The Washington Commanders have done a solid job of building the roster over the last several seasons. What Washington has lacked has been stability at the quarterback position. In Ron Rivera’s three seasons as head coach, Washington has played 10 quarterbacks. The Commanders’ issues under center pre-date Rivera’s time in Washington.
The problem for the Commanders is when you lack consistent quarterback play, you have no shot at winning big in the NFL. That type of instability overshadows what has become a solid roster.
Pete Prisco of CBS Sports recently named his top 100 NFL players for 2023. He included two Commanders on the list, but surprisingly, neither were Jonathan Allen or Daron Payne.
The first Washington player on Prisco’s top 100 is wide receiver Terry McLaurin:
Can you imagine how good his numbers would be if he played with good quarterbacks the past four seasons? All he does is produce for an offense that has been greatly limited by its quarterback play.
This is 100% fact regarding McLaurin. Imagine if he played a consistent quarterback. He’d be an All-Pro.
The next Commanders on Prisco’s top 100 was safety Kamren Curl at No. 85.
Who? Pay attention. This kid has developed into one of the best young safeties in the game. He’s good in both the run and against the pass.
It’s good to see Curl finally receive some respect. Curl is entering a contract season and is a player the Commanders want to retain but must wait on new ownership to take over. Curl’s impact was felt in four of the five games he missed in 2022.
McLaurin and Curl belong on this list. But it doesn’t feel right that neither Allen nor Payne made the list. Allen is often ranked in every top 100 list. Both players did receive honorable mention.
