slot in?
The Commanders’ going offensive line in the first round is not a major shock, but they drafted someone who primarily plays left tackle, and one of the two slots you could say are certainly locked down is left tackle with Laremy Tunsil in the mix.
Sam Cosmi will eventually start at right guard, but is coming back from an injury. Brandon Coleman started at left tackle last year, and the third-round rookie should start as well. In a best-case scenario outcome, Coleman would play left guard, Conerly would man right tackle, and then one of Nick Allegretti or Nate Herbig would hold down right guard until Cosmi is ready. Does it play out this way?
Who plays the most slot snaps?
The Commanders have Deebo Samuel as the gadget Z receiver with Terry McLaurin as the X outside. The question is, who mans the slot? Olamide Zaccheus is gone, and now it comes down to Luke McCaffery, a day three pick entering year two, or Jaylin Lane, a day three rookie. Lane brings speed, and McCaffrey is more prototypical possession slot. They may mix and match the two.
Who starts at cornerback?
Mike Sanistril started on the outside last year, which allowed Noah Igbinoghene to play the slot where he is best. However, in a perfect world, the Commanders would have Sanistril in the slot. He played well on the outside, so it would need to be an upgrade to move him. They drafted Trey Amos in round two, and the thought is that he can be just that. With Marshon Lattimore and Amos outside and Sanistril in the slot, they could be in a good spot at cornerback.
Is the defensive line better off?
The Commanders lost Dante Fowler and Jonathan Allen. It makes sense not to bring them back because the line was an issue last year. However, the question is if they did enough to replace them? They added Deatrich Wise to step in for Fowler, and Javon Kinlaw is in for Allen. Both are neutral moves or even drop-offs. They added a little more depth and hope Jer’Zhan Newton makes a leap in year two, but this line is still a pretty notable problem on paper.
