The Washington Commanders had their work cut out for them this offseason, and general manager Adam Peters wasted no time in making improvements. But whether it was enough to make a difference remains to be seen.
Washington desperately needed to get younger, faster, and hungrier, particularly on defense. This was accomplished with addition by subtraction, cutting cornerback Marshon Lattimore and choosing not to re-sign linebacker Bobby Wagner or edge rusher Von Miller.
In the meantime, Sonny Styles is here to lead Washington's defense into the next generation. Peters also brought out the Brinks truck for edge rusher Odafe Oweh and made several smaller signings on both sides of the ball.
Commanders still have skeptics despite Adam Peters' impressive offseason
But will it matter? Some are still unconvinced.
Cody Williams of FanSided gave every NFL team an offseason grade for their draft and free agency transactions. Here is what he had to say about Washington, who received a B-.
"On one hand, it was abundantly clear that the Washington Commanders needed to shake up the defense after a pretty dismal performance on that side of the ball a year ago. Sonny Styles and several other additions will help in that regard. However, Washington also took a lot of gambles on guys like Odafe Oweh, K'Lavon Chaisson and Rachaad White who simply might not be needle movers. The Commanders look like a better roster, but there's a long way to go after what happened in 2025."
It feels like this is underselling Washington's moves a bit. They were made not to chase after the big names, but to find players who fit the goals of Daronte Jones' new scheme. Nick Cross, Leo Chenal, and K'Lavon Chaisson were all under-the-radar quality signings who should give the Commanders more than their money's worth.
Still, it is fair to be skeptical until we see Peters' plan pay dividends on the field.
The Commanders still have many issues. If they hope to return to the playoffs, they'll be depending on quarterback Jayden Daniels to return to his rookie form and on Jones and new offensive coordinator David Blough to both prove to be good hires.
Washington also inexplicably released starting center Tyler Biadasz, and still doesn't have an answer at WR2 opposite Terry McLaurin unless third-round rookie Antonio Williams ends up exceeding expectations. Chig Okonkwo is a nice addition at tight end, but he's not going to change the whole offense.
The best way to approach the Commanders' 2026 season is with cautious optimism. There are a number of directions it could take. Let's hope everything goes well.
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