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The Washington Commanders‘ defense is looking to improve after allowing the most points per game a season ago, with over 30 points allowed per game. While the Commanders had issues on both sides of the football, allowing more than 30 points per game isn’t a recipe for success.
New head coach Dan Quinn came over to the Commanders after spending time as the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator, where he ran one of the top units in the NFL. The Commanders also added veteran talent in the offseason to help speed up their rebuild.
However, their decision to add defensive players like Bobby Wagner could hurt others on the roster. Of those players is Jamin Davis, who Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report predicted to be cut before the 4 p.m. Eastern time deadline on August 27.
“Like fellow first-round disappointment Jahan Dotson, Washington Commanders linebacker Jamin Davis could be traded ahead of Tuesday’s cut deadline. The 2021 first-round pick hasn’t panned out as a pure linebacker for Washington, but he does still possess upside.
“The Commanders also don’t stand to save any cap space by releasing the 25-year-old outright,” Knox wrote on August 26. “However, Davis is facing an uphill battle just to find a role after the offseason additions of Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu. The Commanders are now trying to mold him into a pure edge-rusher, a process the Kentucky product seems to be enjoying.”
Commanders Asked Davis to Learn a New Position
The Washington Commanders challenged Davis to be an edge rusher this offseason, and the 25-year-old was excited for the opportunity.
“I feel like it’s given me a chance to just really cut it loose and just go hunt some quarterbacks, honestly,” Davis said in June, according to Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. “I’m having real fun with it right now and just going to see [where] this thing takes me.”
Davis, however, struggled as an edge rusher in camp.
According to Ben Standig of The Athletic, the coaching staff hasn’t “abandoned the notion of keeping Davis at linebacker.” Standing added that he could improve his chances of making the team by impressing on special teams.
Davis is listed as an outside linebacker on the depth chart and is behind veteran Dante Fowler Jr.
In the preseason, he finished with seven total tackles, one sack, and a forced fumble.
Why the Commanders Should Keep Davis
Despite the Washington Commanders attempting to speed up their rebuild, Davis could still be a part of that. He hasn’t been great during his three seasons, only posting seven combined sacks, but he also has 269 total tackles.
After giving up on Jahan Dotson by trading him to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Commanders would be giving up on two recently drafted first-round picks.
They’ll need to improve their draft strategy moving forward, but trading a first-round pick and cutting another one would be a tough blow.
Davis could also learn under Quinn and some of the veteran talent for an entire year.
The Kentucky product could benefit greatly from being in a new scheme and having players who’ve found success teach him what he needs to do.
