Commanders Offseason: Zach Ertz New Leader in Tight End Room?

The Washington Commanders have already made some moves in the tight end room, but more could be coming depending on how the team foresees Zach Ertz's role.

One of the two moves the Washington Commanders have made in their tight end room this offseason was predicted by most.

Releasing tight end Logan Thomas wasn't a move anyone wanted to see happen, but a fairly common one foretold as the Commanders turned the page from last year to this one. 

Oct 8, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, United States; Arizona Cardinals tight end Zach Ertz (86) celebrates his touchdown reception against the Cincinnati Bengals at State Farm Stadium :: Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Signing Zach Ertz, however, was a move nobody around Washington was discussing as a possibility. And then it happened. 

The question now is whether or not Ertz is coming in as a presumed starter, or if he's another guy in the room - albeit a veteran presence with direct knowledge of offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury's language, approach, and style.

That answer will dictate what the Commanders do moving forward, but here's what the tight end room looks like with the new league year set to start Wednesday afternoon.

2024 TIGHT ENDS

Zach Ertz - John Bates - Cole Turner - Armani Rogers

While Ertz is set to make up to $5 million on his one-year deal, Thomas will count for $1.75 million in dead cap following his release. 

Last we saw the former Cardinals tight end he was bringing in 27 catches in seven games in 2023, scoring once and collecting 187 yards in the process. 

He's not known as the greatest blocker in the world, so it would appear this Washington offense may prioritize receiving ability, even if blocking is lacking.

Fourth year tight end John Bates presents a combination of both and is a good blocker and receiver, doing more in the passing game since he was drafted than many expected him to.

Still, he hasn't quite broken out in either arena and will have one more season to do so before potentially hitting the free agent market next offseason.

Of course, if for some reason the Commanders find themselves falling out of love with Bates he can be moved for a cap savings of around $3 million.

If accepting Ertz's lack of expertise in the passing game is truly a sign of things to come for Kingsbury's offense then Cole Turner may be the biggest benefactor of his hiring.

Turner has shown plenty of flashes as a receiver in limited opportunity but has failed to impress as a blocker which is the perceived reason his play time plummeted in 2023. 

Rogers will be returning from an Achilles injury he suffered during the team's offseason program last year, and he'll do it under his third offensive coordinator in as many years.

2024 FREE AGENTS

Logan Thomas - Curtis Hodges - Brandon Dillon

Considering Washington made moves to put Thomas and Hodges into the free-agent pool we feel it's safe to say neither will be back in 2024. 

Dillon, meanwhile, is an exclusive rights free agent and often times those players are brought back for at least the early portion of the offseason program.

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2024 CAP DEDICATION: $5.36M

According to Over The Cap, the Commanders rank 21st in the NFL in tight end spending entering the offseason.

That amount doesn't appear to include Ertz's money yet, however, because details of that deal are not known and could feasibly include void years that would spread out how much Washington has to account for this season.

Regardless, we don't presume the Commanders are done adding to the tight room and would be in a position to trim from the current group if newcomers arrive.