The shift in Adam Peters’ roster-building strategy during his second offseason as Washington Commanders general manager was based on one basic reality.
Jayden Daniels had exceeded expectations in 2024. Peters seemed determined to take advantage of his elite quarterback while he was still playing under his rookie contract.
Daniels could be tied to that deal for another three seasons, but the club will no doubt work on an extension long before that point. It will be very expensive, and Washington’s salary cap flexibility will diminish.
The one silver lining in the disappointing 2025 campaign is that despite missing on his biggest free agent signing, Peters did not hamstring himself moving forward. He has shown discipline in controlling his salary cap, avoiding tying up large chunks of it in just a few players. That was the entire back story of the protracted Terry McLaurin negotiations last summer.
Commanders have money to spend, and Adam Peters needs every cent
Peters still has a lot of money to spend when free agency begins. He will certainly need it.
The Commanders are projected to have the sixth most money to spend under the league’s salary cap rules. With a base cap expected to be just under $300 million, Washington currently has somewhere between $63 and $68 million in available resources, depending on which sources you believe.
To Peters’ credit, they also have one of the lowest dead cap hits in the NFL. The bulk of their money is going to active players, and not tied up in failed contracts from the past.
Even with the misguided overreach for Javon Kinlaw last year, Peters still kept his books in order. The defensive lineman is the only truly bad contract Washington currently has. It will be at least one more year before that can be rectified.
Before the Commanders begin negotiations with new free agents, their cap position will change. Releasing Marshon Lattimore will yield major savings to the tune of $18.5 million. Doing the same with Nick Allegretti would create a smaller, though not insignificant, bump.
Of course, as fans of this franchise know, simply having the money doesn’t guarantee that it is spent wisely.
First and foremost, Peters may want to resolve Laremy Tunsil’s situation by extending his star left tackle. That could eat up a relatively small portion of the surplus but free up more money in the short term.
It will be interesting to see how quickly he moves on an extension for Daniels. He doesn’t have to do anything immediately, but it would seem wise to extend the quarterback sooner rather than later. His price is only going to go up over time, and he's eligible for an extension after the 2026 campaign.
Regardless of how he handles extensions, trades, and releases, Peters will have money to spend.
If he wants wide receiver help, he will be in a position to go after the biggest prize out there, George Pickens. Trey Hendrickson would be the rough equivalent of the Dallas Cowboys' wideout at edge rusher. Because of his age, he would be cheaper.
If he wants to rebuild his safety position, Peters could afford both Jalen Thompson and Alohi Gilman. He could even afford the player he allowed to walk in 2024, Kamren Curl.
The point is, Peters will have options.
Once all releases and extensions are finalized, he will be in a strong position to strengthen the roster. The Commanders are in a better financial position than NFC East rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants, who are projected to have small cap surpluses. They would be in a much better position than Dallas, which is currently underwater.
The money will be there. Peters and his scouts just have to spend it wisely.