Nick Akridge from Pro Football Focus joined G&D Tuesday to give some final PFF grads for the Commanders, but they had to ask him about the GM and coaching search – and, as you might expect, his biggest hope was just a cohesive plan.
“You just want everyone on the same page. It’s nice to finally see a unified plan coming together, and you just want a solid process,” Akridge said. “We haven’t had that here in a very long time, so just get everyone on the same page, hire a GM and a head coach and start over.”
If the next regime looks to keep the best player according to PFF, then on offense, that would be guard Sam Cosmi, whose 80.6 rating was the best on that side of the ball of anyone who played a minimum of 100 snaps.
“He was excellent, the best player on offense in my mind, and maybe the team, especially in the second half,” Akridge said. “He was dominant in the run game finishing every block, trying to put people in the dirt. The pass protection wasn’t as good, but the run blocking more than made up for it – and that’s why he made the comments about running the ball, because he loved it.”
Brian Robinson, who was second at 75.3, also looked ‘really good when they ran the ball,’ and defensive and team leader Kendall Fuller (83.1) ‘held his own even when the secondary wasn’t so great.’
So, too, did Kamren Curl, whose 66.6 rating was third on defense, and if the Commanders want to keep him as his contract expires, it may take a pretty decent chunk of change.
“He constantly did his job and played everywhere on the field, so I don’t think there’s a scheme out there he couldn’t fit into and play well,” Akridge said. “So, it’s tough there. He was a little above average this year, not as good in PFF grade as he was in the past, but there were a lot of extenuating circumstances there. He deserves a payday, and I’d like to see him stay here, because I think he’s a really important piec on defense and can fit into any scheme.”
Well, maybe not Eric Bieniemy, whose season graded out as ‘rough.’
“They threw Sam Howell to the dogs, asking him to pass the most of anyone, and it was okay at times,” Akridge said. “I think the consensus was there needed to be more balance with the run game and easy throws, but they sent Sam to the wolves, and it was a unique experience for him and Bieniemy trying to prove they belonged in their spots. I don’t know if either of them really worked out, because EB didn’t make it too easy on the QB and he struggled with that. It was a rough match overall.”