3. Washington Commanders
In terms of off-the-field, the franchise has made its share of headlines in recent years.
As for the product on the playing field, the newly-named Washington Commanders have had their ups and downs but mostly of the latter variety. The club hasn’t had a winning season since finishing 8-7-1 in 2016 but did win a division title in 2020 with a 7-9 mark. All told, Washington has not won at least 10 games since capturing the NFC East in 2012 with a 10-6 record.
Head coach Ron Rivera begins his third year with the organization and it’s safe to say that the team in is the market for a starting quarterback. The 2021 season began with newcomer Ryan Fitzpatrick but he went down in Week 1 and Taylor Heinicke was the starter for the majority of the year. He, Kyle Allen, and Garrett Gilbert remain on the roster.
The Washington defense – second in the NFL in fewest total yards allowed in 2020 – fell off considerably from a year ago even when 2020 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Chase Young was healthy.
Coordinator Jack Del Rio could use some help in the secondary. Along with the questions at quarterback, will the Commanders try to retain potential free-agent guard Brandon Scherff?