The Washington Commanders no longer need to stress about finding the cornerstone of their organization, as rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels quickly proved to be just that.
Washington’s front office can now focus on improving the roster around Daniels, especially on offense. To say the former LSU Tiger is working with a weak supporting cast is not true, as WR Terry McLaurin has been terrific and RB Brian Robinson Jr. and TE Zach Ertz are respectable weapons.
Still, having just one proven wide receiver is not ideal for a team with Super Bowl aspirations in the coming years, especially since McLaurin is about to turn 30 years old and enter the final year of his contract. One promising and proven free agency option could come courtesy of the Houston Texans.
Why Stefon Diggs to The Commanders Makes Sense
The partnership is logical on both sides, as the Commanders need additional threats for Daniels while Stefon Diggs could desire a greater role.
NFL analyst Matt Holder of Bleacher Report named Diggs as Washington’s top free agent target.
“Washington has five unrestricted free agents at wide receiver, and other than Terry McLaurin, the rest of the position group is a lot of young and unproven players,” Holder wrote. “The front office has plenty of money to target a big-name wideout on the open market to pair with McLaurin and give Daniels another veteran target.”
Diggs missed much of the 2024 regular season due to injury but racked up 47 receptions for 496 yards and three touchdowns in eight appearances. Before this year, the 31-year-old recorded six straight seasons of more than 1,000 yards.
Holder also made note of another motive for Diggs signing with the Commanders.
“Pending his recovery from a torn ACL, Diggs will be one of the top receivers on the market,” he wrote. “It would make sense to bring the Gaithersburg, Maryland, native home this spring.”
Would Stefon Diggs Want to Leave Houston?
After a handful of seasons with the Buffalo Bills, Diggs was dealt to the Texans in an offseason trade.
The move skyrocketed Houston’s receiving corps to the top of the league, highlighted by Nico Collins, Tank Dell, and Diggs. Unfortunately, the trio dealt with injuries throughout the regular season, leading sophomore quarterback C.J. Stroud to have a down year.
Over the years, there have been a handful of instances when Diggs made clear how highly he values himself. Unless he has extreme confidence in the Texans’ Super Bowl chances, a bigger role could be his first priority.
Washington could provide just that, along with a young QB coming off a historic campaign.
Daniels finished the season ranked No. 9 in PFN’s QB+ metric, with a grade of 85.7 (B). Meanwhile, Stroud ranked No. 27 in the same metric, with a grade of 68.2 (D+).
PFN’s QB+ metric assigns a letter grade to every quarterback performance and factors in a number of stats such as success rate when pressured, third-down conversion rate, pocket production, and clutch performance.