Adam Peters has some challenging contract decisions upcoming during the offseason. And there is one surprising rags-to-riches story that could be rewarded by the Washington Commanders to prevent a departure that looked almost inevitable once upon a time.
Chris Paul was not supposed to be the Commanders’ starting left guard in 2025. In theory, that job was supposed to go to second-year lineman Brandon Coleman.
Coleman played reasonably well at left tackle in his rookie season, but Peters saw a way to upgrade multiple positions with one bold move. By trading for Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil, the Commanders could slide the TCU product inside.
That was how the campaign began, with Coleman at left guard and Nick Allegretti shifting to the right side until Sam Cosmi returned to health. But the plan did not work.
Commanders should look to extend Chris Paul this offseason, but only if the price is right
By the third week of the season, both guards had been replaced. Andrew Wylie took over for Allegretti at right guard, and Paul slid into Coleman’s spot. He has not given up the place all year, and it now appears the pending free agent may be in demand this offseason.
Paul is one of the few remaining draft picks from the Ron Rivera era. The seventh-rounder from 2022 has seemed to be on the roster bubble ever since his arrival. But he has always managed to carve out a spot for himself, and he has gotten a lot better.
In his first start, at the end of his rookie season, Paul was aggressive and assertive, but also very green. His pad level popped up on virtually every snap, which rarely allowed him to drive block his opponents. He continued to fill in as an injury replacement over the subsequent two campaigns.
By the time he got the call to start in Week 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders, Paul was ready. His Pro Football Focus grade for that game was an exceptional 85.4, with solid production as both a run blocker and pass blocker.
According to ESPN Analytics, Paul currently ranks among the top 20 NFL interior linemen in pass-block win rate. His 95 percent winning rate puts him in a tie with Cooper Beebe of the Dallas Cowboys and the Los Angeles Rams’ Coleman Shelton, two upper-tier centers. That’s not too bad for a player who was predicted to have pass-blocking issues coming out of college.
Paul has improved his grades over time and has become one of the Commanders’ steadiest performers. As his pass protection has progressed, it does not appear to have weakened his traditionally strong run blocking.
So will the Commanders attempt to re-sign him?
Of course, it will all depend on the price tag, but it would make sense. Paul now has the better part of a year playing between Tunsil and Tyler Biadasz. He recently turned 27 and should be hitting the prime of his career.
Allegretti had a similar career trajectory early on. He was mainly a backup but acquitted himself quite well when given the chance to start with the Kansas City Chiefs. He has one more year on a deal that counts $7.17 million against the salary cap. If Peters could re-sign Paul for that money, it would seem like a no-brainer.
But Paul will more likely command money closer to the deal Biadasz signed when he came to town. Perhaps a three-year contract in the mid-to-high 20s, working out at $8-9 million a season.
That would also be a reasonable price for the Commanders. The problems come if his price tag goes even higher.
Washington is already shelling out big dollars to two of its linemen, and one of them, Tunsil, wants a new deal. Just how much Peters is prepared to spend on a guard is an unresolved question, especially when he is already paying Cosmi quite a bit. And especially when there are so many other holes on the team.
Perhaps Peters will look to draft a guard this year. Or maybe he can find an under-the-radar free agent who can play above his price tag. The only problem with that strategy is that Washington already has a player like that.
His name is Chris Paul, now a legitimate starting lineman in the NFL.