The Washington Commanders wasted no time signing this intriguing free agent after yet another key starter suffered a major injury
The Commanders are bringing in young help for the defense.
The injuries are piling up for the Washington Commanders, and the defense took another major hit on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Multiple starters in the secondary left the game, and one will likely be out for a long time, forcing the Commanders to pivot. We’ve already seen the Commanders bring in a few players since the season started due to injuries, like Preston Smith and Chase Edmonds, and the defense is getting some extra help from an intriguing free agent.
Commanders sign Darnell Savage
Starting safety Will Harris was having a good start to the season, but he left the Commanders’ game against the Raiders with a fractured fibula and will miss at least four games after he was placed on the Reserved/Injured list. The loss results in the Commanders turning to a free agent who hasn’t been available long. They’re signing 28-year-old safety Darnell Savage.
The Commanders’ defense can’t afford to take any hits, but they looked much improved against the Raiders until the injuries started to pile up at the end of the game. Savage brings experience while still being a young player who has plenty left in the tank. The Jacksonville Jaguars released Savage just last week as they decided to keep Antonio Johnson, who was one of their 2023 draft picks, instead.
Savage has played in many different snap alignments on defense, and he brings 2,646 snaps at free safety, 1,173 snaps in the box, and 1,033 snaps as a slot corner to Washington. Harris obviously played strong safety for the Commanders, so it will be interesting to see if Savage slides into that role, or if they keep him at free safety, where he has played the most, and Quan Martin moves to strong safety.
Darnell Savage Quick Facts
- Commanders defensive passing game coordinator Jason Simmons was Savage’s DB coach in Green Bay during his rookie season.
- Savage has 10 career interceptions in his six seasons in the NFL.
- Savage went to college at the University of Maryland, and he was drafted in the first round.
Other Commanders who can step up
Adding a player is always important when a roster spot opens up, but tapping into your own roster is just as crucial. The Commanders have given more opportunities to Jeremy Reaves, who has been just a special teams ace, and the payoff is needed now more than ever. Reaves stepped in when Harris went down and finished with 46 snaps on Sunday, which is the most he’s had in a game since 2022.
The counterpoint, however, is that Reaves finished as the lowest graded defender for the Commanders on Sunday with a 37.1 PFF grade after allowing three catches for 89 yards and a touchdown. Tyler Owens and Percy Butler are the other two options that are usually depth or rotational players, but we haven’t seen much quality starting time from any of the three backups, so Savage might need to get ramped up and take over as the starter.
Washington Commanders News
The Commanders finally did the one thing that they needed to, and it paid off in a massive way with a statement win against the Raiders
The Commanders stuck with it, and it paid off in a big way.
