Commanders GM Adam Peters earned a sharp boost in his free agency grade this week

Seat(s) were warming up after a 5-12 season Washington’s GM Adam Peters was the subject of intense criticism late in the 2025 season and for most of the early ‘26 offseason due to the 5-win result ‘achieved’ last regular season. The defense was too slow, the roster too injured. AP was criticized for

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Seat(s) were warming up after a 5-12 season

Washington’s GM Adam Peters was the subject of intense criticism late in the 2025 season and for most of the early ‘26 offseason due to the 5-win result ‘achieved’ last regular season. The defense was too slow, the roster too injured. AP was criticized for having signed too many older players on one-year budget contracts. The fact is that he was (and still is) digging out of a roster black hole inherited from 4 years of Ron Rivera’s roster mismanagement, but in a ‘what have you done for me lately?’

league, no one really wanted to hear it.

There were (and still are) calls for head coach Dan Quinn to be fired. But DQ was Peters’ choice, and this was Peters’ roster after two seasons, so a lot of the heat — from fans, at least — was also landing on the GM’s head. Many observers said that Peters had to deliver this offseason with a whole new approach and that Quinn has to deliver with at least a trip to the playoffs; otherwise, one or both of them may need to go at the end of the ‘26 season.

For the record, I don’t think these thoughts are shared by managing partner Josh Harris, who is likely very much aligned with the roster and coaching strategies being employed.

Still, Washington fans had been promised fireworks this offseason, and they wanted to see the Commanders front office deliver.

Two surveys; one question

Last week, in a survey published on March 10th (the day after the “legal tampering period” started), we asked Hogs Haven readers to grade the roster moves to date. They responded with a tentative thumbs up, with over half the respondents assigning a “B” grade to the early free agency moves, but with more people assigning a “C” than an “A”.

We repeated the survey a week later, in an article published on March 17th.

In the newer survey, 93% of respondents gave the Commanders a grade of “A” or “B”, and only 7% gave a grade of “C” or lower, compared to 28% in the initial survey.

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By the time of the second survey, a great deal more had happened in free agency.

Re-signed/extended (13 players)

P Tress Way – 1 yr, $1.65m cap hit
OL Nick Allegretti – (one year added @ cost of $1.59m)
OL Andrew Wylie – 2 yrs, $7.5m
DL Deatrich Wise – 1 yr, $1.45m
DL Shy Tuttle – 1 yr, $1.175m cap hit
WR Treylon Burks – 1 yr, $1.99m
EDGE Drake Jackson – 1 yr, $1.26m
K Jake Moody – 1 yr, less than RFA tender price of $3.52m
QB Marcus Mariota – 1 year, $6.94m
LT Laremy Tunsil – 2 years ($30.2m) early extension
LT Trent Scott – 1 year
LG Chris Paul – 1 year
Jeremy McNichols – 1 year

Free agents signed from other teams (12 players)

EDGE Odafe Oweh – 4 yrs, $100m
LB Leo Chenal – 3 yrs, $24.75m
CB Amik Robertson – 2 yrs, $16m
DT Tim Settle – 3 yrs, $24m (2nd stint in Washington)
EDGE K’Lavon Chaisson – 1 yr, $12m
TE Chig Okonkwo – 3 yrs, up to $30m
S Nick Cross – 2 yrs, up to $14m
DE Charles Omenihu – 1 yr, up to $7m
RB Rachaad White – 1 yr, $2m + incentives (up to $4m)
WR Dyami Brown – 1 yr, up to $3m (2nd stint in Washington)
WR Van Jefferson – 1 yr
RB Jerome Ford – 1 yr

It seems that fans are much more impressed with free agency now that the first wave (and much of the second) is complete.

There will be plenty more players added between now and training camp. Washington currently has 72 players under contract or agreed to terms. With a camp limit of 91 players, 19 more will be added. Six of those should come from the draft, and the bulk of the remaining 13 are likely to be undrafted college free agents, but don’t be shocked if Washington’s front office adds a veteran wide receiver or another defender between now and the draft.

The free agents and extensions

The approach to the offseason has added 4 players who seem to generate some level of excitement from the fan base, and who seem likely to fill key roles for the team: edge rusher Odafe Oweh, LB Leo Chenal, TE Chig Okonkwo, and safety Nick Cross, who are all seen as ascending players.

In addition, the team seems to be confident that CB Amik Robertson will be an upgrade for a secondary desperately in need of one, while fans seem to be pleased that DT Tim Settle is back on a 3-year deal, and conditionally confident that Rachaad White will fill a key role in the running back room.

There seems to be some cautious optimism about the addition of K’Lavon Chaisson and Charles Omenihu, each of whom is signed for significant dollars, but also for just 1 year.

While the return of Dyami Brown has had mixed reviews and the signings of Van Jefferson & Jerome Ford have been met with shrugs, the sentiment surrounding the extensions of 13 players from the 2025 roster has mostly been positive — in particular, the early extension of left tackle Laremy Tunsil.

The only sour note seems to be the handling of the center position, with the team releasing 2-year starter Tyler Biadasz days before the start of free agency, and giving a 2-year extension to Nick Allegretti, who seems to be the current default option to replace Biadasz. I doubt the team is completely finished with the center position, but we could easily see a Day 3 draft pick in camp as Allegretti’s competition.

Overall, fans seem to feel that AP has made more good moves than bad, that the defense has a real chance of significant improvement this year under new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones, and that the roster is nearly complete enough to be able to select the best player available for each pick in the draft at the end of April.