Adam Peters made roster moves big and small this offseason. The Commanders general manager kept busy trying to get his team back on track after a 5-12 disaster of an encore from an NFC title game appearance in his first season with Washington.
That included 17 free-agent signings, eight players retained in free agency and six contract extensions. Peters let several others walk right out the door. He also made six NFL draft picks, and then added nine undrafted players.
He was heavily involved in the
decision to keep head coach Dan Quinn around and replace both coordinators – there was surely input from others here — with David Blough promoted to OC and Daronte Jones the next DC.
That’s a ton of movement for one offseason.
Peters made some smart moves and others that sure seem questionable. In this two-parter, we’ll discuss some of his worst decisions from this offseason.
Failing to address No. 2 WR spot earlier
Commanders fans have Brandon Aiyuk fatigue. Legit no one can blame them. The 49ers receiver, who desperately wants his current team to release him so he can join the Commanders, has gone full nuclear on social media these past few weeks.
Slamming an employer to get cut or traded is a relatively common business practice among disgruntled players, but coming after friend and former Arizona State teammate Jayden Daniels seems a step too far.
Then you’ve got DMV native Stefon Diggs dealing with public legal issues this summer. In terms of pure production potential, those are the best options on the market for a Commanders team seemingly in need of more at the No. 2 receiver spot.
Those players would be far easier to ignore had Peters added a receiver earlier. He was hamstrung by a lack of draft capital, with only a third-round pick available after picking linebacker Sonny Styles at No. 7. There wasn’t a natural receiver fit at No. 7 with Carnell Tate off the board, but Clemson’s Antonio Williams was taken with that third-round pick.
Maybe he becomes the third-round wonder that Terry McLaurin was, but that’s a rarity. Free-agent receivers are expensive, but Commanders had tons of cap space (and still do).
The Commanders were intersted in Colts receiver Alec Pierce per ESPN, but he elected to stay in Indianapolis and never hit free agency. Mike Evans ended up in San Francisco, but having him and McLaurin sounds pretty good.
The Commanders had options on the table and they didn’t work out, leaving them in a perceived predicament with volatile choices remaining. An aggressive receiver move could’ve prevented that and continued to help surround quarterback Jayden Daniels with top talent.
Not going big at cornerback
This is sorta similar to the receiver argument, but Peters didn’t really address two areas of real need despite having the cap space to do so. He added Amik Robertson in free agency but didn’t pay tons for him – two years, $16 million — showing belief in Trey Amos and Mikey Sainristil. Peters selected both guys in the second round over the last two seasons, so it makes sense he’d back them.
Amos is coming off a season-ending leg injury and Sainristill off a rough 2025 campaign. Will they combine with Robertson and play well at a vital position?
Adding Rasul Douglas last week was a smart move as competition and injury protection, but there was some quality available in free agency and Peters took a pass. Will that come back to bite them? Maybe, maybe not.
And maybe the Commanders shouldn’t have gone big at both receiver and cornerback, but addressing each one lightly might not have been the move.
Center moves
Peters didn’t just let incumbent center Tylar Biasdaz walk in free agency. He cut him. ESPN reported that move was to save some cash spent in other places, but it also seemed performance-based. Biasdaz essentially got himself a raise with the L.A. Chargers and has moved on.
The Commanders largely stood pat, believing Nick Allegretti can step up and thrive as a center in David Blough’s system. It’s possible the Commanders believe the swap creates an upgrade in a new scheme that’s expected to feature lots of wide-zone rushing concepts.
Michigan State alum Matt Gulbin was also added in the NFL draft’s sixth round, and there’s hope he can be developed into a center. Allegretti’s ultimately the individual who can make this a good choice.
Let’s also be honest here. If this is the third item of a “worst offseason choices” story, Peters did a fairly good job.
Time will obviously tell with these types of stories and how Washington fares in 2026 will prove Peters’ decisions right or wrong.
Do you think these were poor choices made by Adam Peters this offseason? Were there other options not discussed? Let us know in the article comments below.
