Adam Peters didn't bring back many pending free agents from the previous regime during the offseason. His famous long pause before answering a question about the Washington Commanders roster that Ron Rivera constructed was notable. His actions after spoke volumes.
Peters gutted the playing personnel and he's not done yet. The Commanders have more big decisions upcoming when the 2025 offseason arrives. If the general manager and his accomplished front-office staff can get them right, it'll make a huge difference in Washington's quest to enter legitimate contention.
Most fans center their attention on incomings. However, there's the small matter of deciding what to do with the players out of contract before focusing fully on who could potentially be targeted when the legal tampering period begins.
The Commanders have several established figures looking for new deals. Peters will have made his mind up on some. The jury is still out on others. But if Washington wants to progress in Year 2 of this comprehensive rebuild, continuing with their professional approach with no sentiment attached is the way to go.
With this in mind, here are seven Commanders players who will (probably) be gone in 2025 at the bye week.
Commanders players who will (probably) be gone in 2025 at the bye week
Dyami Brown - Commanders WR
Jayden Daniels has the tools to propel the Washington Commanders into sustained playoff contention. He's made the smoothest transition imaginable with high expectations on his young shoulders. Building around the quarterback effectively should be Adam Peters' biggest priority above all else.
The Commanders need more at the wide receiver position. They don't have anyone capable of being a prolific No.2 opposite Terry McLaurin. Several have flashed this season, but the consistency just isn't there.
Dyami Brown remains on the fringes in a contract year. The former third-round selection out of North Carolina can stretch the field vertically and has made some encouraging plays this year when called upon. However, there doesn't seem much chance he can firmly establish himself at this stage of the campaign.
If the Commanders and Brown go their separate ways during the offseason, all hope is not lost. Teams are always willing to give wideouts with these physical attributes another chance. At the same time, Washington is well within its right to examine alternatives following his underwhelming four-year stint with the organization.
Darrick Forrest - Commanders S
Darrick Forrest and Kamren Curl looked like one of the league's best young safety tandems heading into the 2023 season. The Washington Commanders had a lot of problems on defense, but this stable presence on the backend was something for previous head coach Ron Rivera to hang his hat on.
It didn't take long for this to unravel. Forrest got injured early in the campaign. Curl's performance levels dipped without his partner alongside him. Something that eventually led to the new regime letting him walk in free agency for the Los Angeles Rams.
Forrest returned to health in time for the offseason activities under Dan Quinn. He did enough to make the roster, but that's about it. The former Cincinnati standout's been an afterthought, logging multiple healthy scratches and accumulating just 11 defensive snaps so far.
This fall from grace is astonishing. Quinn prefers Quan Martin and Jeremy Chinn as the more athletic presences capable of operating effectively within his scheme. But the fact Percy Butler and others are being utilized on the rotation is deeply concerning.
Forrest is probably eager to get a new challenge elsewhere when the time comes. He's got talent, but this is more about scheme fit than anything else.
Clelin Ferrell - Commanders DE
Clelin Ferrell's career can best be described as a rollercoaster. The Las Vegas Raiders overdrafted him at No. 4 overall and he was unable to meet the heightened expectations that came with it. Getting a fresh start with the San Francisco 49ers in 2023 - together with a reduced role - brought much more encouraging signs.
Adam Peters seemed suitably impressed. The general manager brought him to the Commanders on a one-year, prove-it deal. This was a chance to play closer to home and potentially earn himself a long-term commitment along the way.
Ferrell did enough throughout the summer to earn the starting defensive end spot opposite Dorance Armstrong Jr. An injury derailed his progress, but his production hasn't exactly been stellar when in the lineup.
The former Clemson star has just 2.5 sacks from 48 percent of Washington's defensive snaps. Ferrell's pass-rush grade from Pro Football Focus is among the worst among qualifying edge defenders. Couple this with the inconsistencies Armstrong has displayed, it's not hard to see why Peters might ring the changes once again in 2025.
Armstrong will stick around, albeit in a potentially lesser role. Ferrell won't be so lucky.
Michael Davis - Commanders CB
Concerns about the cornerback position were rife among the fanbase before the season. The Washington Commanders acquired some fresh faces in free agency and the draft. Whether they could become more productive under the expert guidance of Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. was another matter.
There's been some good and some bad. Mike Sainristil looks like a long-term piece after adjusting impressively to the pros. Noah Igbinoghene is starting to look more like the player who took college football by storm at Auburn. Aside from that, it's been underwhelming.
Emmanuel Forbes Jr. was waived and picked up by the Los Angeles Rams. Benjamin St-Juste's future is under a cloud. Trading for Marshon Lattimore was a necessary measure to give the Commanders a fighting chance of meeting raised expectations.
Michael Davis' contribution has been minimal. He was projected to potentially occupy a starting role this season, but something caused the coaching staff to pause during the summer. The veteran free-agent signing featured in just 89 defensive snaps through 13 games as a result.
This is extremely disappointing from Davis' perspective. Something that will probably mean he'll be deemed surplus to requirements when his contract expires next spring.
Olamide Zaccheaus - Commanders WR
As previously mentioned, the Commanders need more productive weapons for rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels in the passing game. The options available around Terry McLaurin are servicable but nothing more right now. That has to change if Washington wants to take the next step.
Making the most of Daniels' rookie contract is critical. McLaurin is the focal point and will remain so next season. Noah Brown could get extended based on his on-field flashes. Luke McCaffrey is another potential long-term contributor despite not getting many targets as a rookie.
As for the rest? It wouldn't be a surprise to see the Commanders go with different options. Olamide Zaccheaus is among those facing an uncertain future. Nothing but improved production will do to boost his chances of another deal once Washington returns from its bye week.
It's been a rapid decline since Zaccheaus brought in all six of his receptions for 85 receiving yards at the Arizona Cardinals. He's dropped 7.9 percent of his targets according to Pro Football Reference, which is a big reason why the pass-catcher remains on the fringes.
Zaccheaus needs to step it up as a receiver and a kick returner down the stretch. But it seems for all the smart money as if he'll be moved on unless something drastic occurs beforehand.
Marcus Mariota - Commanders QB
Marcus Mariota has filled his role well this season. The Washington Commanders signed the veteran quarterback in free agency to become a strong support system for their franchise quarterback. If poor performance or injury arrived, he'd then become a dependable alternative capable of stepping in at a moment's notice to ensure no momentum is lost.
Jayden Daniels' phenomenal transition is a credit to Mariota, too. It hasn't resulted in much playing time in a competitive setting, but it's been an integral part of the LSU product's rise to prominence nonetheless.
Mariota got the chance for extended reps against the Carolina Panthers. He kept things ticking over after Daniels' rib issue and managed the game well. That might be a spot he's willing to accept again in 2025.
That all changes if the former No. 2 overall selection out of Oregon gets an offer with a genuine chance to challenge for a starting gig elsewhere. For all the Commanders' positives right now, that's something they cannot provide thanks to Daniels' presence under center.
Washington will identify contingency plans on the free-agent market if Mariota takes his chances elsewhere. Something that looks entirely possible given this year's quarterback draft class isn't the strongest.
Benjamin St-Juste - Commanders CB
Benjamin St-Juste has become an easy target for fans and opposing offenses once again this season. The veteran cornerback hasn't played as badly as some make out, but it's not the level anybody had in mind in a contract year.
St-Juste cannot seem to rid himself of the technical flaws that have blighted his NFL career so far. His 50.4 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus ranks 168th out of 212 qualifying cornerbacks. The former third-round selection gives up big plays frequently and often in the most crucial moments.
Trading for shutdown presence Marshon Lattimore before the deadline was a sign that the Commanders weren't happy with their current options. Second-round rookie Mike Sainristil's smooth transition from the slot to the boundary has reduced St-Juste's involvement further. That's a bad sign in pursuit of an extended stay with the franchise.
Dan Quinn highlighted the need for some players to get a fresh start after releasing 2023 first-round pick Emmanuel Forbes Jr. That might be the case for St-Juste unless he takes a monumental surge forward after the bye week.