The Washington Commanders drastically need to improve their defense this offseason. General manager Adam Peters needs to target some high-caliber performers with proven production and their best years ahead. Anything less is organizational malpractice.
Washington has the cash to spend. Finding the right players is a lot trickier, so being aggressive for their desired targets is the only way Peters is going to pull this off.
However, a respected national insider poured cold water on the Commanders' hopes of landing Pro Bowl linebacker Devin Lloyd.
Dan Graziano believes Commanders' dreams of landing Devin Lloyd will go up in smoke
Dan Graziano of ESPN predicted Lloyd would re-sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars. They haven't worked anything out yet, and time is fading before the Utah product hits the market. Even so, the reporter thought his influence on the AFC South club's defense was more than deserving of a lucrative financial commitment.
"Hitting the open market at 27 years old following a second-team All-Pro season, [Devin] Lloyd will generate interest from a number of teams looking to upgrade at the off-ball linebacker spots. This allows him to get a deal that just tops the one Zack Baun got from the Eagles in free agency one year ago, from the team he played for last year."
Lloyd was a revelation for the Jaguars in 2025. It came at the right time, and with the clock ticking before the legal tampering window, the 2022 first-round pick may get the chance to see what he can get elsewhere.
Jacksonville didn't tag Lloyd, either. This suggests they are not keen on bidding against themselves, so they might want to see what he generates on the open market before deciding to match. Either way, Peters should keep a close eye on this situation and be ready to strike if he's free to speak with other clubs.
Acquiring him will be expensive. Lloyd is projected to make $20.14 million on a three-year, $60.43 million deal. That would be in the Fred Warner category, which is nothing more than what the player has earned after a campaign of pure dominance in Jacksonville.
Jaguars fans are getting a little apprehensive. They haven't ruled out re-signing Lloyd, and will likely put up a fight to keep him around when the vultures start circling. The Commanders are armed with the salary-cap space required to lure him to Washington, so this all comes down to the player's preference.
The Commanders will have other possibilities on their shortlist. If Graziano's projection about Lloyd's eventual fate is accurate, Peters will need them.
And he cannot be left short.