Commander Country

Commanders Report Card: Washington Makes the Grade?

The Washington Commanders have made a bunch of moves this offseason, but not everyone is a fan.

Jeremy Brener

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The Washington Commanders have had an up-and-down offseason so far.

With uncertainty regarding the quarterback position, the Commanders received mixed criticism after failing to make a considerable upgrade and signing Jacoby Brissett as a veteran to back up Sam Howell. However, Bleacher Report commended their attempt to commit to Howell and build around him for 2023.

"The Commanders had a stronger early offseason than it might seem at first blush," Bleacher Report writes. "They put in a fair bit of work to give second-year quarterback Sam Howell a legitimate chance to succeed."

Howell will be coached by Eric Bieniemy, the Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator for the past five seasons. Hiring Bieniemy is arguably the team's biggest transaction so far. On the field, the team signed players to protect Howell, including former Chiefs offensive tackle Andrew Wylie.

However, Bleacher Report was not a fan of the team's draft, specifically its efforts in the first round. This resulted in Bleacher Report giving the Commanders a "C+" for their efforts so far going into OTA's.

"Things went a little wonky for Washington early in the draft when it reached for cornerback Emmanuel Forbes," Bleacher Report writes. "The Mississippi State product has immense playmaking potential (six interceptions, three pick-sixes last season), but the 166-pound defender was the 103rd-ranked prospect on the final B/R big board."

Even though Bleacher Report hasn't held Forbes in high regard, he has had glowing reviews coming out of rookie minicamp. The Commanders hope Forbes can prove Bleacher Report wrong and validate why they picked the Mississippi State cornerback with the No. 16 pick.

Ultimately, the Commanders still have moves to make ahead of the season opener on Sept. 10, but the team's transactions thus far have people believing Washington could be heading down a number of paths in 2023.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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