No NFL team will be starting as fresh as the Washington Commanders in 2024. Josh Harris replaced franchise eyesore Daniel Synder as owner last year and has since hired general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn to orchestrate a Commanders turnaround.
Washington has the means to remake its roster over the coming weeks and months. Two of USC’s Caleb Williams, North Carolina’s Drake Maye, and LSU’s Jayden Daniels will be available at No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, giving the Commanders their shot at a franchise quarterback.
How will Peters and Quinn surround that rookie signal-caller with talent? With more than $75 million in cap space, Washington can add plenty of reinforcements in free agency. Here’s how the Commanders might proceed this offseason.
Washington Commanders Free Agency Predictions
Sign TE Dalton Schultz
Whoever is under center for the Commanders in 2024 will need more pass-catching weapons. While Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson represent a workable start, fellow wide receiver Curtis Samuel is a free agent. Tight end Logan Thomas will likely be released to save Washington more than $6 million.
Peters could consider signing a veteran WR, but the pickings might be slim. Tee Higgins has already been franchised, while Michael Pittman Jr. will also be tagged or extended.
Mike Evans and Calvin Ridley don’t seem like realistic fits for the Commanders. Washington might pursue a mid-tier free agent receiver like Tyler Boyd or K.J. Osborn (or even re-sign Samuel). But the Commanders also have multiple picks in Rounds 2 and 3, allowing them to tap into a deep WR draft class.
Instead, Peters and Quinn should consider signing Dalton Schultz, the clear No. 1 tight end on the upcoming free agent market. Quinn and Schultz overlapped for two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys.
For Washington, signing a top-tier TE might prove more cost-effective than adding a WR3 for the same price.
Schultz became a safety blanket for No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud in 2023, finishing second on the Houston Texans in targets (88) and receptions (59). He could act as the same sort of reliable option for this year’s second overall selection — whoever that may be.
Find a Versatile Offensive Lineman Like Mike Onwenu
Adding more receivers for Washington’s next quarterback is essential, but keeping him upright is just as critical. Incumbent QB Sam Howell owns the brunt of the responsibility for his atrocious 2023 pressure and sack rates, but the Commanders’ offensive line didn’t cover itself in glory.
Even if Washington pencils in LT Charles Leno Jr., RG Sam Cosmi, and RT Andrew Wylie as starters up front, two spots remain vacant. With no long-term building blocks in place, the Commanders should forget positional designations and sign the top free agent offensive lineman on the market — the New England Patriots’ Mike Onwenu.
Onwenu has played right guard and right tackle during his career and could slot in at either position for the Commanders, even if that means shifting Cosmi or Wylie elsewhere. (Wylie could also make sense as a potential post-June 1 cut or — given the dearth of available OT talent — a trade candidate).
Washington would still need to add depth pieces along its front five, but Onwenu would be the club’s big prize.
Add Multiple Free Agent Pass Rushers
The Commanders traded defensive ends Montez Sweat and Chase Young on Oct. 31, and the team’s pass-rush production unsurprisingly suffered after losing its top two edge defenders.
From Week 9 on, Washington pressured quarterbacks at just a 25.3% rate, dead last in the NFL, according to TruMedia. The Commanders couldn’t affect the pocket, even with Pro Bowl defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne rushing from the interior.
With so much cap space in reserve, Washington can afford to go after a high-end pass rusher on the free agent market.
Jonathan Greenard could become a target for the Commanders if he doesn’t re-sign with the Texans. The former third-round pick broke out for a career-high 12.5 sacks and 22 QB this in 2023 and could fit as an ascending player on a young Washington roster.
If the Commanders want to bank on upside, the New York Jets’ Bryce Huff could also be on their radar. He ranked top-two in pressure rate in each of the past two seasons but has never played 500 snaps in a single campaign. Just 25 years old, Huff could take another step forward working under Quinn.
Adding one premier defensive end is step one, but the Commanders need depth pieces, too.
KEEP READING: Commanders 2024 Free Agents
Don’t be surprised if Quinn tries to convince one or both of his Cowboys DEs — Dorane Armstrong Jr. or Dante Fowler Jr. — to follow him to Washington.
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