The Washington Commanders are in a much better spot than anyone expected. This only strengthens general manager Adam Peters' position heading into the 2025 offseason.
There's a long way to go and a lot of football left before that. Even so, shortlists are already being devised regarding potential recruits behind the scenes at this time of year.
Peters and his staff are meticulous planners. They've taken calculated risks that have paid off up to now. It's also left them with plenty of flexibility in 2025 and beyond.
The trade for stud cornerback Marshon Lattimore highlighted the increased belief within the building. It proved Peters is willing to get more aggressive with the team doing so well. Tomorrow isn't guaranteed in the NFL, so why not make the most of today?
Expect the same trend to continue when free agency rolls around. The Commanders are loaded with salary-cap space and Washington's urgency to maximize Jayden Daniels' rookie contract is evident. Surrounding the promising signal-caller with everything needed to thrive is the primary goal until further notice.
One player who warrants consideration is Tee Higgins. The prolific pass-catcher is set to his free agency in 2025. With the Cincinnati Bengals facing a contract dilemma with star wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, there might not be enough spare resources to keep him around.
New Tee Higgins update should put Commanders on high alert
This was a sentiment echoed by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. The senior insider got the sense there was almost no chance Higgins would re-sign with the Bengals. The cost of a second-straight franchise tag looks out of their price range, which would provoke a bidding war of epic proportions if he hit the open market.
"There's little to no chance [Tee] Higgins is in Cincinnati beyond 2024. People I've talked to feel pretty strongly about that, barring a major surprise. A second franchise tag would cost the Bengals around $26.2 million on a one-year rental. Higgins wanted out of Cincinnati last offseason, and the Bengals will likely allocate resources for a Chase contract. Higgins will have a strong market because of the number of receiver-needy teams and Higgins' WR1 traits."Jeremy Fowler, ESPN
Peters will be monitoring developments closely. Putting Higgins alongside Pro Bowl pass-catcher Terry McLaurin is a mouth-watering proposition for the Commanders. Noah Brown is emerging into a decent No. 2 wideout, but the former Clemson star represents a huge upgrade.
Signing Higgins won't be cheap, especially if there are a plethora of suitors as expected. The Commanders would have had no shot at landing a player of this caliber under the previous regime. That is not the case anymore.
ESPN's Adam Schefter recently revealed that players are actively telling their agents they would like a move to Washington. People around the league see that something special is building and reportedly want to help. The insider is more clued up than most, so this could tip the scales in Peters' favor if there's competition for specific targets.
Whether Higgins falls into that category is debatable. The Commanders have other needs to fill and only have 31 players under contract currently. Peters is the right man for the job, so any decisions he makes should come with complete support from the fanbase.
Peters will have a plan in place for Washington to take the next step. Higgins wouldn't be the final piece of the puzzle, but he'd get them a lot closer that's for sure.
Whether he ends up in the famous Burgundy and Gold remains to be seen. Until something gets confirmed in the coming months, it sure is fun to think about.