I don’t like to sugarcoat things. If something looks fantastic, I like to point it out. If something looks bad, I will bring that to the forefront.
In this series, “The Cold, Hard Truth,” I will give my analysis on various parts of the team in an effort to allow healthy discussions on the specific topics at hand.
In stark contrast to some of my previous cold, hard truth articles, this one should make most fans pretty happy!
On March 5, less than a week before the new league year officially started,
I wrote this article stating that Washington had the least talented roster in the NFC East. At the time – THAT WAS THE COLD, HARD TRUTH!
As I write this today, I do not believe that is the case any longer. I can even take it a step further.
Washington may have done the most in the NFL this offseason to improve their overall talent.
Washington entered the start of free agency with the fifth-most cap space in the NFL and they made some moves to make even more right after the new league started.
The Results: A DYNAMITE free agency haul!
- EDGE Odafe Oweh (starter)
- EDGE K’Lavon Chaisson (starter)
- TE Chig Okonkwo (starter)
- LB Leo Chenal (starter)
- S Nick Cross (starter)
- CB Amik Robertson (starter)
- DL Tim Settle (situational starter)
- DL Charles Omenihu (situational starter)
- RB Rachaad White (situational starter)
- WR Dyami Brown (situational starter)
- DB Ahkello Witherspoon (situational starter)
Washington’s free agency stretch was so good, that center was the only spot where they released a player that they didn’t upgrade with someone better.
In the 2026 NFL Draft, Washington had just two top 100 picks, but they walked away with what I consider to be five impact players.
- LB Sonny Styles (starter)
- WR Antonio Williams (probable starter)
- EDGE Joshua Josephs (depth with starting upside)
- RB Kaytron Allen (depth with starting upside)
- OL Matt Gulbin (potential starter)
After the draft, Adam Peters signed a good crop of undrafted free agents. There are a few players who have a shot of making the team – including Chris Hilton Jr., Robert Henry Jr. and Fred Davis II, but the headliner of the group was Iowa kicker Drew Stevens, who will compete with Jake Moody during training camp for the starting job. And, make no mistake about it, the big-legged Hawkeye has a very good chance to win this competition!
Looking at both sides of the ball, Washington will likely have 11 new starters compared to the 2025 roster — roughly half of the lineup. Most changes took place on the defensive side of the ball, and rightfully so. Over half of Washington’s starting defense will be new come opening day — barring injuries —- and not all of these names are just fillers.
Defense
Adam Peters went out and got young, impactful players via free agency and the draft. Oweh and Chaisson are two EDGE defenders who are in their prime. Leo Chenal and Sonny Styles will help give Washington the biggest, most athletic linebacking corps in the league. Nick Cross was one of the best safeties against the run the last two years, and Robertson is a versatile corner who should fit nicely into Jones’ new aggressive defense.
Omenihu, Settle, and Davidson will provide great depth along the defensive front, while Witherspoon can be a situational starter on the back end.
Offense
The offense won’t see quite as much turnover as the defense, but some key players to help take pressure off quarterback Jayden Daniels will be welcome additions.
Chig Okonkwo should offer Daniels an athletic security blanket who can be a nightmare with the ball in his hands. Rookie third-round draft pick Antonio Williams is projected to start in the slot, and his short-area quickness and ability to get open underneath should fit well into new coordinator David Blough’s offense. Bringing back Dyami Brown could give Jayden another deep weapon on the outside.
Rachaad White will battle this summer for the starting running back role and his ability as a receiver out of the backfield will be a welcome addition to Blough’s offense. Sixth-round pick Kaytron Allen should see immediate reps as a short-yardage specialist and could carve out a nice role for himself as a rookie.
But wait, there’s more…
It’s anticipated that once released by the 49ers, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk will eventually end up joining his best friend Jayden in D.C. Despite not having played in a game since early in the 2024 season, reports have suggested that Aiyuk’s knee is healed and he’s ready to go.
The former No. 25 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft turned 28 this spring and he still has good football ahead of him. Before his injury, he posted back-to-back 1,000-plus-yard seasons with 15 touchdowns. He was regarded as one of the best route runners in the NFL and was a second-team All-Pro in 2023.
If for some reason Peters’ pivots away from Aiyuk, Stefon Diggs may become an option on a one-year deal. He is from the DMV and has a home here. He’s been a standout in the league since 2018, and now that his legal issues are behind him, he may be a guy Peters looks at to provide a veteran presence to the wide receiver room.
Last season in New England, Diggs had 85 receptions for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns over 17 games started, so he clearly has something left in the tank.
Two new coordinators
The roster talent additions discussed above are profound, but we can’t understate the importance that Daronte Jones and David Blough will have on this team.
Jones’ defense is all about players first and scheme second. His goal is to put his men in situations where they can be at their best. We already know his scheme will utilize some sort of a base 3-4 under front, and that it will be an attacking defense which relies on simulated pressures and timely blitzes designed to confuse the offense and make the quarterback get rid of the ball quickly. This will operate in stark contrast to what we have seen the past two years under Joe Whitt.
The offense under Blough will be a variation of the West Coast offense, with lots of pre-snap motion, quarterback movement from under center, an outside zone running scheme and play action shots downfield. There should be a lot more tight end usage, with a big focus on attacking the intermediate area of the field.
Both Jones and Blough were partially responsible for picking the type of athletes who will operate best within their respective systems.
Some may argue that the Raiders, Titans, Browns and Giants all had franchise-changing offseasons, but I will argue none did more to completely change the identity of their teams than the Commanders.
Adam Peters made this team younger, faster and better when compared to last year’s roster in the key areas that matter most – getting pressure on the quarterback, being able to play aggressive, sideline-to-sideline defense, finding a defensive backend capable of forcing turnovers and having an offense that has guys who can create with the ball in their hands, get open quickly and move the chains.
When head coach Dan Quinn spoke before the new league opened, he mentioned three types of players they were seeking to add:
- Offensive playmakers who can score.
- Impact pass rushers who get after “the head of the snake (QB)”.
- Defensive backs who can guard tightly, especially in late-game clutch situations.
I can say with confidence that Washington hit on all three of these goals – and then some!
When you add in the additions of two first-time coordinators on both sides of the ball, no team in the NFL did more to change the identity of their team this offseason than the Commanders.
This is the cold, hard truth!
