Washington Offseason Primer: Turning Weakness Into Strengths

Posted on February 15, 2025 by Dave

February 15, 2025

by David Earl

Storied Season, Yet Many Flaws

Aside from the inability to protect the football against the Philadelphia Eagles, committing 9 turnovers in their last two meetings, Washington’s offense did a great job minimizing turnovers while ranked 5th in points per game, at 28.8. Last week’s column covered much of their offensive and defensive production but here I will focus on their biggest weaknesses, with many of the issues coming on the defensive side of the ball. After watching the dominant showcase by the Eagles in the Super Bowl, when their talent and depth showed just how balanced of a roster they had all season, Washington is just not nearly as close as some believe. I get what Jayden Daniels did as a rookie with a roster that collectively had average talent at best, but defensive coordinators now have a full season of film on Daniels. Therefore, some regression early next season is to be potentially expected. Adam Peters and Dan Quinn will need to help mitigate any possible regression from Daniels, and that starts with turning some of their weaknesses into strengths.

The offense ranked 26th in sack rate, allowing 8.70%
Their top running back averaged 4.3 yards per rush
The defense ranked 28th in yards per rush allowed, at 4.8

These three areas should be the top priority heading into this offseason, which is no secret. Particularly in the run game – they need more than just Jayden Daniels‘s effectiveness as a runner. Washington also needs far more from the interior defensive line against the run. So, what are Washington’s options heading into the offseason? What direction could they take to continue growing this roster?

The Offensive Line

Stop me if you’ve heard this before but you win in the trenches and Washington has a lot of work to do if they want to get past the Eagles and their dominant defensive front. Per Stathead, Daniels had an average time in pocket of 2.4 seconds, ranked 8th in the NFL, while being the 6th most sacked quarterback, with 47. After facing 153 total blitzes this season he faced pressure 18.5% of the time, was hurried 36 times, and hit 28 times. None of these numbers did lea the league but Daniels’ 73 scrambles were 23 more than C.J. Stroud who had the second most in the NFL. Put this into perspective: Sam Howell also had 2.4 seconds in the pocket last season but faced blitzes 181 times, finishing with 39 hurries, 57 hits, and a 22.7% pressure rate. Howell also finished the season with 65 sacks and 33 scrambles. There was not a great deal of improvement in the offensive line from the 2023 season and the 2024 season. The primary difference here was Daniels’ ability to sense the pressure in the pocket and scramble to make a play with his legs, often extending the pass play to allow the wide receiver more time.

What direction could we see Washington go in this offseason? For starters, the left tackle position will most certainly need to be in consideration and move in a different direction. Rookie lineman Brandon Coleman showed very good athleticism and strength but he consistently struggled against the elite edge rushers with minimal improvement. The best move for him could be similar to Sam Cosmi, who moved inside to guard two years ago, where protecting the edge against dynamic rushers will not be an issue. Coleman is very capable of maintaining a strong base with his feet and is strong enough to protect against some of the top defensive tackles in the game. After that, there is free agency and the draft. The following players could provide an immediate impact along this offensive line.

OT Ronnie Stanley: At age 31, Stanley was a Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro in 2019 but suffered an ankle injury in the 2021 season. He earned Pro Bowl honors this season while playing in 98% of the available 1089 snaps for the Baltimore Ravens. He is more polished in protecting the edge at left tackle and could be a good stop-gap while Washington finds their future at this position.

OT Cam Robinson: Former second-round pick, Cam Robinson never fully lived up to his potential for the Jacksonville Jaguars before being traded to the Minnesota Vikings last season. If Washington looks to keep Brandon Coleman at left tackle they could do with Cam Robinson what the Philadelphia Eagles did with offensive tackle Mekhi Becton and move him inside to guard.

OT Josh Simmons: The 3rd ranked tackle in the draft could fall due to a knee injury that cut his 2024 season short. It may not be ideal to draft an offensive lineman recovering from injury, but his talent level could warrant that risk if his medicals check out well. He has exceptional lateral movement which serves him well against elite-level speed rushers. His footwork is excellent, which works in his favor off his first step post-snap. I will cover more detail on Simmons in my rookie draft preview later this offseason.

OG Tyler Booker: The top-rated offensive guard in this draft. Washington will be in ideal position to draft him to align opposite Cosmi and solidify that interior line. Great combination of size and power to stand up against a defensive line like the Philadelphia Eagles. He is exceptional in pulling on run plays due to his strong foundation and quick feet. Booker will also be spoken to more in depth later.

Running Backs

Running Backs
Player	Age	Att	Yds	YPC
Brian Robinson Jr.	25	187	799	4.3
Austin Ekler	29	77	367	4.8
Jeremy McNichols	29	55	261	4.7
Chris Rodriguez	24	35	173	4.9
Running Back Totals		354	1600	4.5

The one missing piece to the offense many will call for a true number two wide receiver opposite Terry McLaurin or a tight end in the mold of Travis Kelce or George Kittle. That is certainly very true and the need does exist, but the running back position’s lack of explosive plays limits this offense’s dynamic nature. Brian Robinson Jr. is a solid power runner but has lacked vision and is a minimal threat as a receiver. Austin Ekeler is more of a receiver at this point of his career and Jeremy McNichols is a journeyman who offers veteran depth. If Kliff Kingsbury wants to maximize his quarterback’s skill set, especially as a runner, Washington will need a runner who can play all three downs with the ability to make that house call anywhere on the field as do Jahmyr Gibbs and Saquon Barkley. The free agency options certainly have some intriguing options, but age is a factor with Aaron Jones, who is 31, while injury history with Nick Chubb and J.K. Dobbins. Javonte Williams could offer the most upside of this group as the former second round pick can be featured as a three-down runner but lacks top-end speed. Therefore, Adam Peters will have some options through free agency but he may be wise to position themselves for one in the draft. Here are a couple of options in the draft after Ashton Jeanty, who looks to be a top-15 pick.

TreVeyon Henderson (Ohio State University): A projected 4.39 second forty runner who has great vision and excellent footwork. Henderson has a quick first step and has the breakaway speed required to be a home run threat every time he touches the ball. Has great contact balance and drives through tackles very well with his lower body strength. Possesses very soft hands as a receiver and is a dangerous runner when in space.

Omarion Hampton (North Carolina University): Doesn’t possess the same acceleration as TreVeyon Henderson but reaches top-end speed quickly. He is a reliable receiver out of the backfield and may be the best pass-blocking runner in this class. Also a very physical runner with great contact balance and shows surprising lateral agility for a back his size. I will cover Hampton and Henderson more in-depth later in my draft preview column.

The Run Defense

This has been Washington’s Achilles heel for as long as I can remember. Watching the ease with which opposing running backsslice through Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen has been very frustrating. What compounds this even more is the fact Payne will cost $26 million and Allen $22 million against the cap, accounting for 9.52% and 8.13% of total cap space respectively . These two are essentially the same players. Both are very good in pass rush but only about average against the run, which we see in Washington’s 28th ranked run defense.

This position group may see the first shakeup in the offseason. I would not be surprised to see one of them being moved before or during the draft. The Philadelphia Eagles have the perfect formula, with Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis anchoring the center of the defensive line. Neither Payne nor Allen is at the talent level of Carter but they can serve in that role, but Washington lacks a player with the impact of Davis. The free agent market offers more journeyman options, but Osa Odighizuw from the Dallas Cowboys could be a target for Washington. His familiarity under Dan Quinn could very well drive this move but he has been more of a pass rusher than a run-stopper. This could prove to be more of a lateral move. As far as the draft, who could be the top targets this offseason?

Kenneth Grant (Michigan): Grant projects more of a mid-first-round selection but if Adam Peters decides to get aggressive this is the guy to give immediate help against the run. His quick first step combined with his great natural level will put a lot of stress on the opposing offensive lineman. He would not only clog the running lanes with his big frame but his steady improvement over the years as a pass rusher prevents him from being too one dimensional of a defensive tackle.

Alfred Collins (Texas): Anchors his body very well in the trenches and is very explosive in his first step. Very strong hands at the point of attack and does an excellent job in shedding blocks. His lower body balance and strength make it very difficult for opposing offensive lineman to gain leverage against him. Collins may be the best second-day run stuffer in this draft with the ability to develop into a solid pass rusher.