Commanders offseason improvements make them contender

The Washington Commanders are going into the season with an improved roster in hopes of getting past the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East.

They made improvements on both sides of the ball hoping to remain one of the elite teams in the NFL.

FOX Sports writer Ralph Vacchiano believes the Commanders are still one of the best teams in the league, placing them at No. 7 in his latest power rankings.

Commanders improvements make them special

"After an outstanding rookie season, the Commanders made sure they got quarterback Jayden Daniels plenty of help so he doesn’t have a sophomore slump," Vacchiano wrote.

"They traded for receiver Deebo Samuel and left tackle Laremy Tunsil and drafted another tackle, Josh Conerly, in the first round.

"But the defense still needs help. It ranked 13th overall last season, but that hides the fact that it ranked lower in most defensive categories, including 30th against the run — and that was before defensive tackle Jonathan Allen signed with the Vikings. They replaced him with Javon Kinlaw, while adding cornerback Jonathan Jones and 36-year-old linebacker Von Miller. But they’re still going to need Daniels to cover for a defense that won’t be great."

The only teams ahead of the Commanders in the power rankings are the Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens and the aforementioned Eagles.

The offensive additions give more promise than the defensive ones, but all of the improvements should make Washington a better overall team.

The Commanders are preparing for their preseason opener against the New England Patriots on Aug. 8.