Lots of white space on the canvas
GM Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn return to a team with a 3rd-year roster that probably cannot yet be said to have a substantial ‘core’, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The approach
in 2024 was to replace most of the ‘23 roster with new players, primarily drawn from veteran free agency, and with a strong reliance on one-year contracts, creating a situation where the Commanders, in February last year, prior to signing future contracts with practice squad players, had the fewest players under contract in the NFL per Over the Cap.
This year, the Commanders are a bit further along. With 52 players currently under contract, there are 7 NFL teams with fewer players (though that number includes the two super bowl teams, who have not yet signed players to future contracts).
Future Contracts
Reserve/future contracts are signed in January and February each year with practice-squad quality players who are not on any team’s regular roster at the end of regular season play.
In the NFL, a reserve/future contract is an agreement between a team and a player that takes effect at the start of the next league year, typically in March. These contracts are often signed with players who have been on a team’s practice squad during the previous season or with free agents who are not currently under contract with any team.
While the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) does not provide a specific definition for reserve/future contracts, it outlines the rules and procedures for player contracts, including the timing and conditions under which these contracts can be signed. Reserve/future contracts are signed after the conclusion of the regular season and before the start of the new league year. This timing allows teams to secure players for the upcoming season without exceeding the roster limits set by the CBA.
So far in 2026, the Commanders have signed 16 players to reserve/future contracts, bringing the total number of contracted players to 52.
That is 6 more players than the Commanders had on February 3rd a year ago, which means that in comparing year to year, Washington has fewer roster spots to fill now than they did at this time last year.
The three units that make up the team are all in different situations at the moment
Offensive overview
In February last year, the Commanders entire roster — both offense and defense (outside of quarterback) — was an almost blank canvas.
The situation is a little different this offseason. After two drafts and two free agent classes, the Commanders have the makings of an offense, with a talented quarterback, a proven wide receiver, a competent running back room, and an offensive line that was in the top third of the league in 2025.
Since February last year, on the offensive side of the ball, the following changes have taken place:
- Starting LT Laremy Tunsil acquired via trade
- Starting RT Josh Conerly drafted in the 1st round
- Starting RG Sam Cosmi returned from ACL injury
- Andrew Wylie, Nick Allegretti & Brandon Coleman all ‘demoted’ from starters to backups
- Chris Paul (who will be a free agent in March if not extended) was promoted from backup to starting LG
- Bill Croskey-Merritt was added to the backfield (and Austin Ekeler lost to major injury & unlikely to return)
- Deebo Samuel was added to the WR unit, but he will be a free agent in March if not extended
- WR Treylon Burks was signed as a free agent
- WR Jaylin Lane was drafted
In short, Adam Peters and Dan Quinn worked together to fill in nearly half the canvas with key changes on the offensive line and additions at running back & wide receiver. While the team certainly needs to add a talented wide receiver this offseason and may also need to bolster the running back and tight end positions, the core talent is in place for newly-promoted offensive coordinator David Blough to hit the ground running.
Special teams
Special teams play was good in 2024 and elite in 2025 under coordinator Larry Izzo.
The front office and coaches have taken a very healthy approach to special teams for two seasons now and seem to have figured out an approach that puts Washington firmly near the top of the league in kickoffs, kickoff returns and punts.
The big empty space that needs to be colored in is on the defensive side of the ball
The defense, as poorly as it performed in 2024, actually regressed in 2025, ending the season ranked 32nd in yards allowed and 27th in points allowed.
It is hard to identify a true defensive ‘core’, though the players who are not pending free agents and most ‘established’ on the roster probably comprise the following:
- CB Trey Amos
- DE Dorance Armstrong
- DE Javonte Jean-Baptiste
- DT Daron Payne
- DT Javon Kinlaw
- DT Johnny Newton
- LB Frankie Luvu
- LB Jordan Magee
- CB Mike Sainristil
- S Will Harris
- S Quan Martin
- S Jeremy Reaves
New coaches
The unit will have new leadership in 2026. The defensive coordinator from 2024 & 2025, Joe Whitt, is gone, replaced by Daronte Jones, the former defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator for the Vikings. Gone too are several assistant coaches, with the best-known probably being former Redskins player and franchise all-time sack leader, Ryan Kerrigan.
Talent injection is badly needed
While there are some players to work with in the list above, the defensive unit lacks elite playmakers; Adam Peters has stated publicly that he will be looking to add youth, speed and talent in free agency and the draft. At a minimum, the Commanders need to add a highly-skilled pass rusher, a talented linebacker, one or two skilled and versatile safeties, and an elite-level cornerback. One or two of those needs might be filled via the draft, but the others will probably need to be found in free agency.
Fortunately, the Commanders are blessed with quite a lot of cap space, and the opportunity to ‘create’ more.
Salary cap
In a recent article, I outlined the Commanders projected cap situation before any roster moves are made, and stressed the dynamic (that is, constantly changing) nature of the salary cap.
Just a day after that article was published, the NFL updated its advice about what the league-wide salary cap is expected to be. In just the last 24 hours, Over the Cap changed the projected 2026 cap space for the Commanders, requiring all the cap calculations in this article to be updated prior to publication. The salary cap picture is constantly evolving.
It seems useful, in this space, to discuss the current projections for Washington’s available cap space along with possible roster moves and contract situations that could affect it between now and the March 11th start of free agency — while remembering that all these numbers will change with every roster decision and each new salary cap data entry.
Please note that all salary cap numbers that I quote in this article come from Over the Cap. OTC is one of two major sources of publicly available salary cap information (Spotrac is the other). Over a dozen or so years of careful study of the NFL salary cap, I have found that the two sources typically differ somewhat in their salary estimates as the NFL season progresses, and that by January or February each year, there is a difference of several million dollars between the two. This is one of the many reasons why salary cap reporting is often confusing for fans — especially in terms of headlines or Twitter reporting, which, by their nature, lack detail and nuance.
On two occasions, I have done ‘deep dives’ where I looked at the line-by-line calculations to find the source of the differences, and on both occasions I have found data missing from the Sportrac calculation that mean that Over the Cap was the more accurate estimate.
Projected cap space available before any roster moves
Over the Cap estimates at the moment that the Commanders will have about $76m in cap space available for the 2026 season.
However, when Deebo Samuel’s contract voids shortly after the new league year begins, it will trigger a $12.4m dead cap hit that will decrease the cap space available for free agency to about $63.7m. This dead cap hit can be avoided/delayed if the Commanders re-sign Deebo to a new contract, but that contract will have to be paid for out of the $76m.
Thus, the starting point for free agency using current estimates is $63.7m before any roster moves are made.
Potential salary-cap saving roster cuts
I see 8 players who could be cut because the team doesn’t think the on-field performance justifies the cap space devoted to the player. Only one of these players is on offense (Nick Allegretti, backup G/C).
It’s important to remember that every player released is one more roster spot that needs to be filled. I don’t see any circumstances under which the Commanders would release all 7 of these defensive players.
I have organized the list in 3 color-coded tiers from those players I see as most-likely to be released to those least-likely to be released.
The only player in Tier 1 (bright green) is Marshon Lattimore. I think his release is academic at this point.
I see the chances of release for the three Tier 2 yellow-coded players to be roughly 50/50, depending on the combined perceptions of Adam Peters and the coaching staff. Daron Payne, in particular, could be offered a contract extension that would keep him on the roster at a lower cap hit. I think the decisions on Harris and Allegretti would come down to whether their new coordinators have roles for them, and whether or not they could be replaced by better players at the same (or lower) salary cap cost.
The three players that comprise Tier 3 are ones that I expect to be retained, but whose value at current cap hits may merit discussion between the front office and the coaching staff. Again, the key question for each of these players will be whether they fit into the new defensive scheme and whether they can be replaced by a better player at the same price.
If we assume that the ONLY current player to be released is Marshon Lattimore, then the roster would fall from 52 players to 51, and the adjusted cap space available would rise from $63.7m to $82.2m
Extensions
Typically, extending a player — that is, signing a contract that keeps him on the team for additional years — provides the opportunity to lower a player’s immediate cap hit by deferring cap dollars to later years when the salary cap will be higher (and when the player might be cut, meaning that he won’t be paid his salary in those later years).
EXAMPLE
When Terry McLaurin’s contract extension was signed last year, prior to the regular season, $13.75m of Terry’s 2025 base salary was converted to signing bonus, reducing the 2025 cap hit by $11.3m ($25.5m – $14.2m)
Terry’s old contract was set to expire at the end of the 2025 season. While the team converted most of Terry’s affected ‘25 base salary at the same time the contract was signed, the extension added 3 seasons — ‘26, ‘27, and ‘28 (plus a void year) — it did NOT cancel or replace the existing contract signed in 2022.
This is typical in contract extensions that Washington has done with other veterans.
Laremy Tunsil
Adam Peters has already confirmed that he plans to engage in extension talks with Tunsil this offseason, and Peters further indicated that he will try to expedite the process more efficiently than the process he went through with McLaurin last year.
Tunsil’s contract with the Commanders was ‘inherited’ when he was acquired via trade from the Texans last offseason.
However, in order to open up additional 2025 cap space, the team added 3 void years and converted $18m of his base salary in 2025 to signing bonus, creating $14.4m in cap space for 2025. His contract, following that restructure, currently looks like this:
In a 2026 offseason extension, the current contract will run its course and the $10.8m dead cap in the 3 void years will accelerate into the 2027 salary cap calculation (See 2025 extension for Panthers player Austin Corbitt for reference; Spotrac used because the site lists details for all contracts signed by the player).
Hypothetical contract extension for Laremy Tunsil
Let’s keep the numbers fairly simple and assume that Tunsil:
- signs a 4-year extension (2027-2030),
- worth $30m per year ($120m total),
- with $18m of his 2026 salary converted to signing bonus
- roster bonus of $25m paid at the start of the 2027 season
The new structure could look something like this:
Under this structure, Tunsil’s CASH FLOWS would be:
- 2026 – $31.35m
- 2027 – $27.0m
- 2028 – $27m
- 2029 – $27.5m
- 2030 – $28.5m
Impact on 2026 salary cap
As you can see, under this hypothetical 4-year, $120m extension, Tunsil’s 2026 cap hit drops from $24.9m under the current contract to $12.5m — a savings of $12.4m.
Other potential contract extensions/restructures
A few other players who could be extended prior to the start of the ‘26 season (with estimated potential cap savings):
- Daron Payne ($11m)
- Dorance Armstrong ($5m)
- Franke Luvu ($4m)
- Tyler Biadasz ($4m)
Number of players on the roster
When you scan the current 52-man offseason roster, it’s easy to see that, not counting Marshon Lattimore, perhaps 18 names belong to guys who are marginal NFL players that populate roster bubble and practice squads spots. They are on short-term, low-dollar, non-guaranteed contracts that make them easily replaceable. In essence, the team has around 33 quality NFL players that would be likely to make any NFL roster as either a backup or starter.
Of course, Washington has a long list of impending free agents that can be re-signed — coincidentally, there are 33 of them as well (including Deebo Samuel), according to Over the Cap.
This number also includes 3 RFAs Chris Rodriguez Jr, Tyree Jackson, and Jake Moody.
Re-signing some of these players would make the offseason roster look a bit healthier.
Pending free agents likely to be re-signed
Of these 33 impending free agents from the 2025 Commanders roster, I think only 5 are likely (i.e., more than 50% chance) to return for the 2026 season:
- P Tress Way
- RB Jeremy McNichols
- WR Treylon Burks
- RB Chris Rodriguez Jr
- LG Chris Paul
The first 4 players on that list had a combined 2025 cap hit of $4.74m; I think they could all be re-signed in 2026 at a cap space cost of no more than about $6.5m.
Opinions vary on the cost to extend Chris Paul. I think we can all agree that the Commanders have sufficient cap space to extend him at market cost if they want to keep him.
If all 5 of these players were to be re-signed this offseason, it would increase the total number of players under contract to 57 (including Deebo Samuel & Marshon Lattimore), and the number of NFL roster-caliber players to 38 (excluding Marshon Lattimore).
Some other pending Commanders free agents who could get consideration in 2026
A few other players set to become free agents in March — like Marcus Mariota, Von Miller, Andrew Wylie, Deatrich Wise, Jacob Martin, Deebo Samuel and Jake Moody — may get consideration, but none of them seem better than 50/50 (in my opinion) to get contract extensions.
So, what’s the big picture overview of free agency needs?
- With 6 scheduled draft picks, to reach the offseason limit of 90, the Commanders would need to sign around 27 free agents, with many of those being ’camp bodies’.
- Roughly speaking, less than half of those 27 free agents — about a dozen — would need to be good enough to make the 53-man roster
- Of that dozen, probably 5 or 6 need to be capable of starting or playing a significant role as a rotational player.
The draft
Per tankathon, Washington currently has 6 picks in April’s draft.
Adding these 6 picks to the current slate of 52 players would bring the total roster to 58 players, well above the offseason salary-cap cutoff of 51 players.
Here are a couple of older articles from 2021 and 2024 that cover some of the arcane details of salary cap and player contracts. The examples are obviously slightly out of date, but the information can all be useful in understanding the Commanders current situation. I will likely update and re-publish these articles in the coming weeks:
The salary cap cost of Washington’s 6 draft picks needs to be deducted from the available cap space and set aside for the post-draft period, but these six players won’t use up as much cap space as you might expect. A back-of-the-envelope calculation says that, when taking into account the Rule of 51, the Commanders need to set aside about $6m in cap space to sign their six draft picks.
So, bottom line, how much cap space will the Commanders have available for free agency?
The breakdown looks like this:
- Current estimated available cap space (52 players): $76m
- Cap space required to sign draft picks: $6m
- 2026 Effective Cap Space: $70m
- Minus: Deebo Samuel contract voids: <$12.34m>
- 2026 Adjusted Effective Cap Space: $57.66m
- Plus: Cap space savings for cutting Marshon Lattimore: $18.5m
- Plus: Projected savings from Laremy Tunsil extension: $12.4m
- 2026 Effective Cap Space after cuts/extensions: $88.56m
- Less: allowance for injury replacement during season: $6.56m
- 2026 Cap space available for signing/re-signing veteran free agents: $82m
After accounting for draft picks, injury replacements, Deebo Samuel’s dead cap hit and then adding back space for the expected release of Marshon Lattimore and the extension of Laremy Tunsil, the Commanders should have around $82m in cap space available for the 2026 free agency period.
You can use the information I provided in the article to estimate the impact of additional roster cuts (e.g., Nick Allegretti), restructures (e.g., Tyler Biadasz), or extensions (e.g., Tress Way).
In effect, the Commanders are flush with cap space, which should allow Adam Peters to be aggressive in veteran free agency this year as he attempts to keep the offense competitive while re-constructing the team’s terrible defense.
Offseason depth chart
Let’s get a look at the roster, then talk about each position group one-by-one.
Color Coding:
- White/bold = under contract now; no known issues
- Grey/italics = pending unrestricted free agent
- Red block/white font = expected to be released before March 11th
- Black block/white font = serious injury; pending unrestricted free agent; possible retirement
- Yellow block/bold/italics = Deebo will be an unrestricted free agent when contract voids within days after start of new league year
- Beige/italics = pending Restricted Free Agent
The numbers that appear beside some players’ names are 2026 cap hits per Over the Cap. I have not included cap hits below $1.5m.
The Commanders currently have 26 defensive players, 25 offensive players and one special teams player (LS Tyler Ott).
Please note that assigned positions are my own personal opinions. They do not necessarily represent the thinking of Washington’s coaches or front office, nor are they necessarily consistent with fan consensus. This chart represents my personal interpretation, and may not reflect the thoughts of other writers on Hogs Haven. Finally, when it comes to backup players, I don’t put much effort into making sure that they are on the right or left or behind the specific player that they backup. I mostly just try to fit everyone on the chart efficiently.
Position-by -position discussion
Quarterback
Clearly, Washington has found its franchise quarterback in Jayden Daniels. The only questions here relate to backups — how many the team keeps, who they are, and how much they get paid.
Based on what Marcus Mariota did in 2025, it would seem reasonable to be able to bring him back in ‘26, but he may have done enough to get a shot as a starter with another team or he may want to follow Kliff Kingsbury if KK gets another OC job. Of course, Mariota may want to stick with Washington where he seems to be pretty happy and comfortable. With David Blough taking over from Kliff Kingsbury, it may be that Blough will want to bring in a different backup or Adam Peters may want to spend less cap space on the backup as Jayden Daniels enters his 3rd NFL season. I think there are a lot of issues to be considered here.
Sam Hartman’s strong relationship with Daniels may count for something or it may not. It feels like it’s time to end the experiment.
Josh Johnson and Jeff Driskel both offer reasonable options for an inexpensive QB3. There’s a good chance that new offensive coordinator David Blough may have a connection to someone else he prefers.
Offensive Line
Left Tackle
Laremy Tunsil is among the best at the position in the NFL. Adam Peters has already confirmed his plan to extend Tunsil this offseason. I detailed my general (and simplified) expectations for a contract extension earlier in this article. With Tunsil, this position should be locked down for at least the next four or five seasons.
Left Guard
Chris Paul did well in his first NFL season as a starter. He is scheduled to enter free agency in March. While it might be good to extend him, Brandon Coleman may offer a good option on a rookie deal, or the front office may be able to bring in a competent replacement at a lower price point.
Center
Tyler Biadasz has done well in 2 seasons with the Commanders. It may be a good idea to give the 29-year-old, who is in a contract year, a 2- or 3-year extension between now and September.
Right Guard
Sam Cosmi returned from an ACL tear and played well in the second half of 2025. Look for him to return to Pro Bowl form in 2026.
Right Tackle
In his rookie season, Josh Conerly got thrown in the deep end. He was a bit up & down early, but finished strong in the final 2 months of the season. Look for a step forward in 2026.
Tight End
It feels like Zach Ertz, with his late-season knee injury, may have finally reached the end of his career. It’s hard to imagine him returning to play at 36 years of age.
This could mean that Ben Sinnott, who has been largely invisible in the passing game, may get the chance to show what he can do in Ertz’s absence and under a new offensive coordinator, BUT it could mean that the Commanders will be looking for a receiving tight in free agency in March.
It will be interesting to see which players will return and which new faces may be added to this unit.
Wide Receiver
The only certainty here is that Terry McLaurin will be back in 2026 along with Luke McCaffrey and Jaylin Lane. The Commanders desperately need to add at least one more high-quality receiver to pair with McLaurin. The team may have something in Treylon Burks, who was a late free agent signing in 2025, but his 10 catches for 130 yards on 22 targets in 2025 won’t be enough to keep the team from looking for more help in free agency and/or the draft.
Running Back
It feels as if Austin Ekeler, like Zach Ertz, may have had his career ended by serious injury.
The 3-man unit of Bill Croskey-Merritt, Chris Rodriguez and Jeremy McNichols was…adequate in 2025. Bill is the only one of the three who is under contract in ‘26, though CRod is a Restricted Free Agent, which means that the Commanders can bring him back if they want to by tendering him.
I’d be happy enough to have CRod or McNichols (or both) back, but it feels like the running back group could easily be upgraded with the right free agent signing or the right draft pick. I think Adam Peters will try to do exactly that between now and May.
Defensive Tackle
There are questions.
Will the new defensive coordinator, Daronte Jones, prefer a 3-man or 4-man front (or will the defense be so multiple that the base defense will be hard to define)?
Javon Kinlaw’s contract pretty much insures his return in 2026, and I can’t imagine AP or the coaching staff giving up on Johnny Newton yet. Looking at the depth chart, I have the feeling that Daron Payne will be back despite having the biggest cap hit on the Commanders roster. Washington probably needs to add at least one more solid DT in free agency — maybe more if the team expects to play more 3-man fronts.
DE/Edge
Again, it’s hard to know whether the team will be relying on DEs in a 4-man front or OLBs flanking 3 interior DTs. The scheme will have a lot to do with the type of players Washington tries to sign and draft this offseason to play the edge.
Dorance Armstrong was having a great season before his Week 7 injury, and I think we all hope he returns to that same form to open up the ’26 season.
After that, the position looks rather barren.
The Commanders will need to attack this position group via both free agency and the draft if they hope to generate pressure and build the kind of attacking defense that most analysts seem to think Daronte Jones will try to implement.
Washington simply isn’t close right now at this position group.
Off the ball linebacker
I think Bobby Wagner is done in DC; he certainly can’t continue playing as a 3-down linebacker. With Adam Peters declaring that he wants a ‘younger and faster’ defense, it’s hard to imagine how Wagner fits in anymore.
Jordan Magee, Frankie Luvu , Kain Medrano and Ale Kaho fit the mold of a young & fast linebacker group, but if Daronte Jones wants to implement the kind of defensive schemes he helped coach in Minnesota, the Commanders probably need one or two very significant upgrades at this position group via free agency and the draft.
Cornerback
Clearly, the Marshon Lattimore trade was a failure. I’ll be flabbergasted if Lattimore isn’t released before March 11th.
Mikey Sainristil had an outstanding rookie season, but struggled mightily in 2025. Let’s hope that a fresh approach from the coaching staff reignites his career. I actually feel pretty good about Mikey making a resurgence in ‘26.
Trey Amos was injured in early November of his rookie season, but in his first 10 games before the injury, he looked like the best CB on the team. Let’s hope that he looks as good or better this season; Washington needs at least one solid cornerback returning to the team in 2026.
Like nearly every other defensive position group, the Commanders need to acquire at least one or two high-impact players at the cornerback position in free agency and the draft. Good talent with dramatically improved coaching will be the dual keys that will help reverse Washington’s defensive fortunes.
Safety
Surprisingly, all of Washington’s safeties from the ‘25 season remain under contract in 2026. Unfortunately, the safety play last season was just as bad as the rest of the defense.
Quan Martin seemed to take a big step backwards in ’25. Some have suggested that he might benefit by moving to the slot (or he may find a role in Daronte Jones’ defense, which is expected to rely heavily on 3-safety looks).
Will Harris was praised by coaches early last season, but he missed several games with an injury and the defense didn’t get any better when he returned. He may be the kind of player who will excel in the new defensive scheme.
Jeremy Reaves is a player that’s easy to love, but he’s much easier to love on special teams than he is as a defensive starter.
The Commanders absolutely need at least one high-impact player added at the safety position, and if the team plans to increase the amount of 3-safety sets used this season, may also need a pair of players via draft and free agency to upgrade the safety group.
Special Teams
Punter
Tress Way is the longest-tenured player to have been on the roster continuously, and he offers a lot. He is a good punter, a valuable member of the locker room, an active member of the DMV community, and very popular with fans.
The 2025 All-Pro punter is a pending free agent, but I expect him to return in ’26 despite his age. He is signed on a specific contract (defined in the CBA) that allows the team to pay him $2.8m for one season while being charged only about $1.4m against the cap, so there’s not really any reason to move on from him given his outstanding punting and budget cost.
Long snapper
The long-snapper is Tyler Ott. He may be the least criticized player on the team.
Kicker
The Commanders finished the season with Jake Moody as the kicker. He is a Restricted Free Agent, so the Commanders can control his contract by offering him a tender, but I don’t expect them to do so (it would cost over $3m). Moody was just the latest in a long list of interchangeable kickers.
Adam Peters made costly mistakes at the position in both of his first two seasons. In 2024, he paid a $1.5m signing bonus to Brandon McManus, then cut him before training camp when he was the subject of sexual harassment accusations. In 2025, he signed Matt Gay to a contract with $4m in guaranteed money, only to see Gay struggle during the season and get cut at the end of November.
I have to think that we’ll see a pair of kickers without big signing bonuses or guarantees coming to camp for a kicking battle this year.
It’s time for a dramatically different approach.
