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. We're wrapping things up with the quarterbacks.
On the roster
Jayden Daniels: 331-480, 3,568 yards, 25 TDs, 9 INTs; 148 carries, 891 yards, 6 TDs
Marcus Mariota: 34-44, 364 yards, 4 TDs; 18 carries, 92 yards, 1 TD
Top performers (per Pro Football Focus)
OVR: Jayden Daniels (90.6)
PASS: Marcus Mariota (90.8)
RUN: Jayden Daniels (90)
Stats to know
-- Daniels' accomplishments were discussed throughout his rookie season, but we'll review some of them again. Daniels' 3,568 passing yards during the regular season, which broke the franchise's single-season record for a rookie, was also the 12th-best performance for a Washington quarterback. He's the first quarterback in franchise history to lead the team in passing and rushing, which contributed to him putting up 5,416 total yards in the regular and postseason (that is also an NFL record).
-- Mariota didn't start a game for the Commanders but contributed when called up and proved he can still be a quality NFL quarterback. He completed 77.3% of his passes -- a career-high for the 10-year veteran -- and posted the second-best QBR of his career. He also secured the 12th fourth-quarter comeback and 15th game-winning drive last season when he led the Commanders to a win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Questions to answer
-- What's the next step for Daniels? Daniels had one of the best rookie campaigns in NFL history, not only providing long-sought-after stability at quarterback but also possibly speeding up Washington's development toward being a championship contender. Some have already put him among the NFL's top 10 quarterbacks. Regardless of whether that is actually true, Daniels' next challenge is to build on that success. He'll need to use that poise, preparation and work ethic that impressed his teammates to fine-tune some aspects of his skill set like staying in the pocket a tick longer to give plays more time to develop downfield. Based on how he approached his preparations for his rookie season, Daniels is likely already working to improve and help the Commanders get to another conference championship -- and win it next time.
-- Do the Commanders re-sign Mariota? The 2015 No. 2 overall pick was one of the many free agents Washington signed last offseason and proved to be an asset in the quarterback room, despite only playing in three games. Mariota provided mentorship to Daniels last season, and the rookie often spoke about how important their relationship was to him. Mariota also played well in his three games and directed the Commanders to wins over the Carolina Panthers and Cowboys. That's going to generate some interest around the league for Mariota, meaning Washington could face some competition in bringing him back. Mariota praised his time in Washington, but if other teams show interest in him, he'll have to consider every option.
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.
