Washington Commanders Offseason Grade: Can Washington’s Bold Overhaul Power Big Leap?
There was a beautiful brilliance to the Washington Commanders’ offseason.
General manager Adam Peters, assistant general manager Lance Newmark, the front office, and head coach Dan Quinn’s staff clearly understand the value of maximizing a quarterback’s rookie contract. Especially when said quarterback is wunderkind former No. 2 overall pick, Jayden Daniels, off one of the strongest seasons by a rookie passer in recent NFL history.
Daniels passed for 3,568 yards with 29 touchdowns to five interceptions on his way to becoming the first rookie quarterback with a 69 percent completion percentage, or better, while also rushing for 800+ yards. By season’s end, Daniels had accounted for 34 total touchdowns.
That’s before Washington swung for the fences, trading for wide receiver and electrifying playmaker Deebo Samuel, and, pulling off a blockbuster for franchise offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil.
There’s this notion that Daniels might take a step back, or experience a sophomore slump.
I’m not buying it, and neither is Washington legend Brian Mitchell.
“What the Commanders have done thus far this offseason,” Mitchell recently told me. “Is they went out and they brought Deebo Samuel in, they drafted [offensive tackle] Josh Connerly, they brought in Laremy Tunsil, which means Jayden doesn’t have to be superhero. He has more time to develop in the pocket, because he reads defenses really well, he makes quick decisions.”
“So, if he has more time and more weapons, they’re already doing what they need to do to try to give him that extra push.”
In a division that houses the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles and the suddenly ascending Dallas Cowboys, off a strong offseason of their own, it won’t be an easy climb for Washington.
But, the moves the Commanders made might just make them Philadelphia’s biggest threat to a Super Sunday repeat appearance.
What I liked About The Washington Commanders’ Offseason
This offseason was all about setting Jayden Daniels up to prove that his stellar rookie season was the floor, rather than his and the Commanders’ ceiling.
Josh Conerly was one of the more heralded offensive tackles in this year’s class, and he arrives in the nation’s capital after posting a stellar 83.6 PFF pass-blocking grade last season at Oregon. Conerly start opposite Laremy Tunsil who finished last season with the fourth-highest pass-blocking grade in the NFL, according to PFF.
It’s obvious that Peters took one look at the NFC Championship Game film, and the Eagles’ front-seven depth chart and realized that for Daniels to get over the hump it is imperative that Washington dominates the trenches. These two big moves were two big steps in shoring up what had already been one of the league’s ascending line units.
Rookie Jaylin Lane is a sleeper to contribute meaningful snaps in a receiving corps that suddenly boasts stellar depth. If the Commanders are able to make peace with Terry McLaurin, at least on paper, a group of McLaurin, Samuel, Noah Brown, would be the envy of at least a dozen quarterbacks across the league, if not more.
This is an offense that got markedly better, and a roster that is leaning into its strong veteran culture around one of the premier young quarterbacks in the sport. There is little question that Washington improved, and perhaps significantly, over the past three months.
Subscribe to Matt Lombardo’s YouTube Channel | Follow Matt Lombardo on Instagram
What Worries Me About the Washington Commanders Offseason, 2025 Outlook
Washington went all-in on offense, and all-in on bolstering Daniels’ supporting cast, and deserve high marks for bold and aggressive moves eyeing a couple big leaps.
However, losing wide receiver Dyami Brown via free agency to the Jacksonville Jaguars, after a career-high 308 yards and a touchdown, but clearly ascending, could be a sneaky loss.
Likewise, it’s fair to wonder if Washington did enough to improve on defense beyond drafting cornerback Trey Amos, who’s an absolute ballhawks, out of Ole Miss.
The Commanders allowing Jonathan Allen to walk, and replacing him wtih Javon Kinlaw was met by abject skepticism from two NFC executives I spoke to earlier this offseason, shortly after Kinlaw agreed to terms on a three-year deal worth $45 million. However, if Washington signed Kinlaw specifically to slow Saquon Barkley, it’s a swap that makes some sense.
A new era has dawned in Washington, and how quickly a revamped offensive line takes shape and Daniels gets on the same page with his new weapons could determine just how much further the Commanders climb in 2025.
Washington Commanders Offseason Grade: A
This isn’t your older brother’s Washington.
These Commanders finally have adults in the room making the personnel decisions, with total alignment with a head coach who is one of the best defensive tacticians and culture drivers in the league.
What Washington is building around Daniels has the potential to become a juggernaut, and the former LSU standout’s best performances coming in the biggest moments of the biggest games on the schedule, as a rookie, is a harbinger that the moment isn’t too big for him and that even bigger moments loom large, in part because of what the Commanders have surrounded him with.
If the offseason was about building the foundation for sustained success, Washington has done exactly that — and with Jayden Daniels leading the charge, the Commanders look ready to rise as one of the NFC’s most dangerous contenders. Maybe even well beyond the 2025 campaign.
In Case You Missed It