The 2025 Free Agency Thread

Exactly as to the tweets below. The edges that sucked against the run are Armstrong and Fowler.

Jonathan Allen, love the player, all good feelings for me about his tenure unlike some others here apparently as to how they feel about him -- but he was also sneaky bad against thie run THIS past season. Not his career. But the last season.

We need more pass rushing juice. No doubt. But I think they've made progress for stopping the run.


Reading that we are bringing Ferrell back made me yawn. He came out of the gate well then seemed to fall off into a ho hum season.

Many of us questioned Allen and Paynes run defense last season. I question if it was all them or if it had something to do with the mindset that DQ and Whitt looked for in their attack and hit planning?

I sure hope they go Edge early in the draft
 
A complete list of all our acquisitions so far. The source is the NFL.com. These are spread out over multiple threads so a little confusing trying to see the complete picture.


Washington Commanders

  • QB Marcus Mariota: Re-signed on a one-year, $8 million deal. (Tom Pelissero)
  • RB Jeremy McNichols: Re-signed to a one-year deal. (Tom Pelissero)
  • WR K.J. Osborn: Re-signed with the Commanders (Team)
  • WR Deebo Samuel: Acquired in a trade with the 49ers in exchange for a fifth-round pick (No. 147). (Ian Rapoport)
  • TE John Bates: Re-signed to a three-year, $21 million deal that includes $11.52 million fully guaranteed and carries a max value of $25.5 million. (Mike Garafolo)
  • TE Zach Ertz: Re-signed on a one-year, $6.25 million deal worth up to $9 million with incentives. (Tom Pelissero)
  • OT Trent Scott: Re-signing on a one-year deal. (Tom Pelissero)
  • OT Laremy Tunsil: Acquired in a trade with the Texans, along with a 2025 fourth-round pick (No. 128), in exchange for third- and seventh-round picks in 2025 (Nos. 79 and 236) and second- and fourth-round picks in 2026. (Ian Rapoport)
  • C Michael Deiter: Re-signed with the Commanders. (Team)
  • Edge Clelin Ferrell: Re-signed with the Commanders. (Ian Rapoport)
  • Edge Jacob Martin: Signing a one-year deal worth up to $3 million. (Ian Rapoport)
  • Edge Deatrich Wise: Agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $5 million. (Ian Rapoport)
  • DT Eddie Goldman: Signed a one-year, $1.255 million deal with $315,000 guaranteed. (Tom Pelissero)
  • DL Sheldon Day: Agreed to a one-year deal. (Mike Garafolo)
  • DL Javon Kinlaw: Signed a three-year, $45 million deal with $30 million guaranteed. (Ian Rapoport)
  • LB Bobby Wagner: Re-signed to a one-year deal worth up to $9.5 million with $8 million guaranteed. (Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo)
  • CB Noah Igbinoghene: Re-signing with the Commanders. (Ian Rapoport)
  • CB Jonathan Jones: Signed a one-year deal. (Tom Pelissero)
  • S Will Harris: Signed a two-year, $8 million contact that has a max value of $10 million. (Mike Garafolo)
  • K Zane Gonzalez: Re-signed to a free-agent deal. (Team)
  • P Tress Way: Re-signing on a one-year deal. (Mike Garafolo)
 
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Any idea on how many currently rostered players are signed beyond next season? It seems like only 20 or 25 which is crazy
 
By my count on Spotrac, we have 25 players who have current contracts beyond this upcoming season. 44 of our currently contracted players will be free agents in 2026.

So.... yeah....
 
By my count on Spotrac, we have 25 players who have current contracts beyond this upcoming season. 44 of our currently contracted players will be free agents in 2026.

So.... yeah....
Thank you Boone. It is tough to build a roster without any consistency so I do expect a number of trade back for certain
 
By my count on Spotrac, we have 25 players who have current contracts beyond this upcoming season. 44 of our currently contracted players will be free agents in 2026.

So.... yeah....
Good thing we're trading draft picks for 3 guys around 30+ with a combined 2 full seasons healthy under their belts.
 
I never considered Stroud a Franchise QB anyways. Maybe some of you all did though.

I'll add to this by including Justin Herbert. Flash in the pan rookie seasons that seemingly fix all of the flaws seen in college? They regressed a bit.

Both Stroud and Herbert have uncertain careers ahead of them. Could still improve and be pretty good, but anointing them is foolish right now. They aren't close yet to the rare elite franchise QB tier. They're in the "good enough to not get the GM and Coach fired" tier.
 
I haven't made up my mind about Stroud yet.

But Justin Herbert? He's always made me think of Jared Goff. I think they are very, very similar QBs. Here are the stats that bear that out.

image_2025-03-16_095600523.png
 
I definitely consider both Stroud and Herbert as franchise QB's. I am not sure either will ever be an elite tier 1 guy (e.g. top 5 guy), but they are top 16 QB's that you can build around for 10 years and can win a Super Bowl if you put a great team around them.

In terms of Herbert vs. Goff, I think they are probably similar caliber QB's, but their games feel different. Goff is more pressure sensitive. He is a good system QB as he'll trust the system to get guys open and will throw to spots before guys are open. Herbert is more of a physical specimen. That said, despite having a top 5 NFL arm, he is naturally conservative when reading the field. He doesn't like to push the ball downfield. He is not as good of a system QB as he doesn't have the personality to just trust the system to get a guy open. But he is better at dealing with pressure and can make throws that make the entire field live in a way that Jared Goff cannot. So in terms of how good they are, they are similar, but their games are not that similar in my view.
 
I was talking about Stroud. JD can definitely carry a team. He did it last year.
Literally.

Let’s be honest without a top 5 QB our roster was poor overall. We’d be picking top 10 again this year and arguing about if Sanders might just fall and would it be worth the drama of his father. Or worse trying to convince ourselves Dart is worth a top 10 pick.

Be thankful we are spared all that.

This offseason we already improved what was a top 5 offense. We turned what was the weakest link on that side of the ball (O’line) into a relative strength. We added a legit weapon (when healthy) alongside Terry.

Still areas to strengthen (RB, adding speed outside at WR, finding the successor to Ertz). But the O will be top 10 minimum again assuming reactive health.

D is the work in progress. There is a danger we end up like the Bengals. Franchise QB, weapons everywhere on O but a D that constantly lets them down.

We desperately need pass rush off the edge, someone who gives a shit enough to stop the run at 3 tech (looking at you Payne) and another outside corner who can hold up in man on a physical receiver like Brown or even Lamb.

The D needs more playmakers. It’s our limiting factor IMO.
 
Good thing we're trading draft picks for 3 guys around 30+ with a combined 2 full seasons healthy under their belts.

Come on man. I’m with you a little on deebo and Lattimore. Those moves cost a 3rd a 4th and a 5th. May not be worth it.

Tunsil is a stud. He’s a top 3 pass protector in the league, he’s had one year ever where he started less than 14 games, 2021. He should be pro bowl caliber for 2 to 3 more years probably, coinciding with Jayden’s rookie contract. He gives us an overall OL that’s now up to par with the other playoff teams, and is going to be protecting Jayden’s blind side. And he’s replacing a LT that’s probably would have lead the league in sacks and pressures allowed, if he’d played the whole season. It’s such a massive, massive upgrade.

Do you really not like the Tunsil trade?

I think of all of them, the Lattimore trade is by far the most questionable. Based on cost and production.
 
Top 16 is franchise? That's such a loose definition! #16 would be the most average QB in the league, that can't be franchise.

I guess the question we're all struggling with is, what does being a "franchise QB" mean? If it's one that can carry a franchise, then we're talking about elite. If it's one that won't hurt a franchise, then we're talking about Eli Manning, Andy Dalton, etc squeezing into the list.
 
I definitely consider both Stroud and Herbert as franchise QB's. I am not sure either will ever be an elite tier 1 guy (e.g. top 5 guy), but they are top 16 QB's that you can build around for 10 years and can win a Super Bowl if you put a great team around them.

In terms of Herbert vs. Goff, I think they are probably similar caliber QB's, but their games feel different. Goff is more pressure sensitive. He is a good system QB as he'll trust the system to get guys open and will throw to spots before guys are open. Herbert is more of a physical specimen. That said, despite having a top 5 NFL arm, he is naturally conservative when reading the field. He doesn't like to push the ball downfield. He is not as good of a system QB as he doesn't have the personality to just trust the system to get a guy open. But he is better at dealing with pressure and can make throws that make the entire field live in a way that Jared Goff cannot. So in terms of how good they are, they are similar, but their games are not that similar in my view.

They are both big, athletic, strong-armed QBs who are/were supposed to be franchise QBs. I don't think either of them will end their careers being viewed as such. Of course, Herbert still has a chance to establish himself as one, while the book is probably written on Goff. I understand the distinction you are making, I'm not arguing their styles of play are identical, but I think their ceilings are similar. You can win a lot of games with either guy under center, and when you lose, it most likely be because of their play. But deep playoff runs and Super Bowl appearances based on their play? I think their best tops out well below that level of QB.
 
They are both big, athletic, strong-armed QBs who are/were supposed to be franchise QBs. I don't think either of them will end their careers being viewed as such. Of course, Herbert still has a chance to establish himself as one, while the book is probably written on Goff. I understand the distinction you are making, I'm not arguing their styles of play are identical, but I think their ceilings are similar. You can win a lot of games with either guy under center, and when you lose, it most likely be because of their play. But deep playoff runs and Super Bowl appearances based on their play? I think their best tops out well below that level of QB.
I don’t fundamentally disagree - but Goff has already got to a Super Bowl with the Rams tbf. He did crap the bed in that game badly enough though that the Rams decided (to your point) he wasn’t going to be a guy they could WIN a Super Bowl with.!
 
Reading that we are bringing Ferrell back made me yawn. He came out of the gate well then seemed to fall off into a ho hum season.

Many of us questioned Allen and Paynes run defense last season. I question if it was all them or if it had something to do with the mindset that DQ and Whitt looked for in their attack and hit planning?

I sure hope they go Edge early in the draft
I’ve had the same sort of question - personnel vs scheme, partly driven by the fact that it felt like Whitt was put into a bit of a bind - protecting his secondary, while also coping with a lack of pass rush (w/o blitzing). Compounding that perhaps was the need to go relatively basic in terms of install.
Felt to me almost like he was playing for the TFLs. When it worked, teams were behind the sticks and Whitt could then bring pressure, but it lead to a lot of successful runs. But that’s just my uneducated take.

As for Ferrell, yeah, it’s not an exciting signing at all. He was considered really good at setting the edge coming into last season at least. For a guy that (I presume) wasn’t in on passing downs too often, 3.5 sacks and 2 FFs seems decent. I also wonder how much his knee hampered him. As a rotational guy, I suppose he’s fine.
 
I’ve had the same sort of question - personnel vs scheme, partly driven by the fact that it felt like Whitt was put into a bit of a bind - protecting his secondary, while also coping with a lack of pass rush (w/o blitzing). Compounding that perhaps was the need to go relatively basic in terms of install.
Felt to me almost like he was playing for the TFLs. When it worked, teams were behind the sticks and Whitt could then bring pressure, but it lead to a lot of successful runs. But that’s just my uneducated take.

As for Ferrell, yeah, it’s not an exciting signing at all. He was considered really good at setting the edge coming into last season at least. For a guy that (I presume) wasn’t in on passing downs too often, 3.5 sacks and 2 FFs seems decent. I also wonder how much his knee hampered him. As a rotational guy, I suppose he’s fine.
We have a bunch of guys on D who are ‘fine’. We have some solid starters and even a couple of ‘plus’ guys (Luvu, maybe Wagner). Not sure we have anyone an opposing OC has to game plan around.

We need a couple of those guys on D.
 
We have a bunch of guys on D who are ‘fine’. We have some solid starters and even a couple of ‘plus’ guys (Luvu, maybe Wagner). Not sure we have anyone an opposing OC has to game plan around.

We need a couple of those guys on D.
Absolutely. Sort of to your point - I think Luvu is the only somewhat ‘scary’ piece on D.
I’m hopeful Payne and Newton can have their snap counts reduced and it translates into more disruptive play, but it would require Payne playing like his contract year and Newton taking a big step forward… so I’m not holding my breath.

On the bright side, I think there’s a legit chance our secondary is better as is our run D. I really do wonder about DE - Peters has been pretty aggressive (in some ways) tackling premium positions… hard to see him staying pat there.
 
Come on man. I’m with you a little on deebo and Lattimore. Those moves cost a 3rd a 4th and a 5th. May not be worth it.

Tunsil is a stud. He’s a top 3 pass protector in the league, he’s had one year ever where he started less than 14 games, 2021. He should be pro bowl caliber for 2 to 3 more years probably, coinciding with Jayden’s rookie contract. He gives us an overall OL that’s now up to par with the other playoff teams, and is going to be protecting Jayden’s blind side. And he’s replacing a LT that’s probably would have lead the league in sacks and pressures allowed, if he’d played the whole season. It’s such a massive, massive upgrade.

Do you really not like the Tunsil trade?

I think of all of them, the Lattimore trade is by far the most questionable. Based on cost and production.
All three moves could work out great for us, I don't know.

It just feels like we're blowing the QB window with old vets, replacement level rentals and if we keep dumping all our midround picks, that people love to credit how great AP is at finding talent at, by the time we need to resign JD we won't have our home grown talent.

I really don't love this approach to our offseason. It'll be great to have Tunsil, great player for sure.
 

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