After a very conservative approach and budget spending [in 2025], the Commanders are projected to carry over $23.8 million in salary cap space to the 2026 offseason. This is the second most in the NFL, and they’ll need every dollar.
The Commanders currently have the sixth-most salary cap space in the NFL, at $63.5 million. That number can change…if, [for example] the league’s base salary cap goes up again. The Commanders can also make multiple moves to increase it, such as releasing Marshon Lattimore to save another $18.5 million, and extending Laremy Tunsil to lower his 2026 salary cap hit. [Cap space will also go down with season-end adjustments for things like earned incentives, etc. Also, over $12m in cap space will ’disappear’ in mid-March when Deebo Samuels’ contract voids unless it is extended before that time].
The roster is old, has the most pending free agents in the NFL, and needs an upgrade at many starting spots on both sides of the ball. It looks like a disaster on paper, but it’s very doable to take a major step this offseason in rebuilding the foundation of the roster, while swinging big on two or three free agents like Trey Hendrickson, Breece Hall, and Alec Pierce.
Commanders 2025 position review | Offensive lineWhat’s the situation at left guard? The Commanders originally started the season with Brandon Coleman as the starting left guard but ended up replacing him with Chris Paul in Week 3. Paul, a 2022 seventh-round pick from Tulsa, had a career season as a pass blocker, allowing two sacks and 17 pressures. Paul is set to be a free agent and could feasibly re-sign with the Commanders, but the team also believes that Coleman, who was the starting left tackle in 2024, can make the full transition to guard with a full offseason. Left guard seems to be the only spot for Coleman to be a starter with Tunsil securely placed at left tackle, Biadasz at center, Cosmi at right guard and Conerly at right tackle. The Commanders let Paul and Coleman compete for the spot during training camp, so perhaps they will re-sign Paul and repeat the process in 2026.What happens with the depth? Part of the reason why the Commanders had such a solid offensive line in 2025 was because of its depth. Wylie, Fant and Scott all had starting experience and appeared in certain packages as extra linemen on game days. Now, all three of those players are expected to hit the open market in March. Scott and Fant could be easier to re-sign, but it’s possible Wylie could want to go elsewhere to compete to be a starter. The Commanders do have solid backup options at guard in Allegretti and whoever becomes the backup between Paul and Coleman. Still, though, both backup tackle spots will need to be addressed as well as center.Ben Sinnott: Tight Ends & Peak Performance
Sinnott entered the league as a more explosive, more contact-balanced athlete than Ertz ever was (RAS = 9.72), with more versatility across Y, H, and F alignments. If he were to follow an Ertz-style arc—quiet early seasons followed by major technical growth.
At peak, Sinnott will likely not profile merely as a safety blanket, but as a true middle-of-the-field stressor. An Ertz-arc Sinnott projects to something like 60 to 85 catches, 700 to 950 yards, and six to nine touchdowns annually, with more yards after contact and a deeper ADOT than Ertz typically handled. He’ll win with separation versus linebackers, the ability to hold safeties up the seam, and contact balance after the catch. Sinnott’s early wins have been with tempo, head fakes out of breaks, and vertical stem pressure, along with the ability to cross a defender’s face quickly. The critical leap, just as it was for Ertz, would be moving from “open when designed” to “open when needed.” That transition—from play-dependent to solution-provider—is what defines tight end functionality.
Ertz’s own career trajectory shows how nonlinear this path can be. He entered the league in 2013 as a moderate contributor, grew steadily from 2014 through 2017, exploded in 2018 with 116 catches and 1,163 yards, remained highly productive through 2019. He had a slow build, a multi-year prime, and then gradual decline.
Sinnott’s journey from a walk-on fullback at Kansas State, to the NFL ranks has been short and steep. 2022 was his first experience playing TE in a collegiate uniform. He has largely honed his skills in the NFL in a raw, high-effort mold. This abbreviated college reps at the position—coupled with the fullback roots—likely tamps down his early NFL acceleration, extending the runway for technical polish to emerge.
Quinn will no doubt be pleased the Commanders are sitting down with Chicago Bears passing game coordinator Al Harris, an interview reported by Schefter’s colleague Jeremy Fowler.
Coaxing Harris from the NFC North wouldn’t be the headline move the Commanders would’ve made by hiring Flores. Yet, recruiting Harris would still rate as a minor coup for Quinn.
It would be a reunion of sorts for latter, who had Harris on staff when Quinn served as defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys. That connection is why Harris has previously been tipped as an intriguing option to replace another of Quinn’s former assistants with the Cowboys, Joe Whitt Jr.
The risk would be mistaking a more opportunistic defense for an overall better and more stingy unit. Although the Bears led the NFL in picks and forced 12 fumbles, recovering eight, their defense was also guilty of ranking 23rd in points and 29th in yards, per Pro Football Reference.
Commanders could have serious competition for Raheem Morris if Dan Quinn declares his interest
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN acknowledged that Raheem Morris is still in contention for the Arizona Cardinals’ head-coaching vacancy. If that doesn’t work out, he’s expected to be a hot commodity for defensive coordinator opportunities, and he named three clubs with strong ties that could throw their hat into the ring.
”Raheem Morris is waiting out head coaching chances – he’s involved in Arizona search – but is expected to have multiple defensive coordinator looks should he not get a head job, per sources. Morris has close ties to Kyle Shanahan (SF), Matt LaFleur (GB) and Dan Quinn (WSH).“Jeremy Fowler
This is a waiting game for everyone. Morris may be holding out for the Arizona job, but he is unlikely to be short of offers if they go with another option.
Logan Paulsen’s ‘Prove it’, ‘Show me’ Shrine Bowl prospects
The opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of the team.
Over 100 college prospects will meet in Texas to participate in the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl next week, giving the Washington Commanders and the rest of the NFL an up-close look at their skill sets. While each player has potential, Commanders analyst Logan Paulsen said each player has a few “warts” they’ll need to work out during practice and at the game. He and co-host Jason Johnson laid out on the “Drive to the Draft” podcast” which players need to prove or show them something starting this weekend.
Here are some of Paulsen’s candidates for each category. Take a listen to the full podcast [embedded in the article] for the rest of his analysis.
Diego Pounds, T, Ole Miss
Height: 6-6
Weight: 340 pounds
Paulsen’s take: Prove it
Analysis: This guy can move around a little bit … His ability to sit, get power and get depth on the kick slide and the strength that he had in his body, you can feel that 340 (weight) while also having good knee bend. I left watching that Miami tape — which wasn’t a perfect film by any stretch of the imagination — looking at his frame, looking at his length and being like, “This dude might be a top 10 tackle in this draft.” That’s how good I thought he was. I think he’s a good football player … To me, I just want to see him in person. He reminds me a little bit of Jalen Travis from last year. Is he a perfect athlete? No, but the size, the length, I want to see those measurements come to life.
Projecting The 2026 Compensatory Picks
This article refers specifically to OTC’s final projection for the 2025 NFL Draft’s compensatory picks. For details on the basics and methodology of projecting compensatory picks in general, please reference this article. Note that this projection does not include compensatory picks awarded via 2020 Resolution JC-2A.
To understand how this projection is generated for each team, please reference the compensatory pick cancellation charts here.
If Deatrich Wise does not qualify, Washington will get a 6th for Dante Fowler.If Azeez Ojulari does not qualify, Philadelphia gets a 6th for Isaiah Rodgers.If Chuma Edoga qualifies and Solomon Thomas and Cooper Rush do not qualify, or if all three players qualify, Dallas will get a 6th for Rico Dowdle.
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2026 Cowboys Mock Draft: Mel Kiper has Dallas going with defensive stars
Mel Kiper dropped his first mock of the year on Wednesday and he has the Dallas Cowboys going with some heavy-hitters on defense.
12 – Dallas Cowboys
Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
If you wanted to score points in 2025, all you needed was a matchup with the Cowboys’ defense. They allowed 30.1 points per game, the most in the league. This is another spot where Jermod McCoy could make sense, though DaRon Bland (foot) will be back in 2026. And I think Keldric Faulk could fit here if he is still on the board. But Dallas could really use an impact player in the middle of the defense. Styles is a former safety, and it’s no surprise once you see his speed. He can close on ball carriers and pass catchers in a flash. With 174 tackles over the past two seasons, he’s a top-10 prospect for me.
20 – Dallas Cowboys (via GB)
Akheem Mesidor, DE, Miami
Miami lost in Monday’s national championship game, but did you watch Mesidor? He had two sacks, bringing his season total to 12.5. He has been around college football for a long time, playing at West Virginia in 2020 and 2021 before transferring to Miami. Mesidor has battled injuries, but his toolbox is full. His bend, burst and power could help the Cowboys recapture some of the pass-rush juice they lost when they traded Micah Parsons in August. Mesidor can get into the backfield quickly and finish, registering 17.5 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles this past season. Taking Sonny Styles at No. 12 then Mesidor here would help that Dallas defense in a big way — but Jerry Jones would have to figure out the secondary on Day 2 or in free agency. That’s yet another hole on that side of the ball.
As Kiper notes at the end of his Mesidor write up though, the Cowboys are not addressing the secondary with either of these picks. He mentions that Dallas could look to shore that up on Day 2 or in free agency which presents some interesting problems:
The Cowboys are not exactly known for dabbling in free agency on a serious levelAt the moment the Cowboys do not have any Day 2 picks as they traded them both (the second-rounder as a part of the Quinnen Williams trade and the third-rounder for George Pickens)NY Giants news: John Harbaugh lets most defensive assistant coaches go
Charlie Bullen reportedly only defensive coach with a chance to stay
The New York Post is reporting that with the exception of Charlie Bullen all of the team’s 2025 defensive coaches have been let go.
According to the Post, assistant coaches Andre Patterson (defensive line), John Egorugwu (inside linebackers), Marquand Manuel (secondary coach/pass game coordinator) and Jeff Burris (cornerbacks) will not be retained. Assistant defensive line coach Bryan Cox had previously been fired by interim head coach Mike Kafka.
Bullen, the outside linebackers coach, did an excellent job as interim defensive coordinator after taking over for the fired Shane Bowen. Bullen has a previous relationship with GM Joe Schoen, and has also been getting interviews for vacant defensive coordinator positions. Bullen, per the Post, is not yet guaranteed to remain on Harbaugh’s staff.
Per Jordan Ranaan of ESPN, special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial is also out.
The fate of offensive coaches is not yet known.
In what might be a sign of changes yet to come, though, Harbaugh is the only coach currently listed on the team’s website.
Brian Daboll reportedly won’t be the Eagles’ new offensive coordinator
The Philadelphia Eagles reportedly entered their offensive coordinator search with Mike McDaniel and Brian Daboll as their top two candidates.
It’s now looking like the Eagles have struck out on both options.
McDaniel is reportedly going to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Daboll is reportedly between the Buffalo Bills head coach opening and the Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator opening, according to a report from The Athletic
As a reminder, here are the known candidates that realistically remain (it’s possible someone like Joe Brady still gets added to the mix, we’ll see):
Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Josh GrizzardFormer Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Zac RobinsonFormer New York Giants interim head coach Mike KafkaIndianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob CooterMiami Dolphins senior passing game coordinator Bobby SlowikLSU offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr.
Selected coaching updates
Bills owner made call to fire coach in locker room after loss
“My decision to bring in a new coach was based on the results of our game in Denver,” Pegula, 74, said during a 54-minute interview session Wednesday that included general manager Brandon Beane, who was also made president of football operations this week.
The owner, however, did not base the decision just off the result of the game, but instead, from the collection of events that had taken place over years in the postseason.
“I did not fire Coach [McDermott] based on a bad officiating decision. If I can take you into that locker room, I felt like we hit the proverbial playoff wall year after year — 13 seconds, missed field goal, the catch. So, I just sensed in that locker room, like, where do we go from here with what we have? And that was the basis for my decision.”
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson wants Kliff Kingsbury
In an appearance on “The Herd,” with Colin Cowherd, NFL insider Dianna Russini of The Athletic said that Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson wants Kingsbury in Baltimore, as do his receivers.
“The plan for OC has to be there, Kliff Kingsbury is a name that’s out there,” Russini said. “I can tell you, I know for a fact, Lamar Jackson and those receivers would like Kliff Kingsbury to run their offense. They have shown support, they have been vocal about it. They’ve been part of some of these interviews. Lamar Jackson is part of these. He’s zooming in, he’s in touch with the decision-makers, of what he likes, who he’s liked. We’ll see how this shakes out, but I think that Anthony Weaver is one of those, again, I mentioned, that is going to be in the running for this job. And from what I understand, Kliff Kingsbury would be his OC.”
NFL Should Make Refs Full-Time Employees
Fox Sports rules analyst Mike Pereira says its time for NFL to hire part-time referees as full-time employees
During an interview with columnist Scott Fowler of The Charlotte Observer, Pereira said the 17 referees who lead NFL officiating crews should be full-time employees. Put them all in the same office year-round, said Pereira. That way they can train together, commiserate and hopefully improve performance and consistency.
“I think it’s time to look at full-time officials. Not everyone. But I do believe that the person that represents the crew in the field, the guy in the white hat, the referee—I think those 17 people should be full-time working together all year,” said Pereira. “Not going home in between games, but going to an officiating institute and breaking down all the games together, so the messages are consistent. … I’m not a fan of making everyone full-time, but make the referees full-time. To me, it’s time for that.”
The 75-year-old served as an NFL ref and the league’s VP of officiating before becoming the first TV rules analyst in 2010. The opportunity is coming to turn Pereira’s suggestion into a reality.
The league’s collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Referees Association expires in May. If the primary reason the league doesn’t want to make refs full-time employees is they don’t want to pay, then that’s penny-wise and pound-foolish.
The NFL is on a heater TV-wise, with regular-season viewership reaching a 37-year high of 18.7 million per game. It’s the most popular sports league, and by far the most popular brand in all of entertainment. About the only thing that could derail the NFL would be a betting scandal. As Sports Illustrated NFL writer Albert Breer told Dan Patrick, the league is playing with fire by ignoring growing fan suspicions over officiating.
“I really think that they need to go in this offseason and tear the thing down to the studs,” Breer told Patrick. “Take all the technology available, take the crews they have available, maybe add sky judges to each crew, and rebuild it all together. I just think what’s happening right now flat out isn’t working in the eyes of the public—and the public trust is such an important thing for a professional sport.”
The NFL is the best at almost everything. So invest in quality and training with the refs. If shelling out a few million in salary to refs to make them better at the jobs is the cost, then I call that a small price to pay.