Have the Washington Commanders done enough to improve this offseason? That depends on who you ask.
If you’d ask head coach Ron Rivera and general manager Martin Mayhew, they’d likely tell you how much better Washington will be because of new quarterback Carson Wentz.
Most fans and the media are skeptical of Wentz. While almost anyone will acknowledge Wentz is a definite upgrade under center for the Commanders, the question is how much of an upgrade?
Wentz has certainly received too much criticism from his lone season in Indianapolis, where it seemed ownership had a personal issue with Wentz.
Peter King of NBC’s Football Morning in America recently unveiled his offseason power rankings, and he has Washington listed at No. 26 — worst in the NFC East.
Here’s King in his own words:
Mike Florio said this first, and I loved it: Carson Wentz is in the perfect spot for the 2022 Carson Wentz. He has no godfather in Washington. To review: Wentz entered the NFL under the fatherly wing of Doug Pederson, then went rogue against Pederson, then landed under the fatherly wing of Frank Reich, then underachieved and got fired after one season in Indy, then got traded to Washington. He’s with strangers. He’s got to prove himself to new people, and he has a decent crew of receivers (Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Curtis Samuel) to help prove himself. That’ll be a fun subplot for another building season in D.C.
There’s truth in King’s words. There is no Doug Pederson or Frank Reich to nurture Wentz in 2022. He will need to save his own career with an unproven offensive coordinator in Scott Turner but numerous talented offensive weapons around him.
In two years with Washington, Turner has done some good things despite limited quarterback play. However, the Commanders have loaded up on offensive weapons, making this a pivotal year for him and Wentz.
Washington’s schedule offers hope for a turnaround if Wentz plays well and the defense improves from last season.