‘Work in Progress’: Washington Must Earn Respect on Field in 2022 – Sports Illustrated

Last offseason, the Washington Commanders were on the verge of being the next big thing.

Final four projections in the NFC had fans and media alike grouping the 2021 Washington team with the likes of the Los Angeles Rams, Green Bay Packers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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Mike De Sisti / The | 2021 Jan 24

One year later, most of the 2021 starting roster is back, minus a few key names like guard Brandon Scherff and safety Landon Collins.

But the value the names on the team carry has diminished greatly, specifically when it comes to defensive end Chase Young who was struggling to make an impact before he was lost for the year to his own season-ending injury.

Now, everyone is in a wait-and-see mode with the Commanders for 2022.

In a recent analysis of NFC rosters, Marc Sessler of NFL.com broke the conference into specific categories: Battling for the Throne, Postseason or Bust, Playoff Contenders, and Work in Progress.

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Washington fell into the final group, and Sessler's evaluation of the team was even less complimentary than the category he placed them in.

After mentioning the Carolina Panthers as a potential landing spot for Liberty quarterback Malik Willis in the 2022 NFL Draft, Sessler listed Washington as a disappointing alternate option for the soon-to-be rookie.

"The Commanders were a candidate to chase after Willis, too," Sessler wrote. "Until they seemingly panicked and traded for iffy Carson Wentz and his unwieldy salary. Why not just swing for a rookie arm to pair with the gritty Taylor Heinicke?"

Photo by Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post via Getty Images

If we're honest, we all think we know better than those occupying sideline and front office jobs from time to time.

The Carson Wentz trade has brought out the best - or worst - in all of our internal general manager and head coaching skills.

And it's clear that until the 2022 Washington Commanders show cause for excitement in the upcoming season, there simply won't be any.

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'Work in Progress': Washington Must Earn Respect on Field in 2022 - Sports Illustrated