The Washington Commanders had an opportunity to seriously upgrade their linebacker depth in 2023 with veteran Anthony Walker. Walker, a six-year veteran and only 27 years old, visited Washington on Tuesday.
And while the visit apparently went well, Walker left without a contract.
On Wednesday, Walker agreed to a one-year contract to return to Cleveland, leaving the Commanders on the hunt for quality depth at linebacker.
Nobody Cares; WORK Harder‼️ #JAG pic.twitter.com/zGxFYCaRbb
— Anthony Walker Jr. (@__AWalkJr) March 22, 2023
That would be three consecutive one-year contracts in Cleveland for Walker, who is coming off a season-ending quad injury in Week 3. It’s unclear what the Commanders were offering in terms of years and money, but Walker chose to return to Cleveland.
Walker would have been an excellent addition for Washington. He could start or come off the bench for the Commanders. Washington hasn’t had a quality veteran coming off the bench like Walker in recent years.
The Commanders signed Cody Barton in free agency to replace Cole Holcomb at inside linebacker. While the Commanders wanted to keep Holcomb, he ended up signing a three-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Barton signed a one-year deal with Washington.
Barton and Jamin Davis project as Washington’s starters at linebacker with the same cast of veterans in reserve roles. Expect the Commanders to continue searching for a veteran linebacker.
