Commanders Risked It All to Dethrone the Eagles—but at What Cost?

It was enjoyable when the NFC East was merely a battle between the teams.
Philadelphia Eagles
And the Cowboys. Meanwhile, the Commanders and the Giants were mired in their own chaotic realms and struggled to maintain consistent competitiveness.

Currently, the Commanders have secured Jayden Daniels as their quarterback, and for what seems like ages, it appears they’re finally prepared to compete at an elite level. However, this ambition faces significant challenges due to the presence of formidable competition within their own division. Over the course of the off-season, the team invested heavily in resources aimed at boosting their chances for immediate success… largely without much consideration towards building long-term strength.

The commanders are attempting to simplify Jayden Daniels’ life.

Jayden Daniels had one of the greatest rookie seasons for a quarterback ever; this much is clear. Despite that, C.J. Stroud also enjoyed an outstanding rookie year in 2023 but failed to live up to expectations in 2024.

Fingers crossed, Daniels emulates what Stroud did before him; however, the Commanders have been working hard this off-season to ensure that doesn’t occur. It’s a wise strategy since the success of that squad hinges entirely on how well Jayden Daniels performs.

In their Week 16 game against the Eagles, Daniels was performing exceptionally well. He ran for 81 yards and passed for 258 yards with five touchdowns. Additionally, he was sacked once, resulting in a loss of merely three yards.

During the NFC Championship game, his performance was lackluster. He managed just 48 rushing yards and passed for 255 yards (much of which occurred after they had fallen behind significantly). Additionally, he was sacked three times, resulting in a loss of 27 yards.

Due to the intense pressure, he struggled to make any progress and found success primarily with Zach Ertz. If Jayden Daniels keeps facing relentless defensive plays and has only one reliable target like a tight end, the Commanders have little hope against the Eagles.

The significant acquisition the Commanders made during the offseason was trading for wide receiver Deebo Samuel. They are banking on the possibility that his poor performance in 2024 was just a fluke and that he hasn’t been entirely depleted after carrying a substantial load over six seasons with the 49ers.

Trading a fifth-round pick for a 29-year-old player might have been unwise, yet this move doesn’t come close to matching the poor judgment shown in their other deal.

…But they grew older by doing that.

On the opening day of free agency, they exchanged their 2025 third and seventh-round draft selections along with their 2026 second and fourth-round draft choices for left tackle Laremy Tunsil with the Houston Texans.

The issue is that Tunsil will turn 31 before the season begins, and the Commanders made the trade.
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choices for him. Will he perform well this year? Likely, yes, but from then on, you’ve got to begin doubting it with each passing year.

Therefore, considering such a trade in the immediate future, it makes sense: Shield your quarterback with someone proven to be reliable. Avoid exposing your quarterback during their affordable years behind an untested, green, and inexperienced offensive line.

In addition, the Commanders’ management team is fairly recent in this scenario. Adam Peters has held the position of general manager for just two years; should he choose to proceed cautiously by leveraging draft picks to acquire veteran players, that’s up to him. While I believe this might not be the best strategy, I am not in his shoes as the general manager.

The Commanders also invested a significant amount of money ($15 million annually) in Javon Kinlaw, who was quite underwhelming as a defensive tackle. While they were somewhat compelled to take action after losing Jonathan Allen in free agency, they ended up paying more than he was worth for Kinlaw.
big time
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Conversely, it would be extremely reckless and entirely unwise of them to field another defense that let Saquon Barkley gallop for 414 yards (138 yards per game) last year. Daniel Snyder likely would have attempted to do just that.

This section details how every move made by the Commanders during the initial stages of the offseason culminated in the draft period leading up to the 2024 trade deadline. They began with 11 selections set aside for the 2025 draft. However, due to multiple trades orchestrated for players like Marshawn Lattimore, Samuel, and Tunsil, they ultimately only secured five picks in the draft.

Many squads prefer not to have an extremely veteran lineup; however, the Commanders are different from most teams.

The Commanders prioritized immediate successes over future opportunities.

They made an excellent choice in the initial phase of the draft by selecting Josh Conerly Jr., the versatile offensive lineman from Oregon. Though not the largest player around, he boasts remarkable athleticism and adaptability across the line. It’s likely he’ll secure a starting position at right tackle, and by their game against the Commanders in Week 16, he should be well on his way to becoming a formidable asset for the team.

Overall, the Commanders demonstrated wise decision-making.
for this season
They went all out (and overspent) to secure an offensive line capable of protecting Jayden Daniels, and they equipped him with some new receivers… However, these receivers are secondhand and quite deteriorated. Such players won’t stand much chance against the Philadelphia Eagles’ exceptionally youthful yet highly skilled cornerbacks.

And indeed, they decided to prohibit the Brotherly Shove following their complete embarrassment during the NFC Championship game. This attempt was unsuccessful.

The article was initially published on asصندVMLINUX
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Leaders committed fully to unseat the Eagles but at a high cost.
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