Addition by Subtraction...

[Boone]

There are very few players on this Commanders team who are 'uncuttable'. The team talks about 'culture' endlessly, but when it comes to the culture of winning, we seem to have a very large percentage of this roster that on any given Sunday cannot perform. There is little doubt that we will see a pretty significant roster purge this offseason, perhaps the largest exodus of players we have seen in a long time.

Give me the players, if released, who would represent 'addition by subtraction'.

Snarky comments encouraged.


Logan Thomas - 1 concussion away from retirement. Too much Hyde, not enough Jeckyll.
Joey Slye - Making XPs extra since 2021.
Charles Leno - Overrated. Not a legit NFL LT.
Dyami Brown - Hands of margarine.
Andrew Wylie - Stands idly by Wylie watches his QB get sacked again.
Jamin Davis - Dumber than a bag of hammers. Keep him out of school zones.
Cameron Cheeseman - You had one job.
Nick Gates - Great hair. Below average center.
Phidarian Mathis - If injured reserve were a bourbon...
Cole Turner - Training camp darling meets reality.

 

[Chris]

Just a total, maybe out of left field, thought…considering that the defensive backfield is a complete sieve, has anyone witnessed Kam Curl make a splash play this season? Even a baby pool splash?

He sure gets a lot of fan praise, and is not cuttable in my mind, but I don’t see anything in his play that screams long-term deal.

 

[Neophyte]

I think I'm down with those except for Mathis and Turner. I want to see Mathis after a healthy offseason and I want to see Turner with real coaching.

I'd add the following:

Joey Barton - low-calorie Cole Holcomb with worse hair
David Mayo - Om is bringing mustard and that's better for you
Saadiq Charles - the Metro needs new turnstiles

 

[burgold]

Just a total, maybe out of left field, thought…considering that the defensive backfield is a complete sieve, has anyone witnessed Kam Curl make a splash play this season? Even a baby pool splash?

He sure gets a lot of fan praise, and is not cuttable in my mind, but I don’t see anything in his play that screams long-term deal.

Not this year so much, but he has made his share of solid plays. He's been great in past years.

Something went wrong with the defense this year. Pretty much every player has regressed. That's part of why I think it's got to be schematic. If one player is awful that's on the player. If every player is terrible... that's scheme and play calling.

Plus, I really can't shake the notion that Del Rio knew he was dead man walking and has phoned it in all year. I mean can you think of a single game where he changed it up to take advantage of an opponents' weakness? Every game is basically the same. He finally blitzed a little more against New York, but every game 90% of the time it's rush four, play the back seven in soft zones with open holes easy for the opposing QB to exploit.

I can't remember the last time we confused a QB, leading to a misthrow. Every QB gets their game of the year against us. Tommy Devito was practically Peyton Manning out there.

 

[Boone]

If you base roster spots on actual play, Turner is a practice squader at best imho. The fact he can't beat out Jon Bates is telling. Part of my calculations on who I listed was focusing on keeping guys who over-perform, not under-perform. Mayo is limited from a talent perspective, but at least he can be counted on to play hard and usually smart. Availability and durability were also big factors for me. On that basis alone it's well past time to move on from Logan Thomas. And for me, Mathis.

Anyway, none of us will agree on all these guys. I agree Chris, Cam Kurl has had a less than compelling season.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

I should have read this thread yesterday. I probably would have come up with some good ones. I’ll have to think on this for a bit.

 

[Neophyte]

If we are using those factors as a measuring stick, the whole of the defense has to go - they are all, to a man, underperforming.

I throw Turner in there because I don't trust this staff to elevate the right guys. Consider, we stuck with Charles and Gates as starters for how many games when every fan who could see a TV knew those guys weren't doing the job. I may not be right about him but I'd like to see him get time with a staff more concerned with getting the best 11 on the field than prove they made the right personnel moves in the offseason.

 

[Boone]

Great points Neo.

 

[Chris]

If we are using those factors as a measuring stick, the whole of the defense has to go - they are all, to a man, underperforming.

I throw Turner in there because I don't trust this staff to elevate the right guys. Consider, we stuck with Charles and Gates as starters for how many games when every fan who could see a TV knew those guys weren't doing the job. I may not be right about him but I'd like to see him get time with a staff more concerned with getting the best 11 on the field than prove they made the right personnel moves in the offseason.

Consider, we stuck with Charles and Gates as starters for how many games when every fan who could see a TV knew those guys weren't doing the job. I may not be right about him but I'd like to see him get time with a staff more concerned with getting the best 11 on the field than prove they made the right personnel moves in the offseason.

This right here! It’s what happens, good or bad, when the chef buys the groceries. Washington’s problem for the Rivera tenure has been that he was empowered over talent acquisition and has mostly failed outside of a throwaway 5th round pick that has defied expectations. I call that more luck than inspired selection. Otherwise, the HC would have seen the evident possibilities throughout the season before being left at the alter by Taylor Heinicke.

 

[Bulldog]

This team is ideal for a young GM and coach. Just enough talent under 30 to not be like Carolina or an expansion team but with a performance in 2023 where they are going to have the opportunity to make some complete makeovers of certain units.

The areas that stand out the most?

1. Offensive line. We can’t throw to our wide receivers because Howell never gets more than 2.5 seconds to set up and throw the ball. Did anyone see Brock Purdy sitting in the pocket for 3-4 seconds to find Aiyuk yesterday?

2. Secondary. The corners are among the worst in the league as a group. Unless this unit is facing Mac Jones they never come up with any game changing plays and it’s charitable to call what they do ‘coverage’.

3. Linebacker. Here is an area you could see get a total recast. I look around at successful defenses and see Roquan Smith, Fred Warner and Micah Parsons.

My guess is none our linebackers make the Ravens or 49ers rosters.

4. Tight End. We have 4 tight ends and none of them can really play. Thomas is physically nearing the end. His top line speed is gone after various injuries. Bates is labeled as the best blocker but that’s only because he is actually WILLING to put himself in front of defenders. The others seem allergic.

Again the best teams like Philly, KC, SF, Baltimore have quality tight ends that can block and catch. They are three down players. They give their quarterbacks the passing option that would make Howell look a lot better against some of these blitz happy schemes.

 

[Boone]

When you are setting game records for sacks, hold the opponent to almost no rushing years, and still lose - that’s about as big an indictment of your defensive backfield as you can have.

 

[Bulldog]

And Ron has spent a lot of picks on this group.

Our #1 pick who weighs 167 pounds evidently can’t cover anyone.

Martin was not good value in Round 2.

And we have spent a number of #3, #4 and #5 picks on FS, SS, hybrids, etc and except for Curl none of them seem certain to be offered a second contract.

BTW - anyone see Fabian Moreau trying to play corner last night for Denver? Another guy that was supposed to be a potential starting corner when drafted but washed out here like most of the others.

 

[Neophyte]

When you are setting game records for sacks, hold the opponent to almost no rushing years, and still lose - that’s about as big an indictment of your defensive backfield as you can have.

This group, and frankly this whole defense, was better last year when Chris Harris was coaching the DBs.

I know that correlation does not equal causation but, in this case, I'm left to wonder if losing Harris might have been much bigger than any of us realized at the time.

There is real talent in this backfield. We have seen it on display. This year, it feels like every single player in that position group has taken a step back (except maybe Percy Butler). I have to think that losing Harris is a big part of that.

 

[Boone]

I think you could make the same case for Matsko and the OL.

That speaks to Rivera’s judgment. He’s made the wrong decision on which coaches to retain and been very slow to recognize where coaches needed to be replaced.

 

[Neophyte]

Agreed, John.

Although I put Matsko at the feet of EB. We were told when he came on board that he had the final say on that side of the ball so I'm thinking Matsko leaving isn't really on Ron.

 

[Boone]

Absolutely.

Don’t know if the whole Matsko situation was reparable… maybe he saw himself as the next OC, but bottom line is we got worse, a lot worse at that position group as a result. Feels like it was mishandled.

 

[DieselPwr44]

Waiting to almost the start of the season to name Wharton Oline coach should have been a foreshadowing to the type of preparedness we were in store for this year.

 

[Boone]

Yep. I screamed bloody murder about that then. But yeah, I’m just a fan.

 

[Chris]

This group, and frankly this whole defense, was better last year when Chris Harris was coaching the DBs.

I know that correlation does not equal causation but, in this case, I'm left to wonder if losing Harris might have been much bigger than any of us realized at the time.

There is real talent in this backfield. We have seen it on display. This year, it feels like every single player in that position group has taken a step back (except maybe Percy Butler). I have to think that losing Harris is a big part of that.

I’ve been thinking the exact same thing (but was saving it for the pod). 👊🏼

I wouldn’t be surprised if we had kept him but Snyder probably didn’t want to pay him a raise to be passing game coordinator. 🤷🏻‍♂️

 

[Bulldog]

I don’t agree.

Trent Williams is who he is regardless of the OC.

You can’t blame a lack of talent on coaches.

When you don’t commit adequate resources to the line protecting your quarterback you aren’t going to win in the NFL.