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Over the Cap
Commanders to Release CB Marshon Lattimore
The Commanders have informed CB Marshon Lattimore that he will be released from his contract. Lattimore was entering the final year of a contract that he signed back in 2021 with the Saints that was worth $97 million over five years. He was due to earn $18.5 million this season and his release will save the Commanders all $18.5 million on the cap as there was no dead money on his contract.
He tore his ACL last year and is recovering from that. If he is not recovered he will collect another
$2.1 million from the Commanders this year and likely a smaller amount next season. The Commanders will have about $90 million in cap room which is 2nd or 3rd in the NFL.
Heavy.com
Washington Commanders’ Top 5 Replacements for CB Marshon Lattimore
Eric Stokes, Las Vegas Raiders: Age – 27 Years Old
At 27 years old, Eric Stokes would provide the Commanders a lockdown option on the outside. Yahoo Sports provided an in-depth look at the corners’ value, stating, “He has never produced much in the way of interceptions or PDs, because he starves himself of opportunities by shutting down the receivers in his coverage.” Stokes posted an overall grade of 73.6 according to Pro Football Focus, which ranked 18th out of 114 corners. Spotrac lists his market value at $7.4 million, with him projected to sign a $22.1 million contract across three years. The only issue with Stokes is that the Raiders, who have the second-most cap space in the league, will most likely attempt to re-sign him. However, there is always a chance that Stokes would want a fresh start or that the Commanders simply outbid them.
Montaric Brown, Jacksonville Jaguars: Age – 26 Years Old
Yahoo Sports highlights Montaric Brown as an underrated free agent corner option in this class. “Brown has shown steady improvement in coverage at outside CB for the Jaguars throughout his rookie season. By 2025, he had developed into a quality starter in terms of coverage and ball production. He may be flying under the radar with fans, but NFL front offices will know who he is.” PFF graded Brown as the 21st-best corner in 2025, highlighting his 75.5 coverage grade as the 13th-best. Spotrac projects him to sign a three-year contract worth up to $27.7 million.
Heavy.com
Nick Allegretti : Signing two-year extension
Allegretti and the Commanders agreed to terms Monday on a two-year contract extension, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Allegretti will be a candidate to start at center for Washington next season, with the team releasing Tyler Biadasz (ankle). Last year, Allegretti started two games at center in place of an injured Biadasz, looking notably better than he did in 2024, when he suited up for all 17 regular-season games but had to be switched from LG to RG and was then benched. It remains possible that the Commanders will add another option at center in free agency or the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Athletic (paywall)
What we learned about the Commanders at the combine
• Veteran defensive tackle Daron Payne is expected back for 2026, but there have been no talks about his future beyond that. The only player Washington has talked to about a potential extension is left tackle Laremy Tunsil. Peters has said repeatedly that he wants to get a new deal done with Tunsil sooner rather than later, to avoid a repeat of McLaurin’s extended negotiations. Tunsil has a year remaining on his current deal.
Neither Peters nor Quinn expressed a similar desire to get new deals done when asked about some of the team’s impending free agents. Asked about guard Chris Paul, Quinn said, “We’re going through the whole process and everybody counts in that,” which was similar to the answer he gave in his end-of-season presser when he was asked about former offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.
Asked about Samuel, Quinn praised the receiver’s competitiveness and lamented the Commanders’ inability to use him the way they wanted because of all the injuries at the position. Quinn didn’t mention Samuel’s future.
Quinn also praised Bobby Wagner and his Walter Payton Man of the Year recognition, saying this about the linebacker’s future: “We haven’t got into the specifics of what’s ahead and where we’re at with that yet. That’ll be in the days and weeks ahead.”
• The Commanders pre-empted free agency by making some interesting moves to their offensive line. They agreed to a new two-year deal with Andrew Wylie after he showed his versatility at guard and tackle last season. Then they surprisingly cut center Tyler Biadasz, the anchor of the line the last two seasons. Biadasz certainly didn’t have his best season in 2025, but he wasn’t a glaring liability like Washington has at so many other spots. Biadasz had a year left on his contract and his early exit ensures Daniels will have not just a new coordinator and a new system in 2026, but a new center, too.
Then on Monday, the Commanders re-signed guard Nick Allegretti to a two-year deal, a league source confirmed. It was another surprise considering he was benched after the first two weeks of starting at left guard last season. But scrapping the final year on his contract, which included a $7.1 million salary cap charge, means the Commanders can lower his cap hit this season.
Some notable contract dates coming up: Payne has a $5 million roster bonus that is due March 13, Lattimore has a $2 million bonus due if he’s still on the roster on March 15, and April 1 is the deadline for McLaurin’s $10 million option bonus and Tunsil’s $4 million roster bonus. [These bonuses are already factored into Over the Cap’s estimated cap space calculations].
ESPN
How the Ohio State Buckeyes can help the Commanders in the draft
Edge rusher Arvell Reese, linebacker Sonny Styles, safety Caleb Downs and receiver Carnell Tate are the players who could be taken high. And if the Commanders trade back, as one team source pointed out, defensive tackle Kayden McDonald could be added to the list as well.
That will make Ohio State’s pro day on March 25 an important one for Washington.
“It makes it easier to see all of them at once,” general manager Adam Peters said. “There’s a lot of guys on that defense that are really good.”
Clearly, players from other schools will be in the mix as well; much will depend on what Washington does in free agency. But the Commanders need to provide new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones with more talent. Their defense finished 27th in scoring and last in yards in 2025.
Here’s how each Buckeye would fill a need
Commanders.com
2026 free agency preview | WRs and RBs
Kenneth Gainwell, Pittsburgh Steelers
- Gainwell showed that he still has plenty left to offer last season, hitting a career-high 1,023 scrimmage yards and eight total touchdowns. He also showed that he’s capable of being a quality starter if given the opportunity; in his two starts against the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears, he rushed for 201 yards on 29 carries and caught all 12 of his targets for 65 yards.
Jeremy McNichols, Washington Commanders
- McNichols will be 30 during the 2026 season but has put up career numbers in his two seasons with Washington. He’s been a reliable source of veteran leadership for Jacory Croskey-Merritt and has stepped into a larger role when necessary. The Commanders want to get younger, but McNichols has shown he can add value to a backfield.
Romeo Doubs, Green Bay Packers
- Doubs has remained solid throughout his time with the Packers, catching 63% of his passes with 21 touchdowns in four seasons. The former fourth-round pick was a strong No. 2 option last season, as Matthew Golden became the Packers’ go-to playmaker in the passing game. His ability to run complex routes and create separation could prove useful for any offense with a quarterback who knows how to get the ball to their weapons in space.
Deebo Samuel, Washington Commanders
- It wasn’t part of the Commanders’ plans for Samuel to be their No. 1 threat on offense, but the multitude of injuries at wideout forced them to put him into a more featured role. Samuel caught 72 passes — the second most of his career — and hit a career-high in catch rate. Samuel is now 30, but his versatility and production could be useful for Washington if they decide to re-sign him.
Commanders Roundtable
Frankie Luvu Is Ready to Remind Commanders What He’s Capable Of
With a new defensive coordinator in place and a front office committed to rebuilding the unit around him, 2026 looks like the year Luvu reclaims his status as one of the more dangerous linebackers in the NFL.
Under defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. [in 2025] , the Commanders made the bizarre decision to reduce Luvu’s role as a pass rusher significantly. The results were predictable. Luvu’s sack total plummeted from 8.0 to just 3.0. Washington’s defense collapsed so thoroughly that the team finished dead last in the NFL in yards allowed and 27th in points surrendered. The Commanders fell from a 12-5 record to a miserable 5-12, and Whitt was stripped of his play-calling duties midseason after Washington allowed 34 or more points in four of seven games. He was fired entirely once the season mercifully ended.
Still, even in a down year under a scheme that misused him, the underlying production tells a different story. Luvu still logged four sacks, three forced fumbles — ranking second among all linebackers — and 25 total pressures. He played the sixth-most total defensive snaps of any linebacker in football. The effort never wavered. The scheme around him did.
Why Daronte Jones Changes Everything
What Jones brings is a coverage-flexible, multiple-front system that puts a premium on versatile linebackers who can rush the passer and drop into zone coverage. That is Luvu’s exact skill set. In 2024, Luvu was deployed as a hybrid edge-off-ball linebacker who attacked from multiple alignments, giving offensive coordinators genuine headaches every week. Whitt’s 2025 scheme effectively neutered that versatility. Jones is expected to restore it.
Commanders Wire
Could Commanders reunite with Dyami Brown in free agency?
The Commanders spent a third-round pick on wide receiver Dyami Brown in the 2021 NFL Draft. Brown’s career never really took off in Washington, but he did finish strong in 2024, developing a rapport with Daniels late in the season. Brown was terrific in the Commanders’ first two playoff games and hit free agency at the right time.
Brown signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Commanders liked Brown, but weren’t going to match that offer. Brown was expected to be a big part of Jacksonville’s offense in 2025, but that never materialized. Instead, Parker Washington enjoyed a breakout season, and the Jags acquired Jakobi Meyers via trade. Myers was so good for the Jaguars that they signed him to a contract extension. Brown was relegated to the bench and finished the year with only 20 receptions for 227 yards and a touchdown.
He’s a free agent again, and his value is much lower. Spotrac projects Brown to earn a one-year contract worth $2.1 million in 2026.
That’s much more affordable. Would Washington be interested in a reunion?
ESPN
Commanders agree to pay D.C. $1M to settle 2022 lawsuit
The Commanders have agreed to pay $1 million to the District of Columbia to settle a lawsuit from 2022 that alleged the NFL team under previous ownership colluded to deceive fans by lying about an inquiry into sexual misconduct and a persistently hostile work environment.
Dan Snyder owned the team at the time of the lawsuit, before selling to Josh Harris’ group in 2023 for a then-record in North American professional sports of $6.05 billion. The league fined Snyder $60 million on the way out after an independent investigation found he sexually harassed a team employee and oversaw executives who deliberately withheld millions of dollars in revenue from other clubs.
The settlement also includes the Commanders agreeing to maintain a human resources department, an anti-harassment policy and an investigation protocol for complaints of misconduct. The team declined to comment on the lawsuit and the settlement of it.
The Commanders three years ago settled a separate lawsuit with the Washington, D.C., government over season-ticket deposits.
D.C. Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb announced the settlement Monday, “The Commanders’ current owners have commendably opened a new chapter in the team’s history, committing to ensure all employees are protected from abuse and treated with dignity,” Schwalb said in a statement. “Every business operating in the District has an obligation to provide honest information to its customers, and the Commanders’ loyal fan base deserves no less.”
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Bleeding Green Nation
Eagles Rumor: Dallas Goedert “definitely” will NOT return to Philly
After 8 years in Philadelphia, Dallas Goedert is expected to play elsewhere in 2026
NBC Sports Matthew Berry put together 35 notables based on what he was hearing, and one interesting thing as it relates to the Eagles, was about Dallas Goedert.
“30. While many of the Eagles headlines these days are about whether A.J. Brown will stay or go, one player I’m told that will definitely be moving on from Philly this offseason is Dallas Goedert.“
Eagles GM Howie Roseman spoke to reporters early in the combine and said that the team was very appreciative of the veteran tight end, and that he would have conversations with Goedert’s agents while in Indianapolis. Some people took that to mean that the team would be competitive in trying to bring him back, but it more realistically meant that they would talk and see if they’re even on the same page as far as terms.
The Eagles let Goedert explore free agency last season, but after a very convincing call from QB Jalen Hurts, the TE opted to return to Philly on a lesser deal than he would’ve gotten elsewhere. It doesn’t sound like Goedert will take another team-friendly deal and is probably looking to capitalize off his record-setting 2025 season and get paid big money.
As for the Eagles, the tight end position is thin at best with three of the four TEs from the 2025 roster set to hit free agency. Zach Ertz is an option to bring back as a veteran presence in the room, but the team is expected to add to the depth through the draft, and specifically look for guys who can better contribute to run-blocking than what the group did last season.
Bleeding Green Nation
Eagles Film Review: Losing Nakobe Dean is sad but understandable
Dean is a very good linebacker and a legitimately exceptional pressure weapon. From a pure football standpoint, keeping him is easy to justify. From a roster construction standpoint, it is very hard to make it work.
With Campbell arriving as a first-round investment and expected to anchor the position going forward, and with the scheme not structured around the linebacker blitz packages that make Dean most dangerous, the path to a second contract in Philadelphia is narrow. Another team will offer a deal that reflects his ability to disrupt and upside. The Eagles will likely not match it. I just don’t see it. I don’t mind if I’m wrong, because he’s an awesome player.
I expect this to be a sad goodbye, and I hope he excels wherever he ends up.
Blogging the Boys
Donovan Ezeiruaku undergoes hip surgery, possibly out until training camp
Ezeiruaku is entering his second season with the Cowboys after being selected in the second round in 2025. As a rookie, Ezeiruaku played as an edge rusher under former defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. He played in all 17 games with nine starts and logged 40 tackles (nine tackles for loss), two sacks, and 12 quarterback hits. Ezeiruaku’s 604 snaps were good for 55% of the Cowboys defensive snaps, and he also registered 85 snaps on special teams.
