There have been several changes to the Commanders roster since we published the last depth chart update. Here’s a quick summary of the February and March reported transactions:
Cuts:
- C Tyler Biadasz
- CB Marshon Lattimore
Extensions
- P Tress Way
- K Jake Moody
- OL Andrew Wylie
- OL Nick Allegretti (early extension)
- DL Shy Tuttle
- DL Deatrich Wise
- DL Drake Jackson
- WR Treylon Burks
At the time of writing, the Commanders have 56 players under contract. Expect the team to bring 90 or 91 players to training camp in July. The front office has until then to add about 35 players — with only 6 of them expected to come via April’s draft, which means the team needs to be very active in signing veteran free agents in March and undrafted college free agents after the draft in April.
With the start of veteran free agency imminent, it seems like an ideal time to take one last pre-free agency look at Washington’s roster.
The updated depth chart
- Players under contract are shown in BOLD
- Pending free agents are shown in italics with a grey background
- Zach Ertz & Austin Ekeler have black backgrounds to indicate severe injury last season
- Tyree Jackson & Chris Rodriguez have yellow backgrounds to indicate that they are Restricted Free Agents — RFAs have to be tendered by 4 p.m. ET Monday or they become unrestricted free agents
The numbers that appear beside some players’ names are 2025 cap hits per Over the Cap. I have not included cap hits below $1.5m. Newly extended players do not have cap hits listed since most have not yet been publicly reported; these will be updated as we move forward through the offseason.
The Commanders currently have 29 defensive players, 24 offensive players and 3 special teams players.
Please note that assigned positions and color coding are my own personal opinions. They do not necessarily represent the thinking of Washington’s coaches or front office, nor are they necessarily consistent with fan consensus. This chart represents my personal interpretation, and may not reflect the thoughts of other writers on Hogs Haven. Finally, when it comes to backup players, I don’t put much effort into making sure that they are on the right or left or behind the specific player that they backup. I mostly just try to fit everyone on the chart efficiently.
It’s also probably worth noting that I have retained the 4-3 “look” on the defensive side of the chart, primarily to avoid a lot of angst in trying to assign players to positions in a 3-4 alignment. After free agency, there should be more clarity and I may update the layout of the chart.
Free agent frenzy
Starting at noon on Monday, NFL teams will have a 2-day window to negotiate with agents of impending veteran free agents (or with players like Laremy Tunsil who represent themselves), though no negotiated deal can be finalized before the start of the new league year at 4 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, March 11th. It is not unheard of for players to agree to a deal during the negotiating window, then change their minds before signing the actual contract.
Rumors will be floated, and, in today’s world of immediate reporting via X/Twitter, many people seem to amuse themselves by publishing false reports that have the appearance of being legitimate. If you see a report — especially one that sounds surprising or unbelievable — check the source carefully, including the spelling of the name and number of followers, to avoid re-posting hoaxes from parody accounts or mischief-makers.
There is every reason to expect Washington’s general manager, Adam Peters, to be active in free agency — both extending Washington’s own players and signing free agents from other teams — throughout the week.
Questions at key position groups
Quarterback
Washington, of course, has clarity about the starter — it’s Jayden Daniels. The questions surround the backup and depth. Will Marcus Mariota return? If not, who will be the primary backup? Also, after 2 years of the Sam Hartman experiment, will the Commanders move on from the former Notre Dame player and (reportedly) Jayden Daniels’ good friend?
Offensive line
Having cut Tyler Biadasz, who is the starting center? Is he on the roster now or will he be signed in veteran free agency?
Will the Commanders extend last year’s starting LG Chris Paul? If so, how much does he get paid? If not, who is his replacement? Will the team rely on Brandon Coleman, or will the front office look to replace the position in veteran free agency or the draft?
Tight end
With Zach Ertz clearly not returning before mid-season, if ever, will Ben Sinnott step up to replace him or will the Commanders look for a new pass catching tight end in free agency?
Wide receiver
I’m gonna go out on a limb here and suggest that the receiver room has most of what it needs:
- Terry McLaurin
- Luke McCaffrey
- Jaylin Lane
- Treylon Burks
What’s lacking is another play-making wideout and one more depth piece. Both can be added in free agency and/or the draft. The big questions are: Who will the Commanders sign free agents or draft rookies, and, if they sign a veteran, how much do they pay him?
Related to these questions is the plan for Terry McLaurin. His contract structure suggests that 2026 could be his last season in Washington. How much does that impact the decisions at this position group this offseason?
Defense
The Commanders need several difference-makers on the re-made defense under Daronte Jones — specifically, at edge, linebacker, cornerback and safety. That’s 4 top-tier players minimum to help build a completely new identity to go with the new scheme.
Washington can probably get one of them (or an offensive player) with the 7th overall pick in the draft, but that means the team needs an infusion of 3 or 4 huge-impact defensive players covering every level of the defense.
- Can the team find those players in free agency?
- How much will they have to pay them to field the kind of defense that can help lead the team to playoff success?
- Will Adam Peters be willing to commit to multi-year contracts to multiple veteran players from other teams this offseason to create more roster stability than the team has had so far under his leadership?
Special teams
Will Adam Peters and Dan Quinn finally bring in a 2nd (and maybe even a 3rd) kicker for training camp competition?
Strap up — it should be a fast-paced and exciting week!!
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