The Commanders acquired or re-signed about two dozen players during free agency, prioritizing size and experience on the offensive and defensive lines, but Samuel and Tunsil were the crown jewels of the team’s offseason, even if they had to give up some of their future draft capital to get them.
“You take each opportunity as they come,” Peters said at the league meetings in Palm Beach, Florida. “Understanding that we were able to get really good players at important positions, there’s give and take to that.”
Shook also provided counterpoints to both moves. Samuel has yet to play a full NFL season and is three seasons removed from his record-setting campaign in 2021. Tunsil, while still near the top of his position, did allow 52 pressures in 2024, according to Next Gen Stats, which is the most for him since 2018.
However, it is worth noting that Samuel is still an upgrade for the Commanders, as his 670 receiving yards in 2024 would have ranked second on the roster last year, and is joining an offense led by Kliff Kingsbury, who has already toyed with placing him at different positions on the field during OTAs and minicamp. Tunsil is also a proven commodity and has a stellar track record against some of the league’s top edge rushers. Since 2022, Tunsil has allowed a 3.1% pressure rate, which ranks third best among offensive tackles.
Of course, both Tunsil and Samuel still need to produce, but if they can provide the production Washington thinks they can, Shook believes it will lead to the Commanders taking another step.
“If everything works out, the Commanders should be better than they were a year ago, when they sprinted all the way to the NFC Championship Game,” Shook wrote.