"When the Washington Commanders paid Frankie Luvu handsomely in 2024 free agency, it was a risk that turned into a rapid reward. A fringe rotational player with the New York Jets before becoming a standout on the Carolina Panthers, the hybrid linebacker-edge rusher had spent much of 2024 playing like a fringe NFL Defensive Player of the Year candidate in Washington. His explosiveness, relentless energy, and versatility made him one of the most valuable pieces in Washington's front-seven."
"Fast forward to the first quarter of the 2025 season, and the conversation around Luvu has subtly shifted. He's not playing poorly. He's not regressing physically. He hasn't lost his instincts or forgotten how to play the game of football. Instead, what's changed is the framework around him. Under defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., Luvu is not being deployed in the same ways that made him such a disruptive force last year."
Washington signed Frankie Luvu in 2024 free agency and saw rapid returns as he emerged from a fringe rotational role into a dynamic defensive playmaker. Luvu's explosiveness, energy, and versatility produced high pressure totals, nine sacks and multiple quarterback hits while functioning as a movable chess piece rather than a traditional linebacker or edge rusher. He attacked downhill, looped on stunts, knifed through gaps, and mugged interior protections to set the defensive tone. Early in 2025, defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. altered Luvu's deployment, reducing his situational pass-rush usage and muting his overall impact despite no decline in physical traits or instincts.
Read at Riggo's Rag
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