The Washington Commanders are putting a lot of faith in rookies when it comes to the 2024 version of their offense.
At quarterback, No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels has been given the keys to not just the offense, but the franchise. At left offensive tackle, third-round pick Brandon Coleman beat out veteran Cornelius Lucas for the job of protecting Daniels’ blind side.
Wide receiver Luke McCaffrey, a third-round pick, will also start and will have even more pressure to produce after former first-round pick Jahan Dotson was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder thinks the Commanders should infuse some veteran talent by signing free agent offensive tackle and 2-time Super Bowl champion Donovan Smith.
“Washington does have some question marks at offensive tackle heading into the campaign as rookie third-round pick Brandon Coleman is the team’s starting left tackle,” Holder wrote. “While Coleman could pan out and become a quality blindside protector, it’d be smart to bring in a veteran insurance policy to make sure Jayden Daniels stays upright. That’s exactly what Smith could bring as a 10-year pro and two-time Super Bowl Champion. Worst case, he serves as a mentor for the TCU product.”
Smith was a primary starter on Super Bowl champions for 2 different teams in the last 5 years; the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 and the Kansas City Chiefs in 2023.
Bucs Spent Early-Round Draft Pick on Smith
The Buccaneers selected Smith in the second round (No. 34 overall) in the 2015 NFL draft out of Penn State.
Smith responded by earning PFWAA All-Rookie honors after starting every game for Tampa Bay as a rookie. Smith didn’t miss a game for the first 4 seasons he was in the NFL and wound up starting 124 games in 7 seasons. He’s started an additional 11 postseason games. In 2023, Smith started 12 games for the Chiefs during the regular season and all 4 postseason games on the way to winning Super Bowl LVIII.
While Smith only allowed 2 sacks in 749 offensive snaps in 2023, he was 11th in the NFL among offensive tackles with 9 penalties, according to PFF.
Smith has also been good enough for long enough that he’s landed several big paydays. He signed a 3-year, $41.25 million contract extension with the Buccaneers in 2019, then another 2-year, $31 million extension with them in 2021. After making $2.3 million with the Chiefs in 2023, it brought his career earnings to $62.9 million.
Coleman Made Early Impression on Commanders
ESPN’s John Keim reported on Aug. 5 that Coleman was neck-and-neck with Lucas in the competition to be the starting left offensive tackle.
“It’s the one spot along the line most up for grabs,” Keim wrote. ” … Coleman has impressed early with his footwork and balance. If Coleman can win the job, Washington would solve a premium position for a few years.”
If Coleman turns out to be the answer at left tackle, Smith might even be a better option at right tackle than current starter Andrew Wylie, who won a pair of Super Bowl titles with the Chiefs in 2019 and 2022 before signing a 3-year, $24 million contract with the Commanders before the 2023 season.
Wylie struggled in his first season in Washington, giving up 9 sacks, 47 QB pressures and 23 QB hits.
“Wylie will enter 2024 with a short leash under a new regime that has zero ties with his signing, and more importantly, the job of keeping QB Jayden Daniels’ arm-side clean,” Bleacher Report’s Alex Fowler wrote on Aug. 29.
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