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The former South Carolina standout is still fighting. Samuel is in a contract year, so anything less wouldn’t be smart. What the Commanders need to figure out is whether the All-Pro is worth keeping around at the money he’ll likely demand.
Market projections for Samuel are in the $20 million-per-year range. Peters has a lot of money tied into Terry McLaurin, another receiver on the wrong side of 30. He could be reluctant to shell out another lucrative deal for an aging playmaker, especially considering how desperate Washington is to get younger across the board.
Much will depend on whether a compromise can be reached, but Samuel also knows that this is probably his final opportunity to get a big-money contract in his career. Given how Peters handled McLaurin’s standoff throughout the summer, he is not going to overpay and jeopardize his ability to strengthen other areas.
That’s what makes Samuel’s situation so unpredictable heading into the regular-season finale at Lincoln Financial Field. He’s taken a lot of punishment throughout his career, but joining Washington helped silence the growing number of doubters. Now, he’ll be looking to cash in accordingly, and if the Commanders don’t want to pay up, there should be suitable interest on the open market.
Most fans are hoping Samuel sticks around. At the same time, they also recognize the business side of things. Paying him comes with significant risk, and a dominant outing against the Eagles might not change all that much when push comes to shove.
It’s a precarious situation that could go either way. But don’t be surprised if this weekend is Samuel’s farewell to Washington.
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The Commanders’ defense has been awful. The Commanders rank 31st in points per drive allowed, takeaways per drive and three-and-out rate forced.
Washington cannot defend the pass. The Commanders’ 8.0 net yards per pass attempt is tracking to be the worst by any team since 2020. Out of 1,669 individual seasons since the 1970 AFL-NFL meerger, Washington’s net yards per pass attempt allowed ranks 1,655th. Put another way, there are only 14 worse seasons over the last 56 years.
Washington needs upgrades everywhere, with pass rusher at the top of the list. But Washington could move on from 35-year-old linebacker Bobby Wagner as well. Wagner is a future Hall of Famer and still a tremendous tackler, but he has struggled in coverage. He also calls the plays defensively, so that is a crucial spot.
Promising rookie cornerback Trey Amos had his season cut short, but even with him and Mike Sainristil back, Washington must improve its cornerbacks and safeties. The Commanders will also be counting on significant internal improvement, too. There are some young pieces, many of whom had down seasons.
A better defense means less stress on Daniels to make so many plays. All of his injuries came...
