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The Washington Commanders were busy this offseason. General manager Adam Peters was as busy this offseason as he was during his first offseason in charge of Washington’s roster. In 2024, it was all about raising the floor of the Commanders’ roster, which led to several cheaper veterans on modest one-year deals. The moves were necessary due to Washington’s poor drafting before Peters arrived.
Something happened along the way. Everything clicked, and the Commanders won 12 games. Most of the veterans Washington signed last offseason played a role in last season’s success, but rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels was the primary reason for the Commanders’ turnaround.
This offseason was about choosing which players to retain and continue building a competitive roster around Daniels. Four positions in football are considered premium: quarterback, left tackle, cornerback and edge rusher. Peters has done an excellent job of restocking three of those positions. Quarterback is no longer a need for Washington. Since arriving, Peters has completely flipped the cornerback position, jettisoning a pair of former draft picks and using a pair of second-round picks on Mike Sainristil (2024) and Trey Amos, trading draft picks for former Pro Bowler Marshon Lattimore and signing free agents Noah Igbinghene (2024) and Jonathan Jones (2025).
Peters has similarly attacked the offensive tackle position. Washington shocked everyone trading for Laremy Tunsil during the opening day of free agency. No one knew he was available. Peters wasn’t done, using a first-round pick on Josh Conerly Jr. in the 2025 NFL draft. That move allowed the Commanders to move both of last year’s starting tackles inside to guard. Brandon Coleman played left tackle and is now considered the leading contender to start at left guard. Andrew Wylie can be Washington’s swing tackle, or move inside to right guard until Sam Cosmi returns from injury.
Either way, Peters has attacked the most important positions — except one.
Washington still has a void at edge rusher. Sure, the Commanders have some players there, but not one who strikes fear in opposing offenses. Sure, those players are hard to find, but Peters wasn’t going to overpay for less-than-premium players. Washington was reportedly interested in trading for Myles Garrett, but he was never actually available before signing an extension. They’ve also been linked to Trey Hendrickson, but the Bengals do not appear serious about dealing him — or paying him.
Bleacher Report recently named Washington’s top three needs: edge rusher, tight end and linebacker.
We disagree. Edge rusher is the obvious one. However, the Commanders’ tight end room features Zach Ertz, John Bates and Ben Sinnott. This group features Ertz, a potential future Hall of Famer who was outstanding last season, Bates, who the team signed to a three-year extension, and Sinnott, a 2024 second-round pick. Not only does this group have a high floor, but with Sinnott, the ceiling is high, too.
Last season, the Commanders had arguably the NFL’s best linebacker duo: Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu. They are both back. While Wagner’s age is a concern, he’s still playing at a high level. Luvu is outstanding and only getting better. He could be Washington’s top pass rusher in 2025. Depth could be a concern, but the Commanders love second-year players Jordan Magee and Dominique Hampton. They also used a sixth-round pick on Kain Medrano. So, while some on the outside think linebacker is a need, the Commanders feel great about the position.
Edge rusher, though, remains a need, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Washington adds a veteran closer to training camp or before Week 1.
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