7 Commanders players who can make themselves major money in 2024
By Jonathan Eig
Jeremy Chinn - Commanders S
Jeremy Chinn signed a one-year deal with the Washington Commanders to effectively replace the departed Kamren Curl at strong safety. The deal is counting $3.95 million against the salary cap.
The Commanders accumulated several promising young players at safety in addition to Chinn. Darrick Forrest returns from injury. Percy Butler gained some experience filling in last season. Washington is high on fifth-round draft pick Dominique Hampton. Versatile defensive back Quan Martin could see time on the backend, where he starred in college at Illinois.
However, all are very young. None have produced at the level Chinn did during his first two seasons with the Carolina Panthers when he recorded 223 tackles and caused five turnovers.
Chinn’s play fell off significantly over the last two years, during which he totaled just 100 tackles and failed to cause a single takeaway. If Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. can get the former second-round pick back to his old form, it could have major financial implications for the player.
Ten safeties, including Curl, inked bigger deals than Chinn in 2024. At the very least, a good campaign should earn him a multi-year deal at $1-2 million more than he is making this year.
Michael Deiter - Commanders OL
The assumption is that Sam Cosmi and Nick Allegretti will be the Commanders starting guard tandem in 2024. If one of them should go down for any length of time, it is unclear at this point who'll be next up.
Young veterans Chris Paul and Ricky Stromberg are in the mix. But neither was brought to town by the current regime.
Free agent Michael Deiter was.
The journeyman signed a one-year deal for $1.8 million this spring. The Commanders have not had all three interior linemen play more than 60 percent of the offensive snaps together since 2020. Since Deiter will also compete with Stromberg to be the team’s backup center, there is a very good shot he could get extended playing time if and when the injuries begin to occur.
Deiter is still only 27 years old and could be in line for several extra million dollars on a 2-3-year deal if he shines in a replacement role for the Commanders this year. That would be similar to the pattern Wes Schweitzer followed under similar circumstances for Washington back in 2020.