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 best decisions from this offseason.
Laremy Tunsil extension
Peters traded significant draft capital for one of the NFL’s best left tackles. He gave the Houston Texans a 2025 third-round pick and a seventh-rounder, plus second- and fourth-rounders in 2026 for five-time Pro Bowler Laremy Tunsil and a 2025 fourth-round pick.
Tunsil went out and proved himself a leader and an elite blindside protector. Peters rewarded that with a two-year, $60 million contract extension that keeps Tunsil in Washington through the 2028 season. Yeah, that’s expensive but also what you pay for a top-flight player at a premium position.
He provides stability and an excellent mentor – have you seen all the work he does with Josh Conerly Jr.? — and makes all that draft capital given up look like a win for him, quarterback Jayden Daniels and the Commanders overall.
Defensive coordinator switch: Joe Whitt for Daronte Jones
The Commanders ranked No. 32 in total defense and No. 27 in scoring defense last season. They allowed 384 yards per game and 26.5 points per game. They also ranked No. 29 with 6.0 yards per play allowed.
Washington had some personnel problems. Of that there was no doubt. They also had schematic issues that had to be remedied during the offseason. That was clear far earlier, when head coach Dan Quinn took over defensive play calling in Week 10.
The important part came next. The firing was obvious. Finding the right guy was vital.
The Commanders didn’t just hire a Quinn disciple to run the longtime defensive coordinator’s scheme. They brought in a fresh perspective with Daronte Jones and allowed him to import a system of his own.
That was a bold move and the right one.
Younger and faster personnel upgrades had to accompany Jones and they did, in both free agency and the NFL draft. This scheme is a different animal with an attacking style, rooted in what Brian Flores executes in Minnesota and what Mike Zimmer did with the Vikings before that, with some Lou Anarumo in the mix.
Early reviews on Jones are positive. While we’re still in wait-and-see mode with the new defense, a complete departure from that 2025 defensive disaster was required.
Letting Bobby Wagner walk
I can already sense the first commenters writing the phrase, “Well, duh.” I get that. Those who regularly watched the Commanders knew that linebacker Bobby Wagner was too slow to keep pace anymore, despite the 162 total tackles on his ledger.
He had 11 straight seasons of at least second-team All-Pro honors but was exploitable in 2025 and was not part of an effort to get younger and faster. Still, letting a surefire Hall-of-Famer walk out the front door is never easy. Peters didn’t have to cut Wagner – he surely would’ve still done that – so that made the departure easier. So is the fact that Washington wasn’t his primary (Seattle) or hometown (L.A. Rams) club.
Letting Wagner walk was the first step in a dramatic linebacker overhaul that was vital to 2026. And replacing him with an elite athlete in No. 7 overall draft pick Sonny Styles breeds optimism in what comes next at the position.
Do you think these were smart choices made by Adam Peters this offseason? Were there better ones I missed let us know in the article comments below.
