The Washington Commanders want to make a splash this offseason. Head coach Ron Rivera would prefer that splash be a franchise quarterback, but those hopes appear to be dwindling by the day to land an elite passer.
Washington will likely turn to a veteran free agent or a first-round rookie in April’s 2022 NFL draft. Or, perhaps a combination of both.
While some believe Washington is a quarterback away, realistically, the Commanders are more than a quarterback away from being an annual contender. Yes, Washington would be much closer with a quarterback like Russell Wilson or Deshaun Watson. Still, Rivera can’t be so focused on landing a veteran via trade that he neglects to upgrade other positions.
One of those positions is safety. The free-agent market is flooded with several good safety options this offseason. Will Washington choose to re-sign a cheaper Bobby McCain — who played well in 2021 — or upgrade with a big-ticket free agent like Tyrann Mathieu of the Kansas City Chiefs?
CBS Sports recently predicted homes and contracts for the top 25 upcoming free agents. CBS liked Mathieu to Washington on a three-year deal worth $48.75 million.
Sticking with the Chiefs would be ideal, but Mathieu gets a pay raise and a chance to play under Ron Rivera here, while Washington gets a huge upgrade at the back end of a leaky secondary as it looks to return to contention.
Will Mathieu leave the Chiefs? That remains to be seen, but he will become an unrestricted free agent and look to cash in.
Is Rivera willing to spend that type of money on a soon-to-be 30-year-old defensive back?
Mathieu is an elite defender. You can’t look at him and only call him a free safety. He lines up everywhere. And he is successful everywhere. Some of that miscommunication Washington experienced on the back end in 2021 would be less of an issue with a leader like Mathieu in the secondary.