Commanders should follow Eagles blueprint

Suddenly, obtaining Myles Garrett is even more important to the Washington Commanders.

The Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX victory gave the Commanders their blueprint for offseason moves.

Follow the big men.

The Eagles defensive front wreaked havoc on Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, and Philadelphia's dominance in the trenches on both sides of the ball was key to its Super Bowl victory.

Garrett is an expensive but needed playmaker. The Cleveland Browns defensive end wants to move to a contender. Washington badly needs an impact pass rusher like Dexter Manley during the 1980s. While Dante Fowler gained 10.5 sacks last season, his impact was sporadic and he is also an unrestricted free agent. Meanwhile, Garrett has at least 14 sacks in four straight seasons and 10 or more in seven consecutive years.

The expensive interior tandem of Daron Payne and Jon Allen – both Washington first-rounders – has never proved dominant and combined for just seven sacks last season. One of them is expected to be moved over the offseason, especially if Washington gets Garrett.

But Garrett won’t come cheaply. Two first-rounders seems Cleveland’s starting point and the Commanders may need to sweeten the deal with a young player if only to keep Garrett from going to another NFC contender.

Philadelphia’s pass rush haunted Washington this season. The Eagles won two of three with the Commanders’ 36-33 victory on Dec. 22 coming despite five turnovers and two sacks.

In the NFC Championship, Philadelphia rolled over Washington 55-23 via three sacks, three fumble recoveries and one interception.

Philadelphia also beat Washington 26-18 on Nov. 14 with three sacks and one interception.

Washington never stopped Philadelphia’s pass rush in any game. That translates into needing a right tackle as Andrew Wylie’s two-year tenure has been mediocre at best. Wylie’s limited mobility, persistent injuries and penchant for penalties hurts quarterback Jayden Daniels regularly scrambling on the right. By denying Daniels his happy spot on the field where he often forsakes covered receivers for long runs, Philadelphia bottled Washington effectively.

Commanders general manager Adam Peters has the NFL’s third most available salary cap space ($80.5 million). He can afford to extend Garrett’s contract and sign a top free-agent receiver like Cincinnati’s Tee Higgins or trade for San Francisco receiver Deebo Samuel.

If Washington can’t trade for Garrett, that 29^th overall pick is probably used on an offensive tackle or receiver. Washington could also use a productive running back and cornerback, so whatever Peters doesn’t find in free agency or trades then heads up the draft list. Peters showed last year in his first draft he’s not afraid to go for need versus best player available.

But the best player available right now is Garrett. The Super Bowl showed Washington why it’s a must move.