Commanders top 3 in offseason rankings of teams needing to make splash moves

The NFL offseason is about to kick into overdrive and the Washington Commanders are one of the teams that need to be more active than most.

Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Someone has to win the offseason every year and so far the Washington Commanders might be in the lead.

While there's been plenty of conversation and speculation this offseason, only the Commanders have made a major splash when it comes to improving their team.

As impactful as trading for Deebo Samuel might be, it won't win Washington the whole offseason, and according to NFL.com's Jeffri Chadiha, it needs to be one of the more aggressive teams this year, ranking third among those needing to make a 'splash in free agency.'

Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"This team is willing to do what it takes to continue the momentum created by last season's 12-5 regular-season record and run to the NFC Championship Game," Chadiha says of the Samuel trade. "Quarterback Jayden Daniels now has another weapon to take some pressure off top target Terry McLaurin, but general manager Adam Peters could still make plenty of moves in the coming months.

"The Commanders have a young star quarterback on a rookie deal and nearly $65 million in cap space. It'd be hard to find a personnel evaluator in the league who wouldn't be jealous of that combination. Peters was extremely active last offseason, when he added several established veterans to a team that held the second overall pick in the draft. ...All that cap space also suggests the Commanders have the resources to make a run at trading for Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett, even though Cleveland has said it's not interested in dealing the disgruntled first-team All-Pro. The Commanders need to find defensive line help somewhere."

On top of having free agents in their defensive front like Clelin Ferrell and Dante Fowler Jr., the Commanders are also dealing with the trade request and intent to honor it with defensive tackle Jonathan Allen.

That leaves just Dorance Armstrong Jr. and Daron Payne on the front line when it comes to opening day starters from 2024.

The run defense in Washington was suspect at best, so having to replace all of those players isn't necessarily a bad thing if the team can find better options, or at least a better combination of players to create a better product.

With Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley getting a market-setting deal on Tuesday, the need to stop the run for the Commanders isn't going away anytime soon.

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