The Washington Commanders’ offense could do more than just make life miserable for the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2. It could also help shove Jerry Jones a step closer to a move he hasn’t made yet: bringing in Bobby Wagner.
Wagner knows Washington well. He spent the last two seasons there, where he was part of the culture shift under head coach Dan Quinn and earned second-team All-Pro honors as the Commanders got within one game of the Super Bowl.
Last season, he was steady, but he also became a liability in isolation. Washington moved on, and no other team stepped up for him during the offseason.
That leaves Wagner still on the outside looking in, even though he’s made it clear he wants to keep playing. The Cowboys are said to be monitoring the future Pro Football Hall of Famer without acting on it yet, but that could change quickly if their linebacker group stumbles again against Washington.
Dallas has a real issue in the middle of its defense: communication. The team doesn’t have a true MIKE linebacker, and DeMarvion Overshown and Dee Winters fit better at WILL. If the Cowboys decide their current setup isn’t getting it done, Wagner would immediately strengthen that spot.
His athleticism isn’t what it used to be, and that part of his game is fading. But Wagner still brings something Dallas badly needs - leadership and the ability to handle green dot duties, keeping the defense aligned before the snap. After what the Cowboys looked like on Sunday Night Football against the New York Giants, that kind of presence would matter.
Washington hasn’t fully shut the door on a Wagner return, but it looks unlikely, even with Frankie Luvu dealing with a groin problem and Jordan Magee on injured reserve. The Cowboys, by contrast, seem far more desperate.
And if Dallas gets rolled by David Blough’s offense after already losing to the Giants, Wagner may not be eager to sign on anyway.
For now, nobody is making the next move. Washington has already moved on.
Dallas is still watching. Wagner is still waiting to see what comes next, possibly for a contender, even if that means waiting a while longer for the right opening.
The Commanders have enough on offense to beat Dallas’ defense, and if that fourth-quarter surge against the Philadelphia Eagles carries over for the next 16 games, that unit is going to have a hard time keeping up. The Cowboys should get better, but the standard is low enough that improvement alone might not be enough.
Wagner will be watching all of it. And he’ll be rooting for Washington to keep rolling.
In Other News...
Commanders Suddenly Have A Mike Sainristil Question They Cant Ignore
Mike Sainristil is already facing an early test of how the Commanders handle accountability under Dan Quinn. After Washingtons season-opening loss, Quinn publicly called out the young cornerbacks performance, and Sainristil responded by owning the mistakes and saying his focus is on getting better. For a defense that wants to establish a sharper edge, the issue is not just one rough outing, but how quickly the rookie can steady himself as the spotlight gets brighter.
Isaac Yiadoms arrival from the practice squad adds another layer to the conversation, because Washington now has more veteran depth in the secondary heading into its game against the Dallas Cowboys. The move does not settle the cornerback picture, but it does put a little more pressure on Sainristil to respond the right way. How Quinn and his staff sort out those snaps will be worth watching, especially this early in the season when every adjustment carries a little extra weight. [Read more 🡒]
Dorance Armstrong Gives Commanders A Personal Edge Against Dallas
Dorance Armstrong Jr. is back in the Commanders lineup after serving a one-week suspension, and his return comes with a built-in layer of familiarity. After six seasons with the Cowboys, Armstrong now finds himself on the other side of one of the NFC Easts most familiar rivalries, joining Washington as it prepares for an upcoming meeting with Dallas. He is working his way back from an ACL injury and sliding into a reserve hybrid linebacker role in the Commanders' 3-4 defense.
Even with a limited workload possible as he adjusts to the scheme and the roster around him, Armstrong still carries obvious value in a game like this. Washington did not bring him in just for depth, and his presence against his former team adds a little more edge to a matchup that already has plenty of it. The Commanders will be watching how much he can handle, but they also know the timing of his return is hard to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders May Need These Lineup Tweaks To Handle Dallas Better
The Commanders came out of their regular-season opener with enough encouraging moments to believe the roster can settle in quickly, but the 24-22 loss also exposed a few lineup spots that could use a closer look before the next meeting with Dallas. Washington has already spent time sorting through what worked, what didnt, and where injuries may force the coaching staff to look for more snaps from players who were on the fringe in Week 1.
Rasul Douglas, Antonio Williams, Ben Sinnott and Quan Martin all surfaced as possible beneficiaries if Washington decides to tweak roles heading into the Cowboys game. Those are the kinds of adjustments that can make a difference in a divisional matchup, especially when the margin for error is thin, but for now they remain ideas rather than confirmed changes as the Commanders weigh performance and availability against a Dallas opponent that will demand cleaner execution. [Read more 🡒]