The Washington Commanders’ free agency reviews have been fairly consistent. Nobody seems ready to throw a parade for Washington, but nobody is trashing the offseason either, and that’s where things get interesting. Around the league, analysts have landed in the same uncomfortable middle ground when it comes to the Commanders’ free agency moves. The spending was controlled, the signings made sense on paper, and the roster feels deeper than it did a few months ago. Still, there’s a noticeable lack of excitement tied to any of it, which has left many wondering whether this was a smart build or a missed opportunity. Below is a look at what NFL analysts are actually saying about the Commanders’ offseason.
Pete Prisco of CBS Sports
Pete Prisco of CBS Sports said, “They added some solid players, and I like a few of the moves they made, but when you look at it overall, I don’t see the kind of addition that’s going to really change how teams prepare for them. It feels more like they filled holes than went out and got difference makers.”
Brian Mitchell of 106.7 The Fan
Brian Mitchell stated, “You can like the plan, you can like the direction, but at some point you’ve got to have guys that take over games. That’s what this league is about. Right now, I don’t know if they’ve added that.”
JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington
JP Finlay proclaimed, “I think they’ve done a nice job adding depth and putting together a more complete roster, but I don’t know that they’ve done enough yet where you look at this team and say, ‘that group is going to scare people.’ There’s still something missing.”
Grant Paulsen of 106.7 The Fan
Grant Paulsen said, “They’ve definitely raised the floor of the roster, and that’s important because they needed to be deeper and more stable than they were last year. But at the same time, I think it’s fair to ask what the ceiling is now. Where is the move that really changes how teams feel when they line up against you? I don’t know that they’ve done that yet.”
John Keim of ESPN
John Keim stated, “They’ve added players that should help their depth, but the question is whether they’ve done enough to significantly upgrade the roster in key areas. They needed to address the pass rush, and they brought in players to compete there, but it’s still not clear if they have that one player that offenses have to account for every snap. You can see what they’re trying to do in terms of building out the roster and adding competition, but until those moves translate into production, there are going to be questions.”
Chris Simms on NBC Sports
Chris Simms proclaimed, “You disgruntle your quarterback by changing the offensive coordinator… and you hire a guy that hasn’t done anything close to that? To me, one of the craziest moves of the offseason so far.”
Taken together, the Washington Commanders’ free agency reviews say just about everything you need to know. The Commanders didn’t get crushed for their offseason, but they didn’t scare anyone either. Analysts see a plan, they see smarter spending, and they see a roster that should be more stable than it was a year ago. What they don’t see, at least not yet, is the move or the player that changes how this team is viewed across the league. And until that shows up on the field, the conversation around Washington is probably going to sound exactly like it does now.