5 contracts holding the Washington Commanders back right now
By Dean Jones
Which contracts on the Washington Commanders' salary cap in 2024 could be seen as holding the team back during an important offseason?
Josh Harris' ownership group has put the Washington Commanders in a sound financial position this offseason. Deciding to trade Chase Young and Montez Sweat enabled them to save serious cash on extending the pass-rushing duo. With a large number of players set to enter free agency, the flexibility is there for all to see.
General manager Adam Peters will have a plan ready to go in pursuit of getting the Commanders back to being a respectable football operation. He has an abundance of high-end selections to utilize during the 2024 NFL Draft. Washington also boasts $83.54 million in available salary-cap space according to Spotrac with 49 players under contract.
The Commanders can increase this further in the coming weeks before free agency. Peters knows how to manipulate the cap from his time with the San Francisco 49ers. Having a rookie deal at the quarterback position to build around doesn't hurt. Something the team can contemplate with the No. 2 overall selection.
Looking at how things stand right now, here are five contracts holding the Commanders back in 2024 and what can be done to ease the burden.
Andrew Wylie - Commanders OT
- 2024 salary-cap hit: $9.41 million
The Washington Commanders didn't have much money to spend during 2023 free agency. Those in power allocated a good amount of that to sign Andrew Wylie from the Kansas City Chiefs. This was an instant reunion with Eric Bieniemy. Hopes were high that he could build on an outstanding Super Bowl showing to solidify a problem position at right tackle.
Wylie failed to meet expectations. He was dependable on the health front, but his overall consistency left a lot to be desired. Giving up nine sacks and countless pressures told their own story.
The Commanders have a difficult decision to make with Wylie this offseason. His $9.41 million cap hit is too big for a backup - which is what he'll hopefully become after Adam Peters' first period of recruitment - but they need to eat a significant amount of dead money to remove the Eastern Michigan product ahead of time.
Hopefully, these bad contracts will be a thing of the past under Peters' new vision for the franchise.