NFC East 2025 free agency grades: Washington Commanders edition

Now that we're more than a week into NFL free agency and the action around the league has stalled out a bit, let's grade each of the NFC East teams' free agency periods.

We started with the Cowboys on Tuesday. Let's continue on with the Washington Commanders.

Players gained

• WR Deebo Samuel (29): The Commanders traded a fifth-round pick to the 49ers for Samuel, and were roundly praised for that move. Uhhh, why?

First, let's examine Samuel's career receiving production:

The 49ers have also used Samuel as a running back at times, beginning in 2021. His career rushing stats:

Samuel was a legitimate star player in 2021. He had 77 catches for 1405 yards (a lofty 18.2 YPC), and 6 TDs as a receiver, and added 365 yards and 8 TDs on 59 carries (6.2 YPC) on the ground as a runner. You can watch an impressive highlight reel from Samuel's 2021 season here. He was named First-Team All-Pro, and he asked to be traded the following offseason, but instead signed a contract extension to stay in San Francisco.

In 2022 and 2023, Samuel was still an effective runner out of the backfield, averaging 5.8 yards per carry over those two seasons, but his numbers as a receiver were way down.

In 2024, Samuel had perhaps the worst season of his career, with just 670 receiving yards (45 yards per game), and a yards per carry average of 3.2. He also yelled at kicker Jake Moody and took a swing at long snapper Taybor Pepper after Moody missed three field goals in a game. (Video via Ollie Connolly):

But the low point for the season for Samuel was the 49ers' Week 15 matchup against the Rams. Leading up to that game, Samuel complained to the media about getting more targets, and when Brock Purdy obliged… mmmmmmmm… drrrrrop.

That was a huge play in a game the Niners lost, all but eliminating them from playoff contention.

It wasn't the first time Samuel came up small in the 49ers' most important games. In the last three games that sealed the Niners' fate for the season — the NFC Championship Game vs. the Eagles in 2022, the Super Bowl vs. the Chiefs in 2023, and the aforementioned Week 15 game vs. the Rams in 2024 — Samuel had a combined 9 catches on 24 targets for 72 yards (3.0 yards per target), and 11 carries for 2 yards (0.18 YPC), and a fumble.

After the season, Samuel asked to be traded for the second time in four offseasons, this time getting his wish.

As noted above, the cost for the Commanders was a mere fifth-round pick. And surely, if you look at folks grading this trade, the Commanders are going to get high marks. I mean… Deebo Samuel for a fifth-round pick?! Sure, do it!

Except, the fifth-round pick matters much less than the $17.5 million the Commanders are going to pay Samuel this season. If Samuel were a free agent and the Commanders signed him to a one-year deal worth $17.5 million, many of the same people praising the trade would probably call that an overpay.

Is Samuel better than 2024 Commanders receivers like Dyami Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus? Sure, I guess. The Commanders entered the 2025 offseason loaded up with cap space, but it was unwise for an ascending team to use a healthy chunk of their spending money on a whiny, declining 29-year-old receiver who had one great season four years ago.

• LT Laremy Tunsil (30): The trade details:

If you cancel out the 4th round picks, the Commanders basically gave up a 2, a 3, and a 7 for Tunsil, who will also count for $21,350,000 on the Commanders' cap each of the next two seasons.

Is Tunsil better than guys like Brandon Coleman and Cornelius Lucas, who both started games at LT for Washington last season? Sure. But he will also turn 31 before Week 1, and he led the NFL in penalties last season. Also, isn't it at least a little bit of a red flag that the Texans were willing to deal Tunsil when they have a third-year franchise quarterback in C.J. Stroud who had a down year in 2024 partly because he did not get good protection from his offensive line?

• iDL Javon Kinlaw (27): In one of the biggest surprises of Day 1 of free agency, league-wide, Kinlaw somehow scored a three-year deal worth $45 million. Kinlaw spent his first four years with the 49ers, and last year with the Jets. He has 9.5 career sacks, although 8 of those came in the last two seasons. Kinlaw has a hulking frame, but has been an atrocious run defender throughout his five-year career. For example, the Eagles tossed him around like a ragdoll in the NFC Championship Game, as shown here:

And here:

And there's more where that 👆 came from in that game.

Kinlaw got overpaid on a one-year "prove it" deal worth $8 million with the Jets last offseason, he proved nothing, and the Commanders were like, "Hey, why don't you come play here for $45 million?"

Oddest signing of free agency, league-wide.

• S Will Harris (29): Harris is a versatile safety / slot corner / dime linebacker who is a logical replacement for Jeremy Chinn, who signed with the Raiders.

• CB Jonathan Jones (31): Jones is entering his tenth season. His first nine seasons were in New England. He has inside-outside versatility, but he played more on the outside than the inside in recent seasons. The addition of Jones could mean that second-year pro Mike Sainristil will be moving inside, which is his more natural position. It's reportedly a one-year deal worth $5.5 million, with incentives.

• DT Eddie Goldman (31): Goldman is entering his eighth season. He has had a weird career. He opted out of the COVID year in 2020, returned for one season in 2021, retired and did not play in 2022 or 2023, and then came out of retirement to play in 2024. In 2024, he had 16 tackles and 1 sack. He signed a one-year deal.

• DE Deatrich Wise (30): Wise is entering his ninth season. Like Jones above, his entire NFL tenure was in New England. He had 29 tackles and 5 sacks in 2024. The Commanders pretty badly needed edge rusher help, both in terms of starting players and depth. I imagine Wise will just be a rotational guy. He reportedly signed a one-year deal worth $5 million. That's an overpay.

• OT Foster Sarell (26): 338 career snaps, all with the Chargers. 3 starts in 2022. He's a backup who will compete for a roster spot.

• OL Nate Herbig (26): Herbie has now played in 33 career games, with 17 starts playing with the Eagles, Steelers, and Jets. Backup iOL. He missed the 2024 season with a rotator cuff injury.

• OLB Jacob Martin (29): Martin has 21 career sacks over a seven-year career with the Seahawks, Texans, Jets, Broncos, Colts, Bears, and now the Commanders.

Players retained

• QB Marcus Mariota (31): Mariota is entering his eleventh season. He made $6 million as the Commanders' QB2 in 2024; he'll make $8 million in 2025.

• RB Jeremy McNichols (29): McNichols had 51 carries for 261 yards (4.7 YPC) and 4 TDs in 2024, while adding 28 catches for 240 yards and a TD. He fumbled in the NFC Championship Game on a kickoff return against the Eagles.

• WR Noah Brown (29): The Commanders signed Brown off the street after the Texans cut him last offseason. He played in 11 games, starting 9. He had 35 catches on 56 targets for 453 yards (12.9 YPC) and 1 TD (the Hail Mary against the Bears). Brown suffered a kidney injury, ending his season early.

• WR K.J. Osborn (27): I didn't even realize Osborn played for the Commanders last season. They claimed him off of waivers after the Patriots cut him late in the season. He appeared in one game for the Commanders, no stats.

• TE Zach Ertz (34): Ertz had something of a bounce-back year in 2024, after three injury-shortened seasons in Arizona. He started every game, and had 66 catches for 654 yards (9.9 YPC) and 7 TDs. He added 18 catches for 155 yards (8.6 YPC) and 1 TD in the playoffs. Ertz is a good weapon in the red zone, but in between the 20's he's a catch-and-fall player with little YAC ability. In the NFC Championship Game, the Eagles were more than happy to watch as the Commanders dinked and dunked all day to Ertz, who had 11 catches on 16 targets for 104 yards in the Commanders' loss.

• TE John Bates (27): Bates had a promising rookie season way back in 2021, particularly as a blocker, but he hasn't developed.

• OL Michael Deiter (28): Backup iOL, played 232 snaps in 2024, mostly at center.

• OT Trent Scott (31): Swing tackle, just a guy. Caught a TD in 2024.

• MORE NFL
• NFC East 2025 free agency grades: Dallas Cowboys edition
• Brandon Graham's once-in-a-lifetime Eagles career, by the numbers
• 4 takeaways on Lane Johnson's one-year contract extension with the Eagles

• DL Clelin Ferrell (27): Ferrell played in 14 games with 10 starts last season for the Commanders. He had 26 tackles and 3.5 sacks.

• DL Jalyn Holmes (29): 14 tackles and 2 sacks in 11 games for the Commanders last season. Not sure why the Commanders wanted him back.

• DT Sheldon Day (30): 24 tackles, 0 sacks in 12 games for the Commanders last season. Not sure why the Commanders wanted him back.

• LB Bobby Wagner (34): Wagner is a smart, savvy vet who Eagles offensive linemen credited for getting the Commanders' defense into favorable looks pre-snap during the their regular season win over the Eagles in December. On the season, Wagner had 132 tackles, 2 sacks, a forced fumble, and 4 pass breakups on his way to a second-team All-Pro nod. He's a future Hall of Famer. But, he turns 35 in June and his play fell off a bit during the playoffs.

• LB/ST Nick Bellore (35): Career special teamer. According to this site, Bellore led the NFL in special teams tackles, but I'm not sure how accurate that is when 5 Commanders players were in the top 8 in special teams tackles. That feels almost impossible, but whatever.

• CB Noah Igbinoghene (25): Igbinoghene played in every game for the Commanders in 2024, and started 10 games. 55 tackles, no INTs or forced fumbles. 1 INT, 0 FF in his five-year career. Unthreatening slot corner who isn't very good against the run.

• CB Kevon Seymour (31): Another old special teams guy who offers little to the regular defense.

• K Zane Gonzalez (29): Including the playoffs, Gonzalez finished 12 of 15 on FG attempts in 2024. Low-end kicker.

• P Tress Way (34): He's been punting for Washington since 2014.

Players lost

• DT Jonathan Allen: The Commanders cut their long-time interior D-line stalwart. Allen signed with the Vikings on a three-year deal worth $60 million. Allen is a far better player than Kinlaw.

• EDGE Dante Fowler: Fowler hasn't found a long-term home in the NFL, as he has played for the Jaguars, Rams, Falcons, Cowboys, Commanders, and now a second stint with the Cowboys. After leaving to play for the Commanders last season, he had 10.5 sacks in Washington, and is returning to Dallas on a one-year deal worth a reported $8 million.

• S Jeremy Chinn: Chinn started all 17 games for Washington last season. He had 117 tackles, 1 INT, 5 pass breakups, 2 sacks, and a forced fumble. He signed with the Raiders.

• CB Benjamin St-Juste: St-Juste has good size at 6'3, 200, but he was always a weakness in man coverage because he simply couldn't run with fast receivers, and had to compensate by being a penalty machine. You also didn't have to fear throwing at St-Juste, as he had 1 INT in his four seasons in Washington.

• S Darrick Forrest: In 2022, Forest had 88 tackles and 4 INTs, but he suffered a fractured shoulder early in the 2023 season and missed all but 5 games. In 2024, he was something of an afterthought in the Commanders' defense, playing just 74 snaps. He signed with the Bills.

• OT Cornelius Lucas: Lucas played both tackle spots for the Commanders in 2024, and he has been their swing tackle for years. After trading for Laremy Tunsil and still employing tackles Brandon Coleman and Andrew Wylie, the Commanders probably viewed Lucas as expendable.

• WR Olamide Zaccheaus: Zaccheaus had a nice season for the Commanders in 2024, catching 45 passes for 506 yards and 3 TDs. He signed with the Bears.

• WR Dyami Brown: Brown had 30 catches for 308 yards and 1 TD last season. He also fumbled in the NFC Championship Game. For some reason the Jaguars signed him to a one-year deal worth $10 million.

The tale of the tape

Analysis/Grade

I liked what the Commanders did last offseason. They added four starters — LB Frankie Luvu (then 27), C Tyler Biadasz (then 26), OG Nick Allegretti (then 27), and Dorance Armstrong (26) — to long-term deals. They also signed a bunch of experienced veterans to one-year deals so that soon-to-be-drafted Jayden Daniels wouldn't be surrounded with garbage during his rookie season. They were also loaded up with draft picks, and ended up selecting 9 players in the 2024 draft.

I thought they did a really nice job of improving the roster both long-term and short-term.

As it turned out, they won about a half dozen nail-biters on their way to their first winning record since 2016. They made the playoffs, and knocked off the Bucs and injury-devastated Lions, improbably making it all the way to the NFC Championship Game, when of course they got their asses handed to them by the Eagles.

Despite their surprising success, it was still very clear that they were a flawed team, particularly on defense. But going forward, they have a major building block in Daniels, a rookie phenom who should keep the Commanders in contention for the foreseeable future, as long as he stays healthy.

Loaded up with cap space for the second straight offseason, the Commanders had a chance to continue to surround their star quarterback with long-term pieces with whom he could grow.

Instead, the Commanders signed, traded for, or re-signed 12 (!) players who are 30+ years of age, plus another 7 players who will turn 30 by the time the Super Bowl is played in February of 2026. Go ahead and count them up above. I put their ages in parentheses. 12!!!

As a point of comparison, the Eagles have four 30+ players who appeared on a 53-man roster in 2024 — two of whom are the long snapper and kicker — on their entire roster.

And because the Commanders traded a lot of draft picks for aging vets like CB Marshon Lattimore, WR Deebo Samuel, and LT Laremy Tunsil, they only have five picks in each of the next two drafts:

2025:

• Round 1: No. 29 overall
• Round 2: No. 61
• Round 4: No. 128 (from Texans)
• Round 6: No. 205
• Round 7: No. 245

2026:

• Round 1
• Round 3
• Round 5
• Round 6
• Round 7

There are times to be aggressive and strike while the iron is hot. This offseason was not that time for the Commanders, who are arguably not even a top 4 team in the NFC, and certainly not the best team in their own division. They did almost nothing so far this offseason in their long-term interests, and have decided for some insane reason to go all in with old, declining players. I just don't get it.

Grade: D

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