Josh Harris’ Washington Commanders in-tray: 5 things new owner must do to salvage franchise ft. Lamar Jackson trade

While Lamar Jackson waits for a deal of his own, Josh Harris has the Washington Commanders in sight, with a $6.05 billion deal agreed to in principle.

Should his ownership be approved, as is expected to be the case, it would become the largest sale of any franchise in the history of the United States.

So far so good for Josh Harris, but he will come into this gig knowing there is a lot to fix here. As the minority owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, he would have seen the Washington Commanders find new ways of messing things up every season. There is much to fix and a lot to work on if he is about to make an impression.

Here are five things he must get to work on as soon as possible.

#1 - Lamar Jackson trade

When head coach Ron Rivera was asked last season why their NFC East neighbors were all making playoff pushes and not them, he said 'quarterback.'

They are in an even worse position than what they were last season. They cut ties with Carson Wentz (who is a free agent) and backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke is now with the Atlanta Falcons.

Sam Howell may prove to be someone for the future, but is still an uproven commodity. The pressure is going to be immense on him. A proven quarterback might just make sense now.

Luckily for Josh Harris, Lamar Jackson is available in the market. A former league MVP, he is in a contract stalemate with the Baltimore Ravens and the Washington Commanders should give as much as is needed.

He is the same kind of dual-threat quarterback as Cam Newton, with whom Ron Rivera worked wonders for the Carolina Panthers. It is a no-brainer to try to get Lamar Jackson to the capital.

#2 - Sort out the stadium

There might be debates about how NFL owners have often used the threat of a stadium to move cities or get public support and funds for their interests. However, if there is one team that needs a new stadium, it is the Commanders. Their stadium is widely considered to be one of the worst in the NFL.

It has seen water pouring from the roof. It has seen fans collapse over the barriers. It is a safety hazard at this point. The team in the capital deserves better. Otherwise, fans from the area can and will support the Ravens, who are not that far away.

There were discussions about a stadium in Virginia. Josh Harris should actively work to sort this out. If he does not, then younger fans might choose to watch Lamar Jackson stay and play in Baltimore instead.

#3 - Rebuild fan engagement

Towards the end of the Dan Snyder era, Washington Commanders fans have become seriously disenchanted. As mentioned, the stadium experience was not great. The team was not so great on the field that it made anything special rooting for them. Fans were preferring Baltimore over Washington for their football.

This is a trend that he has to reverse. He has to show due deference to their history. He has to make the right personnel and coaching decisions to get fans excited again. He must also keep the fanbase informed about stadium plans, whatever that might be.

Josh Harris also needs to make sure that while they are at FedEx field, people still turn up there. And finally, that means no more unveiling statues that look like mannequins.

#4 - Another name change?

For better or for worse, the Commanders name will forever be associated with the Snyder era. If they want to move on from that, they could look at changing the name again, because this never felt that popular to begin with.

The Red Wolves were a popular choice. However, there were trademark and registration issues, which is why they went with their current name.

Josh Harris should sit down and have a consultation with the fans to see if they are happy with the name. It should be an open and exhaustive process to see if they can make the name better, which would allow the fans to identify with the team again.

#5 - Josh Harris must commit to transparency

The Dan Snyder era was marred by serious allegations of abuse and coercive behavior within the organization. Some of the emails leaked were racist, misogynistic and homophobic, which led to the ousting of Jon Gruden. There are credible accusations of undressed cheerleaders being filmed without their consent.

The NFL has so far not made any reports public despite the demands. Josh Harris should turn the page on this saga and come clean and air the dirty laundry. NFL fans ought to know what went on behind closed doors, and those who were hurt by their actions deserve full transparency.