The opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of the team.
The Washington Commanders were one of the most active teams in free agency last offseason and found several gems that elevated their roster and turned them into a conference championship contender. Now it's time to do it again.
General manager Adam Peters joked during the NFL Scouting Combine that the amount of available cap space people see on the internet isn't always accurate, but most salary cap websites and analysts agree that the Commanders will once again have some of the most available money to spend this offseason. The amount provided to each team by the NFL hit another record high this year, moving from $255.4 million in 2024 to $279.2 million in 2025.
Last year, the Commanders upgraded their roster by signing immediate contributors on short-term deals. Players like Jeremy Chinn, Bobby Wagner, Dante Fowler Jr. and Zach Ertz became lynchpins for their respective sides of the ball and were pivotal to Washington finishing with their best record in decades.
The Commanders also have 28 pending free agents on their roster, including several players who contributed to their success. So, Peters said, the team will be active in free agency because "we have to" in order to put together a roster. That means much of Washington's capital will be dedicated to retaining its own talent.
Still, there are opportunities for the Commanders to improve their roster in 2025, so in anticipation of free agency opening on March 13 at 4 p.m., Commanders.com is going to look at some of the top players set to become available on each side of the ball. We're wrapping things up with the defensive line.
-- DT Javon Hargrave: Hargrave never replicated his final year with the Eagles, when he recorded a career-high 11 sacks, during his two-year stint in San Francisco, and he's coming off a torn triceps that ended his 2024 season in Week 3. When healthy, though, he generated at least seven sacks from 2021-23. Maybe he can recapture that production with a new team.
-- OLB/EDGE Dante Fowler Jr.: Fowler reunited with head coach Dan Quinn in Washington and had one of the best seasons in his career with 10.5 sacks -- a number he hadn't hit since 2019 -- and his first career defensive touchdown. It's reasonable to assume Fowler would be one of the players the Commanders try to get back.
-- DT Jarran Reed: At 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds, Reed has been a strong presence in the run game throughout his career with at least 40 tackles in every season since 2021. He's also forced seven fumbles since 2019 and recovered four.
-- EDGE Josh Sweat: Although the Eagles have been good at retaining talent, it seems like Sweat will be a free agent next week, barring a last-minute attempt by Philadelphia. He's been a big piece of their defense over the years, from recording 43 sacks to setting the edge in the run game. He's expected to have several suitors this offseason.
-- DT D.J. Jones: Jones has only missed three games since 2021 and been a strong tackler with 248 career stops. He only has 12 sacks, but he's been good for at least one since 2019.
-- EDGE Khalil Mack: The nine-time Pro Bowler is expected to be back on the market after another three successful seasons with the Chargers. He's certainly not the force he was earlier in his career, but his 17 sacks in 2023 prove that he can still be a productive piece to a defense in the right role.
-- DT B.J. Hill: Although he doesn't have a Pro Bowl selection, Hill has been one of the Bengals' best run-stoppers for years. He's also recorded at least 700 defensive snaps every year since 2022, so there are no concerns about him being available.
-- EDGE Harold Landry: Landry was a cap casualty for the Titans after being given permission to seek a trade and eventually released. He has 19.5 sacks and 29 tackles for loss since returning from his torn ACL in 2022. It's not easy to find a player who has those numbers with plenty of good years left in him.
-- DT Tershawn Wharton: Wharton had his best season as a pass-rusher last season with 6.5 sacks in 10 starts. He was mostly a rotational player before 2024 but could be primed for a larger role with another team.
-- EDGE Joey Bosa: Bosa's production as a pass-rusher has declined recently, as he's only recorded 14 sacks in the last three seasons combined. He was at his best when he was a defensive end, though, rather than an outside linebacker, and a return to the role could reignite him.
