Who is the Washington Commanders’ most underrated player? When you are coming off a 4-13 season, you could make the case no one is underrated. However, no NFL team has undergone more change than the Commanders this offseason.
New general manager Adam Peters signed over 20 free agents and added a combined 20 players from the NFL draft and undrafted free agents.
While linebacker Bobby Wagner has received the most headlines, and rightfully so, as he is a future Hall of Famer, fellow linebacker Frankie Luvu could be Washington’s most impactful signing.
Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire recently named every team’s most underrated player, and Luvu was his pick for the Commanders.
The 2023 Commanders were absolutely abysmal on defense despite a slew of top talent, which leaves the goat horns on former head coach Ron Rivera and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio. To stem the tide, Washington hired Dan Quinn as their new head coach, and Quinn has a long history of turning defenses around. One of the primary instigators of that campaign is sure to be former Jets and Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu, who signed a three-year, $31 million contract with $14,625 million guaranteed.
Not that anyone would turn down those numbers, but if you ask me, the Commanders got a major bargain here. Luvu will be the tone-setter for the Commanders’ defense just as he was for the Panthers in 2023. Then, he totaled seven sacks, 20 total pressures, 84 solo tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and he proved more than able to break off into coverage. In an era when linebackers have to do just about everything if they want to stick and stay as superstars, Luvu is already one of those rare beings.
Is there anything Frankie Luvu CAN’T do? Not really. Tampa-2 deep third, run-stuffing, zone/match/man over the middle, racking up pressures at the LOS. The very definition of the modern do-it-all NFL linebacker. pic.twitter.com/AFCdgST7Gb
— Doug Farrar
(@NFL_DougFarrar) March 8, 2024
Luvu, 27, is an ascending player coming off two excellent seasons with the Carolina Panthers. Luvu can play every down, drop into coverage, be a force against the run and rush the passer. Washington hasn’t had a linebacker like Wagner or Luvu in years.
If Luvu stays healthy in 2024, he will not be considered underrated anymore.