The Washington Commanders had a strong run in head coach Dan Quinn's first season. Now, it's time to find ways to build and improve upon a roster that went 12-5 in the regular season and advanced to the NFC Championship for the first time in over 30 years.
Over the next few weeks, Quinn and general manager Adam Peters will review their personnel to determine what moves should be made to bolster each position. Though we don't have any say in how the new front office will mold the team going forward, Commanders.com will look back at how each group performed last season, breaking down top performers and looking ahead at where they could go next.
The linebackers are up next.
On the roster
Bobby Wagner: 132 tackles, 2 sacks, 4 PBUs, 1 FF, 2 FRs
Frankie Luvu: 99 tackles, 8 sacks, 7 PBUs, 1 INT, 1 FF, 2 FRs
Dante Fowler Jr.: 39 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 1 PBU, 1 INT, 2 FF
Mykal Walker: 21 tackles, 1 FR
Nick Bellore: 21 tackles
Jordan Magee: 9 tackles
Top performers (per Pro Football Focus)
OVR: Bobby Wagner (88.3)
RDEF: Bobby Wagner (91.2)
TACK: Bobby Wagner (86.3)
PRSH: Bobby Wagner (90.9)
COV: Dante Fowler Jr. (80.4)
Stats to know
-- Wagner proved that he still has the skill set to be one of the best linebackers in the NFL at 34 years old. The 13-year veteran led the team with 132 tackles, marking the 13th time he has surpassed the 100-tackle mark in his career. He is now tied with former Washington linebacker London Fletcher for the most consecutive 100-tackle seasons all-time.
-- Luvu was a terror for opposing quarterbacks because of his athleticism and versatility as a pass-rusher. Luvu set a career-high 33 pressures in 2024, which led to him recording eight sacks. The Commanders believed that Luvu was an ascending player when they signed him, and they were proven right by that throughout his first campaign with the Burgundy & Gold.
Questions to answer
-- Does Wagner come back? Wagner already had a Hall of Fame acumen before he signed with Washington last offseason. He added to that with another 100-tackle season, pushing him to 10th all-time behind Karlos Dansby and Junior Seau. Wagner not only produced on the field but also provided leadership for the defense and mentorship for Jayden Daniels. Wagner joined the team partly because of his relationship with Quinn, who was his defensive coordinator with the Seattle Seahawks. It's unknown at this point whether he'll re-sign with the team in March, but he clearly showed that he can still be valuable to a defense's success.
-- Depth development: Wagner and Luvu were a formidable combination for the Commanders in 2024, but like other positions on the roster, the depth behind those players must improve going forward. Fortunately, the Commanders are confident in two of last year's picks -- Magee and Dominique Hampton -- being able to step up as they develop. Magee had a strong training camp before suffering an injury that kept him out for most of the season. Meanwhile, Hampton was drafted as a safety before switching to outside linebacker. Hampton was inactive for 16 games this season and only played six special teams snaps, but the team liked his experience when they drafted him.
Free agency
Click HERE to see all the players the Commanders could pursue in free agency with their available cap space.
Draft
Click HERE to see Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.'s Big Board of draft prospects.
