The Washington Commanders had one of the most productive free agency periods across the NFL. Adam Peters took an old, slow, and lethargic roster and turned it into one that should be young, quick, and passionate.
But it hasn't been perfect.
Washington got better on paper in several areas, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The offense is younger, at the very least, with Chig Okonkwo replacing Zach Ertz as TE1 and Rachaad White stepping into the Austin Ekeler role. The Commanders could still use some help at wide receiver, but veterans Brandon Aiyuk and Stefon Diggs have both been touted as possibilities.
Then, there's the offensive line.
This unit is set to return four of five starters, including the surprise re-signing of starting left guard Chris Paul. But the fifth is where the Commanders screwed up, and they'd better hope it doesn't bite them.
Commanders striking out on Tyler Linderbaum could derail an otherwise positive offseason
As Kevin Sheehan of The Team 980 points out, there is still some dissatisfaction regarding how the Commanders managed their center position. They inexplicably released Tyler Biadasz prior to the start of free agency, hoping to splurge on an upgrade. It never came.
The Commanders struck out on Tyler Linderbaum. Now, they're stuck with Nick Allegretti or Day 3 draft pick Matt Gulbin as their options.
"Why didn't Adam Peters just pay the extra $3 or $4 million and beat out the Raiders' offer on Tyler Linderbaum? That's one where you don't want to crazily overpay the market, but if you're going to do it, do it for a great player."
A big Washington unanswered question for Kevin Sheehan: Why didn't Commanders GM Adam Peters outbid the Raiders to sign center Tyler Linderbaum? pic.twitter.com/MvUvAJHTK7
— The Team 980 (@team980) May 12, 2026
It's a head-scratcher, and it's especially regrettable after Linderbaum went to the Las Vegas Raiders of all teams.
Even in a league where fortunes can turn around in a hurry, Las Vegas isn't going to be winning anything this year. The Commanders, despite going 5-12 a season ago, are only 16 months removed from playing in the NFC Championship game.
But money talked in the end.
Washington must maximize its window while quarterback Jayden Daniels is under his rookie contract. Peters overall did an admirable job of cleaning up this offseason, but the fact remains that aside from edge rusher Odafe Oweh, he didn't exactly break the bank on any of his new additions.
To build a title-caliber team, you need to be willing to take those risks. But what's done is done, and the Commanders have to hope Allegretti is productive enough to hold down the fort.
If not, Washington will be looking at Linderbaum, wondering what could have been.
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