_The opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of the team._
The Washington Commanders were one of the most active teams in free agency last offseason and found several gems that elevated their roster and turned them into a conference championship contender. Now it's time to do it again.
General manager Adam Peters joked during the NFL Scouting Combine that the amount of available cap space people see on the internet isn't always accurate, but most salary cap websites and analysts agree that the Commanders will once again have some of the most available money to spend this offseason. The amount provided to each team by the NFL hit another record high this year, moving from $255.4 million in 2024 to $279.2 million in 2025.
Last year, the Commanders upgraded their roster by signing immediate contributors on short-term deals. Players like Jeremy Chinn, Bobby Wagner, Dante Fowler Jr. and Zach Ertz became lynchpins for their respective sides of the ball and were pivotal to Washington finishing with their best record in decades.
The Commanders also have 28 pending free agents on their roster, including several players who contributed to their success. So, Peters said, the team will be active in free agency because "we have to" in order to put together a roster. That means much of Washington's capital will be dedicated to retaining its own talent.
Still, there are opportunities for the Commanders to improve their roster in 2025, so in anticipation of free agency opening on March 13 at 4 p.m., Commanders.com is going to look at some of the top players set to become available on each side of the ball. We're wrapping things up with the defensive line.