"The Commanders used two linebackers - Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu - on almost every snap. They usually had three defensive linemen and a standard two-corner/two-safety secondary on the field. That leaves two other defenders who floated. More often than not, those players were edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr., who was often tabbed as a linebacker, and big nickel safety Jeremy Chinn. Both could shift into the linebacker role, creating a de facto 3-4 front."
"That's fine, especially considering that he will no doubt throw in numerous wrinkles that will make the defense more amoeba-like, without any one clear preferred alignment. The Seattle Seahawks showed just how effective that could be in Super Bowl LX. The problem is that the Seahawks have elite talent at the second level. Washington, Luvu's outstanding 2024 season notwithstanding, does not. Wagner is a free agent and is unlikely to return."
The Commanders' base defense in 2024 operated as a flexible, amoeba-like scheme that frequently presented as a 4-2-5 but could morph into 3-3-5, 4-3-4 or 3-4-4 alignments. Two linebackers, Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu, played nearly every snap while three defensive linemen and a two-corner/two-safety shell formed the core. Two floating defenders—often edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr. and big nickel safety Jeremy Chinn—shifted into linebacker roles, producing a de facto 3-4 front at times. The roster lacks depth at the second level heading into 2026, with Wagner a free agent and most backups unproven.
Read at Riggo's Rag
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