Getty Carolina Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu.
The Washington Commanders are trying to take the first steps on the climb to respectability — no easy road for one of the NFL’s consistently worst franchises over the last two decades.
Every step along the way means something in that process, including a small pat on the back from ESPN, which lifted the Commanders in their latest NFL power rankings on May 13.
Washington moved up two spots to No. 27 — up from the No. 29 spot in the post-free agency rankings — thanks in part to selecting LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels at No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL draft.
“For the long term, they’re in a better spot at quarterback with Jayden Daniels,” John Keim wrote. “But he remains an unknown in the NFL. ”
Duo of New Linebackers Singled Out in Rankings
ESPN’s rankings listed the most improved area for all 32 NFL teams. For the Commanders that was linebacker, where they’ve added a pair of high-profile free agents in Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu.
“… They improved their linebacking play considerably by adding Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu,” Keim wrote. “Wagner might not be a Pro Bowl, three-down linebacker anymore, but he led the NFL in tackles (183) last season while Luvu’s pass-rush ability — 12 combined sacks the past two years and 29 tackles for loss — will provide a boost.”
Wagner signed a 1-year, $8.5 million contract in March 2024. He’s also a future Pro Football Hall of Famer and perhaps one of the most underrated players in NFL history.
Playing for the Seattle Seahawks in 2023, Wagner led the NFL with 183 tackles in his 12th NFL season. Wagner is a 10-time NFL All-Pro and 9-time Pro Bowler and it was his third time leading the NFL in tackles.
In 12 seasons, Wagner has never had less than 100 tackles in a single season — he had a career-low 104 tackles in 2014 when he played in a career-low 11 games — and won a Super Bowl with the Seahawks in 2013.
Luvu Could Be Steal For Commanders in Free Agency
Luvu and Wagner have something in common in that they’ve spent the majority of their careers making big plays under the radar — albeit for different reasons.
Luvu had a much more difficult to NFL stardom and made the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent out of Washington State in 2018. Luvu spent three seasons with the Jets and one season with the Carolina Panthers as a reserve/special teams player before getting a chance to be a full-time starter for the first time in his career in 2022.
Luvu has passed the 100-tackle mark each of the last two seasons and was one of the few bright spots for the Panthers in 2023 when he started all 17 games and led the team with 125 tackles to go with 5 pass deflections and 2 forced fumbles.
Luvu signed a 3-year, $36 million contract with the Commanders in March 2024.
“(Luvu) is fun to watch,” former Carolina teammate Luke Kuechly told The Athletic’s Joseph Person. “He’s around the ball. When you watch the game, it’s like, ‘Oh, there’s Frankie.’ He just pops up and pops up and pops up. Guys that just pop up are football players.”
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