6 free-agent offensive tackles the Commanders could sign in 2024

Commanders could sign Donovan Smith

It is no secret that the two-time Super Bowl champion had a bit of a down year in 2023. It is also no secret that Donovan Smith has played among the most snaps of any offensive tackle in the league over his career. Recently, he has done so by protecting two people by the name of Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes.

A culture change is needed within the Washington Commanders. Bringing in a veteran like Smith on the edge would not only provide the quarterback with a reliable friend who is highly likely to stay on the field, but it would give other new linemen a voice and presence that could accentuate as well as accelerate their growth.

Also, sometimes a player that has previously shown promise such as Smith just needs a change of scenery. They can benefit personally from being placed into a mentorship role in which their responsibility increases. In turn, their former stripes begin to flicker and illuminate once more.

This is not a knock on the former second-round pick out of Penn State. It is somewhat of an endorsement. The man is a winner. He also, it should be added, gave up only two sacks last season while playing roughly 750 snaps.

No division champion lives without gambling. In this case, maybe a gamble is better taken on a guy like Smith who sees the field and knows what a winning team looks like rather than gambling on the other free agents in this class.