In May, the NFL announced that the New York Giants would be the first team to be featured in its newest version of “Hard Knocks”—the offseason version.
But honestly, couldn’t the NFL figure out the Commanders were naturally a much better offseason story?
Of course, the NFL realized this offseason would be the first offseason for the Josh Harris ownership group, seeing it was the NFL who did not permit the Harris Ownership group to begin their tenure until July 2023.
Daniel Snyder had owned the Washington franchise since taking over in 1999. The NFL didn’t see this new offseason “Hard Knocks” as an opportunity to investigate and tell some of that story?
Harris declared immediately after the close of the 2023 season, “We didn’t get it done on the field, so we have decided to go in a new direction.”
That new direction was hiring Adam Peters as the Commanders new general manager. Did anyone at the NFL know that Ron Rivera had strangely proclaimed that if the 2024 team made it to the Super Bowl, give him a ring? Wasn’t that in itself a good video for the inaugural episode?
Dan Quinn getting his second chance in the NFL to be a head coach was not a good enough story for “Hard Knocks?” And how about all of these established assistant coaches Quinn was able to bring onto his staff? Did the NFL actually think the Giants were a better offseason story?
How could they possibly have thought that was the case?
As soon as the 2024 free agency period began, Peters was the busiest general manager. He signed Bobby Wagner, Frankie Luvu, Dorrance Armstrong, Dante Fowler Jr., Brandon McManus, Jeremy Chinn, Marcus Mariota, Nick Allegretti, Tyler Biadasz, Tyler Ott, Austin Ekeler, Clelin Ferrell, Michael Davis, Noah Igbinoghene, James Pierre, Michael Deiter, Jeff Driskel, Jeremy McNichols, Olamide Zaccheaus, Mykal Walker, and Haggai Ndubuisi.
Then, he surprised everyone by trading last year’s starting quarterback, Sam Howell, to the Seahawks and moving up in the draft with two new picks.
In the draft, Peters orchestrated a trade with the Eagles, helping the Commanders rebuild a roster that, for some reason, Rivera was convinced would be a playoff roster if Howell developed last year. “Growth and development,” remember?
Oh, what an offseason “Hard Knocks” this would have been!
Too bad the NFL missed out, and now, so will NFL fans everywhere.