The Washington Commanders entirely flipped their roster through trades, free agency, and the 2024 NFL draft between the trade deadline last year and this offseason.

New faces in different places and a new coaching staff has sprung life into the DMV area and they will want to show they are going to brighter days in 2024.

Yes, Washington flipped their roster, but there is one play in particular who NFL.com’s Adam Rank says is the most essential player, outside of Jayden Daniels, for the Commanders this next season – DT Jonathan Allen.

“It’s Allen for a couple of reasons,” adds Rank. “The Commanders allowed the most points per game (30.5), total yards per game (388.9) and passing yards per game (262.2) in the NFL in 2023.

So Quinn and coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. have a lot of work to do with a defense that lost Chase Young and Montez Sweat at the trade deadline last year. Yes, the Commanders added up front, signing Dorance Armstrong, Dante Fowler Jr. and Clelin Ferrell and picking Jer’Zhan Newton in Round 2.

But the 29-year-old Allen is the only player on the roster who has at least five sacks for the team in 2023. He’s either going to be the anchor of the defensive line — or he’s going to be another trade component for a team still in rebuilding mode. The two-time Pro Bowler, who’s tallied up 22 sacks over the past three seasons, might yield some fascinating draft capital.”

Jonathan Allen is one of the holdovers who has stuck around on the team since everything went through a facelift and figures to be an intricate part of the Commanders’ defense this upcoming season unless they decide to trade him before the trade deadline; which ultimately could come down to how the season starts for them.

Washington is fairly deep at the DT position and with the acquisition of a player of Newton’s quality might put pressure on Allen and the front office to make a move until something happens or the performance isn’t nearly there from some of the other guys.

Either way, whether it’s his play or using him as a trade asset for draft capital, it does look like Allen will play a key part in what the Commanders are attempting to do.