3 biggest Commanders' offseason positions of need at the 2024 bye week

The Washington Commanders' unexpected 8-5 start to the season has left a lot of fans forgetting about the huge remaining needs. Adam Peters has the job of making the team even better when the off-season rolls around.

There are several ways that Peters can improve the roster. He can either sign free agents, trade for players, or draft incoming rookies.

As it currently stands, the Commanders have just under $100 million to spend, which is the fourth most in the league. The fact that Washington is as good as it is and Peters has that much money to improve the team is insane.

Peters brought in a substantial amount of free agents to the franchise but didn't spend much on most of them. The general manager knew he made the team better. He also knew the 2025 offseason would be when he could propel the Commanders into potential Super Bowl contention.

According to Tankathon, the Commanders hold eight draft picks after the Marshon Lattimore trade. Three of those will be in the top 100. Peters has plenty of capital to work with. Spending it wisely is paramount.

With this in mind, here are the three biggest offseason needs facing Peters at the 2024 bye week.

Biggest Commanders offseason positions of need at the bye week

Commanders need more productive edge rushers

Debatably the biggest need the Commanders have this coming offseason is the edge rusher position.

The Commanders' defense is currently 18th in pressures with 99, which is good for a 23.4 percent pressure rate. Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt dial-up blitz at a 29.8% clip, which is the sixth-highest and big reason for their recent improvements in this key discipline.

Having players at defensive tackle like Daron Payne, Johnny Newton, and possibly Jonathan Allen in 2025 will keep that position playing at an elite level. However, this defense can under no circumstances go into next season with a starting rotation of Dante Fowler Jr., Dorance Armstrong Jr., and Cleilin Ferrell, especially with the amount of cap space and draft picks the team has to utilize.

Terry McLaurin needs more help at wide receiver

Terry McLaurin is one of the most beloved players in Commanders' history and for good reason. However, there is no true WR2 on the team.

Noah Brown is a great WR3, but that's it. Luke McCaffrey is developing into hopefully the offense's slot receiver for the foreseeable future. Dyami Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus are nothing more than depth pieces and could both depart when their contracts expire.

On top of that, McLaurin is unfortunately already 29 years old. In a few years he won't be the same receiver we know and love.

Washington's front office must do their due diligence and find a WR2 to play opposite McLaurin. The draft class is deep with talented receivers, and the 2025 free agent class could boast weapons like Tee Higgins, Amari Cooper, and Chris Godwin.

Commanders must bolster their offensive line depth

Has the offensive line been an improvement for the Commanders this season? Absolutely. Incoming players like Tyler Biadasz, Nick Allegretti, and rookie Brandon Coleman made sure of that. Even so, this is still very much an offseason need.

Daniels has been pressured on 19.5 percent of his dropbacks and sacked 29 times this season, per Pro Football Focus. He is the franchise. The team must do everything they can to keep him healthy.

There are plenty of building blocks on the offensive line already. Right guard Sam Cosmi is an All-Pro talent and should be a cornerstone of the Commanders for years to come. Biadasz has continued to play like a top-10 center. Coleman has shown a lot of promise as a rookie and looks to be the left tackle of the future.

Although Allegretti has been solid this season, he is still replaceable if a better option can be found. Right tackle is the biggest need on the offensive line, as Andrew Wylie has not played up to par the past couple of seasons.

If Peters upgrades the offensive line as he should, Daniels' promising career will continue to flourish.

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