Commanders Notebook: Exec Departs, Rookie Prediction, New Stadium

Notes on the Washington Commanders after a handful of tidbits officially materialized this week:

Key exec departs...the Commanders saw one notable front office departure on Wednesday afternoon after news materialized that senior vice president of football initiatives Dave Gardi is headed to the Tennessee Titans. He fills the role as the new executive vice president of football operations where he will report directly to the general manager and oversee football administration, strategy and analytics, research, video and team operations.

Gardi joined the organization after both Adam Peters and Dan Quinn arrived in Washington, becoming key support for both the front office and coaching staff where was integral to game management strategy. How long the vacancy remains for Washington is unclear, though Ben Standig reported the team has a plan to replace Gardi's game management role. Whether that materializes ahead of the start of OTAs next weekend is unclear.

New Stadium...as expected, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic reported on Tuesday that the NFL has officially approved the Commanders' stadium lease in DC, a still important step in the near $4 billion project to renovate the iconic RFK Stadium footprint. The new stadium is expected to open in 2030 after being tabbed to be a tribute to the iconic former stadium, completing a project that Josh Harris viewed as a mission ever since he became the team's new owner.

“It was tougher, but I just felt like that was the right place for it to be. It’s in the middle of the DMV; it’s historic. Honestly, it’s the best site," Harris told The Athletic. "Throughout this whole process, it’s been a North Star for me.”

Whether the new stadium translates into Washington becoming the Super Bowl site seems to be premature, though, after NFL commissioner Roger Goodell noted it won't be until at least 2032 when it becomes at least a possibility.

Rookie Prediction...rookie minicamp is already complete with the first set of OTAs set for next weekend, a chance for both coordinators to ramp up installs ahead of a pivotal year three. While it gives the new free agent signings a chance to get comfortable in new beginnings, it also gives the rookie class a chance to get their feet wet as they acclimate to the NFL-pace of the game.

That's especially true for linebacker Sonny Styles, who has drawn consistent buzz this offseason as a potential impact piece after materializing into the top-ten pick that everyone pegged him to be.

Head coach Dan Quinn has talked about his green dot potential with the rest of the offseason into preseason a chance to earn that role for the Commanders' defense, but within his rookie class, ESPN has high expectations after Mike Clay projected the Ohio State star to lead all rookies in total tackles.

Clay projected Styles to narrowly miss out on 125 total tackles, a mark that only four rookies have reached within the last decade, while he was one of three Buckeyes included in the projected top five.

ESPN's Projections:

1. Sonny Styles, Washington Commanders: 123

2. Arvell Reese, New York Giants: 116

3. CJ Allen, Indianapolis Colts: 94

T-4. Caleb Downs, Dallas Cowboys: 82

T-4. Dillon Thieneman, Chicago Bears: 82

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