Nick Cross - Commanders S
General manager Adam Peters took a long look at the safety options this offseason. After deliberation within the Washington Commanders' collaborative approach, the team opted to keep faith with the options that underperformed so disappointingly last season.
There was one notable addition. The Commanders signed Nick Cross to a modest deal in free agency. He could bring the tone-setting presence Washington lost when Peters let Jeremy Chinn walk for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2025 free agency. Looking at how he's flying around the field and putting himself in position to make plays at OTAs, he's off to a good start.
New defensive coordinator Daronte Jones is emphasizing speed, explosiveness, physicality, and versatility in his system. Cross has all those traits in abundance, and even though there are questions for other safeties to answer, the Maryland product should help secure the back end effectively.
There are murmurings around the Commanders moving Quan Martin to the nickel position, where he performed so well as a rookie. That would perhaps leave Will Harris filling the void next to Cross, but it will be interchangeable. Either way, the free-agent signing will have a chance to firmly establish himself as a long-term piece of the puzzle, and he's not letting it go to waste.
Treylon Burks - Commanders WR
The Commanders' wide receiver corps remains a subject of fierce debate among the fan base. Terry McLaurin is the only pass-catcher with proven production, so Adam Peters is relying on his young wideouts to step up and maximize the opportunities in front of them.
There remains speculation about the Commanders potentially adding to the wideout room, but Peters hasn't pulled the trigger yet. Brandon Aiyuk is once again making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Despite Stefon Diggs hinting at his desire for a homecoming, nothing has been set in stone.
Confidence is higher in the building than among the fan base. And based on the reports emanating from OTAs, Treylon Burks could have a big part to play within David Blough's schematic concepts.
Burks opted to stay in Washington after a conversation with Blough about his vision for the offense. Stability and staying healthy are the receiver's objectives after things fell extremely flat with the Tennessee Titans. He flashed moments of promise upon joining the Commanders, but taking the next step en route to potentially becoming WR2 opposite McLaurin will be a different challenge entirely.
The former Arkansas playmaker is showing all the right signs for now. Hopefully for Burks and the Commanders, this trend continues.
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