The first wave of NFL free agency always brings big expectations. For the Washington Commanders, Day 1 was active, but not necessarily aggressive.
In the latest episode of Commanders Daily, Bob Matthews walks through the team’s early moves and offers his initial grades as general manager Adam Peters begins executing his offseason plan.
The most important piece of business came on the offensive line. Washington secured Laremy Tunsil with a two-year extension worth more than $60 million. After trading for Tunsil last season, the Commanders made sure their franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels continues to have an elite blindside protector.
On defense, the Commanders addressed their pass rush with the signing of Odafe Oweh. The four-year deal gives Washington another legitimate threat off the edge and adds an explosive athlete to a defense that struggled to pressure quarterbacks consistently last season.
Washington also added depth up front by bringing back Tim Settle, a familiar face who can help anchor the interior defensive line. In the secondary, Amik Robertson arrives to compete for the nickel role and add flexibility to the defensive backfield.
The Commanders also retained veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota, ensuring stability behind Daniels.
Still, Matthews believes Washington could have been more aggressive compared to other teams around the league that dramatically reshaped their rosters on the opening day. With plenty of cap space remaining, Day 1 may only be the beginning.In this episode, Matthews grades the moves, examines what they accomplished, and looks ahead to what could come next.
Conor Forrest is the Editor-in-Chief and Senior Commanders Insider for SportsJourney.com. As a graduate of George Mason University, Forrest has spent the last eight years sharing his love for sports with listeners and viewers in the DC area and around the world. He hosts the “After Further Review Podcast” and has held numerous on-air and writing roles covering the DC area sports, Division 1 Basketball, and the NFL. His work has been featured on outlets like NBC Sports Washington, Fansided.com, Heavy.com and The Fourth Estate.
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