The Washington Commanders found their new general manager Friday when it was revealed they were hiring San Francisco 49ers assistant GM Adam Peters. The deal became official on Monday as the team confirmed it, and Peters flew into town ahead of Tuesday’s press conference.
Now that Peters is official, on the latest episode of the “Command Center,” former Washington tight end Logan Paulsen spoke of what Peters brings to the Commanders.
Paulsen, who played 10 NFL seasons, including six with Washington, has a connection to Peters. Peters and Paulsen are both UCLA alums and when Paulsen played for the San Francisco 49ers in 2017, Peters was in his first year with the 49ers as the vice president of player personnel.
So it was no surprise that Paulsen was excited about Washington hiring Peters.
“I’m ecstatic; I think Adam is one of those guys that is just super charismatic. obviously, people think he is one of the best talent evaluators in the business,” Paulsen said.
“But I think you look at his pedigree, his resume, there’s just so much to be excited about. In addition to him being just a fantastic human being.”
What about the culture? Peters came from a winning culture — from all three of his previous NFL stops.
“It’s incredibly important. You can’t overstate how important that is. He got to watch and study under Bill Belichick, one of the most dynamic leaders in the NFL over the last couple of decades. And that’s just fantastic to see the fastidiousness of that organization. To see how John Elway did it, with Peyton Manning bringing him into the organization. And then to see the culture of toughness and physicality, the Xs and Os elevation that Kyle (Shanahan) brings. I think the three different styles, in terms of how to get to that promised land, to develop your own philosophy, is just invaluable.”
Paulsen then spoke of Peters’ ability to find talent and the unique way in which he finds players to fit what his coaches want — and not just sticking to his board.
“One of the things I think is you have to be able to identify talent, find the people that fit your vision,” Paulsen said. “One of the things when you talk to scouts at the Combine, at the Senior Bowl, they have a very rigid structure for their evaluations. It’s kind of globally ranked as opposed to what specifically works for me, my team, and my organization. From my understanding, Adam Peters does a great job of identifying how to adjust players based on the type of offensive, defensive, special teams philosophy you want to employ.”
That’s good news for Washington fans who, for so long, have been accustomed to the previous owner or coaching staffs, signing players who didn’t fit the offensive or defensive schemes. It often led to draft busts or significant disappointment in free agency.
As for the person. Paulsen again raves about Peters.
“He was so personable, so accessible,” Paulsen said when considering Peters had an elevated role in the front office and Paulsen was a reserve tight end in 2017.
Paulsen always provides excellent insight, and this is no different.
What new GM Adam Peters brings to the organization pic.twitter.com/CPhlZG2jvD
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) January 16, 2024
