The Washington Commanders weren't going to sit on their hands this offseason. Reaching the NFC Championship game in Year 1 under the new regime was a magnificent achievement. But nobody is getting complacent or thinking that the job is done.
There was still work to do. Gaining back respect was the first objective. Ensuring this becomes one step on their quest for perennial contention is a different, and far more difficult, challenge.
Adam Peters saw the opportunity awaiting the Commanders. The general manager acted with conviction to get some blue-chip players into the franchise. Valuable contributors were given new deals. Letting Jeremy Chinn walk in free agency was arguably the only contentious issue, but the roster looks in better shape aside from a couple of potential problems.
That's increased competition for places. Anyone not fully buying in or still reveling in last season's success won't last long. Fortunately for the Commanders, head coach Dan Quinn and his accomplished staff, together with some supreme locker room leaders, should keep complications to a minimum.
The raised intensity and heightened expectations also make this a precarious situation for many. With this in mind, here are five Commanders players walking a fine line after Peters' aggressive offseason overhaul.
Commanders players walking a fine line after aggressive offseason overhaul
Noah Brown - Commanders WR
The last thing anybody associated with the Washington Commanders wanted to see was wide receiver Noah Brown getting carted off the practice field at mandatory minicamp. Reports suggest the undisclosed complication isn't serious, which would be a huge relief after the pass-catcher's health issue during the previous campaign.
Brown suffered a serious internal injury against the Tennessee Titans that required kidney surgery. The Commanders gave him a new one-year deal in the hope that these problems would go away. At the same time, they also made moves to provide better coping mechanisms if the same bad fortune arrived.
The Commanders traded for Deebo Samuel Sr. They drafted Jaylin Lane. Players like Luke McCaffrey and Chris Moore demonstrated immense improvements over Washington's offseason program. K.J. Osborn and Michael Gallup are looking to galvanize their careers. The options are plentiful in the wideout group, so Brown must leave no doubt when the regular season gets here.
There's no doubt Brown will make the roster, and he'll have an important role initially. However, the margin for error has decreased significantly.
The Commanders have more than enough options to cope if Brown struggles to find form or gets injured. That throws down the gauntlet to the former seventh-round pick and others heading into 2025.