The Washington Commanders were relatively quiet over the legal tampering window. Their one major financial outlay in free agency raised a few eyebrows around the league.
Adam Peters needed to find a replacement for Jonathan Allen. The veteran defensive tackle's long stint with the franchise came to an end with his release after Washington failed to find a trade partner. The two-time Pro Bowler wasn't out of work for long, signing a three-year, $60 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings.
By that point, the Commanders had already found Allen's successor. Peters turned to someone he knows well, signing Javon Kinlaw to a three-year, $45 million contract with $30 million guaranteed. That was a jaw-dropping sum for a player who hasn't exactly met expectations since being drafted No. 14 overall.
Peters was part of the San Francisco 49ers' brain trust that chose Kinlaw in the first round. Injuries and poor performances meant his time in California fell flat. Things weren't much better with the New York Jets last season, so this represents a big risk from Washington's front-office leader until proven otherwise.
Commanders receive scathing criticism for Javon Kinlaw contract
This was a sentiment echoed by Jason Fitzgerald from Over the Cap. The respected salary-cap guru could barely believe the figures involved. He thought there was no justification whatsoever to allocate so much money in Kinlaw's direction. He unsurprisingly gave the contract an F, proclaiming it as the worst deal handed out anywhere over free agency so far.
"Most contracts in the NFL have some level of justification...this does not. The Jets signing Kinlaw at $7.5M was a bad one last year and this just blows that away. 3 years, $45 million with $30 million full at signing. Insane. Teams that do stuff like this because they have cap room often wind up a mess in a year or two because the cap room is gone and they wonder why they have some of these contracts on the books. On paper this is the worst signing of the early free agency period and Kinlaw will have to play the best ball of his career to prove that it is the right contract."
Jason Fitzgerald
The Commanders saw something in Kinlaw. They needed to get bigger in the trenches on both sides of the football. That ticks one box on the defensive line interior, but it counts for nothing if Kinlaw's production isn't up to the required standard.
This is a leap of faith for the Commanders. Peters is banking on the player finally putting his impressive physical attributes to good use with improved coaching. And make no mistake, the bet is large.
Kinlaw will no doubt hear all the criticism. He does a lot of good work that won't show up on the stat sheet, which is encouraging. The Commanders also have Daron Payne and Johnny Newton, which should ensure everyone stays fresh in pursuit of improvements, especially against the run.
There is trust attached to Peters' decision-making process. Fans were hoping for more activity, but they also know the Commanders are in good hands.
If Kinlaw doesn't start well, it won't take long for criticism to arrive. That's what happens when big-money signings fail to meet their billing.
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