Commanders should keep these free agents on their radar ahead of Week 1

The Washington Commanders shouldn't be done adding free agents to a roster still being fine-tuned during the first year of a franchise rebuild overseen by general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn. Fortunately, this power couple has resources available to make additional acquisitions if the right opportunities present themselves.

Two remaining free agents, in particular, could provide significant help at suspect positions on either side of the ball. Starting with equipping rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels with a proven catch machine.

Commanders could bolster wide receiver options with Michael Thomas

It's been an age since Michael Thomas was fully healthy. When he was, the former New Orleans Saints star was one of the more dominant wide receivers in football. The height of this came when he set a new single-season record with 149 receptions back in 2019.

Thomas became a magnet for the ball by routinely winning between the numbers. He could body defenders over the middle and also knew how to use a broad catch radius on the perimeter.

As a 6-foot-3, 212-pounder, Thomas is still a big-bodied target who expands the throwing window for any quarterback. While it's been more than a minute since his peak, the 31-year-old was still making the tough grabs last season.

Thomas offered a reminder of what he does best by reeling in this improbable grab against the Atlanta Falcons.

It has to be worth the Commanders finding out what a receiver with Thomas' skill-set and track record has left. Especially when Daniels has Terry McLaurin and little else to rely on at the position unless one of the younger wideouts steps up.

There are risks. Thomas' lengthy injury history includes hamstring, ankle, toe, and knee problems. Those issues have cost the former Ohio State standout 47 games since 2019.

He's set to miss another contest this week after the veteran was ruled to have violated the league's personal conduct policy. The violation concerns Thomas' November arrest "in Kenner, Louisiana, after a confrontation with a construction worker. He was later accepted into a pretrial diversion program," according to Chantz Martin of Fox News.

Thomas' return to the field is going to be delayed a week longer, but the Commanders should still bring him into practice once he's eligible. Daniels will thank them if the veteran can get back up to speed.

Commanders should keep tabs on edge rusher Shaq Lawson

Giving second and even third chances to edge-rushers who flopped as first-round picks has become a habit for the Commanders this offseason. So why not let Shaq Lawson join Dante Fowler Jr. and Clelin Ferrell?

Lawson has spent time at both defensive end and outside linebacker during stints with the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, and New York Jets. He's never made the grade as a top-tier pass-rusher, but the 19th player selected in the 2016 NFL Draft has enough versatility and core rush skills to make an impact in Quinn's schemes.

Quinn and defensive coordinator Jor Whitt Jr. love to rotate front-line pass-rushers onto the field in waves. They would appreciate Lawson, who can also slide inside as a roving, situational addition to a room lacking elite options.

Even a cursory look at the depth chart reveals reason to worry. Projected starters Ferrell and Dorance Armstrong Jr. are being backed up by seventh-round pick Javontae Jean-Baptiste and conversion project Jamin Davis, who is still trying to master the transition from linebacker to defensive end.

A true lineman like Lawson would lend the key rotation in Quinn's defense a little more credibility. But much will depend on how their current options fare in Week 1.

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