The 2024 Washington Commanders are going to look much different than the 2023 version. Already the team has let go of head coach Ron Rivera and hired Adam Peters from the San Francisco 49ers to serve as the team's GM, and major roster changes surely will follow.
Twenty players from this season's roster are slated to hit unrestricted free agency. We don't yet know what kind of GM Peters is going to be, and we don't know who will be coaching Washington. Due to these factors, it's tough to pinpoint what kind of players the new regime is looking for, and which free agents will be prioritized or ignored.
But at the end of the day, good players are good players. No need to overcomplicate that. So let's go about identifying which players the Commanders should be bringing back for 2024 New Coach.
CB Kendall Fuller
In a division where defenses have to deal with CeeDee Lamb, A.J. Brown, and DeVonta Smith twice a season, a team can never have enough quality cornerbacks. Regardless of the next coach and style of defense, the Commanders should bring back Fuller.
A third-round pick of Washington's back in 2016, Fuller saw some of his stats take a hit playing for a porous Commanders defense. But Pro Football Focus liked the corner's work in 2023, grading him highly for the season despite his less-than-stellar numbers.
Fuller likely won't come cheap, but he's viewed as a leader in the locker room and was one of the few bright spots for Washington's defense this season. Regardless of who is coaching this team in 2024, Fuller should be on it.
QB Jacoby Brissett
Plenty of teams had to turn to their second-string quarterbacks this season. For some, losing QB1 effectively ended the season, while others survived and even thrived with their new gun slinger.
With a new incoming coach, the Commanders will likely move on from Sam Howell as the team's starter. But even if that is the case, Brissett should be brought back to Washington to serve as the ideal understudy, if not a starting option himself.
Twice Brissett replaced Howell late in the season, and the Washington offense looked more dangerous with the veteran option under center. Brissett could serve as an ideal bridge QB to a drafted passer, or provide a steady presence before a long-term plan at quarterback is adopted.
S Kamren Curl
As a seventh-round draft pick, Curl doesn't have the draft pedigree of other safeties. But after four NFL seasons, he has developed into one of the better safeties in the league. He has also proved durable, playing 99% of Washington's defense snaps in 2022, and 100% in 2023.
PFF grading loves Curl, viewing him as elite in both his man and zone coverage abilities. Washington was a seller at the trade deadline, shipping out key defenders Chase Young and Montez Sweat. But they held onto Curl, perhaps signaling his importance to the franchise.
Now it's time to lock Curl up on a long-term deal.
T Cornelius Lucas
A backup offensive tackle who started four games in 2023 isn't going to be the biggest offseason priority for Washington. But it would be good business to get Lucas re-signed.
Quality offensive line play is becoming more scarce around the NFL every year. As a result, players such as Lucas are going to be in-demand. Is Lucas a full-time starter? Probably not, no.
But he has proved himself a serviceable backup player at worst, and maybe he can survive with increased playing time. But the point stands that Lucas is going to have value as a player who can step in and play either left or right tackle. The Commanders probably shouldn't pencil Lucas into their 2024 starting lineup, but they should have him back as depth.
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