Adam Peters did a tremendous job of finding the acquisitions needed over the early stages of free agency. More importantly, the Washington Commanders still have plenty of salary-cap space to make additional moves before and after the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Commanders have $49.63 million in available cap space with 73 players under contract. They have six draft picks, taking the number to 79. Add to that anywhere between 7 and 10 undrafted free agents, and that could lock things up.
Peters focused his primary investments on defense, and rightfully so. The offense got a few enhancements, but releasing starting center Tyler Biadasz remains the most puzzling move the Commanders have made so far. Nothing has been done to fill the void, leading one NFL analyst to believe there could still be a short-term solution on the market.
Commanders need a starting-caliber center, and Ethan Pocic wouldn't be a bad stopgap
Gary Davenport of The Bleacher Report thought the Commanders should seriously consider the prospect of acquiring Ethan Pocic, who remains on the proverbial scrapheap despite playing relatively well for the Cleveland Browns in 2025. It might be nothing more than a stopgap, but it would give Peters even more flexibility during the draft.
"The middle of the offensive line could also use an upgrade—as things stand, the starting center in 2026 would be journeyman veteran Nick Allegretti, who played just 260 snaps in 2025 and wasn't particularly good when he was out there.
"Ethan Pocic wouldn't be a long-term solution for the team—he'll turn 31 before the season starts. He has also missed multiple games in three of the past four seasons, including four a year ago. However, the 10th-year veteran is a capable NFL starter with 97 career starts under his belt and allowed just two sacks in 826 snaps last year."
Pocic is a solid, experienced pro with 6,275 snaps in nine NFL seasons. He gave up just two sacks, 14 total pressures, and two penalties in 826 snaps for the Browns last season, which is pretty impressive when one considers their quarterback upheaval. He's not among the league's best, but the 2017 second-round pick is dependable enough.
It seems as if the Browns are going in a different direction, but it's surprising to see Pocic available at this stage. He was initially projected by Spotrac to get a three-year, $31.79 million deal in free agency, averaging $10.59 million per season. That's unlikely to happen now, so it's a case of staying patient before another opportunity arises.
There might be no better spot than the Commanders. Whether they'd have interest is debatable, but this would arguably give Pocic the best chance of being a starter again immediately.
Biadasz is gone. The Commanders extended Nick Allegretti early when speculation around being cut was rife among fans and the media. He could get the chance to compete. Giving him the starting job without any real challenge is a risk Peters should avoid.
The Commanders may have something else in mind. But given the need to bounce back, an experienced presence like Pocic wouldn't be a bad idea.