Oct 5, 2023; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera looks on from the sidelines against the Chicago Bears during the third quarter at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
MacDonald” says Goodbye as he confirm this was his last seasonas he is going….
Heads turned around the NFL when Adam Peters left the 49ers to take over as the new general manager in Washington.
Coming off a 4-13 season and the firing of Ron Rivera, the Commanders moved fast to reset their front office by nabbing Peters, considered by many the most wanted personnel man in football that wasn’t already a GM.
So, fresh off a dazzling introductory press conference and armed with the resources of the Josh Harris ownership group, what’s the next move for Peters in Washington?
Washington has started to interview candidates to be the next head coach, and that process will accelerate as more teams lose in the playoffs. The top target remains Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, and there’s real reason to believe he gets the job.
Peters, however, said leadership was by far the most important trait he seeks in the new coach.
“I think in any head coach, in any leader, is leadership. Leadership, great communication, being able to be honest, direct and upfront, have all those qualities, and they’re all intertwined,” Peters said Tuesday. “You have to be very smart. You have to be very driven. There’s so many different qualities that make up a great head coach and a great leader, but really it’s just about being a great person, a great human being that people will follow.”
It seems to make the most sense for Washington to hire an offensive-minded coach, as the team will likely draft a quarterback with the second overall pick in April’s draft, but Peters said the hire is “not going to be in a box. It’s not going to be offense, it’s not going to be defense. It’s going to be the best leader for this organization.”
There was about a month stretch this past season where it looked like Washington found its franchise quarterback in Sam Howell. Unfortunately, there was a later stretch that showed the Commanders need to keep looking for QB1. Peters might arrive in Washington, watch a lot of tape, and think with the right system and protection Howell can be the guy. That does, however, seem unlikely.
That will lead to the draft and Washington is well positioned to grab an elite QB prospect with the second overall pick. Heisman winner Jayden Daniels of LSU seems a serious option, as does North Carolina’s Drake Maye. Perhaps USC QB and D.C. native Caleb Williams is an option too. These are fantastic prospects, and while nothing is guaranteed when it comes to drafting passers, Washington would be crazy not to at least give SERIOUS consideration to taking a QB.
Peters played it quite cool during the press conference when asked about upcoming QB
Peters played it quite cool during the press conference when asked about upcoming QB decisions. He explained hiring a new head coach is the top priority right now, but then allowed, “We’re going to do that collaboratively with the head coach, his staff, the personnel department, R&D, analytics, and come up with our evaluations for all that before we move forward.”
So beyond the head coach hire and the importance of nailing the No. 2 pick, there’s still a team to rebuild. It will take more than one draft pick.
A huge part of the juggernaut 49ers came from hitting draft picks beyond the first round. Stud tight end George Kittle? A fifth-rounder. Star linebacker Fred Warner? A third-rounder. What about Brock Purdy, the Pro Bowl starting quarterback in San Fran? He wasn’t just picked in the final round of the draft. He was the last pick of the draft—the last one.
Drafting well doesn’t just mean hitting the first-rounders. Winning teams hit throughout the draft. And Washington really needs to start building out the roster.
The Commanders went 4-13 last year and finished with the worst point differential in the NFL. Washington had zero players make the Pro Bowl. Asked about the team he’s taking over, Peters didn’t sugarcoat it: “I believe that there’s a few cornerstone pieces in this roster. I believe we have a lot of work to do.”
He’s not lying, but that doesn’t mean fans should expect a spending spree. Yes, Washington has more th
an $70 million in cap space for the upcoming season, but if Washington fans have learned anything from the Dan Snyder era, spending big doesn’t always equate to winning big.
“Ultimately, we’re going to build through the draft here and supplement through free agency,” Peters said. “We’re going to be very process-driven and diligent in who we select in free agency. But we’re going to build through the draft here.”
