Percy Butler - Commanders S
The Washington Commanders made some slight tweaks to their safety unit during the offseason. This was a necessity for Adam Peters after he decided Jeremy Chinn's production in 2024 wasn't worthy of another commitment from the franchise.
Chinn performed well en route to 117 tackles. He was an ever-present who thrived within Dan Quinn's defensive schematics. Peters had a different opinion, letting the dynamic weapon walk in favor of the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency.
The Commanders brought in Will Harris on a two-year deal. He's got similar athletic traits and is cheaper, but this was a huge gamble unless Washington identifies one of the top-end safeties emerging from the college ranks.
Everyone else got a reprieve aside from that. This was a numbers game rather than any notable production last season, especially from Percy Butler's standpoint after another campaign littered with inconsistencies on the defensive rotation.
Butler gave up 70.6 percent of targets thrown in his direction and a whopping 131.5 passer rating when targeted. The former fourth-round pick became a liability in coverage and wasn't much better against the run. There were flashes of production on special teams, but nothing that moved the needle too much.
Some speculated whether Butler would be a salary-cap casualty this offseason. The Commanders haven't made that move as yet, but the Louisiana graduate has a lot of hard work ahead heading into the final year of his rookie deal.
K.J. Osborn - Commanders WR
The Commanders acted swiftly to offset the loss of Noah Brown after he suffered a serious kidney injury that required surgery. Adam Peters scooped K.J. Osborn off the waiver wire, which brought some intrigue despite things not going well with the New England Patriots.
Osborn made his intentions clear. The wide receiver wanted to transition smoothly and make an immediate impression to help Washington's playoff quest. As it turned out, his adjustment took much longer than initially projected.
The former Auburn standout was a healthy scratch more often than not. It quickly became clear that the Commanders signed Osborn to be an insurance policy rather than a plug-and-play piece. Although understandable, it didn't offer much hope that the player would be around for long.
Peters had other ideas. After Dyami Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus left in free agency for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears respectively, the Commanders re-signed Osborn to a one-year deal. They want to see if he can flourish with a full offseason, which is fine. But the wideout must return to his form with the Minnesota Vikings to get an extended reprieve on the 53-man roster.
Osborn has a surprising shot at redemption. But if the Commanders land a wide receiver in the 2025 NFL Draft, his task becomes more difficult.