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State of the Roster 2026 Update: Commanders Defense
Interior Defensive Line
On the roster: Daron Payne, Javon Kinlaw, Johnny Newton, Tim Settle, Deatrich Wise, Charles Omenihu, Shy Tuttle, Ricky Barber
Short term need: Low
Long term need: Low/Medium
Analysis: Entering the offseason, I saw the interior defensive line as a sneaky position of need for the Commanders. They
had Payne, Kinlaw and Newton under contract, but I assumed that Payne would be someone they would move on from given his contract. The team decided to keep him and absorb the large cap hit that comes with that contract, rather than cut him or try to extend him. They have the cap space to do that, so it does make some sense to keep him rather than create another hole in a defense full of holes, but Payne’s play has been nowhere near worth the size of that contract and they could have saved a significant amount of cap space by cutting him.
With Payne back, the need wasn’t quite so high, but despite that, the Commanders decided to add more bodies to the group. They signed Tim Settle in free agency, who could end up being their starting 3-4 nose tackle in Daronte Jones’s new defense. I do also wonder if Settle could replace Payne and make Payne expendable in any potential trade, but that would be speculation at this point. For now, he provides another strong piece to the defensive line.
The Commanders also re-signed Deatrich Wise and brought in Charles Omenihu from the Chiefs. These two are both traditionally seen as 4-3 defensive ends but at 280 pounds, I think both could end up sliding inside as 3-4 defensive ends in this new system. So I’m including them as interior defensive lineman because that’s where I think we’ll see them play more often. With those two added to the group, the Commanders now have quite a wide range of body types and profiles in this unit. You almost have to break it down by defensive line techniques to see who can do what.
0/1-technique (Nose tackle) – Tim Settle, Daron Payne, Javon Kinlaw, Shy Tuttle
3/4i-technique – Tim Settle, Johnny Newton, Daron Payne, Javon Kinlaw, Charles Omenihu, Deatrick Wise
4/5-technique – Tim Settle, Johnny Newton, Daron Payne, Javon Kinlaw, Charles Omenihu, Deatrick Wise
6/7/9 technique – Charles Omenihu, Deatrick Wise
The latter group there is more for the edge rushers, which I’ll come onto shortly, but you can see now they have a lot of depth and flexibility along the interior defensive line. That means they can shift between three-man and four-man fronts at ease. Omenihu and Wise having the ability to work inside gives them better pass rush options in passing situations. Kinlaw and Payne give them more stoutness against the run. Newton and Settle are both disruptors that have the quickness to penetrate and cause issues for blocking schemes. It’s a pretty solid group that should be capable of doing the dirty work that the Vikings interior defensive lineman did in this same system, freeing up the linebackers to make the big splashy plays.
The long term outlook might need some more depth, but the team does now have Newton, Kinlaw and Settle under contract for 2027. So even if the others all leave, they’d have three starting interior defensive lineman ready to go. Now, if Newton doesn’t kick on as we’re all hoping or doesn’t quite fit this scheme, then that need next year would be higher. But right now the outlook is ok and certainly in the short term, I quite like the depth and flexibility that the Commanders have put together here.
Commanders Roundtable
Options Dwindling at Center for Washington Commanders
While Washington still has avenues to address both the wide receiver and cornerback rooms ahead of the 2026 season, center could materialize into the biggest question mark. Yet despite limited draft capital, it could be the draft that offers the best route.
Jake Slaughter out of Florida started 21 games at center over the last two seasons where he graded among the best centers in the country, drawing buzz as a potential late day two or early day three pick. Sam Hecht out of Kansas State was named to both the Outland Trophy and Rimington Trophy watch list where he started 42 games at center, including 25 straight to end his college career, while being an All-Big 12 selection in each of his final two seasons. But it was Logan Jones out of Iowa who was named the Rimington Trophy winner, along with an Outland Trophy finalist, after being named a consensus All-American following a season he made his 50th career start.
Former Auburn center Connor Lew was one of four targets highlighted after the positional need was magnified, and as time passes, could he become a serious contender to materialize into a potential value pick on day three?
After watching his senior year cut short due to a torn ACL, leading to some questions about his availability to start the 2026 season. But he’d provide long-term stability after a strong college career. After stepping in as the starter midseason as a true freshman, Lew started every game in 2024 where he was named to the Rimington Trophy watch list before starting the first seven games of the 2025 season, emerging as one of the best centers in the SEC. Injury concerns could push him from day two to three territory.
Riggo’s Rag
Commanders need a starting-caliber center, and Ethan Pocic wouldn’t be a bad stopgap
Gary Davenport of The Bleacher Report thought the Commanders should seriously consider the prospect of acquiring Ethan Pocic, who remains on the proverbial scrapheap despite playing relatively well for the Cleveland Browns in 2025. It might be nothing more than a stopgap, but it would give Peters even more flexibility during the draft.
“The middle of the offensive line could also use an upgrade—as things stand, the starting center in 2026 would be journeyman veteran Nick Allegretti, who played just 260 snaps in 2025 and wasn’t particularly good when he was out there.
“Ethan Pocic wouldn’t be a long-term solution for the team—he’ll turn 31 before the season starts. He has also missed multiple games in three of the past four seasons, including four a year ago. However, the 10th-year veteran is a capable NFL starter with 97 career starts under his belt and allowed just two sacks in 826 snaps last year.”
Pocic is a solid, experienced pro with 6,275 snaps in nine NFL seasons. He gave up just two sacks, 14 total pressures, and two penalties in 826 snaps for the Browns last season, which is pretty impressive when one considers their quarterback upheaval. He’s not among the league’s best, but the 2017 second-round pick is dependable enough.
It seems as if the Browns are going in a different direction, but it’s surprising to see Pocic available at this stage. He was initially projected by Spotrac to get a three-year, $31.79 million deal in free agency, averaging $10.59 million per season. That’s unlikely to happen now, so it’s a case of staying patient before another opportunity arises.
There might be no better spot than the Commanders. Whether they’d have interest is debatable, but this would arguably give Pocic the best chance of being a starter again immediately.
Heavy.com
Commanders Sign Veteran CB Ahkello Witherspoon
“The Commanders are signing veteran CB Akhello Witherspoon following his visit to the team today, sources say,” NFL Network’s Mike Garofolo wrote on his official X account. “After three seasons with the Rams, Witherspoon heads to Washington, rejoining GM Adam Peters, who was with the 49ers when the team drafted Witherspoon.”
Witherspoon, 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, was a 3rd round pick (No. 66 overall) by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2017 NFL draft. He had a career-high 17 starts in 2023, and has approximately $18 million in career earnings through the end of the 2025 season.
| Def Interceptions | Fumbles | Tackles | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Age | Team | Lg | Pos | G | GS | Int | Yds | IntTD | Lng | PD | FF | Fmb | FR | Yds | FRTD | Sk | Comb | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBHits | Sfty | AV | Awards |
| 2017 | 22 | SFO | NFL | LCB | 12 | 9 | 2 | 42 | 0 | 23 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 32 | 28 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 2018 | 23 | SFO | NFL | RCB | 14 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 37 | 30 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 2019 | 24 | SFO | NFL | RCB | 10 | 8 | 1 | 25 | 1 | 25 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 28 | 24 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| 2020 | 25 | SFO | NFL | DB | 11 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 20 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2021 | 26 | PIT | NFL | DB | 9 | 3 | 3 | 45 | 0 | 41 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 15 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2022 | 27 | PIT | NFL | CB | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 20 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 28 | LAR | NFL | DB | 17 | 17 | 3 | 17 | 0 | 17 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 52 | 43 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | |
| 2024 | 29 | LAR | NFL | CB | 13 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 31 | 25 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2025 | 30 | LAR | NFL | CB | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 9 Yrs | 96 | 64 | 13 | 129 | 1 | 41 | 60 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 243 | 204 | 39 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 25 | |||||
| 17 Game Avg | 17 | 11 | 2 | 23 | 0 | 41 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 43 | 36 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |||||
| SFO (4 Yrs) | 47 | 33 | 4 | 67 | 1 | 25 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 117 | 99 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 13 | |||||
| LAR (3 Yrs) | 36 | 24 | 5 | 17 | 0 | 17 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 91 | 74 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | |||||
| PIT (2 Yrs) | 13 | 7 | 4 | 45 | 0 | 41 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 35 | 31 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |||||
While he might seem like a backup on the surface, it’s hard to see Witherspoon not at least getting a chance to compete for a starting spot.
He evidently showed during the visit that the shoulder injury which landed Witherspoon on IR to finish his tenure with the Rams is no longer bothering the cornerback.
“Sources: The Commanders are signing veteran CB Ahkello Witherspoon,” NFL insider Jordan Schultz wrote on his official X account. “He started 24 games over the last 3 years with the Rams and had 5 interceptions … The Commanders bolster their secondary.”
Riggo’s Rag
Commanders get another solid insurance policy in Ahkello Witherspoon
The Commanders are adding someone with the size and length to potentially impact the rotation. On his best day, the Colorado product is a solid player, but his concerning injury history will be closely watched by fans.
There is no doubt Witherspoon could have been so much more had health problems not dented his progress. He’s played just one full season in 2023, and he’s missed considerable time in almost every other campaign. That’s a worry, especially given how many injury problems the Commanders were forced to cope with last time around.
This won’t stop the Commanders from taking someone like LSU prospect Mansoor Delane at No. 7 overall if they wish. With only Mike Sainristil, Trey Amos, and Amik Robertson guaranteed to be on the roster before Witherspoon’s arrival, this might be nothing more than an insurance policy to provide extra competition for places. And who knows, he might be able to log meaningful reps with a little bit of better luck along the way.
The Commanders are giving him a chance, but there are no guarantees attached whatsoever. Witherspoon still has to earn his spot. His highs are high, but the player is not getting any younger. It’s probably not costing Peters much to find out for sure, and this adds to the team’s flexibility when the draft rolls around.
The Athletic (paywall)
Commanders mailbag: What will Washington do about its wide receivers?
Given the Commanders’ cap space, which is still the most in the NFC, why do you imagine they just won’t sign a wide receiver who is capable of complementing (Terry) McLaurin? It can’t be that they are waiting on (Brandon) Aiyuk to become available, because who knows if he can even play anymore? I know they went after several players, but at some point you have to outbid the competition when your biggest advantage is cap space. — Canes_55
I could see them drafting a wide receiver and signing a veteran late in free agency. I could also see them continuing to add to the group during camp and after roster cuts, through waiver claims. This draft class is deep on receiver talent, so even if they don’t get one in the first round, they could get a quality player on Day 2 or later. Shoot, McLaurin was a third-rounder.
Now, if they get Jeremiyah Love in the first round, the need for a top-tier wideout is lessened slightly because of Love’s versatility. He fills the void of a second top-tier playmaker.
I agree with you that they can’t bank on Aiyuk given his history. And I believe the Commanders believe that, too; Peters knows Aiyuk perhaps as well as any executive in the NFL, other than John Lynch. If the Commanders get him on a one-year, highly incentivized deal and he shows out, fantastic. If not, they don’t lose much.
I don’t think they should feel the need to outbid the competition just to get someone, and I think they were wise to draw the line with Alec Pierce. He’s a very fine receiver, but he’ll have salary-cap charges of $35.2 million and $32.2 million in 2027 and 2028. No thanks.
Why didn’t they go after (Trey) Hendrickson harder? They signed (Odafe) Oweh for about $100 million. But the Ravens signed Hendrickson for $112 million. So, presumably they could have had Hendrickson for a little more than they gave Oweh, and nobody would argue who is the better player. — Chuck J.
You’re assuming Hendrickson chose Baltimore for money alone. I was told the Commanders were “very aggressive” in pursuing Hendrickson, and this was after they had already agreed to terms with Oweh.
I’m fine with the Commanders drawing the line on Hendrickson. He’s one of the game’s best pass rushers, but he’s 31 (will be 32 in December) and coming off core muscle surgery. If they signed him to the same deal (four years, $112 million with $60 million guaranteed at signing), the Commanders’ earliest out if things went bad would be after the 2027 season — and the Commanders would still have $27 million in dead money on their cap.
Oweh is only 27 and his four-year deal is worth $96 million and includes $50.6 million guaranteed at signing.
NFL.com
Turnaround candidates: 5 teams you shouldn’t overlook in 2026
We hit the bullseye on our top two turnaround picks a year ago — naming the Bears and the Patriots as the leading candidates — but even we couldn’t have imagined just how dramatic the U-turns would be. Both teams made the playoffs and the Patriots, astonishingly, went from a four-win team to a Super Bowl team. The Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t even make the list, and they went from four wins to 13 and won the AFC South title.
That’s the good news. The bad is that we named five turnaround candidates. The other three — the Bengals, Raiders and Browns — all managed to get worse in 2025, which proves just how inexact a science football forecasting is.
Nevertheless, we’ll try again. Here’s our ranking of the teams primed for a rebound. A few caveats, first. This is not the same as a ranking of how teams performed in free agency. The Rams, for instance, were superb, filling needs with signings and trades. But you can’t have a turnaround from narrowly losing the NFC Championship Game to the eventual Super Bowl champ. And this is also not a playoff prediction. Turnarounds are often steps in rebuilds. Those take time, but they are still worth recognizing.
Washington Commanders
Their regression last season was startling. With a free agency blitz, they remade their defense, bringing on Odafe Oweh, K’Lavon Chaisson, Leo Chenal, Amik Robertson, Nick Cross and Tim Settle. On offense, they got Rachaad White and Chig Okonkwo. They probably need more around Jayden Daniels, especially with a receiver to pair with Terry McLaurin, but if Daniels can stay healthy — admittedly, a significant question — the Commanders should have a bounce-back season. It was only a year ago when the Commanders made a surprising run to the NFC Championship Game. These additions should at least make them competitive for a playoff spot.
Podcasts & videos
With the 7th Pick in the 2026 NFL Draft! Offensive Adds + Chig Okonkwo Breakdown | Command Center
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ESPN
2026 NFL free agency class rankings: Most improved rosters
I ranked all 32 teams‘ free agency performances across signings, re-signings and trade acquisitions. I also tried to take into account departed talent.
These rankings are highly contextual. Any list of “the most improved teams in free agency” would start with the likes of the Raiders and Titans … who incidentally were the teams that had the most money to spend. Instead, I tried to rank the teams for:
- The value they got for the money they spent
- The flexibility of their roster approaching the draft
- The contract details that provide them leverage
- How they manipulated the compensatory pick formula
- What they could have done but didn’t do
So, let’s get to it. Here’s 2026 NFL free agency by team, ranked 1-32.
8. Washington Commanders
Key acquisitions and returning players: Odafe Oweh, Rachaad White, Leo Chenal, Amik Robertson, K’Lavon Chaisson, Chig Okonkwo, Tim Settle Jr.
I loved: Filling out the roster. GM Adam Peters wasn’t active at the top of free agency, but he was in the middle tiers, peppering the roster with rotational players who could start in a pinch. Robertson and Chenal in particular stand out as players who can win starting jobs and provide a much-needed jolt of speed and tackling to a Commanders defense that gave up more yards after missed tackles than any defense save for Cincinnati last season (per NFL Next Gen Stats). Even guys like Settle and Okonkwo can have big impacts as 30-40% snap getters. Great cycle.
I didn’t love: The Oweh signing. Going to $25 million per year for Oweh, who was the third edge rusher in Los Angeles and played only about 50% of the snaps, is an enormous bet. It felt at the time and still feels now that the Commanders got priced out on Jaelan Phillips and pivoted to Oweh with a ton of cash at the table.
It’s not the worst thing, and it happens a bunch in free agency. But I’m interested to see the sort of defense that first-time coordinator Daronte Jones runs, because spending this much money on an edge rusher who doesn’t really defend the run on a defense that blitzes a ton just doesn’t make sense to me.
SB Nation
Myles Garrett trade rumors should heat up after Browns rework contract
Myles Garrett’s reworked contract opens up trade scenarios. These 4 teams could get him
Garrett will now wait until right before the season begins to receive his $16.5M option bonus, which critically pushes it past the June 1 deadline, allowing other teams to have enough open cap space to sign him while getting the Browns off the hook to pony up the cash. In addition, the way the deal was reworked gives added cap flexibility later in the deal, which would be a necessity to a team taking on Garrett in a trade.
It’s entirely possible this is just routine bookkeeping, but the timing really is curious. Free agency is effectively over at this point, and the Browns had $9M in effective cap space left. They didn’t need to tinker with the Garrett deal at all — and in doing so it definitely raises questions about whether or not the team might be looking to trade him, especially after Cleveland were the team to float an NFL rule change to allow for five years of draft picks to be traded (up from three).
Let’s assume this is part of a bigger plan to find a new home for Myles Garrett: Which teams should we really watch? Keep in mind that Garrett has a no-trade clause on his deal, so a trade scenario would need to involve a contender. Luckily there are a few teams that fit the bill.
Philadelphia Eagles
We know the Eagles need more pass-rush help after losing Jaelan Phillips in free agency and they have wiggle room on the cap, especially after June 1 if they trade away A.J. Brown.
Fans in Philly has been hoping to see the team in on a possible Maxx Crosby deal, so why not go after an even bigger prize?
Discussion topics
ESPN
Gervin irked Bears’ Williams filed trademark for ‘Iceman’
George Gervin, the Hall of Famer and four-time NBA scoring champion, told ESPN that he was “caught off guard” when he learned that Williams had attempted to trademark “Iceman,” the nickname that Williams earned during the 2025 season for his late-game performances that culminated with the Bears winning their first playoff game in 15 years.
“I’ve been the Iceman for 40-something years,” Gervin said. “I never thought anybody would try to trademark it. He kind of knocked me out the box.”
On March 16, Caleb Williams Holding Inc. filed four trademark applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office related to the “Iceman” nickname. According to the trademark application, goods and services related to the name include athletic sporting goods and equipment, water bottles, T-shirts, sweatshirts, jerseys, hats, eyewear and downloadable posters and digital trading cards.
On March 20, Gervin Interests LLC filed two trademark applications for “Iceman” and “Iceman 44,” the latter of which references the jersey number Gervin wore throughout his NBA career. In 1987, the San Antonio Spurs retired Gervin’s number.
One of the biggest questions, according to trademark attorney Josh Gerben of Gerben IP, is how trademark rights are viewed. Gerben said Gervin could claim that even though he didn’t file the trademark, he was using it before Williams even though Williams filed it first.
But since Williams filed his application first, the USPTO could accept Williams’ application and refuse Gervin’s.
A decision on the matter is likely several months away.
Reached by phone on Thursday, Gervin said he felt forced to file a trademark application after learning that Williams had already done so four days prior. Gervin and Barisano said they had attempted to trademark “Iceman” in 2023 when the attorney they hired to file with the USPTO died of a heart attack.
There is one other wrinkle, too. UFC legend Chuck Liddell filed for a trademark in 2023 for “Chuck ‘The Iceman’ Liddell.” Gerben said the USPTO could decide that mark is similar to both Williams’ and Gervin’s.
“The USPTO could easily, easily refuse Caleb Williams’ application and George Gervin’s application,” Gerben said. “Because of Chuck’s pending applications waiting there first.”
The Athletic (paywall)
Top remaining NFL free-agent fits, plus early look at best and worst teams for 2026
5. Bobby Wagner with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs recently said goodbye to a franchise lifer, as linebacker Lavonte David announced his retirement this week after playing his entire 15-year career in Tampa Bay. The Bucs signed Alex Anzalone in free agency, but they can still do more to bolster the middle of their defense. Tampa Bay drafted David in the second round in 2012 with the No. 58 pick. Eleven picks before that, the Seattle Seahawks selected Wagner, who has turned in a likely Hall of Fame career. He’s not the player he was in his prime, but he’s shown to still have some juice.
