National Football League

Commanders have free-agent money to burn, but priorities lie elsewhere

Published Mar. 8, 2024 1:14 p.m. ET

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Ralph Vacchiano

NFC East Reporter

The Washington Commanders have an owner who's not afraid to spend his money and doesn't want to wait forever to see his new team win. They also have an extraordinary $91 million in space under the NFL salary cap. No NFL team has more.

That means they can be big players in the free-agent market when it opens next week. They can out-bid any team for any player that they want to sign. They theoretically have enough room to fill many holes with talented veterans and transform their entire roster virtually overnight.

But that's not their plan at all.

While the Commanders won't be shy about spending on new players, their plan to rebuild — or "recalibrate", in the words of new coach Dan Quinn — is more about "targeted spending" as one team source described it. They plan to bolster their depth and add veterans in key positions, and they might even be in on a big-ticket player or two. But the view of Harris and new GM Adam Peters, the source said, is that free agency is more for teams who are just a player or two away from becoming a true contender.

They believe the best way to build a team from scratch is through the draft.

"I find this a very similar situation from when we got to San Francisco in 2017," said Peters, the former assistant GM of the 49ers. "Ultimately, we're going to build through the draft here and supplement through free agency. We're going to be very process-driven and diligent in who we select in free agency. But we're going to build through the draft here."

That's smart, but that doesn't mean they will sit out free agency — not with the mountain of cap space they're sitting on. The market can give them a great head start on rebuilding (or recalibrating) their roster, especially if they use it to add the right mix of youth and experience. It could even help them put a much better team on the field next season.

Here's a look at the Commanders' situation heading into free agency, and a peek at some of their plans.

Salary cap situation

The Commanders' cup is overflowing. They have an estimated $91.5 million to spend, and no NFL team has more. In fact, only four other NFL teams come within $35 million of their available cap space.

So they can do whatever they want without restructuring any contracts or cutting anyone for salary-cap reasons.

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Taking care of their own (or not)

The Commanders roster was in such a bad state by the end of last season, it's hard to imagine that the new regime of Peters and Quinn look at any of their players as indispensable. So if any of their unrestricted free agents expect the team to use a bunch of its cap space to keep them, they're probably fooling themselves.

That probably includes safety Kam Curl, arguably the best of their free-agent group. The old regime wanted Curl back, but safety doesn't seem to be the highest priority for the new one. The safety market has been expensive in recent years (though teams have cut quite a few high-priced safeties this week) and Curl, who'll be 25 in a few weeks, is probably one of the three or four best available at the position, so his price should be high.

Of the rest, Pro Bowl special teamer Jeremy Reaves is the only one who looks like a priority. They need to rebuild their secondary, so there's no reason to bring corner Kendall Fuller back. They have two good receivers in Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson, so they're not going to spend on Curtis Samuel. Washington will completely rebuild its offensive line, so there's no point in bringing back Tyler Larsen, Saahdiq Charles or Cornelius Lucas, unless it's for depth.

Jacoby Brissett's status depends on the Commanders' plans for Sam Howell. They will need a veteran to help out whichever quarterback they draft at No. 2. Brissett has a lot of value, but maybe they'll decide having Howell behind the rookie is more than enough.

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Free agency needs (and names) 

The Commanders' top five needs heading into free agency:

1. Offensive line: Pick a position, any position. The only lineman worth keeping is Sam Cosmi. And while they do need to build this line through the draft, they're also going to need protection if they're going to develop a young quarterback next season. Whoever it is can't be sacked 65 times like Howell was last year. 

That's why a short-term flyer on a 33-year-old vet like left tackle Tyron Smith isn't crazy. He can provide instant stability. And while we're looking at Cowboys, 26-year-old center Tyler Biadasz would be a nice addition to the line. So would center Connor Williams, who played in Miami last year. Washington should be checking the prices of every available lineman.

2. Edge rusher: Quinn has already said he loves the middle of the Washington defense, with defensive tackles Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen. But after trading away Montez Sweat and Chase Young last year, the Commanders have nothing on the outside. You can bet that Quinn will want to find his own Micah Parsons at some point, but he's not going to find that in free agency — at least not this season. In fact, there was a lot of buzz around the league that the Commanders might make a run at Brian Burns or Josh Allen before they were franchise-tagged. 

Would they go for the next-best edge, Minnesota's Danielle Hunter? Don't rule it out, but a run at someone on the second tier — maybe the Jets' Bryce Huff or (ex-Cowboy alert) Dorance Armstrong, who had 16 sacks the last two years for Quinn in Dallas — makes more financial sense.

3. Cornerback: Their secondary was a mess last season, yet one of their corners — Kendall Fuller — is one of the best ones on the market. That says a lot about the state of the corner market this offseason. The Commanders are going to have to rebuild here with youth. A stabilizing veteran like Stephon Gilmore could be worth a one-year deal to help mentor their younger players. They could also take a short-term flier on a player with upside but some injury issues, like the Giants' Adoree' Jackson. But they clearly need some youth and depth.

4. Tight end: The Commanders cut Logan Thomas, who didn't produce much last season (55-496-4) and replaced him with Zach Ertz, who is generally more productive. But he's also 33 and played in just 17 games the last two seasons because of injuries. If the Commanders are counting on him to be a big weapon and stay healthy, that could be a costly decision. The problem is the tight end market is thin and the draft isn't much better. This is a big need, though. They should at least take a look at Noah Fant and Gerald Everett. If they come cheaply enough, they'd help Washington hedge its bet on Ertz. Fant was a first-round pick and is only 26, so he may come with added upside.

5. Linebacker: There is not a lot to like about this unit, and after free agency there won't be much left besides former first-round pick Jamin Davis. What the Commanders need here, now, is depth. A stabilizing veteran like Bobby Wagner, who once played for Quinn in Seattle, would make a lot of sense. He'd be a great mentor to young defensive players. At his age (34 in June) he probably wants to play for a winner, but the Commanders should still try to add him. Azeez Al-Shaair, who was with Peters in San Francisco and is a good young (26) player, would be a good addition, too.

Ralph Vacchiano is the NFC East reporter for FOX Sports, covering the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants. He spent the previous six years covering the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that, 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.

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Ralph Vacchiano