The Washington Commanders feel good about their tight end position for 2023. Literally, no one outside of the Washington organization shares that same optimism.
Are the Commanders being overly optimistic, or are others correct in their assessment of Washington’s tight ends?
It’s fair to question if the Commanders have enough at tight end. Washington is counting on Logan Thomas returning to health and a cast of young players to take a step forward. Things became more difficult for the Commanders when Armani Rogers injured his Achilles on Day 1 of OTAs.
Head coach Ron Rivera has repeatedly stated he’s happy with Washington’s tight ends. Cole Turner, like Rogers, is another exciting young player that, if healthy, the Commanders believe can be a starting-caliber performer.
With less than one month until training camp, Washington could still add a veteran to the room. Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus believes the Commanders should sign 29-year-old veteran Maxx Williams.
Washington quietly has a pretty solid and deep roster on both sides of the ball, with their offensive line upgraded over the course of the offseason and their secondary adding two potential impact players in the 2023 NFL Draft in first-round cornerback Emmanuel Forbes and second-round defensive back Jartavius Martin. Another addition at offensive tackle or guard would make sense, as well, but we went in a different direction here.
There are a few young tight ends behind Logan Thomas who the Commanders are optimistic about, notably 2021 fourth-round pick John Bates — a stout run blocker — but adding another depth piece in Maxx Williams couldn’t hurt now that he’s recovered from an unfortunate ACL tear sustained at the worst possible time in 2021. Through Week 5 of 2021, Williams was earning a 77.6 receiving grade with 16 receptions, as many receptions as he’d had in a full season since 2015. Perhaps more importantly, Williams’ 81.0 run-blocking grade since 2015 is the top mark in the NFL over the span.
Williams was a second-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2015. He’s spent the last three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. In his career, Williams has played in 72 games with 44 starts. He has 102 receptions for 994 yards and six touchdowns.
Everything Spielberger said is correct. The Commanders do have a solid roster, and while there is promise at tight end, adding another veteran would bolster depth in case of another injury.