- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,219,054
- Reaction score
- 59
The Washington Commanders entered the offseason desperate to get "younger and faster." Those were GM Adam Peters' words at Washington's season-ending press conference in January. It almost became the motto for the offseason.
The Commanders approached free agency, targeting players in their mid-20s, heading into their second contracts. One position that needed an infusion of speed and youth was the linebacker position. While letting Bobby Wagner walk was tough, it was time. The future Hall of Famer was exploited too often in coverage last season. So, Washington double-dipped at linebacker, signing former Chiefs standout Leo Chenal and using the No. 7 overall pick on Sonny Styles.
After the additions of Chenal and Styles, Washington went from having some of the slowest linebackers to perhaps the fastest. Once the Commanders selected Styles, most believed he'd immediately be the Mike linebacker in Week 1. Styles wore the green dot some in Washington's OTAs and minicamp, preparing him for the role.
What if it's Chenal who lines up as the Commanders' Mike in Week 1? In an interview with Steve Wyche on NFL Network's "The Insiders," Chenal revealed that he was playing the Mike.
"It's really cool how, like, personalized it is, and, as a Mike linebacker, being in the middle, go each way, come downhill, you got so much flexibility as a linebacker in this defense," Chenal said.
Did Chenal let the cat out of the bag? Will he start over Styles in Week 1? Not necessarily. If the Commanders go with a base 3-4 defense, which is expected, there will be two inside linebackers. Washington can play a combination of Frankie Luvu, Styles and Chenal there. The great thing about these three players is that they also possess the flexibility and versatility to play outside and rush the passer some, too.
If Chenal and Styles are on the field together, Luvu can line up outside or bring depth as an extra pass rusher. The options are endless for defensive coordinator Daronte Jones.
When Chenal spoke about playing Mike linebacker, some assumed that he meant over Styles. He likely means playing beside him. Think about that in Week 1. The Commanders will have multiple Mike linebackers who can attack downhill, cover, go sideline to sideline and more.
There's no question that Washington's defense will be better in 2026. How much better? We shall see.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Leo Chenal's interesting reveal about Commanders' defense
Continue reading...
The Commanders approached free agency, targeting players in their mid-20s, heading into their second contracts. One position that needed an infusion of speed and youth was the linebacker position. While letting Bobby Wagner walk was tough, it was time. The future Hall of Famer was exploited too often in coverage last season. So, Washington double-dipped at linebacker, signing former Chiefs standout Leo Chenal and using the No. 7 overall pick on Sonny Styles.
After the additions of Chenal and Styles, Washington went from having some of the slowest linebackers to perhaps the fastest. Once the Commanders selected Styles, most believed he'd immediately be the Mike linebacker in Week 1. Styles wore the green dot some in Washington's OTAs and minicamp, preparing him for the role.
What if it's Chenal who lines up as the Commanders' Mike in Week 1? In an interview with Steve Wyche on NFL Network's "The Insiders," Chenal revealed that he was playing the Mike.
"It's really cool how, like, personalized it is, and, as a Mike linebacker, being in the middle, go each way, come downhill, you got so much flexibility as a linebacker in this defense," Chenal said.
Did Chenal let the cat out of the bag? Will he start over Styles in Week 1? Not necessarily. If the Commanders go with a base 3-4 defense, which is expected, there will be two inside linebackers. Washington can play a combination of Frankie Luvu, Styles and Chenal there. The great thing about these three players is that they also possess the flexibility and versatility to play outside and rush the passer some, too.
If Chenal and Styles are on the field together, Luvu can line up outside or bring depth as an extra pass rusher. The options are endless for defensive coordinator Daronte Jones.
When Chenal spoke about playing Mike linebacker, some assumed that he meant over Styles. He likely means playing beside him. Think about that in Week 1. The Commanders will have multiple Mike linebackers who can attack downhill, cover, go sideline to sideline and more.
There's no question that Washington's defense will be better in 2026. How much better? We shall see.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Leo Chenal's interesting reveal about Commanders' defense
Continue reading...
