It’s rare you see an NFL general manager say, “Yeah, that was on me. I messed up.” However rare, it’s very refreshing.
Former Broncos general manager John Elway once admitted in an interview that his biggest mistake
was passing on Josh Allen in the 2018 NFL Draft. Just this year Eagles general manager Howie Roseman admitted to Sports Illustrated that trading a late-round pick for Andy Dalton was a mistake. These are small blips on the radar compared to the Vikings…General Manager Kwesi Adolfo-Mensah
was fired by ownership less than 24 hours after he publicly admitted that letting Sam Darnold walk because they had drafted J.J. McCarthy was a mistake.
Maybe the above is why Adam Peters has kept relatively quiet on his mistakes.
Is Peters forcing “his guys” on the coaching staff?
On Oct. 9, Commanders beat reporter Candi Waller tweeted this:
From the outside, this tweet looks pretty innocuous. But a bit later, Candi followed up her original tweet with this:
So, the “USE YOUR CLUES” in all CAPS definitely raises some eyebrows. She then used this same phrase as a reply to many people who had quote-tweeted her original tweet. So, what does Candi know that the average fan may not?
I think this is pretty obvious!
Peters wants his draft picks to be successful. To be successful, they have to play. Coaches are the ones who decide who plays – PERIOD! No general manager should have a say in who plays and when and where they do. However, Candi may be suggesting that there are internal struggles between Peters and the coaching staff about who plays.
My guess is a lot of this stemmed from the release of Kaytron “Fatman” Allen from the active roster but grew in lore with the benefit of some hindsight.
Mike Sainristil, who had a good rookie year followed by a poor second season, began the year as a starter on the outside opposite Amik Robertson. After struggling mightily to begin the season, his reps slowly began decreasing week after week. Now he’s a reserve playing special teams.
Tight end Ben Sinnott has seen a more prominent role as evidenced by his increase in snaps, however, he’s still not being targeted in the passing game.
There COULD BE and SHOULD BE a time where the struggling left tackle Brandon Coleman is benched, but could Peters be behind his former 2024 third-round pick staying in the lineup?
Another question begs to be asked: Did Adam Peters force Nick Allegretti on the coaching staff? Did he force HIS draft pick Matt Gulbin on Quinn at right guard when starting right guard Sam Cosmi first went out with a concussion, even though it was evident to even the most novice fan that Gulbin had NO BUSINESS being on the field?
If Candi is correct with her tweet, I think you may have the answer to this question…
Roster Mistakes
Every general manager makes mistakes. Hell, if you have above a 60% hit rate on draft picks and top free agent acquisitions, you are considered a genius. The difference between a good general manager and a poor one is the ability to see your mistake and move on with a better plan.
At this point, I don’t think Adam Peters has the ability to do so.
- He is still relying on the “aging vet” model that we saw him go to in 2025:
- Stefon Diggs (albeit a good signing)
- Austin Ekeler
- Craig Reynolds
- Van Jefferson
- Lucas Patrick (a necessary signing after the “Allegretti experiment”)
- Rasul Douglas
- Fabian Moreau
- Isaac Yiadom
- We’ve seen him lose two valuable running backs — one who was signed off the practice squad (Robert Henry Jr.), and Fatman, who was cut with hopes he’d revert to the practice squad but was claimed by the Dolphins.
- The “wonder boy” experiment at center this offseason is a move that should be investigated by ownership…
- Going into the season with limited depth along the offensive line has CRUSHED the team this far.
The “staff” appears to finally be moving on from Sainristil as a starter, but you have to wonder how much Peters pushed back on this before realizing he’s not playable. Are Newton, Sinnott, Coleman and McCaffrey next?
There is ZERO doubt in my mind that Adam Peters wants this to be his team and he probably views head coach Dan Quinn as a dead man walking, which is why he may be, as Candi subtly hints, meddling.
Is Adam Peters using Dan Quinn as his “fall guy”? Does he TRULY believe his players are not the problem and it’s more on the coaches?
Let us know in the comments below:
