Free agency is coming, and the Washington Commanders are once again in a position where they need to make some bold moves on both sides of the ball.

Decisions over the past two years have put them in this spot, especially due to the fact that they have some aging veterans on the roster.

A Roster at a Crossroads

Aside from that, the Commanders have a number of players hitting free agency. When that happens, you have two choices. You either re-sign those players and run it back, or you bring in new faces through free agency and the draft and give the roster a fresh coat of paint. The bottom line is that, given what happened last year, some holes need to be plugged quickly, and that means reshaping the roster.

The good news is that the Commanders have plenty of salary cap space to make some bold moves in free agency. Because of that, ESPN analyst Ian Rapoport seems to think that the Commanders are going to make “fireworks” in free agency:

“And now you have where the Commanders are this year, and they still have a lot of cap space, coming off a really disappointing season,” Rapoport said. “A lot of the players they used to build two years ago, when they made the run to the NFC title, no offense to them, gotten a little older. For the Washington Commanders, I wonder how active an offseason they will have. Adam Peters has been aggressive. He has made trades, made a couple of big ones last offseason. It is an essential, important year for Washington. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were some fireworks here, knowing how important it is, how much space they have, and the window they have with a good, young quarterback. The time to spend is now.”

 

Making Life Easier for Jayden Daniels

If Washington Commanders free agency plays out the way Ian Rapoport hinted, this could be one of the most aggressive offseasons in recent memory. Commanders GM Adam Peters has a lot of work to do, but one of his primary concerns needs to be making Jayden Daniels’ life a bit easier. When you have a younger quarterback that you believe is your future, you need to protect him and surround him with weapons. Whether you draft a wide receiver like Carnell Tate with your first-round draft pick, or potentially pick up an expected-to-be-released Brandon Aiyuk from the 49ers, either is a great option. The Aiyuk pick makes sense, as Jayden Daniels has expressed interest in reuniting with a former Arizona State University teammate recently, which many speculated was Aiyuk. But even picking up a young receiver in Tate in the first round of the NFL draft could prove worthy.

Fixing the Pass Rush Problem

The Commanders’ defense still needs plenty of help as well. Fans have been clamoring for an edge rusher who can get penetration. Last season, the lack of pressure on quarterbacks from Washington’s defense was abundant. In most games last season, opposing quarterbacks seemed to have all day to throw the ball. Making a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders for someone like Maxx Crosby is not out of the realm of possibility, given the recent rumors of the two parting ways. The Commanders certainly have the cap space to make it happen, but the question is how to proportionately allocate it between offense and defense.

Time for a Fresh Coat of Paint

The “fireworks” talk from Rapoport makes sense. When you have as much in the salary cap as the Commanders do, you have the ability to make things happen. It does not mean Adam Peters has to go on a crazy spending spree, but he certainly has options, and those options will give the Commanders some new additions to the team that they desperately need.

The real objective of the Washington Commanders’ free agency this year: meaningful upgrades, not just headlines. They need real upgrades in spots that have been holding them back. If Peters uses that cap space the right way, the Commanders can look and feel different pretty quickly. That is what this offseason is about: giving them a fresh coat of paint.