The Washington Commanders haven't done much in free agency to date. However, they made their presence felt with yet another blockbuster trade that confirmed Adam Peters was pushing his chips into the middle.
When teams around the league were frantically trying to acquire marquee names in free agency during the early stages of the legal tampering window, Peters adopted a different approach. He was on the phone with the Houston Texans to work out a deal for prolific left tackle Laremy Tunsil.
This sent shockwaves through the NFL once again. It's the third bombshell trade Peters has made since becoming general manager, following on from the arrivals of cornerback Marshon Lattimore and wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. The Commanders are going for broke, recognizing the need to maximize quarterback Jayden Daniels' rookie contract. Tunsil won't solve every need, but he gets them a lot closer.
It's another high-caliber performer and one of the league's best at his position. Peters knew he needed to solidify the trenches in pursuit of surpassing the Philadelphia Eagles. This goes a long way to achieving this objective.
With that being said, we picked out three winners and two losers from the Commanders' decision to trade for Tunsil.
Winners and losers from the Commanders' trade for Laremy Tunsil
Winner No. 1
Laremy Tunsil - Commanders OT
The player acquired can consider himself a winner here. Laremy Tunsil didn't exactly leave a terrible organization, but the Houston Texans' offensive line was not up to the required standard last season. He wasn't the issue — others couldn't match his performance levels and the unit suffered accordingly.
Tunsil joins a Washington Commanders offensive line that boasts much more promise despite stud right guard Sam Cosmi being anticipated to miss most if not all of the 2025 campaign with a torn ACL. The likes of Tyler Biadasz and Nick Allegretti are proven performers. Brandon Coleman has promise despite a rollercoaster rookie campaign on the blindside. Andrew Wylie is vulnerable but didn't give up a sack in 2024.
Having a mobile quarterback like Jayden Daniels to protect gives him an extra sense of assurance. Penalties were an issue for Tunsil last season with 19, but this had a lot to do with urgency to get off the block quickly with nobody else able to provide adequate protection.
This also gives Tunsil a chance to legitimately contend for a Super Bowl. The Texans reached the postseason almost by default in 2024 given the poor standard within the AFC South. They didn't go much further, but that wasn't the case with the Commanders.
There are far worse places he could have ended up. What's important for Tunsil is repaying the faith shown by the Commanders from the moment he steps onto the field.