Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters will be busy this offseason. The good news is that Peters will not be as busy as last offseason when he had to hire a new coaching staff, fill out a front office, turn over half of the roster, and more.
Peters aced his first year in charge of the Commanders. Almost everything he touched turned into gold. Quarterback Jayden Daniels, defensive tackle Johnny Newton and cornerback Mike Sainristil formed the foundation of what could be a franchise-altering draft class. And Peters, who signed well over 20 free agents, saw most become significant contributors.
The Commanders enter the offseason with the third-most cap room in the NFL. However, Washington has over 30 free agents, so a portion of that cap space will be spent on bringing some players back. Peters’s key is to determine which veterans to bring back in 2025. He cannot afford to allow emotion to get in the way of improving the roster, which still needs plenty of help to chase down the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
The rest of the NFL expects Peters to be aggressive this offseason, hoping to surround Daniels with plenty of help while on his rookie contract. Some of that begins by choosing which free agents to re-sign.
Pro Football Focus recently released its top 100 free agents for 2025. Four Commanders made the list.
- 45. LB Bobby Wagner
- 63. EDGE Dante Fowler Jr.
- 79. S Jeremy Chinn
- 95. TE Zach Ertz
All four of these players were big contributors to Washington’s 2024 success. All but Chinn seem like candidates to return on one-year deals. Fowler did record 10.5 sacks last season — his best season since 2019. He has signed three consecutive one-year deals but could be looking for at least a two-year deal entering his age-31 season. No NFL coach knows Fowler better than Dan Quinn, with the two having been together on and off since Fowler’s college days at Florida.
Chinn, who turns 27 this month, stayed healthy for a full season and thrived as one of Washington’s starting safeties. He’s due a raise. While Chinn will not break the bank, the Commanders may feel they can spend elsewhere.
Wagner and Ertz were terrific on and off the field in 2024. The duo provided the leadership Washington desired and were vital contributors. Wagner was the heart and soul of the team and became a close confidante of Daniels, while Ertz was the rookie’s safety valve. Both players are playing in 2025 and want to remain with the Commanders.
With one month until free agency, don’t be surprised if the Commanders make some big decisions on these players and others over the next few weeks.