first class cruises washington commanders

Washington Commanders on BIG 100

Commanders fan cruise to set sail through caribbean islands in 2023.

first class cruises washington commanders

The seven-night excursion will sail the Caribbean seas from March 25 - April 1, 2023, aboard Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas, and feature Washington Legends and unforgettable team-the med events and celebrations

Fans can reserve their spot on the seven-night Caribbean cruise at www.CommandersFanCruise.com

LANDOVER, Md., August 5, 2022 – The Washington Commanders and First Class Cruises, in conjunction with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines , are inviting Commanders fans to set sail on a seven-night Caribbean cruise from March 25-April 1, 2023, with some of their favorite Washington Legends (alumni), including Doug Williams, Dexter Manley, Gary Clark, Joe Theismann, Jordan Reed and Santana Moss. The Inaugural Washington Commanders Fan Cruise will depart from Miami, FL, aboard Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas cruise vessel and will stop at several Caribbean islands, including Costa Maya, Roatan, Cozumel and Royal Caribbean’s private island CocoCay.

Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas cruise ship features a groundbreaking design consisting of seven distinct neighborhoods, each packed with amazing, innovative at-sea experiences. The vessel offers a relaxing atmosphere and upscale entertainment paired with ultra-modern facilities. Fans can purchase tickets and learn about cost, package options and additional details by visiting www.CommandersFanCruise.com .

As part of the seven-night excursion, guests will have the opportunity to partake in Commanders-themed events and activities, including meet-and-greets, Q&A’s and photo opportunities, trivia, karaoke, dancing and more, all while enjoying the company of up to 30 Washington Legends. Additional Legends will be announced closer to the cruise departure date.

“As an organization, it is important to us to provide Commanders fans with the best fan experience possible — whether that be at FedExField or across the Caribbean,” said Commanders Chief Partnership Officer Ryan Moreland. “Having the best fans in football join dozens of players who have shaped the history of this organization in this unforgettable experience is central to our mission of seeking out exciting and impactful partnerships, and we thank First Class Cruises for helping to bring this unique experience to life for our fans.”

“Washington football fans are the most passionate and dedicated in the sport — and their years of loyalty made our careers in burgundy and gold so special,” said Doug Williams, Washington Legend, Super Bowl MVP Quarterback and Senior Advisory to Commanders Team President Jason Wright. “Bringing these two groups back together for a week in the Caribbean will be an unforgettable experience for all, and the Legends look forward to connecting with the fans and reliving some of our most memorable moments.”

“This is the ultimate experience for any Commanders fan,” said Rebecca Nahom, First Class Cruises Director of Marketing. “We are excited to bring fans closer to their favorite team in such a unique way. Sailing on the Harmony of the Seas, one of the world’s most exclusive and premier cruise ships, alongside Washington Legends, offers a once in a lifetime opportunity for every Commanders fan.”

To reserve your spot on the Inaugural Washington Commanders Fan Cruise and for more information on Royal Caribbean policies related to this cruise please visit www.CommandersFanCruise.com . Additionally, fans will have the opportunity to engage with the partnership throughout the season at FedExField and other team events, including Training Camp and gameday concourse activations throughout the season.

Jeffrey Nahom, cruise associate dumped by Commanders has a narrative to inform

Everybody’s got a story, and some of us have more than one. In the tale that Jeffrey Nahom likes to tell, hey ‘sa hard-working entrepreneur who’s hit a run of bad luck.

In the version he’d rather not talk about, though – the version documented by court judgments, exposed in investigative TV reports and detailed in customer complaints on consumer-protection websites – there’s a long list of unhappy people using words like “nightmare” to describe what it’s like to do business with him and his companies.

in that story, Nahom other his travel companies — First Class Cruises and First Class Vacations — are regularly accused of ripping off customers and business partners.

One of those business partners, the Washington Commanders, said last week they would drop out of a planned First Class Cruises promotion — a deal that offered football fans a chance to sail the Caribbean with a handful of former Redskins greats — because of “significant changes made by First Class Cruises to the original offering, including cruise line, destinations and dates.” The team announced the cruise was off after I contacted them for a column on the shady promotion that I wrote last week.

Bur in Nahom’s version of the tale, the Commanders are the bad guys. “The Commanders are lying,” hey said after I tracked him down to ask how the commanders deal went sour.

“They are full of s—- and I have proof of that. That’s a false story,” hey said, referring to the commander’s statement.

Then my new friend told me what hey what going to do for me. “I am going to decide very soon if I am going to give you the real scoop,” hey said. “I will decide soon, and I have every email to back up everything I would tell you.”

I received this follow-up email from Nahom after our conversation: “The statement made by the Commanders is not accurate and will be rephrased shortly by the Commanders. Once it has been reworded to accurately tell the reason why the Fan Cruise is not moving forward I’ll let you know.”

The Commander’s response? “We stand by our statement,” a spokesperson said.

Let’s face it, credibility is as hard to come by in this story as lifeboats on the Titanic.

Nahom did give me the “scoop” about the numerous questionable business practices I outlined in last week’s column — from the failed Philadelphia Eagles fan cruise to the $1.35 million judgment against him and the many complaints filed by angry customers with the Better Business Bureau and others agencies.

The Eagles fan cruise was canceled twice — a victim of COVID — but fans grew so frustrated over the failure of getting their money back that they went to a local Philadelphia television station for help. They would get their money back, but sources familiar with the process told me the team issued the refunds and told Nahom to “keep quiet.”

The team officially said the refunds were a cooperative effort between both First Class Cruises and the Eagles. Nahom said that was the case, and claimed he went into his own pocket to refund large sums of money to Eagles fans. “We both, we were partners on the deal and we both decided together to refund everybody because it was canceled two years in a row because of COVID,” he said. “It just took a very long time for that cancellation contract to go through and for them to refund the money. Myself, knowing that the money was being refunded, I actually refunded the first couple of hundred thousand dollars out of my pocket because I thought it would be much quicker and those funds would come in and it just took a long time.

“I can’t tell you details down to the dollar, but we both did it and I lost a lot of money on that,” he said. “I didn’t ask for it back from anybody. It is what it is.”

The Benevolent Victim.

Then there was the $1.35 million default judgment against them by a creditor in Broward County courts in July 2021. It was filed by a court-appointed receiver for a company called TCA Global Credit Master Fund, which had been shut down by the SEC on fraud charges. Nahom called it a “Ponzi scheme”

“My business was doing very well at the time,” he said. “We wanted to go public and they said yeah, we can help you with the investment bank and everything. My attorney and I, we were going to countersue them because they didn’t provide any services for the fees they were charging, and it came out to 99 percent interest. It is what it is.”

But they didn’t countersue, and the court-appointed receiver is pursuing the judgment, with interest accruing every day. I had reported Nahom’s First Class Vacations got roasted in another televised report out of Kansas City in 2018 — a woman named Wendy McDermott, who said Nahom’s company cashed her check for $3,600 for an Alaskan cruise in 2018 — only to find three weeks before the cruise was to take off, “We had no airfare, we had nothing. It was awesome.” McDermott said she got $2,300 back of her money and made the reservations at the last minute herself.

Nahom acted as if he barely remembered her name. “Some lady, it made it seem like she wasn’t given a full refund,” he said. “I don’t remember exactly what happened with this Wendy McDermott. There was some type of an issue. As a matter of fact, I saw something on there… I don’t remember the particulars.”

It’s hard to believe that he would not remember the particulars of this woman. Wendy McDermott told me, “I called every day for two weeks multiple times. I bet I called them 30 times. I pissed them off. I went on Facebook. I went on Twitter. I went on YouTube. Their employees knew my name because I had called so much.”

The others — there are many others — sought help through agencies built to protect people from guys like Nahom. So why did both First Class Cruises and First Class Vacations let their business licenses expire in Florida, as I reported in my column last week.

“First Class Cruises is a Nevada corporation and not required to have a license in Florida,” Nahom said. “They didn’t have an office in Florida. Now we did just renew it, we are getting our bonding and are opening up an office down in Florida again.”

But those customers with issues against Nahom went to Florida for help — 37 complaints against First Class Vacations and two against First Class Cruises were filed with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Plus there were multiple complaints filed with the South Florida office of the Better Business Bureau — which gave First Class Vacations an “F” rating.

Nahom vowed, “Every single complaint will eventually get resolved. It is what it is.”

I reminded Nahom hey had the opportunity to make his case before my initial column came out — but hey said hey didn’t have time. Later hey told me hey what advised by his lawyer not to talk because of confidentiality. “I know,” my new friend told me. “I’m pissed off about that. I wanted to talk to you … I apologize for that but hopefully since I am giving you facts here and you can do that.”

The facts. As Frank Lloyd Wright once said, “The truth is more important than the facts.”

To the Jeffrey Nahom likes to say, this is exactly what it is.

You can hear Thom Loverro on The Kevin Sheehan Show podcast.

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The Washington Commanders’ Fan Cruise is tone deaf and a terrible idea

The Commanders are hosting a Caribbean fan cruise. What could go wrong?

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The Washington Commanders are football’s most humiliating franchise thanks mostly to the incredible incompetency of owner Daniel Snyder. Even after finally leaving their racist mascot name behind, the artists formerly known as the Washington Football Team still struggle to do anything right.

So far this offseason, a House committee concluded an investigation that saw Snyder attempted to discredit legitimate allegations of sexual harassment in the workplace with his own shadow investigation, tried to intimidate witnesses with private investigators, and underreported revenue to visiting teams. Snyder also allegedly dodged a congressional subpoena by setting sail in his super yacht so he couldn’t be served.

On Friday, the Commanders tried to earn some goodwill amongst one of the league’s most passionate fanbases by announcing a new seven-night fan cruise. Yes, a Caribbean cruise from the same team owned by a man who set sail in international waters to avoid a congressional subpoena!

We’re partnering with First Class Cruises to launch the first-ever Washington Commanders Fan Cruise! Set sail with Joe Theismann, Doug Williams and plenty more legends next spring ⤵️ — Washington Commanders (@Commanders) August 5, 2022

The cruise promises “trivia, karaoke, dancing” and time to meet Washington Football Team legends. From the press release :

As part of the seven-night excursion, guests will have the opportunity to partake in Commanders-themed events and activities, including meet-and-greets, Q&A’s and photo opportunities, trivia, karaoke, dancing and more, all while enjoying the company of up to 30 Washington Legends. Additional Legends will be announced closer to the cruise departure date. “As an organization, it is important to us to provide Commanders fans with the best fan experience possible — whether that be at FedExField or across the Caribbean,” said Commanders Chief Partnership Officer Ryan Moreland. “Having the best fans in football join dozens of players who have shaped the history of this organization in this unforgettable experience is central to our mission of seeking out exciting and impactful partnerships, and we thank First Class Cruises for helping to bring this unique experience to life for our fans.”

The “team legends” are headlined by Joe Theismann, Doug Williams, Dexter Manley, Jordan Reed, and Santana Moss. But that’s burying the lede. Also coming on this fan cruise is none other than world famous boat party aficionado Fred Smoot!

Here’s a refresher on the Smoot’s role in the Vikings’ famous “love boat” scandal for those not old enough to remember.

There’s something that feels incredibly slimy about going on a seven-day Caribbean cruise with a franchise that was accused of sexual assault at the highest levels of the organization . The fact that the Commanders announced this just after the Snyder set sail on his own yacht to avoid subpoena makes it even more strange and tone deaf. The cruise ship Washington is using, the Harmony of the Seas, also had a major Covid outbreak earlier this year .

The whole thing runs between $2,200 and $4,000 for the entire cruise . What can go wrong?

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Miami Dolphins say promoter of ‘fan cruise’…

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Miami dolphins say promoter of ‘fan cruise’ stiffed team out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

A Facebook photo promotes a Miami Dolphins Fan Cruise that sailed in early April. The team is suing the promoter, saying it failed to delivery promised money and services, and had to be bailed out when it failed to pay MSC Cruises for staterooms for which customers had booked and paid.

The Miami Dolphins were forced to cough up more than a quarter million dollars owed to MSC Cruises after the promoter of a Dolphins “fan cruise” failed to pay the cruise line as promised, the NFL team charged in a federal lawsuit filed Friday.

Not only did defendants First Class Cruises LLC and its president Jeffrey Nahom fail to remit to MSC fares that passengers prepaid, the company also stiffed 35 former players recruited for the cruise out of hundreds of thousands of dollars of promised sponsorship benefits and appearance fees, the suit alleges.

Meanwhile, Nahom treated himself and his family to the nicest cabins on the MSC Seascape when the seven-day fan cruise sailed from Miami early this month, the Dolphins are charging.

The lawsuit states that Nahom and First Class Cruises entered into a sponsorship agreement in June 2022 to organize the “Miami Dolphins Fan Cruise.” The event’s website bills it as an opportunity for fans to “Interact, engage, and get to know” legends like Dan Marino, Mark Duper, and Larry Csonka in “themed events, excursions, competitions, parties, meet & greets, photo opportunities” and more.

In early March, as the departure date loomed less than a month away, the team discovered that First Class Cruises and Nahom had failed to turn over to MSC $251,372 for 61 staterooms that fans had paid for in advance, and $96,004 for 35 staterooms that former Dolphin players were promised, the suit says.

To avert cancellation of the cruise, the team says it agreed to pay the outstanding costs. Nahom told Dolphins officials that he took “full responsibility for the situation I’ve put the Dolphins in” and assured the team that he’d “pay the Dolphins back every penny,” the complaint states.

As run by the promoter, the cruise got off to a “rocky start” after departing Miami on April 2 and generated “many complaints,” the suit states. While “many bookings” were marketed as including alcoholic beverage packages and free WiFi, Dolphins fans discovered that those had not been paid for, the suit states. That forced the team to pay $17,739 to ensure that the passengers could access the promised amenities during the cruise, the Dolphins claim.

But the promoter and his family cruised in luxury, the lawsuit says.

“The Dolphins Parties further discovered that — instead of using the funds that [First Class Cruises] had collected to secure fan and player staterooms, or fulfill FCC’s other contractual obligations to the Dolphins Parties — Nahom had booked for himself and his family, as well as other FCC personnel, MSC Yacht Club staterooms, the most expensive, luxurious accommodations onboard MSC’s cruise ship,” the team said.

Nahom did not immediately respond to a voice mail left at his Boca Raton-based businesses, which public records identify as both First Class Vacations and First Class Cruises. The Dolphins’ attorney, Melissa C. Pallett-Vasquez of the Miami-based firm Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod LLP, did not respond to an email asking why the team signed a sponsorship deal with First Class Cruises in light of past controversies involving Nahom and his companies.

On April 10, the day the cruise returned to Miami, the Dolphins notified Nahom that it considered him in default for failing to pay an outstanding cash payment of $280,000 and a $300,000 appearance fee as required by the contract, according to the suit. The team also demanded reimbursement of payments made to MSC on the promoter’s behalf, the suit says.

In all, the lawsuit seeks to recover $945,115, plus damages, interest, costs, and expenses that the Dolphins say Nahom and First Class Cruises owes.

Reviews of the cruise posted on social media were mixed.

On Facebook, Candy Powers Fik praised former players who took time to chat with her and her husband, including O.J. McDuffie, Tony Nathan and Otto Stow.

But Richard Gibson wrote a long post stating that the cruise, which he said was attended by about 700 Dolphins fans, was “very, very … very disorganized with long lines (many over an hour) to just about all of the daily events with the 35 Fins players aboard.”

Rebecca Winters referred in a different post to “miscommunications, lack of communication and outright inaccuracies” that she called “astounding.” The promoters failed to provide itineraries for the cruise’s events until the day before the ship sailed, she wrote.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg with respect to the issues the fans have. Everything from room issues, billing issues, package purchases not fulfilled…the list goes on and on,” Winters wrote.

A man posting under the name of the promoter, Jeff Nahom, whose profile page identified him as a “participant” on the private Miami Dolphin Fan Cruise Facebook group, responded to Winters’ comment, saying it was “not factual.” Referring to Nahom by name, he wrote that “Jeff Nahom and FCC will soon be exonerated” and asked Winters to join a Zoom call last Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m.

“I have nothing but respect and love for each and every passenger who put out their hard-earned money for the Inaugural Dolphins fan cruise,” the man posting under the name Jeff Nahom wrote. “I will not rest until my name is cleared and each and every passenger is completely satisfied. Things happen for a reason, and everyone will be ecstatic in the end.”

But after the scheduled time for the Zoom call passed, Winters posted, “No surprise to me at all that the Zoom meeting has been cancelled.”

“Nahom” replied, “Do you know why it was cancelled? You don’t need to answer it. It will be rescheduled as soon as possible. As mentioned, for reasons beyond my control.”

Gibson and another poster noted that Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino stayed on the ship for two days before departing for good when it arrived in Nassau, Bahamas.

Chris Rhodes said he paid $6,800 and was “supposed to get an opportunity” to meet Marino “but it never happened.”

But Toni Loftiss said she met Marino the first night “and he was very nice!”

The Dolphins Fan Cruise isn’t the first NFL-related cruise involving Nahom and First Class Cruises that generated controversy, according to published reports.

In February, the Washington Times reported that the NFL’s Washington Commanders cancelled a planned fan August cruise promoted by Nahom and his firm “because of significant changes … to the original offering, including cruise line, destinations and dates.”

In 2021, the Philadelphia Eagles provided refunds to fans after Philadelphia’s NBC affiliate complained about long waits for refunds after a Nahom-promoted fan cruise was cancelled in 2020 because of the COVID pandemic.

Before First Class Cruises was founded in 2019, Nahom was president of First Class Vacations from 2006 to 2020, according to the Florida Division of Corporations’ online database. First Class Vacations became an “inactive” company in September 2021, but a website operating under that name remains active.

On the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ database of licensed sellers of travel, the status of both First Class Cruises and First Class Vacations — each identified as operating out of the same Boca Raton address — is listed as Closed — Out of Business.

First Class Cruises registered with the Division of Corporations in 2019 as a Las Vegas-based foreign profit corporation with the same Boca Raton mailing address as listed at the Department of Agriculture site. But its active status was revoked in 2021 for failing to submit an annual report, the division’s website shows.

In 2021, TCA Global Credit Master Fund LP won a $1.36 million default judgment against Jeff and Rebecca Nahom, First Class Vacations and Firefly Travel Corp., according to the Broward County Clerk of Courts website. Jeff Nahom was identified as a registered agent of both companies.

According to the Palm Beach County Clerk of Court’s website, the North Palm Beach-based law firm Cohen, Norris, Wolmer, Ray, Teleman, Berkowitz & Cohen filed suit against Nahom in 2020 alleging he failed to pay a $15,229 legal bill for services agreed to orally in 2018.

Although the firm filed a notice of settlement in July 2020, a year later it reopened the case, alleging that Nahom made three payments of $1,000 each, then failed to make the rest of the promised payments, according to court documents. That October, Nahom was found in contempt of court for failing to pay the remainder of the money owed, court records show.

First Class Vacations has an F rating on the Better Business Bureau’s website. The site has nine complaints from customers who said they haven’t seen refunds from trips cancelled in 2020 because of the pandemic.

Responding to one of the complaints in June 2020, an anonymous spokesperson for the company stated that it was owed many refunds from travel providers and planned to “start making refunds [to customers] within the next few months,” adding, “we can’t guarantee that we’ll be able to make the full refund in one payment as we have several other customers to refund.”

Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He can be reached by phone at 954-356-4071, on Twitter @ronhurtibise or by email at [email protected] .

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Miami Dolphins say promoter of ‘fan cruise’ stiffed team out of hundreds of thousands of dollars

T he Miami Dolphins were forced to cough up more than a quarter million dollars owed to MSC Cruises after the promoter of a Dolphins “fan cruise” failed to pay the cruise line as promised, the NFL team charged in a federal lawsuit filed Friday.

Meanwhile, Nahom treated himself and his family to the nicest cabins on the MSC Seascape when the seven-day fan cruise sailed from Miami early this month, the Dolphins are charging.

But the promoter and his family cruised in luxury, the lawsuit says.

In all, the lawsuit seeks to recover $945,115, plus damages, interest, costs, and expenses that the Dolphins say Nahom and First Class Cruises owes.

Reviews of the cruise posted on social media were mixed.

On Facebook, Candy Powers Fik praised former players who took time to chat with her and her husband, including O.J. McDuffie, Tony Nathan and Otto Stow.

But Richard Gibson wrote a long post stating that the cruise, which he said was attended by about 700 Dolphins fans, was “very, very ... very disorganized with long lines (many over an hour) to just about all of the daily events with the 35 Fins players aboard.”

“This is just the tip of the iceberg with respect to the issues the fans have. Everything from room issues, billing issues, package purchases not fulfilled...the list goes on and on,” Winters wrote.

But after the scheduled time for the Zoom call passed, Winters posted, “No surprise to me at all that the Zoom meeting has been cancelled.”

“Nahom” replied, “Do you know why it was cancelled? You don’t need to answer it. It will be rescheduled as soon as possible. As mentioned, for reasons beyond my control.”

Gibson and another poster noted that Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino stayed on the ship for two days before departing for good when it arrived in Nassau, Bahamas.

Chris Rhodes said he paid $6,800 and was “supposed to get an opportunity” to meet Marino “but it never happened.”

But Toni Loftiss said she met Marino the first night “and he was very nice!”

The Dolphins Fan Cruise isn’t the first NFL-related cruise involving Nahom and First Class Cruises that generated controversy, according to published reports.

In February, the Washington Times reported that the NFL’s Washington Commanders cancelled a planned fan August cruise promoted by Nahom and his firm “because of significant changes ... to the original offering, including cruise line, destinations and dates.”

Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He can be reached by phone at 954-356-4071, on Twitter @ronhurtibise or by email at [email protected] .

The Commanders’ rookie class has barely played. What’s going on?

In the 2022 NFL draft, the Washington Commanders prioritized polished players over well-rounded athletes. They wanted skill and immediate impact to surround their quarterback, Carson Wentz, with options. So they selected players with plenty of college experience, including first-round wide receiver Jahan Dotson and third-round running back Brian Robinson Jr., who became starters as rookies.

They took defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis in the second round, figuring he could quickly become part of the rotation up front. (A season-ending injury in Week 1 derailed that plan.) They had a similar idea for fourth-round safety Percy Butler and fifth-round tight end Cole Turner, depth players who could help on special teams, too.

The highs, lows and lessons of the Commanders' season so far

“You’d like to think that the early-on picks … [are] going to be able to contribute one way or the other,” Coach Ron Rivera said after that draft. “And more so when you get into your top four — you want some sort of impact from them.”

Though it’s too early to fully evaluate the impact of Washington’s 2023 draft class, the results so far are strikingly different from those in recent years — and disappointing. The majority of the seven-player class is still developing, and the lone starter, first-round cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr., has struggled , costing the team in consecutive losses before getting benched.

Through Week 4, Washington’s rookies, including undrafted wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley, averaged just 10.7 snaps per game on offense and defense. Only four teams played their rookies less. If you take Forbes out of the equation, Washington’s rookies combined for just 13 offensive and defensive snaps. Sixth-round running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. played four; Tinsley, defensive end Andre Jones Jr. (seventh round) and interior offensive lineman Ricky Stromberg (third round) played three apiece.

What's wrong with the Commanders' defense?

Tackle Braeden Daniels, a fourth-round pick, is on injured reserve and won’t play this season, and fifth-round defensive end KJ Henry has been limited to 13 snaps on special teams. Second-round pick Quan Martin, a versatile safety/nickelback whom the team hoped would add depth and become a rotational piece in the secondary, hasn’t played a snap on defense, though he’s in line to get opportunities with starting safety Darrick Forrest headed to injured reserve.

More confounding: Rivera’s explanation for the rookies’ lack of playing time, which seems to stray from his belief a year ago.

“Just because you draft a guy in the second or third round doesn’t necessarily mean he’s an automatic starter,” he said last week. “When I came into the league, guys that were drafted in the second [or] third round weren’t expected to play right away.”

So what gives with the Class of 2023? At this point, it’s fair to question whether the personnel — not just the rookies but also the Commanders’ veteran acquisitions this year — fit what the team is trying to accomplish. After the draft, team executives felt confident their free agent signings and draft selections filled needs and afforded them positional flexibility — something they have emphasized, especially in the secondary, where defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio uses multiple players at multiple spots, and on the offensive line, where being able to play two positions is almost a must for reserves.

Martin’s versatility intrigued the team enough for it to draft him after taking another defensive back in the first round. Flexibility also was a factor in the selections of Daniels, who played guard and tackle in college and worked at tackle in training camp, and Stromberg, who can play guard and center. But neither has developed enough to fill immediate needs, and both may not make a significant impact for a while. In free agency, the Commanders signed Nick Gates and Andrew Wylie to multiyear deals to play center and tackle, respectively, and their contracts are constructed so that moving on from them, even after this year, could be difficult. (Guard Saahdiq Charles and backup tackle Cornelius Lucas are set to be free agents in March.)

On the defensive side, Washington’s rookie ends, Henry and Jones, have the athleticism and “developmental potential,” as General Manager Martin Mayhew described it, to succeed at their position. But both are raw and have been almost nonexistent in the defensive line rotation.

Finding reliable help on the edge will become a more pressing issue in a few months because none of the team’s veteran ends are under contract in 2024.

After loss to Bears, Commanders won’t make coaching changes

The reasons the rookies have played so little are myriad. Their development is perhaps atop the list, but it’s not the only explanation. Daniels injured his rotator cuff in the preseason, Rodriguez missed the past two games because of an illness, and Martin suffered a concussion in the season opener. He was out for the Commanders’ win in Denver and, according to Rivera, needed time to work back into playing shape. But he has yet to be part of the defensive back rotation, even amid the team’s recent struggles . When Forbes was benched Thursday, Danny Johnson took over at cornerback, and the team used more five-man fronts.

On the flip side, Washington’s starters have remained fairly healthy, unlike in past years, when injuries created opportunities for young players.

“You do want to play these guys, and that’s why you took them,” Rivera said. “But when somebody’s playing, you’re not going to make changes to make changes or just say, ‘Oh, yeah, well, we drafted him, [so] we got to play him.’ They got to earn the right to get on the field, too. They got to beat out whoever’s in that position.”

That’s why Rivera continues to stress special teams, where Martin has played 77 snaps, Henry 13 and Jones almost all of his 121. The path from special teams to defense is well-worn in Washington, with players such as Butler and Darrick Forrest receiving more time on defense after spending much of their rookie seasons on special teams.

“That’s when they get your attention — especially defensive backs, linebackers, defensive ends,” Rivera said. “If they perform on special teams and at a high level, you know that kid’s going to make an impact. … I think this is all part of the growth and development of guys.”

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Adam Peters takes over as Commanders GM. His first task is to hire a coach

Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris, left, speaks after introducing new general manager Adam Peters, right, during an NFL football press conference, Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024, in Ashburn, Va. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris, left, walks into a an NFL football press conference before introducing new general manager Adam Peters, right, Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024, in Ashburn, Va. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

Newly hired Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters speaks after he was introduced by owner Josh Harris during an NFL football press conference in Ashburn, Va., Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024. (AP photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

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ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Adam Peters is already at work trying to find the next Washington Commanders coach , the first task for the team’s new general manager in what he believes is “not a total rebuild.”

A group led by Peters and controlling owner Josh Harris is expected to hire a replacement for Ron Rivera within the next few weeks. Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and Baltimore Ravens assistant coach Mike Macdonald are among the likeliest candidates.

“This is something we dove into headfirst as soon as I was hired,” Peters said Tuesday at his introductory news conference, adding that he’s looking for a good communicator who can be honest, direct and upfront.

“We’re looking for the best leader for this team. We have set criteria that we’re going to be aligned in that vision.”

Harris, who isolated Peters as the right fit to run Washington’s football operations, cited the need for football intelligence and a coach who can attract a strong staff.

“I think IQ matters,” Harris said. “I think it matters increasingly. All of those things will be important, but ultimately (we are looking for) a partner where the three of us can be aligned.”

FILE - Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) lines up before the snap during an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, Dec. 31, 2023, in Indianapolis. Crosby played through the pain of a knee injury much of the 2023 season, usually not practicing so he could play on game days. He said Monday, April 15, 2024, that he is now healthy. (AP Photo/Zach Bolinger, File)

The ability to hire a new coach and mold an entire front office attracted Peters, 44, to the Commanders after seven years with the San Francisco 49ers. Armed with a five-year deal, he’ll be able to put his stamp on the organization, from the decision of who plays quarterback to what to do with the second pick in the draft .

Asked about all those things, Peters kept coming back to the same premise: “We still have to hire the head coach.”

As for the roster of players that went 4-13, including eight consecutive losses to finish the season, Peters said he thinks there are “a few cornerstone pieces” around but acknowledged there’s a lot of work to do. It does not sound as if he’ll do a complete housecleaning of the front office.

“This is a wonderful group of people here that just needs leadership,” Peters said. “I don’t think there’s wholesale changes needed.”

The opportunity for wholesale changes exists, though, with the most salary cap space of any NFL team and nine draft picks to use. Peters expects the Commanders to be “process-driven and diligent in free agency” but ultimately build through the draft.

“We’re going to build this team the right way: We’re going to build it with a great process and a clear vision,” he said. “The foundation and the resources that this ownership group has given us is all we need, and it’s my job to execute that vision now.”

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

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