Through the early roster-building phases of the offseason, the Washington Commanders have left no doubts about their intentions for next season. A few key retainments and a couple major trades have them positioned to build off an NFC Championship Game appearance in 2024.
Such an aggressive strategy comes for good reason. Quarterback Jayden Daniels has the team ready to compete for championships much faster than anyone previously assumed.
The fast track to success also meant the Commanders needed to invest in protection for their franchise centerpiece. This of course led to the team's trade for left tackle Laremy Tunsil last week.
Tunsil remains one of the highly regarded players at his position. However, the Commanders will count on him to tighten up on one major flaw demonstrated throughout last season.
The left tackle led all linemen in penalties last season with 19. In his first media session as a Commander, Tunsil promised significant changes.
"It's really just me versus me at the end of the day," he said. "There's a lot of things I want to work on. Those 19 penalties I had last season are unacceptable.
"That's something I want to address for sure, getting that number down or even having none. I want to keep growing as a player, as a pass blocker, a run blocker; it doesn't matter. I'm always trying to improve in each of those fields."
It could be argued that Tunsil improved in that area over the course of the year, accounting for only seven penalties the final 13 games of the Houston Texans' season. But the final tally remains a high figure and one that Washington cannot afford next season.
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The Commanders ranked in the middle of the pack across the league in penalties last season with 111. They, like every other team, want to see those numbers go down.
Tunsil's lack of discipline at times hindered what many thought could be a fringe contender in Houston. Entering a situation with arguably more concrete championship expectations, those same infractions will not be acceptable for this team in 2025.
Acknowledging the problem is the first step and it seems Tunsil is aware of the changes he needs to make. But all that will matter will be the results on the field when he is tasked not only with playing a more disciplined style, but also protecting the blindside of the young quarterback Daniels.
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This story was originally published March 18, 2025 at 11:48 AM.