The Washington Commanders have some work to do to improve a roster that advanced to the NFC Championship last season, but before they can worry about adding talent, they need to focus on keeping their core together.
The Commanders are projected to have some of the most available cap space in the NFL when the new league year begins in March. It's an unusual asset for a team that finished 12-5 to possess. Washington was in a similar position last offseason, albeit with a 4-13 record, and hit on several of its free agent acquisitions like Frankie Luvu and Tyler Biadasz, both of whom became valuable pieces to their respective sides of the ball.
The roster, while certainly better than 2023, still wasn't perfect in 2024, and in theory, the Commanders could use that extra money to address holes at the defensive line, wide receiver and cornerback. There's a hitch, though; Washington has 28 of its own players, several of which played key roles in the team's success, set to be free agents.
So, will the Commanders be active in free agency? Yes, confirmed general manager Adam Peters, but perhaps not in the way people would expect.
"We've got a lot of holes again on our roster in terms of players who played really well for us," Peters said. "So, we'll be active in free agency, because we have to be."
Washington signed a handful of players, like Luvu, Biadasz and Dorance Armstrong, to multi-year contracts in 2024, but their previous free agent strategy relied upon giving players with high upside one-year deals to prove themselves. That list included backup quarterback Marcus Mariota, outside linebacker Dante Fowler Jr., tight end Zach Ertz and safety Jeremy Chinn.
Many of those players ended up either surpassing or coming close to their career highs. Fowler, who has spent much of his career playing under head coach Dan Quinn, put up 10.5 sacks -- his first double-digit campaign since 2019 and second-highest total of his career -- with 12 quarterback hits and an interception returned for a touchdown. Chinn's physicality became an important cog in the Commanders' secondary and had 100-plus tackles for the first time since 2021.
On offense, Ertz and Mariota played key roles in former No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels' success, which culminated with being named the Offensive Rookie of the Year. Ertz was one of Daniels' favorite targets with 654 yards and seven touchdowns, one of which was the game-winner against the Atlanta Falcons that gave Washington a playoff berth, on 66 receptions. Mariota only had 44 attempts, but his biggest contribution was providing guidance and mentorship to Daniels throughout the season.
There's also linebacker Bobby Wagner, who had his 13th 100-tackle season and became an instant leader on the Commanders' defense. He also added some veteran mentorship to Daniels, and the two became close friends throughout the season.
In some ways, it's a good problem for the Commanders to have; it means they were right about their assertions on what those players and others could bring to the roster. However, now they must decide which players they want to keep, and for how long.
"We'll be busy," Peters said. "But we want to spend [money] on Commanders and spend the right way."
Peters also confirmed that they would like to bring some of their free agents back. Some of those conversations have already begun, but there are several factors to consider. Some players might want to get a deal done sooner, while others could elect to test the market and see their options first.
"What's great is that the culture DQ [Quinn] created, there's a lot of guys who want to come back," Peters said. "We've had a lot of really good conversations with that."
That doesn't mean the Commanders are only planning to bring back old faces. There are opportunities to improve at multiple positions of need in this year's free agency pool. Even if Washington does decide to bring back players like Dyami Brown or Olamide Zaccheaus, both of whom had flashes of success in 2024, that still only leaves four receivers on the roster, including Terry McLaurin and Luke McCaffrey. That's hardly enough weapons for Daniels to work with in his second season, let alone for the offense to function effectively.
There are also the issues on defense to consider as well. The Commanders need depth at both edge-rusher and cornerback, as shown by how the Philadelphia Eagles had success against both positions in the NFC Championship. Players like Marshon Lattimore, who Peters said will be part of the team's plans in 2025, and Armstrong helped add stability, but Washington needs more players who can win one-on-one matchups and set an edge against the run.
Peters had success at filling positions of need last offseason, so there's confidence he can do so again with a team that is now considered one of the most entertaining in the league.
"We'll look to bring a lot of the guys we had back from last year, and then we'll build off of that," Peters said.
