Will Harris signing doesn't get Commanders' young safeties off the hook

The Washington Commanders have lost some decent pieces during free agency so far. Not even the signing of Will Harris can truly compensate for what Jeremy Chinn brought to the table.

That's why those already on the books must step up to the plate.

Of the players who will not be returning, wide receiver Dyami Brown should have the least impact. Swing tackle Cornelius Lucas has played a vital role for the club since 2020, but they do have some other options to take over his role. It begins with potentially re-signing Trent Scott and may extend well beyond that.

The loss of Chinn could hurt the most.

Chinn resurrected his career in his one year playing under Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. After a very promising start, the safety had become something of an afterthought with the Carolina Panthers. Washington used him closer to the line in a base 4-2-5 defense that allowed the hard-hitting Southern Illinois graduate to frequently serve as a third linebacker.

That took advantage of Chinn’s aggressiveness while minimizing his struggles in deep coverage. Now, it will be up to Pete Carroll and Patrick Graham in Las Vegas to build on that.

Commanders must get more from their young safeties despite signing Will Harris

Who steps into the void left by Chinn’s departure? Adam Peters swooped quickly to secure the services of Harris, which should help in the short term. He may be looking at the upcoming draft for a longer-term solution, which features some promising talent. However, first and foremost, the Commanders must also develop their young safety talent.

It begins with Percy Butler. When Washington chose the former Louisiana star in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, it took some people by surprise. The defensive back was touted as a special teams ace who could develop into a legitimate starting safety over time. His problem as a defender became clear early on. He was a strong safety trapped in a free safety-type body.

Butler has all the speed and agility you’d want in a deep safety. At just under 200 pounds, that would be his best position. Unfortunately, his play style is that of an attacking in-the-box safety who does not backpedal or move laterally as well as you’d like in a classic free safety.

That became glaringly obvious in 2023 when Butler was forced into service after Darrick Forrest was lost to injury.

The fact that Quinn and Whitt seemed to prefer Butler in 2024 over Forrest suggests they know how to use him properly. His snaps dropped from over 800 in 2023 to 399 in 2024, but he played better. That may not be reflected in his Pro Football Focus grades. However, if you watched him on the field, you could see it.

Butler may be too light to replicate exactly what Chinn did in 2024, hence the arrival of Harris. He may end up playing a similar supporting role in the coming year. Washington also has two other candidates who'll fancy their chances of carving out bigger roles for themselves.

Both are very green, but present tantalizing physical gifts.

Dominque Hampton was the least impactful of all the rookies in Peters’ 2024 draft class. The sixth-rounder has the prototypical size for a modern big nickel safety. At 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, he is a carbon copy of Chinn. He has elite physical skills for a player of his size.

Quinn must have seen a new Kam Chancellor — the dominant safety from his Legion of Boom secondary in Seattle — when looking at Hampton.

The former Washington Huskies' star redshirted much of his rookie campaign and rarely saw the field. He needs development and fortunately, the Commanders have the coaching staff to help him grow. Chinn’s departure may give him a chance a little ahead of schedule. If he can take advantage, the defense will be better off for it.

Finally, there is the undrafted free agent who moved ahead of Hampton in preseason last year.

Tyler Owens is another physical phenom. He is almost as big as Hampton and Chinnm with extraordinary athleticism. His 40-yard dash time, vertical leap, and broad jump at last year’s NFL Scouting Combine blew away all other safety prospects.

Owens did not see the field as a defender last year, but that talent was on display when he played special teams. He missed the second half of the season with an injury but should be fully healthy for 2025. Like Hampton, he needs time and coaching to unleash all that potential.

The Commanders still have the reliable Jeremy Reaves providing some security as a jack-of-all-trades backup in the secondary as well. And of course, Harris hasn't come into the mix to sit on the sidelines after signing a two-year, $8 million deal that could rise to $10 million with incentives.

Butler, Hampton, and Owens should all get a shot at playing bigger roles next season. If any of them step up and Harris meets his end of the bargain, the Commanders will weather Chinn’s departure just fine.