5 former Commanders players who are still surprisingly free agents

When Adam Peters decided to clean house this offseason, it meant a lot of last year’s Washington Commanders players would become free agents. Some of those had little trouble finding new employment. Others are still on the proverbial scrap heap.

Kendall Fuller, Kamren Curl, and Curtis Samuel were much in demand. Antonio Gibson and Jacoby Brissett both traveled north to join the New England Patriots. Even much-maligned linebacker Cody Barton found a home out with the Denver Broncos.

Not every former Commanders player has been so fortunate. Given the sorry state of the roster in 2023, it isn’t surprising that many have not been getting calls this summer. Still, there are a few surprises.

Several players deserve a chance to latch on with another team. None may be world-beaters, but they are still viable professionals, who could at least serve as veteran depth on an NFL roster.

In some cases, a veteran free agent may opt to wait out the process. He may find demand goes up once teams begin losing players to injury in training camp. They may also see little benefit in putting their bodies through OTAs and minicamps. They may consider it in their best interest to rest up and see what plays out come August.

In other words, they could have turned down offers in the early days of free agency, while fully expecting to get other offers down the road. But that is a risky route to follow.

The players in camp can make positive impressions. NFL coaches and general managers aren’t exactly sentimental types. Absence rarely makes their hearts grow fonder.

Here then are five former Commanders players who surprisingly remain free agents at this stage of the 2024 offseason.

Abdullah Anderson - Former Commanders DT

Fans cannot seem to comprehend what the Washington Commanders defensive coaches were seeing early last season when it was apparent to anyone with eyes that the most effective reserve defensive tackle on the roster was Abdullah Anderson.

He may be an undrafted free agent who has bounced around seven different teams in his six seasons. Anderson may be a bit undersized for the interior. But he outperformed high draft pick Phidarian Mathis and the towering John Ridgeway III.

Anderson was the only reserve interior lineman capable of making plays in the backfield. He could be overpowered at times, and you would not want him as an every-down tackle, but he showed he could be far more than just a big body.

Then, in a season filled with defensive dysfunction, the Commanders' defensive coaches opted to reduce his playing time in favor of Ridgeway and Mathis. Suffice it to say, they didn't exactly distinguish themselves.

Though he was only on the field for about 100 defensive snaps, Anderson’s grade from Pro Football Focus wasn’t too far behind the grades of Mathis and Ridgeway combined. He was stifled in Washington, but some other team will eventually see value in a productive role player who can spell starting defensive tackles a few times during a game.