You could argue that no position group improved more this offseason than the Washington Commanders linebackers. That happens when you add a future Hall of Famer like Bobby Wagner.
Wagner wasn’t Washington’s only new addition, though. The Commanders signed former Carolina Panther Frankie Luvu to a three-year deal. For as highly regarded as Wagner is, some believe Luvu is on the verge of a breakout year playing for Washington coach Dan Quinn.
In his annual projections for the upcoming season, ESPN’s Mike Clay ranked Washington’s linebackers No. 1 across the entire NFL. That’s quite the improvement, considering it was arguably the NFL’s worst group last season.
Pro Football Focus has also been ranking every NFL position group. This week, it was the linebackers. PFF wasn’t as high on Washington’s linebackers, ranking them 17th.
The Commanders made splash signings at linebacker in free agency, adding Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu. Despite his advancing years, Wagner posted an 82.4 PFF overall grade and a 91.5 run-defense grade. His 60.0 coverage grade left something to be desired, though.
Luvu can make an impact against the run and in coverage but also offers the ability to make plays as a blitzer, registering 20 quarterback pressures on 104 pass-rushing snaps last season.
Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. are unlikely to leave Wagner in coverage too often. As far as PFF’s rankings, these appear a bit low for the Commanders.
What about the rest of the NFC East?
- 5. New York Giants
- 19. Dallas Cowboys
- 30. Philadelphia Eagles
Rankings are subjective. Are New York’s linebackers better than the combo of Wagner/Luvu? Not so sure about that one.