4 free agents Commanders deserve credit for avoiding

3. Will Dissly

Is it fair to call Will Dissly’s deal with the Seahawks the most shocking move of free agency? We like to think so, because committing $24 million over three years to a backup tight end after you just acquired a promising young TE via trade in Noah Fant is as head-scratching as it gets.

The deal makes Dissly one of the positions’s top-15 highest-paid players. For as dominant he is blocking for the pass and running game, he has never caught more than 24 passes in any of his four seasons. Over the last two seasons combined, he’s logged 46 catches for 483 yards and three touchdowns.

That’s a low bar to clear and to put it into proper context, Ricky Seals-Jones managed 30 receptions for 271 yards and two touchdowns in 2021 alone while serving as the Commanders’ backup behind Logan Thomas.

Conversely, Fant’s hauled in 170 passes for 1,905 yards and 10 TDs over three seasons and he’s still on his rookie contract. The Seahawks got great value in Fant and proceeded to give Dissly about $4 million more than annually than that he’s actually worth. No wonder Russell Wilson wanted out.

To make matters worse, Dissly played a combined 10 games in his first two years, so he comes with injury concerns.

While the Commanders are in need of a backup with Thomas recovering from December ACL surgery, they were smart to steer clear of Dissly, because $15.98 million guaranteed for a second-string TE is outrageous.